Christian See to Thy Conscience, Treatise · Chapter 34
CHAP. 34. Of the erroneous Conſcience;
THe ſtirring Conſcience erroneous, is that which worketh, and doth it office, but yet erroneouſly.
Section 1. Of the difference betweene the blind Conſcience, and errour in Conſcience and an erroneous Conſcience.
HEre it is not amiſſe to ſhew the difference of a blind and erroneous conſcience: the blind ſeeth not the Rule, this doth, though badly: that workes without the Rule, this by Rule, but amiſſe. Alſo here note a difference betweene errour in Conſcience, and the Conſcience erroneous. An errour may be in the Conſcience of a Peter euen an Apoſtle, as in his iudging things common and vncleane, which God had cleanſed, Act. 10. and in not being aſſured of the vocation of the Gentiles, as alſo were ſome other beleeuers Act. 11. 2 and this is about ſome one or other particular matter: But the erroneous Conſcience is that which is moſt what miſled in matters of a mans religion and his deuotion.
Section 2. In what the erroneous Conſcience doth amiſſe.
THe act of this erroneous Conſcience ſtands in two things.
1. In excuſing where it ought to accuſe, as it did Vzzah in touching the Ark, and in Saul offering ſacrifice, and in Vzziah attempting to burne incenſe: ſuch a Conſcience had Rachel, Gen. 30. 6. and Leah, Gen. 30. 18. which made them reioyce, as if God approued them, in that which was euill: this was Saint Pauls Conſcience before conuerſion, Act. 26. 9. and the Conſcience of Chriſts enemies, Ioh. 16. 2. and of the Papiſts now, whoſe Conſcience allowes them to equiuocate in an oath, to neglect reading of Scripture, except they hauehave licenſe, to hate our profeſſion, to take carnall liberty on the Lords day, and to ſeeke the death of ſuch as withſtand them in their profeſſion.
2. In accuſing when it ſhould excuſe, when we do but what is lawfull to be done. It murmured againſt Peter when God badAct. 10. 13. 14. 28. him ariſe and eate; and ſo when he was to goe vntounto the Gentiles, till God gaue him a ſpeciall warrant: Thus it deales with Papiſts in keeping them from our Church, from pious conſcience and meanes of ſauing knowledge. Thus Ahaz Conſcience ſeemed to trouble him, as fearing to tempt God, when he wasIſai. 7. 11. 12. required to aske a ſigne, and yet would not.
Section 3. Whoſe conſcience this is.
THis is the Conſcience of all that be ignorant of the right rule of religion and obedience, the conſcience of the weake in vnderſtanding to iudge and diſcerne of truth in their ſeruice and deuotion to God: of young Nouices ouer forward, before they know what is lawfull and vnlawfull; of ſome zealous without knowledge, as the Iewes, and now Browniſts,Rom. 10. 2. and Anabaptiſts, and fiery Papiſts, of all headſtrong Factioniſts, and preſumptuous Spirits; of all Vſurers, which hold their courſe lawfull.
Section 4. Of the cauſes hereof.
FIrſt, the ignorance of the true rule; ſo as a man doth what ſeemes good in his owne eyes, as ſome IſralitesDeut. 12. 8. did: Hereupon it is, that men take euill for good, good for euill, light for darkeneſſe, darkeneſſe for light, vice for vertue, and vertue for vice: for ignoranceMat. 22. 29 1. Tim. 1. 6. 7. of ſcripture makes people to erre.
2. The abuſe of the true Rule, which is by falſe interpreting of it, as Scribes and Phariſies did: by ſtickingMat. 5. & 6 to the letter without the ſenſe and true meaning, as Papiſts doe, in taking literally theſe words, this is my body, and as Vſurers do the place of Matth. 25. 27. by miſalledging the Scripture, as Satan did, Mat. 4. and as doe all Hereticks, and Schiſmaticks: by making falſe concluſions from ſound premiſes.
3. The hauing of a falſe Rule for direction, as bare opinions of the learned, examples of the old, of the wiſe in the World, of great men, and rich men, cuſtome, multitude, mens owne conceits, fantaſies, and opinions from corrupted reaſon. Theſe all are crooked Rules, and make conſcience anomalous, and the man to doe amiſſe.
Section 5. The effects of it.
THe Conſcience ſo erring breeds in men hereſie, ſchiſme, ſuperſtition, wilworſhip, and idolatrie: It heartens ſome to be obſtinateIoh. 16. 2. in euill, yea, in perſecuting the Godlie, in the zeale of a falſe Religion.
Section 6. The remedie.
THe rectifying of this erroneous Conſcience is this, to know the true Rule and the true ſenſe of it; to hold onelyonly to it, and rightly to vſe and apply it.
Section 7. Of certaine queſtions.
FIrſt Queſt. Whether a man doth well to be led by his erroneous Conſcience?
Anſw. No, Firſt, becauſe the conſcience is deceiued by the errour of vnderſtanding, which is in it ſelfe a ſinne, if it know not what it ought to know, therfore a man is not to follow the errour of Conſcience. Secondly, becauſe that which Conſcience excuſeth may be a flat ſin; or that which it accuſeth a man in may bee a duty commanded by God: If ſo, then conſcience cannot diſpenſe with man in ſinning, nor abſolue him from an impoſed duty; for God is greater then his Conſcience: who binds it to direct man, in excuſing and accuſing, rightly.
2. Queſt. Whether a man may doe contrarie to his conſcience when it erreth?
Anſ. To anſwer to this, we muſt conſider about what the conſcience erreth, whether in things ſimply commanded, or forbidden, or about things indifferent.
1. If about things of the firſt nature, man is to regard Gods authority ouer him and his Conſcience too; his couenant in baptiſme, and his bond there tying him abſolutely to the lawes of his Soueraign, the God of Heauen. And therefore is he to preſſe his Conſcience with the euidence of the commandement, to yeeld obedience thereunto, and to force it by the cleare authority of it to do as God commandeth or forbiddeth.
2. If about things indifferent, a man may not doe againſt his Conſcience; Rom. 14. 22. 23. Happy is hee (ſaith the Apoſtle) that condemneth not himſelfe (to wit, in and by his owne Conſcience) in that thing which hee alloweth, (to wit, in doing it) for he that doubteth (that is, he that puts a difference and diſcerneth betweene one thing and an other, and yet cannot reſolue himſelfe therein) ſinneth if he do it. Now why hee may not preſſe Conſcience and do againſt it herein, is, for that God hath left the matter free, and hath not enterpoſed his authority of command or forbidding, between the matter and a mans conſcience, to bind it this way or that way, but leaueth it to the guidance of the Rules of things indifferent, wherof the Church hath authority to iudge, and ſo to interpoſe her power betweene Conſcience and ſuch matters, according to thoſe rules; with which a priuat mans Conſcience muſt reſt ſatisfied; and if it be not, he muſt labour earneſtly for reſolution and perſwaſion: in the meane ſpace the Church is to beare with his weakeneſſe. Thus much for the erroneous Conſcience.