Gods Arraignment of Hypocrites, Religious tract 1 · Chapter 2 · Part 3
Concerning the third booke, which is the Conſcience.
Conſcience in ſignification is nothing els, but knowledge with an other; when I am perſwaded, that another knoweth with me, and that all my ſecrets are as well knowne vntounto him, as they are vntounto my ſelfe. Hence conſcience may be ſaid to act three parts: Conſcience the Lawyer, Regiſter, and Iudge.firſt part, is the Lawyer, which pleads the cauſe, and this is called foreign, or pure part of the conſcience: Saul if he had pleaded with his conſcience, and taken counſell of this beſt part, hee ſhould hauehave beene informed, that rebellion was as the ſinne of witchcraft: but we blind this eye of our conſcience, and therefore we will do what pleaſeth our ſelues, be it right or wrong. Second part is the act of a regiſter, which en…oules all matters of fact againſt the times of inquiſition: & ſo the conſcience is called a booke or bookes, Reuel. 20.12. the act of this is called foreign, the aſſuming part of the conſcience: for as the firſt laid downe the propoſitions, maximes, and generall rules; ſo this aſſumes from them: as for example, Rebellion is as the ſinne of witchcraft; but I Saul hauehave rebelled, conſtat de facto; and this my rebellion ſhall for euer be written in the leaues of my conſcience, which page and line ſhall bee eaſie to turne vntounto, as often as God ſhall call me to an account. The third part is performed by the conſcience, as a Iudge, that concludes the ſentence: and this is called the foreign. All theſe parts are alwaies contained in a ſyllogiſme, the propoſition is the foreign, that explaines the cauſe, and layes downe the controuerſie like a skilfull lawyer: the aſſumption which is the foreign, and pleads guiltie: and the concluſion out of both is the foreign, that giues ſentence.
Propoſition. Rebellion is as the ſinne of witchcraft:
Aſſumption. But I Saul hauehave rebelled:
Concluſion. Therefore I Saul hauehave committed a ſinne as the ſinne of witchcraft.
After the conſcience hath thus propounded, aſſumed, and concluded, the diſpoſition of the heart may be ſeen; Conſcientia in effectu affectu, … u…n…u.vel pro effectu praeterito, vel pro affectu preſente, vel pro euētu futuro: for the fact paſt, that is either in regard of God, or man; of man, it either abſolues or cōdemns; in regard of god, a witnes; either to excuſe or accuſe: for the affection, that followes vponupon this, it is either ioy, or ſorrow; ioy vponupon abſoluing and excuſing, ſorrowe vponupon accuſing & condemning: and for the future euent, it is either the expectation of reward, or the feare of puniſhment. That this may a litle the better appeare, let vsus ſee how the cōſcience is locked, or vnlocked: this eye is alwaies as a booke, that is both claſped and open at the ſame time: or els wholly claſped and locked vp. The claſpes that doe all this, are in number three: goodnes, Claſpes of conſcience. 1. Goodneſſe.ſinne, and puniſhment: Goodneſſe claſps vp the accuſation of the conſcience, but alwaies leaues open the conſcience for excuſation; therefore a good conſcience will open for no accuſation, nor ſhut for any vaine excuſations. Secondly, 2. Sinne.ſinne is either the claſper and vnclaſper together, or the claſper alone: the claſper and vnclaſper by excuſation or accuſation; as in our firſt parents, it is ſaid, when they had ſinned, their eyes were opened: not that they were blind before, but that now the eye had loſt the power of excuſing, and therefore in that was ſhut vp and blinded; but was altogether vnlocked for accuſation and condemning of themſelues: yet by reaſon of cuſtome and long continuance in ſinne, that verie ſelfe ſame thing which opened the eies of our firſt parents, hath wholly ſeared vp the eyes of ſome, that their conſciences neither accuſe nor excuſe, except you will ſay they falſly excuſe, when they make vsus cry, peace, peace, and all is well with vsus. Now this for the moſt part, is the claſpe of mens conſciences, ſo that except God bring iudgement, the conſcience will neuer be awaked from his ſecuritie. 3. Puniſhment.Therefore the third claſpe of the conſcience, is puniſhment, & this holds moſt ſurely in excuſation, in ſo much that none can either vnclaſpe it, or by any meanes be able to mitigate the ſtrait holding of puniſhment from all comfort: ſo that neither angels, nor men, nor any other creature, can giuegive a dramme of comfort: but for the vnclaſping of the conſcience, it wil do it moſt forcibly, and exceedes all other meanes; and therefore is to bee vnderſtood in this place. Hence ariſeth a fourefold diſtinction of conſcience: the firſt, that is at peace with it ſelfe, Conſcience quiet, but not good. quiet nor good.but not with God; and that is the conſcience that is wholly locked vp: the ſecond, that is neither at peace with God nor it ſelfe: and that is the conſcience vnderunder the horror of the puniſhment of ſinne: good not quiet.the third conſcience, which is not at peace with it ſelfe, but with God; and that conſcience hath two claſpes in it, goodneſſe, and ſinne; goodnes from God, ſin from it ſelfe. good and quietThe fourth, that hath peace with God, and with it ſelfe: and this is a conſcience that feeles a claſpe of Gods merciemercy, to bind vp the broken heart, and make it breake forth with ioy, and gladneſſe. So that now if we looke into the world wee ſhall find that euerie man is either a Prince, or a peaſant, either the baſeſt among the ſonnes of men, and moſt ignoble, or els couragious as a lyon, and ſtout hearted as a gyant. If a man were as poore as Lazarus, and as naked as Iob, yet if he bad a good conſcience, he would be higher then Princes, and ſcorn to yeild a foote for the proudeſt: but on the contrarie, if hee were as ſtout as Alexander, as merry as Belſhazzar, as wiſe as Ahithophel, as proud as Hammon, and as rich as Nabal: yet hauing an euill conſcience, he would tremble with Alexander for the touch of an ague; quiuer with Belſhazzar for the appearance of a finger; hang himſelfe with Ahitophel for that his counſell was brought to nought; mourne with Hammon vponupon his bed, for the loſſe of his honour; or his heart would die within him as it did within Nabal for the loſſe of a field; or in a word, hee would tremble at a very leafe: and therefore fearfull ſhall bee the eſtate of theſe men, when the Lord ſhall thus vnlocke their conſciences, as he hath promiſed he will doe in this place.
Now this vnlocking is threefold: Keyes to vnlock conſcience 1. Amazement.Firſt by a generall amazement, when a man is ſuddenly ſtricken, but he knowes no particular cauſe, as Belſhazzar was in the 5. of Dan. the writing on the wall vnclaſped his conſcience by a ſudden amazement. Secondly, 2. Particular knowledge.by a particular knowledge of the ſinne that they hauehave commited, as it was with Indas; who ſaid, Phaue ſinned in betraying inocent blood: this did ſtrike ſo deepely into his conſcience, that be departed and hanged himſelfe; and for verie greife, the rimme of his bellie rent in peices. Thirdly and laſtly, 3. Gods departure.by a moſt lamentable farwel in hell: when the Lord ſhall ſay, (O my creature,) I made thee glorious, but thou haſt ſpoyled all thy glorie, and loſt my fauour: farewell my creature, I the fountaine of liuing water, I the liuing God, I thy life and length of dayes, thy verie breath muſt leaue thee; and come vntounto thee as a conſuming fire, as a roaring lyon, heape vponupon thee all torments in bodie and ſoule: Again, thou ſhalt ſay, Farewell creator, farwell louing wife, farewell my children, and all my freinds; farewell my pleaſures, proſits, and all my worldly luſts: Alas, will none of you pitie mee? wilt thou, O Lord, looke on, and take no compaſſion? and will you my freinds, if with me, curſe me, and cry, A vengence on me? will you thus reward my louelove vponupon earth? If in heauen, will you crie with father Abraham, Remember that you had your pleaſure, when many a Saint ſtarued at your doore, and therefore iuſtly art thou tormented, and we moſt mercifully rewarded? you did vsus much hurt in your pretended louelove; and bleſſed be God you preuailed not in your will. Alas, is it ſo: why then, O worme of conſcience, doe thy worſt: burne fire that can not be quenched; I gnaſh with my teeth to ſee the proſperity of my freinds; & blaſpheme God with the reſt of my freinds here in hel: not as ſinning, for that we did in brauery vponupon earth; to teare God in peices was our credit: but now we together ſee all to be our puniſhments; and we can take no ſweet ſolace in our companie, as we did vponupon earth. Thus the wicked goe downe to hell to ſee their ſinnes ſet in order before their conſciences, to their euerlaſting ſhame and confuſion, that could not ſee it vponupon earth: the deuill hath lead them into the mids of hel, as the Prophet the Aramits that came to take him, into the mids of Samaria, whoſe eyes were opened; to let them then ſee how they were in the midds of their enimies, that meant to doe a miſchiefe vntounto Gods meſſenger: ſo the deuill hath lead theſe men blindfoulded into the midds of hell, and there the Lord hath opened their eyes, to let them ſee what they hauehave done againſt himſelfe and all his Saints.
The ſumme then of the words is thus much: A briefe recapit…ation.(theſe things) that is, theſe ſinnes before mentioned: (done) that is committed: (and I held my tongue) that is, was mercifull in ſparing: (and thou thoughteſt) that is, framed me and my ſilence to thy owne conceit and liking: (like thee) that is, of the ſame mind; nay more then that, one altogether like thee; and that which is moſt ſhamefull, ſhould neuer alter my mind toward thee: (but I wil reproue thee) that is, moſt certainly I will plague thee: (and ſet them) that is, ſinne ſhall be brought vntounto his own place: (In order) that is, make the booke of conſcience moſt euident that thou may read in it diſtinctly, without all confuſion, and hauehave it ſo fixed before thine eyes, that I will keep thee to thy reading, though thou would faine turne thine eyes another way. (Before thee) that is, in the eyes of thy conſcience, which ſhall be ſo vnlocked, that it ſhall be impoſſible for thee, euer to get them ſhut againe. And thus much of the words.