Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Two markes if a good Conſcience.
THus wee ſee how a good conſcience may be had; it followes we conſider how it may be knowne, and be diſcerned to be had. The markes and notes by which a good conſcience may bee knowne, are ſeven.
1. This in the Text. In all good conſcience. 1. Note of good conſcience. Conſcience in all things.It is a good note of a good conſcience, when a man makes conſcience of all things, all duties, and all Sins. There be that have naturall conſciences principled by ſome generall grounds of nature, and it may bee, ſo farre as theſe rules carry them, may make ſome conſcience, but their principles comming ſhort, they muſt needs alſo come as ſhort of a good conſcience: I have lived, ſaies Paul here, in all good conſcience, and Heb. 13. 18. Wee truſt wee have a good Conſcience in all things. It is a good conſcience when a mans life, all his life is a life of conſcience, when in all his life, and the whole tenour thereof he makes conſcience of all that God commands, and forbids, Pſal. 119. 6. Then ſhall I not be aſhamed, (what breeds ſhame but evill conſcience?) when I have reſpect unto all thy Commandements. When all are reſpected there is no ſhame, becauſe where all are reſpected there is good conſcience, and where good conſcience is, there is no ſhame. That argued Davids good conſcience, Pſal. 119. 101. I have refrained my feet from every evill way.
Try mens conſciences by this, and it will diſcover a great deale of evill conſcience in the world. Many a morall man makes conſcience of doing his neighbour the leaſt wrong, hee will not wrong or pinch any man, payes every man his owne, deales fairly and ſquarely in his commerce, there is no man can ſay blacke is his eye, you ſhall have him thank God that he hath as good a conſcience as the beſt. Theſe are good things, and ſuch things as men ought to make conſcience of, but yet here is not enough to make a good conſcience. A good conſcience muſt be all good conſcience, or it is no good conſcience. Now indeed theſe men may have good conſciences before men, but my Text tels us that we muſt live in all good conſcience before God. And Paul joines them two together, Act. 24. 13. And herein I doe exerciſe my ſelfe to have a good conſcience voyd of offence towards God, and towards men. Now be it that theſe have good conſcience before men, yet what have they before God? Alas they are miſerably ignorant in the things of God, no conſciences to acquaint themſelves with his truth, no conſcience of prayer in their families, of reading the Scriptures, no conſcience of an oath, and as little of the Sabbath, and the private duties thereof. How far are theſe from good conſcience?
Others againe ſeeme to make conſcience of their duties before God, but in the meane time no conſcience of duties of Juſtice in the ſecond Table, make no conſcience of oppreſſion, racking rents, covetouſneſſe, over-reaching, &c. theſe are no better conſciences then the former, neither are good becauſe they live not in all good conſcience. Thus may … man diſcover the naughty conſciences of moſt. Iehu ſeemes wondrous zealous for the Lord, and ſeemes to be a man of a ſingular good conſcience in the demoliſhing the Tēple of Baal, & putting to death his Prieſts. I, but if Iehu make conſcience of letting Baals Tēple ſtand, why doth he not as well make conſcience of letting Ieroboams Calves ſtand? If Iehu had had a good conſcience, hee would as ill have brookt Ieroboams as Iezebels Idolatry; he would have purged the land of all Idols.
Herod ſeemes to make ſome conſcience of an Oath. Marke 6. 26. For his Oaths ſake hee would not reject her. It is joy of him that hee is a man of ſo good conſcience. I, but in the meane time why makes hee no conſcience of inceſt and murther? Hee feares, and makes conſcience to breake an unlawfull Oath, but makes no conſcience to cut an holy Prophets throate. Who would not have thought Saul to have beene a man of a very good conſcience? ſee how like a man of good conſcience hee ſpeakes. 1 Sam. 14. 34. Sinne not againſt the Lord in eating with the blood. Hee would have the people make conſcience of eating with the blood; and indeed it was a thing to be made conſcience of. I, but he that makes conſcience of eating the fleſh of Sheepe and Oxen with the blood, like a bloody hearted tyrāt, as he was, he makes no conſcience of ſucking and ſhedding the blood of foureſcore and five of Gods Prieſts. Iuſt the conſcience of his bloodhound Doeg. 1 Sam 21. 7. Doeg was there that day deteined before the Lord. How deteined? either out of a religious conſcience of the Sabbath, or by occaſion of a vow, the man made conſcience of going before the Sabbath were ended, or the dayes of his vow finiſht. A thing indeed to be made conſcience of, men ought not to depart from Gods houſe, till holy ſervices bee finiſht, a duety that even the Prince muſt make conſcience of, Ezek. 46. 10. Who therefore would not judge this Edomite a conſcionable Proſelyte? I, but why then makes hee no conſcience of Lying? Pſalm. 25. Why no conſcience of being inſtrumentall to Sauls injuſtice in that barbarous villany of ſlaying, not onelyonly innocent men, but innocent Prieſts of the Lord? ſuch were the Conſciences of the Chiefe Prieſts, Matth. 27. 6. How like honeſt conſcionable men they ſpeake: It is not lawfull for to put them into the treaſury, becauſe it is the price of blood. Sure it is, great conſcience ought to bee made of bringing the price of blood into the Temple treaſurie; Are they not then men of good conſcience, It is not lawfull, ye ſee they will not doe that which is not lawfull. It is well, but tell me, is it not lawfull to take the price of blood, and is it lawful to give a price for blood? Ought there Qualis haec innocētiae ſimulatio; pecuniā ſanguinis non mit…e in Ar…, et ipſum ſanguinem mitie…e in Conſcientiā Auguſt.not a Conſcience to bee made of blood, as well as of the price of blood? They make a Conſcience of receiving the price of blood into the Treaſury, but make no Conſcience of receiving the guilt of blood into their Conſciences. Iuſt ſuch Conſciences as they had, Ioh. 18. 28. They would not go into the Iudgement Hall, leſt they ſhould bee defiled, but that they might eate the Paſſover. Indeed a man ſhould make great Conſcience of preparation to the Sacrament, and take great heede that he come not thither defiled; but ſee their naughty Conſcience, they make Conſcience of being defiled by going into the judgement Hall, but make no Conſcience of being defiled with the blood of an Innocent. Such was the conſcience of the Iewes, Ioh. 19. 31. they make Conſcience of the body of Chriſt hanging on the Croſſe on the Sabbath, but with what conſcience have they hanged it on the Croſſe at all? This was juſt like to thoſe that Socrates ſpeaks of, who made great conſcience of keeping Holydayes, yet made no conſcience of uncleanneſſe, that was but an indifferent thing with them. As if conſcience were not rather to be made of keeping our veſſels in holineſſe, our bodies, then dayes holy? Remarkable in this kind is that dealing of the Iewes with Paul, 2 Cor. 11. 24. Of the Iewes five times received I forty ſtripes ſave one. If we looke into the Law, Deut. 25. 1, 2, 3. it runs thus, If there be a controverſie, &c. and it ſhall be if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, the Iudge ſhall cauſe him to lye downe, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certaine number, forty ſtripes hee may give him, and not exceed. Now ſee the good conſciences of theſe Iewes, they might give forty ſtripes, but not beyond that number might they goe. Now they make ſo much conſcience of exceeding the number of forty; that they give Paul but nine and thirty. Thus they make conſcience of the number, but no conſcience of the fact; They make conſcience of giving above fortie, but with what conſcience doe they give him any at all? The Text not onelyonly preſcribes the number of ſtripes, but the condition of the perſon, namely, that he be worthy to be beaten, and he muſt be puniſhed according to his fault. Now ſee theſe men make Conſcience of the law for the number, but make no conſcience of the Law, that will have onelyonly wicked men, and ſuch as are worthy to be beaten, to be ſo uſed. Theſe be the conſciences of wicked men, they make ſeeme of making conſcience in ſome one thing, but make no conſcience of ten others, it may be, of farre greater weight and neceſſity, and herein diſcover they the naughtineſſe of their conſciences. The conſcience therefore is not to be judged good for one, or ſome good actions. Ioab turned not after Abſolom, but hee turned after Adoniah. 1 King. 1. 28. Whereas a good conſcience that turnes neither to the right hand not the left, would have turned neither after Adoniah nor Abſolom. A good conſcience and a good converſation muſt goe together. 1 Pet. 3. 16. Having a good Conſcience, that they may be aſhamed that falſly accuſe your good converſation. One good action makes not a good converſation, nor a good conſcience, but then a mans converſation may be ſaid to be good, when in his whole courſe he is carefull to do all good duties, and to avoyd all ſinnes, and ſuch a good converſation is a ſigne of good Conſcience.Nunc autem in hoc maior offenſa eſt quod partem ſententiae ſacrae pro commodorum noſtrorum utilitate deligimus, parrem pro dei iniuria praeterimus, Et maxime cum & terreſtres domini nequaquam aequo animo tolerandum putent ſi iuſſiones ſuas ſerui ex parte audiant & ex parte contemnant. Si enim pro arbitrio ſuo ſervi dominis obtemperant, ne ijs quidem in quibus obtemperaverint, obſequuntur, &c. Savian. de Provid.
To doe ſome good things, and not all, is no more a ſigne of good conſcience, then to doe ſome things onelyonly which his maſter requires, and to neglect other ſome, is no ſigne of a good ſervant. A good ſervants commendation is to do all his Maſters buſineſſe hee enjoynes him. Wee would hold him but an holy-day ſervant, and an idle companion, that when his maſter hath ſet him his ſeverall workes to doe, hee will doe which him pleaſes, and leave the other undone. This were not to doe his maſters, but to doe his owne will, and to ſerve his owne turne rather then his maſters: So for a man to make choyce of duties, and to picke out ſome particulars, wherein hee will yeeld obedience to God, and to paſſe by others as not ſtanding with his profits, pleaſures, and luſts, this will never gaine a man the commendation of a good conſcience, whoſe goodnes muſt bee knowne by making conſcience of all things. Then have Gods ſervants good conſciences, when it can be ſayd of them, as Shaphan ſpeaks of Ioſiah his ſervants. 2 Chron. 34. 16. All that was committed to thy ſervants, they doe it.
2. To make conſcience of ſmall Duties, and ſmall ſinnes. This alſo riſes out of the Text. All good Conſcience. If of all things, then of ſmall things. It might have beene comprehended under the former, but yet for Conviction ſake I diſtinguiſh them. The good conſcience makes not conſcience onelyonly of great duties and ſinnes, but even of the leaſt, knowing that as Gods great power and omnipotence is the ſame in the making of an Angell and a worme, ſo Gods authority, wiſedome and holineſſe is the ſame in the leaſt Commandements, as in the greateſt of them all. It makes conſcience ſpecially of Judgement, and the weighty matters of the law, but yet doth not therefore thinke it ſelfe diſcharged of all care in ſmaller things, doth not thereupon challenge a diſpenſation from obedience in meaner matters, as if it were needleſſe ſcrupuloſity, as too much preciſeneſſe to ty the Mint, Aniſe, and Cummin. A Cummin-ſeede indeede is but a ſmall thing, a very toy, but yet as ſmall a thing, and as light as it is, yet will it ly heavie upon a good conſcience, being injuriouſly and fraudulently detayned from the Levites. The Phariſees tythed Mint, Aniſe, and Cummin, but they neglected the weighty matters of the Law. It is no good conſcience that lookes to ſmall, and neglects great duties, neither is it a good conſcience on the other ſide, that lookes after the great and weighty duties, and makes no reckoning of Mint and Aniſe. Our Saviour ſayes both ought to bee done. Pharaoh could bee content that the people ſhould goe Sacrifice, but hee cannot abide that Moſes ſhould bee ſo peeviſhly preciſe, that not an hoofe ſhould be left behind. Alas, an hoofe is but a toy, not worth the mentioning, what need Moſes bee ſo ſtrict as to ſtand upon an hoofe? Yet a good conſcience will ſtand upon it, having Gods Commandement, and will make conſcience as well of carrying away hoofes as of whole bodies of Cattell. It is with a good conſcience as it is with the apple of the eye, of all the parts of the body it is the moſt tender, not onelyonly of ſome great ſhives, or ſplints under the eye-lid, but even the ſmalleſt haire and duſt grieves and offends it. It is ſo with a tender good conſcience, not onelyonly beames, but alſo moates diſquiet the eye of a good conſcience, and not onelyonly greater, and fouler Sinnes, but even ſuch as the world counts veniall trifles doe offend it. A good conſcience ſtraines not onelyonly at a Camell, but at a Gnat alſo. Neither doth our Saviour blame the Phariſees ſimply for ſtraining at a Gnat, but for their hypocriſie, who would pretend conſcience in ſmaller things, and meane while made none in the greater; for otherwiſe a good conſcience indeed hath a narrow paſſage for a Gnat, as well as for a Camell. The leaſt corne of gravell galls his foot that hath a ſtrait ſhooe, but hee that hath a large, wide ſhooe, ſlopping about his foot, it is no trouble to him. It is juſt ſo with conſciences good and evill.
A Gnat is but a ſmall thing, yet Pope Bol. pag. of Popes pag. 97.Hadrian the fourth was choakt with a Gnat, and one Flye, though but a ſmall thing to a whole boxe of oyntment, yet dead Flies, as ſmall things as they are, cauſe the oyntment of the Apothecarie to ſend forth a ſtinking ſavour, Ec. 10. 1. and ſo doth a little folly, though but little, doe a great deale of hurt. And therefore a good conſcience lives by Salomons rule, Give not water paſſage, no not a little. And take not onelyonly the Foxes, but the little Foxes, which ſpoyle not onelyonly the Vines, but the tender Grapes. Cant. 2. 15. It knowes a little will make way for much. Pharaoh is content that the people, the men ſhould go ſacrifice, Ex. 10. but their little ones ſhould not goe; he knew if hee had but their little ones with him, he ſhould be ſure enough of their return; therefore Moſes will not onelyonly have the men goe, but their little ones alſo. And therefore a good conſcience deales with Satan, as Marcus Arethuſius dealt with Putantes pauperem vel medietatem petebant pecuniarum, noviſſime vel paueum aliquid exigebant. Quibus ait nec obolum unum pro omnibus dabo. Hiſt. Tripart. lib. 6. cap. 12.his tormentours, who having pulled downe an Idolatrous Temple, and being urged by them to give ſo much as would build it up againe, refuſed it; They urged him to give but halfe, hee ſtill refuſed, they urged him at laſt to give but a little towards it, but he refuſed to give them ſo much as one halfepenny, No not an halfe-penny, ſayes he, for it is as great wickedneſſe to conferre one Ad impietatem inquit obulum conferre unum perinde valet, ac ſi quis cōferat omnia. Theodor. lib. 3. cap. 7.halfe penny in caſe of Impiety, as if a man ſhould beſtow the whole. What was a poore halfe-penny? it was a very ſmall matter; ſpecially conſidering in what torture he was, from which an half-penny gift would hauehave releaſed him. Indeed an half-penny is but a little, but yet it is more then a good Conſcience dares give to the maintenance of idolatrous worſhip. A good conſcience will not give ſo much as a farthing token to ſuch an uſe, as little a thing as it is. For he that is faithfull in that which is leaſt, is faithfull alſo in much, and he that is unjuſt in the leaſt, is unjuſt alſo in much, Luke 16. 10. Even the leaſt things are as great trials of a good conſcience, as the greateſt. A good Conſcience will not greatifie Satan, nor neglect God, no not in a little.
Put mens conſciences now vponupon this triall. Who crakes not of his good conſcience? there be none, if they may bee beleeved, but they have good Conſciences. But why are they good? They can ſwallow no Camells. Well, yeeld them that, though if their entrals were well ſearcht, a man might finde huge bunch backt camells, that have gone downe their gullets. They can ſwallow no camells, but what ſay they to gnats, can they ſwallow them? Tuſh, Gnats are nothing, whole ſwarmes of them can goe downe their throats, and they never once cough for the matter. Foule and groſſe ſcandalls, ſuch as are infamous amongſt meere heathen, ſuch Camells they ſwallow not, but what ſay they to unſavorie and naughtie thoughts which their hearts proſecute with delight, what ſay they to them? Gnats doe not ſwarme more abundantly in the fennes, then ſuch vile thoughts doe in their hearts. The prodigious oaths of wounds, blood, the damned language of Ruffians, and the Monſters of the earth, Oh their hearts would tremble to have ſuch words paſſe out of their mouths, but yet what ſay they to the neater, and civilified Complements of Faith and Troth? Tuſh theſe are trifles, meere Gnats, alas, that you ſhall ſtand upon ſuch niceties. To rob a man upon the high way, or to breake up a mans houſe in the night, this is a monſtrous Camell, but in buying and ſelling to over-reach a neighbour a ſhilling or two, a penny or two, what ſay they to that? Oh God forbid they ſhould be ſo ſtrictly dealt withall, that is a ſmall thing, their throats are not ſo narrow, but theſe Gnats will goe downe eaſily enough. To beare falſe witneſſe in an open Court of Iuſtice, or to be guilty of pillory-perjury, theſe bee foule things, but to lye a little for a mans advantage or to make another man merriment, what thinke they of this? This is a very Gnat, they are aſhamed to ſtraine thereat. Tell many a man of his ſinne in which he lyes, that his ſinne and a good conſcience cannot ſtand together, what is his anſwer, but as Lot of Zoar, Is it not a little one. Gen. 19. 20, But the truth is, that theſe little ones are great evidences of evill conſcience. It is but a dreame to thinke our conſciences good, that make no conſcience of ſmall ſinnes and duties.
The conſcionable Nazarite, now, did not only make conſcience of guzling and quaffing whole cups of wine, but of eating but an huske, and a kernell of a Grape. What a trifle is the kernell of a Grape, and yet a good conſcience will care to pleaſe God as well in abſtinence from the kernell, as from the cup. Indeed when David had defiled and hardned his conſcience with his adultery, then hee could cut Vriahs throat, and his heart ſmites him not for it, but when under his affliction his conſcience was tender and good, his heart ſmites him but for cutting Sauls coat, 1 Sam. 24. 5. See the nature of a good conſcience, it will ſmile not onelyonly for cutting Sauls throat, but for cutting Sauls coat, but for an appearance, vponupon a ſuſpicion, and but a iealouſie of evill.
Paul ſpeakes of a pure Conſcience, 2 Tim. 1. 3. Now it is with the pure conſcience as it is with pure Religion, Iam. 1. 17. Pure religion and undefiled, is to keepe á mans ſelfe unſpotted of the world. It hates not onelyonly wallowing with the Sow in the mire, but is ſhie of very ſpots, and hates not only the fleſh, but the garment, not onelyonly that is groſely beſmeared, but which is but ſpotted with the fleſh, Iude 23. according to that Ceremonial, Levit. 15. 17. And this is that which differences civility and a good Conſcience, Civility ſhunnes mire, but is not ſo trim as to waſh off ſpots, this is the pure Religion of a pure Conſcience. Pure Religion and nndefiled is to keep a mans ſelfe unſpotted, therefore they who are not unſpoted, are not undefiled, but if their conſciences be but ſpotted, yet are they defiled. Mens conſciences are as their Religion is, and pure Religion is ſpotleſſe.
Yea to cloſe this point, the greateſt evidence of a good conſcience is in making Conſcience of ſmall things. Whilſt Probat enim etiam in majoribus ſi res exigat executorem ſe idoneum fore à quo minora compleantur. Salvian de provid. l. 3.men feare great ſinnes, or are carefull of maine duties, it may bee their reputation and credits may ſway them, which otherwiſe would be impeached. So that in them it may be a queſtion, whether it be Conſcience or Credit that is the firſt mover, but in ſmaller things where there is no credit to be had, nay, for ſcrupling whereof, a man may rather receive ſome diſcredit from the world, here it is more evident that good Conſcience ſets a man on. This then is a note of a good Conſcience, to make Conſcience, as of ſmall duties, ſo of ſmall ſinnes; as hee that feares poiſon, feares to take a drop, as well as a draught, and men feare not onelyonly when a firebrand is thruſt into, but when a ſparke lights upon their thatch.