Christian See to Thy Conscience, Treatise · Chapter 5
CHAP. 5. What this knowledge of Conſcience is; and how it may bee deſcribed.
THis diſtinct knowledge of Conſcience may be thus ſet forth:
That it is a certaine, particular, applicatorie knowledge in Mans Soule, reflecting vponupon himſelfe, concerning matters betweene God and him.
For the better vnderſtanding hereof, I will explaine it at large in Sections.
Section 1. A certaine Knowledge.
THe knowledge of Conſcience commeth not with an If, or An, as opinionatiue, reſting on coniectures and probabilities; for it is grounded on ſure Principles, and vponupon Gods Word, and ſpeakes with authority from God; elſe it neither could, nor would ſo worke vponupon Mans Will and Heart, to awe him, and keepe him vnderunder obedience to God, as it doth. But here, thus ſpeaking of it, it is to bee vnderſtood, as conceiued in it ſelfe, free from the cloudy Miſts of a miſleading vnderſtanding, and as it is truly informed, to which, ſo conſidered, we muſt giuegive credit, and obey it, as Gods voice from heauen.
Section 2. A particular Knowledge.
THe Conſcience taketh notice only of particulars, with the conſideration of the circumſtances concurring in the action, as did Iudas his Conſcience in betrayingMat. 27. of Chriſt; and the Conſcience of Ioſephs brethren,Gen. 42. 21 in their pittileſſe act againſt him. Conſcience neuer employeth it ſelfe (in it proper office) about generals; but as they bee applyed in particular to this, or that, with the circumſtances.
For generals are but grounds to worke vponupon in the application by Conſcience. Hence it is, that none ſo bad, but they will ſay, that wee must ſerue God; that it is our dutie to doe, as wee would bee done vntounto; that we must auoide that which is diſpleaſing to God; that wee may not requite murther; we may not commit adultery, nor ſteale, nor lye, and ſo forth: But they will not apply theſe things particularly to themſelues, acknowledging their failing in their duties, and their own committing of euill: becauſe in the generals, their Conſciences worke not, but in the ſight of the particulars.
Section 3. It is applicatory.
COnſcience loues home; it is no ſtragler abroad, but keepes within him, whoſe conſcience it is. If it concerne not him whoſe it is, it meddles not; it is no buſie-body. Wit may, and will bee walking out a doores, and too often buſie it ſelfe in other mens matters, which nothing concerne him: but this Conſcience will neuer doe. Let buſie-braines note this well; and learne from their Conſcience to keepe within their owne bounds.
As Conſcience meddles with particulars onelyonly; ſo bee they ſuch, as may bee brought home: for till then, Conſcience ſtirres not, either about good, or euil. Dauid vnderſtanding, that it was his duty to ſeek Gods face, his Conſcience made him ſay; Thy face, Pſal. 27. 8.Lord, will I ſeeke. When hee heard Nathans Parable, his2. Sam. 12. Vnderſtanding was buſied much about the cruelty of another: but Conſcience ſaid nothing to him, till Nathan applyed, and ſaid, Thou art the Man: then it ſpake within, and willed him to ſay, I hauehave ſinned.
By this may we ſee, why the vaine people can bee content to heare Sermons, that apply not home to them, that which is taught; but cannot endure application: becauſe this onelyonly workes upon the heart for reformation. If there bee no application to our ſelues, there will neuer bee any amendment. This Ieremy tells vsus, and ſhewes why the people repented not; for thus ſaith he; No man ſaid, What hauehave I done? Ier. 8. 6.Applicatory Knowledge, is conſcionable Knowledge; the other is onelyonly Braine-knowledge, without reformation; without conſolation.
Section 4. It is a reflecting Knowledge.
THe knowledge of conſcience is with a reflection; what it knowes, it turnes it backe vponupon a mans ſelfe, to make a man to know himſelfe, as hee is, in eueryevery thing without deceit; euen as the eye looking into a true glaſſe, by the reflection thereof, makes a man to ſee himſelfe what a one he is; faire, or deformed; cleane, or defiled.
Now becauſe this SimilyA Simily taken from a glaſſe, to ſet out Conſcience▪ will greatly helpe to the illuſtration of this Point, if it be enlarged; let the Reader here obſerue ſixe things; the cleare ſeeing eye; the looking into the glaſſe; the glaſſe it ſelfe; the reflection of it; the cauſe of the reflection; and the vſe and benefit hereof.
1. Is the ſeeing eye; for the eye muſt not be blinde, nor a winking eye, nor the ſleepy eye, nor a ſquint eye, nor a purblind eye; but an out-right, and a cleareſighted eye.
This eye is the Vnderſtanding, not blind, not ſhut againſt the light, not careleſſe in an affected ignorance, not looking away, not diſtracted this way and that way at one time, not groſſe; but a cleare Vnderſtanding, apt to conceiue, duplicate page duplicate page diſcerne, and iudge aright.
2. Is the act of the eye looking into the glaſſe: for it is not enough to hauehave a cleare ſight, if wee vſe it not.
This looking, is the act of the Vnderſtanding, taking knowledge of ſuch things, as may enforme the Conſcience.
3. Is the glaſſe it ſelfe, into which, the eye doth looke to ſee himſelfe.
This glaſſe is Gods Law, which the Vnderſtanding apprehendeth, and clearely knoweth.
4. The reflection of the glaſſe, is the returning of that, which the eye ſeeth vponupon the partie beholding; ſo that in a reflection, there is a ſeeing forward and back againe at once.
This is the knowledge of the Conſcience, ſeeing and applying the Law.
5. Is the cauſe of the reflection of the glaſſe, which is the ſteeling of it; without which there would bee no reflection.
This ſteeling, is the taking of Gods Law and word in his true and proper ſenſe.
6. The vſe and benefit of this ſteeling is two fold: Firſt, To limit the ſight, that it cannot looke thorow the glaſſe, nor beyond it. Secondly, To repreſent him to himſelfe that looks into the glaſſe; which otherwiſe it could not doe.
So the holding of the true and properſenſe,
1. Limits the Vnderſtanding ſo, that it cannot goe beyond the rule of the Word.
2. It makes Conſcience truly to ſhew a Man vntounto himſelfe, euen as hee is.
If this bee ſo, that the Vnderſtanding is ſo bounded; and that through the Word, men that looke into it ſo ſee themſelues by their Conſciences, two queſtions may be here propounded.
1. Queſt. How commeth in to paſſe, that ſo many, though they vnderſtand their duties, yet neglect them?
Anſw. Becauſe they looke into the glaſſe of Gods Law with a ſquint eye, hauing their minds vponupon two things at once; the Precept of God, but withallIoh. 12. 42 & 5. 44. they conſider their profit, or their pleaſure, or their reputation with men; and how farre theſe and Gods Word may ſtand together. They bee like Iohanam, the ſonne of Careas, and others, who would know Gods Word by Ieremy, Ier. 42. 2. & 43. 2. 3.and tooke an Oath to obey it; but yet in mind, with this condition, if it ſhould agree with their Wills; which was, to goe into Egypt, elſe not: Therefore when it croſſed their hope and expectation, they deſpiſed it. Theſe ſquinteyed fellowes will neuer reſigne themſelues to the rule of the Word, nor euer become truly obedient.
2. Becauſe, though they look into this Law, yet are not their mindes fixed ſo long vponupon it till the Knowledge be reflecting, and the Conſcience bound to work obedience vponupon the heart. Some looke on Gods Word, as many doe vponupon a glaſſe, only with a glimpſe, and a caſt of the eye, and paſſe away; and ſo nothing the better.
3. Becauſe, though they ſee it, and ſtay vponupon the ſame ſometime; yet they vſe their Wit to finde diſtinctions, to vnty the bond of Conſcience; or elſe to peruert the ſenſe, that ſo they may turne it another way: and by this meanes do continue their vntoward courſes, though they reade the ſcriptures, and heare the Law very often.
2. Queſt. If Conſcience thus reflect vponupon a Man, to make him ſee himſelf, how happeneth it, that eueryevery one is not reformed?
Anſw. I anſwer: firſt, becauſe it happeneth to ſome, as Saint Iames ſpeaks, they looke into the glaſſe; But preſently forget what manner of perſons they are. For where Memorie faileth, for the time the Vnderſtanding cannot informe Conſcience; & therfore it works not in Man to amend him. Secondly, Becauſe hee wants water to waſh off his filth. This water wanting, though a Man ſee his foule ſpots; yet can he not be cleane. The ſpirituall water is the ſanctifying Spirit of God, Ioh. 7. 38. 39. Which hee that wanteth, though hee by the Law ſee his ſinne, yet cannot he be clenſed.
Section 5. It is the Knowledge of matters betweene God and Man.
COnſcience is exerciſed in and about ſuch matters onelyonly, as hauehave ſome relation to God; and whatſoeuer it takes knowledge of, it knowes it with reſpect to him and his Lawes; with out which it lets the thoughts, words, deeds, inuentions, exerciſe of wit, Iudgement and Memorie goe free; if a man ſtand not vponupon the good, or euill, the lawfulneſſe, or vnlawfulneſſe, the offenſiueneſſe or vnoffenſiueneſſe of the thing betweene God and him.
For it is placed in Man betweene God and Man; to ſpeake, command, and teſtifie from God to Man, and from Man to God. Hence it is, that whatſoever is done for Conſcience ſake, is all one as done for the Lords ſake; for they are put one for another, Rom. 13. 5. 1. Pet. 2. 13.
Therefore hence learne, that if Conſcience begin once to ſpeake, know this, that then there is ſome matter to be conſidered of betweene God and vsus: for this is as Gods Bailiffe, telling vsus that ſome ſute is to be commenced againſt vsus in his behalfe. And thus much for the word ſcience in Conſcience.