Balm from Gilead to Recover Conscience, Part 2
The second Part.
Thus hauehave wee seene in part the greatnesse of Conscience: doth it not concerne vsus now to see the goodnesse of it; the greatnesse of it making it, if good, nothing better, if bad, nothing worse; the surest Friend and the seuerest Foe? Whose heart burnes not within him, to heare wherein that goodnesse consists, and how hee may come by it.
The goodnesse of it, is the peace of it; for stirring, accusing, and galling Consciences, are consequents of Sinne, and presuppose some euill.
They secondly proue good vntounto vsus onelyonly by accident, and Gods goodnesse, which maketh them as afflictions, gather Grapes of Thornes: yea, all things worke to the best of his beloued, as Physitians doe Poysons in their Confections.
And thirdly, they doe not alwayes produce this effect. Sometimes, as Sicknesses and Purgations, they are in order to health, as in the Iewes, Act. 2. Oftentimes as in Cain, Iudas, Achitophell, they destroy their owners.
Good Consciences therefore, properly to speake, are onelyonly quiet ones, excusing and comforting; but here take heede the Diuell, the great Imposter of our Soules, put not vponupon our folly and simplicity, three sorts of quiet ones, as hee doth to most. The Blinde, the Secure, and the Seared.
B…inde and ignorant Consciences speak peace or hold their peace, because they hauehave not skill enough to accuse & fin… fault: they swallow many a flie, and digest all well enough. While the scales were vponupon Pauls eyes, hee was aliue and quiet: he thought Concupiscence, the sincke and breeder of all sinne, to be no sinne. Such Consciences discerne …innes as wee doe Starres in a darke night; see only the great ones of the first magnitude, whereas a bright Euening discouers milions: or as wee see a few moates in darke houses, which Sunne-light shewes to be infinite. Such thinke good meaning will serue the turne, that all Religions will saue, or a Lord hauehave mercy on vsus, at the last gaspe: and that which is worst of all, they louelove to liue vnderunder blinde Sir Iohns, seeke darke corners, say they are not Booke-learned nor indeede will suffer their Consciences to proue good Lawyers in Gods Booke, least they should proue common Barrettors. The Law which nature hath engrauen they tread out with sins, as men do the ingrauings of tombs they walk on, with foule shooes: they dare not looke in the Glasse of Gods Law, which makes sin abound, least the foulnesse of their Soules should affright them. A number of such sottish Soules there be, whose Consciences if God opens as he did the eyes of the Prophets Seruant, they shall see Armies and Legions of Sinnes and Diuels in them.
In as pittifull a plight as this, are secure, sleepy, and drousie Consciences, who see, but will not see; with whom Sinne, Sathan, and their Conscience is not at Peace, but at Truce for a time: safe they are not, onelyonly secure they be and carelesse. These sleepe and delight in sleeping; and two wayes especially, the Diuell pipes and luls them a sleepe, by Mirth, and by Businesse. Ease and Prosperitie slayes some fooles, Wealth and Heartsease, like Dal…ah, rockes them asleepe on her lap: Iesting and merry tales, eating and drinking casts them into a spirit of slumber, and puts their Sinne and Iudgement farre away, and makes them say they shall neuer be moued. While they prosper and flourish in the world, their Consciences deale as Creditors with their debters: whiles they are in trading and doing, say nothing to them, but if once downe the winde, in sicknes, crosses and pouerty, then Arrest vponupon Arrest, Action vponupon Action, then come the Fowles of the Aire and seaze vponupon the sicke Soule, as the Rauens vponupon sicke Sheepe, write bitter things against them, and make them possesse the sinne of their youth. Marke this you that dwell at ease, and swimme in wealth in London. Your Consciences that lie stil like sleepy Mastiues; in plague times and sweating sicknesses, they flie in the throate: they flatter like Parasites in Prosperitie, and like Sycophants accuse in Aduersitie. Businesse also and Cares of this life choake the Conscience, and the voice of manifold imployments drowne the voyce of Conscience, as the Drummes in the Sacrifices to Moloch the cry of the Infants. And such Consciences are quiet, not because they are at Peace, but because they are not at Leasure. Marke then you that hauehave Mils of businesse in your Heads, whole West-Minster-Hals, Bursses, Exchanges and East-Indies, (as I feare many of you hauehave whilst I am speaking to your Conscience) that making hast to be rich, ouerlay your braines with affaires, are so busie in your Counting-house and Bookes, and that vponupon this very Day, that you neuer hauehave once in a week, or yeere, an houres space to conferre with your poore Consciences; yea, when did you? Let your Consciences answere within you. No, but if at a Sermon you appoint them a time, and say you will, you disappoint them and say as Agrippa to Paul, Wee will heare thee another time: and for the most part doe as hee did, that is, neuer heare them againe.
All these sleepers hauehave but a …rensie mans sleepe; this Tranquilitie will be sure to end in a Tempest.
Yet in a more horrible case, and step nearer Hell, are such as seare their Consciences with an hot Iron, harden them of purpose, as men doe Steele, by quenching the motions of them; brand them with often sinning against their checking; fleshing tender Nouices with this counsell, when their Consciences trouble them for any thing, then to doe it the rather, and so they shall heare no more of them: and so it proues through Gods iust iudgement giuing them ouer to a reprobate sense, that their Consciences serue them as Moses did Pharaoh, hauing receiued many repulses, and at last commanded to come no more in sight, forbare to lose any more breath vntounto him, but complained to God, who swept him and his Hoast away with a finall destruction.
When Tutors and Paedagogues are weary with Pupils, they giuegive them ouer to their Parents fury: these are foreign, and to these villaines there is no peace, saith my God, and my Text. These men… Consciences if euer they awake, (as seldome they doe) they awake as Ionas, in fearefull astonishment; and if they sleepe out this life till their long sleep, yet their Condemnation sleepeth not. Thinke of this you monsters, scorners, and mock-Gods, that forget your Consciences, least they awake and teare you in pieces. Be not my Brethren deceiued with any of these deceiuing Consciences; Children of darknesse: Though Conscience be not vsually mocked, yet many deceiue their owne heart, Iam. 1. 26. for want of examination. Many say & thinke in their Consciences, that they hauehave good Consciences, when GOD saith, Oh that this people had such a good Conscience: and so Paul speakes in my Text, as once to Agryppa, Oh that you were as I am, assured that you hauehave a good Conscience, desiring, &c.
What then is a good Conscience? That which speakes Peace with Gods allowance, which is a Messenger of good things between God and vsus, that vponupon good grounds, is in good tearmes with God: It lyes in the lawfull peace of it, and not in integritie and freedome from sinne. If my Conscience accuse me not, yet am I not thereby iust…fied, God is greater then my Conscience. If any Conscience say to any man, hee hath no sinne, it lyes in the throate, and is a Lyer. Adam onelyonly had such a Paradise, such a good Conscience, walking with God, without sinne, without feare, in the state of Innocencie. There is but one way now to come to it: our peace▪ is now to be had by Mediation and Reconciliation; being iustified by Christs bloud wee hauehave this peace. In stead of many, marke one remarkable place of Scripture for this purpose. If you aske what makes a good Conscience, there is but one thing in the world will make it, Hebr. 9. 14. The bloud of Christ once offered by his eternall Spirit, without fault, purgeth our Consciences from dead workes. Yea, so admirable is the force of this bloud, that it leaues no more conscience of Sinne within it.Heb. 10. 2. This Lambe takes them away, and carries them out of Gods remembrance into the Wildernesse of Obliuion. If thy Conscience rage as the Sea, Christ cast into it, as Ionas, whists all the waues of it. If the Law make it as Mount Sinay, couered with darknesse, the Gospell calmes and lightens it presently. If tossed as the Ship where the Disciples sayled in the night, hee rebukes the Windes, and they are still: if the Diuels rend and rage in it, he casts them out presently.
The Iaylor came in trembling, ready to fordoe himselfe, Beleeue in Christ, sent him out leaping and reioycing. It's strange how freely, effectually, and speedily hee quiets all. Oh all ill Consciences, heare and beleeue; this is the honour, royalty, and peculiar dignitie of Christs bloud, to pacifie and make good our Consciences! I doe not so much admire at all his miraculous healings of Diseases, Lepries, Blindnesse, and Lamenesse, Daemoniackes of all sorts, as I doe at his gracious and sodaine quietting of the Conscience of Mary Magdalen, of Zacheus, of Paul; and so the like vertue this bloud hath still, to day and yesterday the same. Nothing else in the world hath this vertue saue his bloud: all other merriments hauehave no more power to quiet Conscience, then Holy-water and Charmes to coniure the Diuell.
I finde in a French Comedie one brought in as troubled in Conscience for sinne, and he runs vp and downe like a Hart with an Arrow in the side, for remedie, hee buyes a Pardon, runnes to Shrift, whips himselfe, goes on Pilgrimages; and all this while, like an Aguish man that drinkes water, or leapes into a Poole, his disease increaseth; then fals hee to seeke merry company, to see if hee can play away his trouble; but like Sauls ill spirit, it returnes with greater violence, & brings seauen worse with it to torment. In the end hee findes Christ, or rather is found of Christ, and so findes peace, & this is the good Conscience we speake of, to which being in Christ, there is no Condemnation, no Accusation. Wouldst thou purchase a good conscience at an easier rate? wouldst thou hauehave it for sleeping? When thou hast tried al conclusions, come hither & buy salue for thy Conscience without money. When thou hast spent all thy time and money about what will not quiet thy minde, as Alchimists smoake out all in seeking the Philosophers-Stone, here is that which will doe it; beleeue and proue, and thou and thy Conscience shall be safe and quiet: this is approued, thus Paul got his. Yea, but is this all? Is it so cheape and easie athing? May we now sing a Requiem to our Soules, lay the reynes on our neckes cast care away, and doe what we list? I feare not such an obiection from a true beleeuing Conscience. They that prattle thus, know not Ingeniū fidei & bonae Conscientiae, the good nature of Faith and a good Conscience.
Let me not daube your Consciences with vntempered Morter. Faith as it pacifieth, so it purifieth Conscience. Christ purgeth our consciences to serue the liuing God, and after all his cures, bids the healed goe away and walke after the Spirit, and sin no more. There are indeede a generation of Libertines and hypocrites that serue Christ, as Lewes the 11. is reported to hauehave serued his leaden Crucifixe which he vsed to weare in his hat, & when he had blasphemed or done any villany, he would pull it off and kisse it, and so sinne ouer and ouer againe; like our common Swearers, that crye God mercy, and aske him leaue to abuse his Name againe, and that wittingly and willingly.
These and such like, let their Consciences speake peace to them, as the Fryer in Stephan▪ absolued a Gentleman, that would needes pay well, yet would not promise to amend his fault, in stead of an Absolution hee pronounced a Curse vponupon him in Latine, which hee tooke for pay; Christ absolue thee, which I beleeue he will not; and bring thee to Heauen, which is impossible.
Many Sentencs hath the Master of Sentences borrowed from Ambrose, Lib. 4. Dist. 14.against such Consciences, which I omit to rehearse, least as Abners body, they hinder the passing of the people by. A good Conscience stands not with a purpose of sinning; no, not with an irresolution against sin. He is a foole and a vaine mocker, no true penitent, that mournes for sin past, and yet meanes at the same time to sin for the time to come. With which Sophisme the most perish at this day, with this in their mouthes; They beleeue on Christ, and hauehave as good a Conscience as the best, and yet walke in sinne. But oh thou vaine fellow, shew mee Pauls good Conscience by Pauls proofe, by his Desire in all things, &c. Is Christ able to saue thee, and is he not able to sanctifie thee? Let mee with Tertullian, tell thee, that the promises standing true, thy faith is false, & the Gospel remaining safe, thou shalt perish.
Titus, a Trades-man or Lawyer here present, happily is desirous to hauehave peace of Conscience, is sorry for his oathes & frudulent courses this week past, but knowes he shall fall to the like the week comming, hates them not, and meanes not to striue against them, but to returne to the myre, my Text saith not to him, Goe in peace, to such loose and licentious Consciences that make Christ a bawd of sinning, & Faith a cloak of liberty. I hauehave heard that the Pope hath sold a Pardon for a Murther past, with a dispensation annexed for the next.: but Christ my Lord and master (as bountifull & gracious as he is) grants no such. If he forgiue that which is past, hee giues at least so much Grace, as to deny vngodlinesse for the time to come. To conclude this point; thou desirest a good conscience, without indending or conditioning, I bid thee beleeue in Christ, & thou hast one; yet take this, not into the bargaine, but as an after prouiso: Art thou willing to hauehave a good Conscience, and to be assured thereof, here follow foure infallible Characters and marks of a good one, which I desire you to mark attentiuely, and by them to try your Consciences throughly. Hitherto I hauehave shewed how you may get one: now how you may proue one. Here are foure Elements or humors, which well compounded & mixed, make vp a perfect health of Conscience: if any one be wanting, or faile in a iust measure or proportion, Conscience is accordingly defectiue and sicke.
The first,foreign. is that which must be the first in eueryevery good action, that is, the Will, that the bent & inclination of that be set right. I would the word had been plainly translated as it is in other places, verbatim, willing: It implyes first; that hee that hath a good Conscience, doth not onelyonly doe well, but wills to doe well, doth it voluntarily, not forcedly, or out of externall and si…i…ter motions, but from an internall principle, a sanctified and rectified will, which God accepts for the deede, and aboue the deed. Secondly, that he doth not onelyonly wish and faintly desire, which Translation may flatter an hypocrite that hath some sluggish lusts and some sodaine good pangs and moodes, and such as for the time little differ in sicknesse and starts from a regenerate will: but the word notes a strong and setled resolution, a constant purpose, and such as produceth endeuour. Hee th…t will be rich, pierceth himselfe through with many sorrowes, where the same word is vsed; I graunt it is Carnificina, a racke to a good Conscience, to say, It must alwaies doe well; and contrarily, it's a true ground of comfort, to say, that a will and purpose is sufficient testimonie and approofe of a good one: but then it must be meant, not eueryevery languishing and lazie flash of eueryevery wisher and woulder, but of a willer; and this word is equal with the other two, which are good Synonimaes and Glosses vponupon this, vsed by Paul, Act. 23. 24. I labour, or exercise my selfe, and foreign, I lay my policie, or bend my wit and will to hauehave a good Conscience, and to serue God, &c.
It may be said of some, They would be good, but they hauehave no will to it. There is none so prodigall or sloathfull but would be rich; Yet we say not, such will be rich, that is, set it downe, determine it vltimata voluntate. There are none so wicked, but at some times would be good, and leaue sinne; but these dispositions breed imperfect Essayes and profers, ripen not, hold not, discerne not the name of Will. Corrupt flesh hath many such Propensities and Bubles, and is very prodigall in momentanie purposes, and promises; but Dauid saith, hee will keepe Gods Commaundements: I hauehave vowed, sworne, &c. when Michol mocked, I will yet be more vile; as resolute Swaggerers, whose Will is set and sould to sinne: They sinne and will sinne, say Preachers what they can. Ahab will goe, crie Micaia… what hee please; so Iosuah will serue God, let others doe what they will. Sanctified Will may be crossed, and captiued, and hindered, but yet it holds it owne bent, and ouercomes the Law of Rebellion, is predominant, and can neuer be forced to sinne, or to will to sinne, without a curbe in the mouth, the more stiffe and steady this Will is, the better Symptome of a good Conscience.
Secondly,foreign. this Will must extend it selfe to …; Though in many things our deedes fai…e: which extent …et Paul expound with a distribution, towards GOD and Man, Acts 2. In duties Diuine, Humane, of Charitie and Piety, whatsoeuer is done for Gods sake and for Conscience sake, is done equally: No man makes a Conscience of one, but hee that doth of all: hee that delights in the breach of one Commandement, hates all the rest. The rich and precious boxe of a good Conscience, is polluted and made impure, if but one dead Flye be suffered, I say not, if one Flye of Infirmitie light in it, against the will fore-mentioned, but if with our will it lye, and dye, and putrifie in it. When Christ purgeth Maries conscience, hee casts out not sixe but seauen Diuels, yea, hee leaues not one of the Legion remaining, not one spot of Leprie in any one member, but saith, Faith hath made thee whole. Here I see many fall short, and I pitie to see so many ciuill men and hypocrites to come so neere the Kingdome of heauen and a good Conscience, and yet one thing is wanting. Foolish Herod, that doest many things and stickest at one: Foolish Ananiah, that spilst and losest all thy cost with a small reseruation. Foolish hypocrite, why takest thou paines to climbe so high on the hill of Piety, and yet for one step of iniustice to thy neighbour, ascends not into Gods Mountaine, though thou commest often into Gods Tabernacle. Thou ciuill honest man, why giuest thou Almes, liuest fairely with man, and forgettest the maine, art so farre short of this All things, that thou forgettest that which should be all in all, that is, Pietie to God? Vniuersall and Catholicke obedience, is the best distinguishing Touchstone of trueth and falsehood, of good & bad Consciences. This Vniuersality must also extend to great and small duties. I say Vniuersality, not equality: A good Conscience mainely desires to please God in the great Commandements, as Christ cals them, and then in eueryevery complement, in eueryevery hoofe and naile, so neere as he can, yet obseruing a due proportion. It most of all straines at grosse sinnes, yet swallowes not Gnats. It trembles a… Wounds and Blood, feares Faith and Troth. It abhorres Adulterie, hates Daliance: It payes Tithe-sheaues carefully, it detaines not Tithe, Mint, and Anniseede: It sayes not, an inch breakes no square, and small faults must be wincked at; and in this sence may well be said to be scrupulous, because it being tender feeles scruples: onelyonly here I lay a Caueat, that it be not erronious, or ignorantly dubious and scrupulous, like the wall-eyed or bird-eyed Horse, that starts vponupon eueryevery shaddow without occasion or cause: makes Conscience where God and his Word makes none, makes many questions for Conscience sake. Light and information is as good as tendernesse, both together make an excellent Conscience, and obiter for the sake of scrupulous Consciences, that desire vnfainedly in all things to walke honestly, I giuegive them these solemne charges.
First, that they study the peace of the Church.
Secondly, that they study their liberties.
Thirdly, that they be humble towards God and their Superiours, and willing to illuminate and regulate their Consciences by the Word, and be established in what they are to doe, not admitting eueryevery feare of the contrary without ground, yet remembring Pauls rule, to follow the Dictate of Conscience, rather then of Angell, Potentate or Prelate, yea of Apostle. For, after the Apostle had determined that, in the 14. to the Romanes, he yet requires in the Eater a Plerophorie, and blesseth him that doth it with consent of Conscience, and makes all other Sinne a Sinne against Conscience, being worse then a Sin against Man, yea, next to the Sinne against the Holy Ghost. An erronious Conscience holds the Wolfe by the eares, bindes to the Act, frees not from the fault: Oh therefore labour to get a Salue, and thinke not your owne eye-sight to be sharper then the Eagles. Endeauour to informe your Consciences aright, and hauing so done, be carefull in all things to keepe a good Conscience, and that throughout the whole tenour and course of your liues, which is required in the next terme of Conuersation.
A word that addes to the former,foreign Constancy, and Equality: there are in the life of Man many turnings, references, and diuers respects, in all these; at eueryevery turne to be the same Man, requires the … of a good Conscience: to … well, a Childe or a … may, but to walke euen … turne hither and th…her …, argues …rength. A … or … broken paced Horse, may rack… or stri…e a stroke or two right, but to maintaine the thorough-pace, at eueryevery stop & turne to be at the commaund of the Rider, argues mettall and goodnesse. This terme is expressed by Paul,foreign. Acts 23. 1. I hauehave alwayes, or throughly, to this day; and 24. 16. foreign.foreign. That is, without tripping or stumbling, or without oftence to other, &c. A weake Conscience falls at eueryevery turne; godly in one company, prophane in another: a good one, as a Square Cube, is the same which way soeuer you turne him: Turne him to God, to his Neighbour, turne him to company, turne him alone, turne him loose to all occurrences, he holds his owne, and wa…kes honestly. For example, one day is the briefe of a Mans whole life, and is a little life, bounded with the Night and the Morning, as with Birth and Death: wherein a conscionable man first turnes to God in Prayer alone, then with his Family, then to his Calling, then to his Recreation, to Society, Eating and Drinking, and at night returnes to God and his rest; in all these walking god…y, soberly, righteously, and is able to say trulier then the Epicure at night,foreign. I hauehave liued this day: I hauehave walked honestly; hee is a good Dayes-man, or Iourney-man, or Tasker, which is an excellent mysterie of well liuing and Redemption of time, a working vp our Saluation in holinesse and righteousnesse, all the dayes of our life: hee that lets slip one dayes watch and worke, may sleepe at night in a whole skinne, but not in a sound Conscience.Turbid… & Lucid… int…rualla. Such crazie Consciences hauehave, as broken brains, their good and euill dayes. Conscience as a vessell may easily be kept pure and cleane if rinsed eueryevery day; but if it goe longer, it gathers soyle, and askes harder scouring by more then ordinary Repentance. Daily washing will keepe it pure and faire, which is the last thing which is yet wanting to perfection, such perfection as is to be found in the way: and that being added, will s…t on the roofe and pinnacle vponupon this building.
foreign, Hones…ly, I could wish the Translatours had vsed some other word, because this is so disgracefull and con…p…ble as the world goes, though the word in the ou… signification is honourab…e, Hones…e in trueth (as ironically as the world vseth it) being onelyonly truely honourable, forcing honour from the breasts of men, which is the seat of honour, which brauerie doth but begge. The word is comprehensiue, and compasseth in the fadome of it, as much as any or all the other Aduerbs in Scripture,foreign. worthily, decently, accurately, circumspectly, grauely, after the best fashion, or comely, praise-worthy, liuely, famously. It notes the lustre and grace of an action, which makes our conuersation shine before men, and sets out Gods glory. foreign, A thing that Citizen and Courtier much standvpon in their Actions, yea all men now a daies build, feast, weare apparell, not for bare necessity, but for their credit, so as they may get honestie by them. Vnconscionable men slubber ouer their worke, and thinke any thing good enough for God, as in Malachie: and content themselues with reasonable seruice, for so they translate that,foreign. Rom. 12. Wheras Paul often requires Christians should be excellent ringleaders in faire workes;foreign. and prouide honest or honourable things before men, and to possesse their vessels, much more their Consciences in honour, that they may be fit Temples for the Holy Ghost. As Theodoret most diuinely vponupon Exodus, looke how the Temple was adorned with the finest Gold, Siluer, Silke,foreign, &c. Purple, Scarlet, Iewels, &c. So must thy Conscience, of which Temples this was but a Type.
There is in eueryevery dutie, besides the deed done, an honourable decorum annexed, as in hearing, to heare swiftly; in preaching, to labour & to be instant in season, &c. in giuing Almes, to doe it cheerefully; in trading to be at a word; in payments & promises to keepe day and touch: and thus it becomes a Christian to exceede the P…arisee, and the ciuill man, or else it is not for his, and his Masters honour.
Dauid did excellently when he would not offer a Sacrifice without cost: The woman that spent her costly Spicknard on Christ, the smell whereof perfumed all the house, and holds the scent to this day: The Widdow that gaue all her substance. Our honourable personages, how meane are they in allowances to Ministers, in Almes to the poore, or any expences, that respect GOD and their soules. A good Conscience for the sake of this honestie, auoides and flies, not onelyonly scandalous blemishes and staines, but all the least blushes and appearances of euill, all brackish tasted things his stomacke goes against them: If hee knew neuer so well Cards, Dice, Vsurie, Nonresidencie, Plurality to be neuer so lawfull, yet because they stand not with this honour, he will none of them. He askes not what he may doe with a safe Conscience, but with an excellent one; not what is lawfull and expedient, but honourable.
Thus hauehave we seene the Apostle riding in this triumphant Chariot, drawne as it were with these foure horses, the foure euidences of Conscience.
The first proues it good; the second, true; the third, strong; the fourth, excellent.
Hee that hath the Will, hath the seeds of Religion, and is a Christian, and no Atheist.
He that willeth in all things, is a sound Christian, and no hypocrite,
He that conuerseth or walketh, is a grown Christian, no babe or weakling.
He that walks honourably, is an excellent Christian, no ordinary one.
He that hath all these, may well say and glory with the Apostles confidence, that he is assured.
Hee that hath them not, as most hauehave them not, may well conclude, We are assured our Consciences are euill and impure, willing to sinne, and walke after the flesh.
The word is Pauls word,foreign. and yet he speakes it in the plurall number by way of Syllepsis, changing the number, because hee would hauehave it the word of eueryevery Christian. foreign is a word of as good certainty as foreign, it seconds and binds it, as the better word, Rom. 14. I know and am assured. Of it as of the roote, springs foreign, for all Bellarmine would eleuate it. It imployes a grounded perswasion, not from Inspiration or Reuelation, but from Arguments and Experience.foreign. Faith is the subsistance and euidence; and the perswasion or assurance of a Christian is as firme as is any worldlings for his estate; yea, a thousand times surer. You rich men think your selues sure of estates here vponupon earth, but wee Christians know our selues sure of heauen. Conscience knowes it selfe, as well as Science any Principle, or Sense any Obiect. Without which certainety, Christians were of all men most miserable. Popery and Nature, and the old Leuen of Pelagius newly worse sowred by Arminius, neuer hauing had experience of this Plerophorie, serue Christians, when they boast of this their confidence, as Ananias did Paul, strike them on the face with the terme of pride and presumption; yea, sticke not to giuegive them the lie; but such betray themselues with their owne noyse. I would aske them but Pauls question, Doe not you know? If they answere as vsually they doe, No; nor they thinke any man liuing on earth: I would pray them to marke what followes, Except you be reprobate, reffuse, or reiectanij, as yet in the state of Reprobation, for ought they know.
Indeed it becomes the strumpet and adultresse to doubt of her husband, and not to call him Ishi, Hose… 2.but let him marke (saith Bernard) the Spouses language; My beloued is mine and I am his. See (saith he) what a good Conscience dares doe. Habet Ecclesia spirituales suos qu… fiducia…iter agunt cum Christo: The Church hath her spirituall ones that relye boldly on Christ, or confidently; the very terme that Bellarmine excepts against. And, Id audet vnus, quod audet vniuersit as; Ego puluis & cinis &c. Yea, eueryevery particular person dares doe as much as the Catholike Church; I that am dust and ashes dare apply this to my selfe. And Tompson vponupon that Text. These things (saith hee) are not written,… for I know not what ayrie Notions or Idaea's, but for mee and thee. Without which, who would be a Christian? A mans Conscience is deepe and deceitful, but the spirit of man, especially helped by the Spirit of God, and vponupon examination and tryall, may and doth know as well (saith Augustine) his Charity wherwith he loues, as his brother whom he loues; and if his Charitie, then his Faith.
Three Scioes I finde in the end of Iohns Epistle. The Major or Proposition is Gods Word; The beleeuer is saued. The Minor is assumed by Gods Spirit & the Conscience, two sufficient witnesses, fortified and assisted by many pr…misses, by the compasse within, the landmarkes without, Faith, and the fruits of Faith. Dost thou beleeue, saith Christ? I beleeue, saith the man. And this is the Restipulation of a good Conscience in Baptisme, and in eueryevery true beleeuer. Credis? Credo, was the ancient forme, which answere, all wauerers must reuerse and innovate. Latitudes of assurance I grant in Babes and old men. Dauid knew when he came to Hebron, that God meant to establish the kingdome to him and his, which he knew before, but now with a confirmed knowledge. The Ba…lances of the Scoale shake and tremble at the first, after the weight is in a while it settles and rests: and so our Soules. And euen this Certaintie is of the nature of all precious Faith, though experienced Faith increaseth it. It's this Confidence that makes a good Conscience, this valour makes the value of it invaluable & invtterable.