Christian See to Thy Conscience, Treatise · Chapter 41
CHAP. 41. Of the morall good Conſcience.
THe morall good Conſcience is that which is exerciſed in and about matters onelyonly of right and wrong, and common ciuill honeſtie. This Conſcience is in two ſorts, of ſome out of the Church, and of others within the Church.
Section 1. Of thoſe out of the Church.
THere are many out of the Church, which hauehave had and yet hauehave this morall Conſcience, Ancient Heathen Philoſophers, and many now among the Turks and Perſians, and other ciuilized Nations.
How farre theſe may go with this their morall conſcience commendably, it may appeare by theſe things, Firſt, by ſome writing of morall vertues, ethicks and politicks, excellent well. Secondly, by many golden ſentences diſperſed here and there in their works. Thirdly, by wholſome lawes enacted, and eſtabliſhed among them. Fourthly, By praiſe worthy examples left recorded to all poſterities, ſome for iuſtice, ſome for temperance and chaſtitie, ſome for prudence, ſome for fortitude, and magnanimitie, and ſo others for humility, patience, charity, and the like, of which hiſtories are full.
Section 2. Of their helps hereto.
THis their morall Conſcience is gotten, Firſt, by ciuil education, and by being trained vp in good manners. Secondly, by humaine ſciences and good literature, as ethicks, Oeconomicks, and Politicks. Thirdly, by the common naturall notions of right and wrong, which by education and inſtruction they doe improue and make better vſe of then others can. Fourthly, by ſome acquaintance ſometime with practicall principles of ſupernaturall truths, by getting ſome light from Gods booke, through acquaintance with ſome of the Church. Thus of thoſe out of the Church.
Section 3. Of thoſe in the Church.
THere are not a few, which liue in the boſom of the Church, and yet hauehave no more but a meere ciuil morall Conſcience; ruled according to thoſe common naturall principles, or ſomewhat better informed by learning the morall law of the tenne Commandements: beyond the letter whereof they hardly extend their practiſe: but when the ſame is ſupported and countenanced with cuſtome, opinion, worldly wiſedome, example of others, great or rich, or reputed men of learning and vnderſtanding.
Section 4. Of the goodneſſe of it.
YEt this morall Conſcience is good, firſt, for that it is grounded vponupon Gods Law, either written in the heart of naturall men, Rom. 2. 14. 15. or learned out of the Booke of God. Secondly, becauſe this kind of Conſcience will excuſe a man in ſome acts of moralitie, which isRom. 2. 15 not diſapproued of God, as we may ſee in Abimelechs pleading for himſelf, Gen. 20. 6. and in the young rich man auerring his obedience to the Law, Matth. 19. 20. of whom it is ſaid, that Chriſt loued him, Mark. 10. 21. Thirdly, Saint Pauls legall Conſcience in morall iuſtice, and his obedience to the Law, which, I ſuppoſe, was comprehended within that, which hee called a good Conſcience in Act. 23. 1. Fourthly, this morall Conſcience produceth much good for the exerciſe of morall vertues in mens liuing together in ſocieties, to preſerue iuſtice, equitie, to doe good workes, and to vphold a common peace among them.
Section 5. Of the inſufficiency of it to aſſure a man of life.
NEuertheleſſe, howſoeuer a Moraliſt may lift vp himſelfe, as the young rich Man in the Goſpell did, yet can it not giuegive him aſſurance of eternall life; for firſt, the Law cannot bind the Conſcience of a Chriſtian to beleeue his ſaluation by the Law, becauſe the Law is weake in this through mans faultineſſe, and the Goſpell teacheth ſaluation another way. Secondly, the Heathen, wee ſee, hauehave this morall Conſcience, and many vnregenerate perſons in the church. Thirdly, an excellent Moraliſt, in his owne apprehenſion, for the louelove of the World may leaue Chriſt, as the young man did, Mat. 19. 22. Fourthly, becauſe a morall righteouſnes cannot exceede the righteouſneſſe of the Scribes and Phariſies; but the righteouſneſſe, by which we muſt be ſaued, muſt exceed that, Matth. 5. 20.
Section 6. Of the reaſons why God hath giuen men ſuch a Conſcience.
THis morall Conſcience it hath pleaſed God to worke in mens hearts, firſt, to manifeſt the power of his Law in ſome, by which this Conſcience either excuſeth or accuſeth, Rom. 2. 15. Secondly, to make men, which ſeeke not after God aright to glorifie him, to be inexcuſable, Rom. 1. 20. Thirdly, to be conuicted in themſelues, when they wil be bold to ſit downe, and iudge others, Rom. 2. 1. Fourthly, to know Gods iudgement due for ſinne, Rom. 1. 32. Fifthly, to preſerue ſocieties in Families, in Townes, Cities, and Kingdomes: for without this morall Conſcience, men would turne beaſts one againſt another. Sixthly, to bee a meanes, in the preaching of the Law, to make men to tremble, as Felix did, and to mooue other-ſome to ſay with the Iewes and the Gaoler, What ſhall wee doe to bee ſaued? Act. 2. 36. 37. and 16. 30. For without this Conſcience, men would make no vſe, nor hauehave any regard to the Law at all inwardly, but onelyonly as outwardly they are forced thereunto: as we may ſee in ſuch among vsus, vponupon whoſe Conſciences the Law hath no operation nor power.
Section 7. Who they bee that hauehave onelyonly this morall Conſcience.
NOw to know a meere Moraliſt, that hath but this morall Conſcience, thus they may be diſcerned:
1. They neuer deny themſelues; this precept of the Goſpell they yet neuer learned: for they are highly conceited of themſelues, as was the young Man, Mat. 19. 20.
2. They ſtand much vponupon their wel-doing, as all Legaliſts doe; both vntounto men, as the prodigall Sons brother did, Luk. 15. 29. ſo likewiſe vntounto God, as did the proud Phariſie, Luk. 18. 11. 12.
3. Their ſeruice in the firſt Table to God is performed vponupon a cuſtomarie forme: for they want herein ſincerity, not ſtriuing againſt their inbred corruption, in doing ſeruice to God. They are without holy zeale, they doe it not in feruent louelove; they are luke-warme, or cold in their Religion; they are not like Paul againſt falſe doctrine, Gal. 3. 1. nor like the Paſtor at Epheſus againſt falſe Teachers, Reuel. 2. 1 2. nor like Moſes againſt idolatry, Exod. 32. nor like Nehemiah againſt prophanation of the Sabbath, Neh. 13. 17. and marriage with Idolaters, Verſ. 25. for theſe things the Moraliſt ſhewes neither anger nor ſorrow.
4. They will not ſuffer for Religion, their conſcience cannot giuegive them incouragement to endure any triall for their profeſſion, diſgrace of the World, loſſe of friends or preferment, diſcountenance of great perſons, and ſuch like, theſe will make them ſlinke and ſtart aſide.
5. All the duties which they doe, are euer ſuch as tend to their owne credit, profit, eſteeme with men, and outward welfare; and are but common duties, ſuch as be praiſe-worthy in and among commonly reputed honeſt, louing, peaceable Neighbours, keeping themſelues to the letter of the Law: but for the ſpirituall ſenſe, the cauſes, the occaſions, or degrees of ſuch preſcribed duties their conſcience meddles not with. Stricter duties beyond their ſiſe and ſcantling they mocke at, they call fooliſh preciſeneſſe, and damne the parties for hollow hypocrites. With Abraham they inſtruct not their houſhold, Gen. 18. with Dauid they caſt not out the wicked from dwelling with them, Pſal. 101. with Iob they pray not daily for them; they reſolue not with Ioſhua to ſerue God with all their houſehold, Ioſh. 24. much leſſe attaine they the praiſe of a pious Cornelius, Act. 10. 1. 2.
6. The euils which they doe abandon, are onelyonly the more groſſer ſorts of euils, ſcandalous among men, ſuch as may bring them vnderunder the danger of humane Lawes, bring vponupon them diſgrace with the World, outward ſhame and reproach, puniſhment, loſſe or diſpleaſure with their betters, and ſuch like inducements to preuent their ſinning: but for ſins of another nature, pettie oathes, vaine thoughts of the heart, vnſauourie ſpeeches, neglect of houſhold duties, Sabbath-breaking, and the like, the meere Moraliſts conſcience troubles him not: So that, albeit it be a good Conſcience, in that it is exerciſed about the practiſe of ſome vertues, and about reſtraining from ſome vices, yet it is not to be reſted vponupon, becauſe of the failings in ſo many things.