Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
The comfort and benefit of a good conſcience, in the caſe of Diſgrace, and Reproach.
VVEe are now come to the fift and laſt point which was propounded: The Motives to perſwade us to get good conſciences. The Motives therunto may be many, I will keepe my ſelfe within the compaſſe of five.
1. Motive, The incomparable and unſpeakable 1. Motive to a good conſcience.comfort, and benefit thereof in ſuch caſes and times as all other comforts faile a man, and wherin a man ſtands moſt in need of comfort. Theſe caſes or times are five.
1. The Time and Caſe of Diſgrace and Reproach.
2. The Time of Common feare, and Common calamitie.
3. The Time of Sicknes, or outward croſſes in a mans goods.
4. The Time of Death.
5. The Time and Day of Iudgement.
In all theſe, or in any of theſe times it is good to have ſuch a friend or companion that will ſticke to a man, and be faithfull Interim elige ſocium qui cum omnia ſubtracta fuerint fidem ſervat dilectoribus ſuis nec recedit in tē pore anguſtiae. Bern. de Conſc.to him when all other things faile him. Such a friend, and ſuch a companion, is a good conſcience. A friend loves at all times, and a brother is borne for adverſitie. Proverb. 17. 17. But in ſome of theſe caſes a brother and friend may be falſe, and will not, or may be weake and cannot helpe nor pleaſure a man, but a good conſcience is better then all friends and brethren whatſoever; when they will not, or cannot, or may not, yet then will a good conſcience ſticke cloſe to a man, and be a ſure friend to him. Let us ſee in the particulars the truth of it.
1. In the time and caſe of Diſgrace, Infamie, Reproach, and wrongs of that The comfort of a good conſcience in caſe of diſgrace and reproach.kinde, the comfort and benefit of a good conſcience is unſpeakeable. When a man ſhall be traduced, ſlandered, falſely accuſed and condemned, then in ſuch wrongs will a good conſcience doe the office of a faithfull friend, will ſticke to, and ſtand by a man, and will comfort and hearten him againſt all ſuch injuries. Paul is heere convented before the Councell as a Malefactor, hee hath an whole Councell bent againſt him. What now is his comfort, and his defence againſt ſuch an heape of accuſers as doe affront him? This it is, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conſcience. As if hee had ſaid, Impeach, traduce, accuſe and condemne mee as you pleaſe, yet be it knowne unto you, that I have a good conſcience, and this my good conſcience is it which ſhall comfort and uphold me againſt all your injurious and unequall proceedings. You may bring forth falſe witneſſes againſt me, but my conſcience doth, and will witneſſe for me, you may condemne me, yet my conſcience acquits, and abſolves me. And thus doth Paul ſhelter himſelfe under his good conſcience.
The like we may ſee in the next Chapter. Ananias and the Elders come and bring Tertullus, and he is feed to be Pauls accuſer, and he layes heavie and hainous things to Pauls charge, verſ. 5. Wee have found this man a peſtilent fellow, and a mover of ſedition among all the Iews throughout the world, a ring-leader of the ſect of the Nazarens, &c. Here be foule things, what will Paul be able to ſay to all this? Will not this bee enough to ſinke him downe utterly, to ſee ſo many banded together, and ſuch great ones combined to countenance ſuch an accuſation? How will he be able to ſubſiſt? Now then behold the benefit, and comfort of a good conſcience. He holds up his former buckler, and ſmites Ananias, and the reſt with his former weapon, verſ. 16. Herein doe I exerciſe my ſelfe, to have alwaies a conſcience voyd of offence towards God, and towards men. Ananias and the Elders have a mercenary Tertullus to accuſe him, Paul hath no man dares be ſeene to plead for him, none will be retained in his cauſe, but yet now conſcience ſteps out, and ſtops the foule mouth of this ſlanderous Oratour, and puts ſpirit, and heart into Paul to plead his own Cauſe againſt them all. Conſcience ſeemes on this manner to animate him; Feare not Paul the accuſations of this Tertullus, I witneſſe for thee thine Innocencie. I juſtifie it to the teeth of Tertullus, that he is one whoſe malice and covetouſneſſe hath made him ſet his conſcience to ſale; ſtand up therefore, and ſpeake boldly for thy ſelfe, dread them not. Well fare a good conſcience yet, that will ſpeake comfort to Paul, and make Paul ſpeake with courage, when none elſe dare be ſeene in his cauſe.
It was an ill caſe David was in, Pſalm. 69. 20. 21. Reproach hath broken mine heart, and I am full of heavineſſe, and I looked for ſome to take pitty, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none: they gave me alſo gall for my meat, and in my thirſt they gave mee vineger to drinke. A very hard caſe indeed. Where was now Davids familiar friend, his acquaintance with whom hee was wont to take ſweet counſell, what was become of him now? Poſſibly ſome of his acquaintance were at this time like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joynt, Prov. 25. 19. Confidence in an unfaithfull man is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joynt Others it may be that had profeſt him louelove, were ready to faſten a poyſoned tooth in him. This was Davids caſe, and this may be any mans caſe; but now at ſuch a time, and in ſuch a pinch appeares the excellency and benefit of a good Gonſcience. Though all a mans friends ſhould prove Iobs friends, like the Winter brooks of Teman, that in winter overſwell the bankes, but in the ſcorching heat of Sommer prove drie ditches yet then, even then well fare a good conſcience. That will heale Davids heart broken with reproach, that will cheere him up in his heavineſſe, that will ſweeten the gall, and take away the ſharpenes of the vineger, which his enemies have given him to drinke.
There is a generation, Prov. 30. 14. whoſe teeth are as ſwords, and their jaw teeth as knives; and Pro. 12. 18. that generation ſpeakes as the piercing of a ſword. There is a generation, whoſe words are woūds that go down into the innermoſt parts of the belly. Pro. 18. 8. Theſe be dangerous generations. But what generation are they? Generations of vipers. Pſal. 140. 3. Adders poyſon is under their lips. Iunius tranſlates it, Venenum ptyados, The poiſon of the ſpitting Serpent. They be then generations of ſpitting ſerpents, even of fiery ſerpents, that have their tongues ſet on fire from hell, and ſo they ſpit fiery poyſon in the faces of Innocents. Now there is no man can live in this world, at whom theſe adders will not ſpit, no man can be free from the ſprinckling of their poyſon. The diſciple is not above the maſter; If theſe ſnakes have hiſſed at the Lord of the houſe; and if theſe ſpitting Serpents have caſt their poiſon in his face, why would they feare to do it to the ſervants? But is there then no balme againſt this poyſon? No buckler againſt theſe ſwords? Yes, there is the ſoveraigne balme, and the impenetrable buckler of a good conſcience. It is a balſome that will allay the poyſon of theſe Adders, that it ſhall never burſt a mans heart, or if theſe ſwords pierce the very innermoſt bowels, yet this will ſo ſalve theſe wounds, that they ſhall not ranckle, nor become mortall? Oh! how mortall is this adders poyſon, how fatall are theſe ſwords, how keene their edge, and how full of paine their wounds, where inward guilt gives ſtrength unto them? But integrity and goodneſſe of conſcience, is a precious balme of Gilead, that takes away the venome of this poyſon, & the ſtinging ſmart of the wounds of theſe ſwords.
Let Paul live with ever ſo good a conſcience before God, and man, Act. 24. 16. yet Tertullus will play the ſpitting adder, and hee will ſpit, yea, ſpue forth his poyſon in his face, and in the face of an whole Court will not ſpare openly to ſlander him for an arrant varlet, a lewd, peſtilent, and a villanous fellow. Such drivel will the malicious world ſpit in the face of Godlineſſe. But mark now the benefit, and comfort of a good conſcience▪ Either a good conſcience with Stephens Angelicall face will dazle, and ſhame the devils Oratours, 1 Pet. 3. 16. Having a good conſcience that they may be aſhamed, or elſe like Paul it can ſhake off thoſe vipers without ſwelling or falling downe dead. Yea, if Satans orators, will needs be opening their mouthes againſt Paul; yet ſo good is his conſcience, that as Iohn Hus appealed from Pope Alexander to Pope Alexander, namely, from him in his anger to him in his cold blood, and better adviſed, ſo dares Paul appeale from Tertullus to Tertullus, David from Shimei to Shimei, from enemies to enemies, from their tongues to their hearts, from their mouthes to their Conſciences, as knowing their owne integritie to bee ſuch, as that their enemies owne hearts give their tongues the ly, and tels them that againſt their Conſcienſes poſſeſſed with meere malice they are hurried on in Satans ſervice. Tertullus knowes he lyes, and his owne Conſcience tells him hee lyes in his throate, that Paul is an honeſter man that himſelfe, yea, and the comfort is, that Pauls Conſcience comforts him, and aſſures him that Tertullus his Conſcience aſſures him all this, So unſpeakably ſweet is the comfort of a good conſcience.
David complaines of a great affliction, Pſal. 35. 11. Falſe witneſſe did riſe up, they layd to my charge things that I knew not. What ſhould a man do in ſuch a caſe, if he had not the comfort of a good conſcience witneſſing for him? But now at ſuch a pinch appeares the benefit of a good conſcience; Let ever ſo many riſe up falſly to witneſſe againſt him, yet his conſcience will witneſſe as faſt for him. My friends ſcorne mee, ſayes Iob, Iob 16. 20. They witneſſed againſt him to be a wicked perſon, and an hypocrite, they cenſured and condemned him, but what was Iobs comfort? That ſame, verſ. 19. Behold my witneſſe is in heaven, and my record is on high. That was one comfort, but that was not all, hee had alſo a witneſſe on earth, and his record below. VponUpon whoſe record, and witneſſe, ſee with what ſolemnitie and with what confidence he ſtands, Iob 27. 2, 6. As God liveth who hath taken away my judgement, and the Almighty who hath vexed my ſoule, All the while my breath is in me, and the ſpirit of God is in my noſtrills, my lips ſhall not ſpeake wickedneſſe, nor my tongue utter deceit; God forbid that I ſhould juſtifie you, till I dye I will not remove mine integrity from me, my righteouſneſſe I will hold fast, and will not let it goe, mine heart ſhall not reproach me ſo long as I live. As if he had ſaid, As the Lord lives, whilſt Nam ſi in his in quibus me criminantur, teſtimonium Conſcientiae meae non ſtat contra me in conſpectu Dei, quo nullus oculus mortalis intenditur, non ſolum contriſtari non debeo, verumetiam exultare & gaudere, quia merces mea multa eſt in coelis. Ne que enim intuendum eſt quam ſit amarum, ſed quam falſum ſit quod audio, & quā verax pro cujusnomine hoc audio. Aug. contra. lit. Petil. l. 3.there is breath in my bodie, I will not yield unto your accuſations, nor yet acknowledge my ſelfe guilty of that you doe charge mee withall. Vrge mee and preſſe me what you will, yet I will never let goe mine hold. Why what is it that makes Iob thus ſtiffe, and reſolute, what is it that ſupports him with ſuch an excellent ſpirit? that ver. 6. Mine heart ſhall not reproach me ſo long as I live. Indeed you reproach, cenſure, and condemne mee, you lay heavie things to my charge; But I have ſearched the records of my conſcience, I have called that unpartiall witneſſe to teſtifie the truth, and I find conſcience witneſſing ſtrongly on my ſide, and therefore do what you can, you ſhall never beare mee downe. Iobs friends may prove fickle, and falſe, but his own conſcience will prove true to him, that will plead for him, animate him, and comfort him againſt all their calumnious and injurious reproches, and give him cauſe of much joy and triumph. Iob then had his witneſſe in heaven, and Iob had his witneſſe on earth, God and his owne conſcience, two witneſſes beyond all exception; and in the mouth of two witneſſes every truth ſhall ſtand. Conſcience is a thouſand witneſſes, and God is above conſcience. And what Conſciences witneſſe concerning matter of fact, God himſelfe will juſtifie the ſame. He that hath a good conſcience, hath a ſure friend, that will never ſlinke nor ſhrinke at any hand. Nay he hath two good friends, and two ſubſtantiall witneſſes, whoſe teſtimonies, though ſecret, yet are ſuch as ſweetly ſolace the heart of man againſt open reproaches, ſlanders, falſe witneſſes, and all wrongs and injuries of that kinde whatſoever. The teſtimony of conſcience is full of comfort, becauſe of the vndoubted certaintie, and the vnqueſtioned infallibility thereof, ſo that it voycing on a mans ſide, ſtrangely cheares his heart, Pro. 27. 19. As in water face anſwers to face, ſo doth the heart of a man unto man; That is, as ſome expound it, As a man may ſee his face by looking in the water, ſo a man may ſet himſelfe, and what hee is by looking into his conſcience. If a man ſhould be told that hee had ſome filth or bloach on his In ſpeculo Conſcientiae ſtatus interioris hominis & exterioris cognoſeitur. Non immorito Conſcientiam ſpeculo comparavit, quoniam in e… tanquam ſpeculo rationie oculus tam indecens quam quod decens in ſe …ſt, claro aſpectu appredere poteſt. Ber. de Conſc.face, if he would goe looke into the water, or ſpecially into a looking-glaſſe, hee ſhould eaſily ſee whether it were ſo or no. And if looking into the water, or glaſſe, hee could not ſee any ſuch filth in his face, though an hundred ſhould offer to beare him downe to the contrary, yet would hee beleeve his owne eyes before them all. So here when at any time foule mouths are open, and ſpare not to caſt aſperſions upon innocency, and to lay ſcandalous things to a mans charge, then a man by looking into his conſcience can ſee himſelf, and can find whether he be guilty or not, and ſeeing himſelfe in that water; or in that glaſſe to be cleare from that dirt and filth which malice would caſt in his face, it ſo fils his heart with comfort, and confidence, as makes him treade all reproach, and falſe judgement of man vnderunder his foot.
This appeares by the contrary. Let man bee praiſed, and magnified ever ſo, …et ever ſo much good be ſpoken of him, and ever ſo much worth be attributed to him; yet if his owne heart tell him, that all is falſely ſpoken of him, and there is indeed no ſuch matter in him, he Non ideo bona eſt cō ſcientia mea quia vos illam laudatis Quid enim laudatis quod non videtis? Aug. de ver. dom. ſer. 49. Si autem nō aurē ſolam percutit iracundia criminantis, verumetiam cōſcientiam mordet veritas criminis, quid mihi prodeſt ſi me cōtinuis laudibus totus mundus attollat. Ita nec malam cōſcientiam ſanat praeconium laudā tis, nec bonam vulnerat conviciantis opprobrium. Aug. contra. lit. petil. l. 2. In omni quod dicitur ſemper tacite occurrere debemus ad mentem & interiorem teſtem, & judicem requirere. Quid enim prodeſt ſi omnes laudant & conſcientia accuſat? aut poterit obeſſe ſi omnes derogent, & ſola conſcientia defendit? Greg. ſup. 125. hom. 6.hath at all no true comfort in all the good words of the world, Prov. 27. 21. As the ſining pot for ſilver, the furnace for gold, ſo is a man to his praiſe, that is, a man is to try his praiſe that is given him, and if his conſcience tell him it is undeſerved, hee is to ſeparate this droſſe of flattery from himſelfe. All the commendations, and admirations of the world what comfort can they yield, whileſt a mans conſcience tels him, that they are all but lying and glavering flatteries: what though the poore multitude feeling the ſwette, and refreſhment of a Phariſees almes, doe canonize a Phariſe for a Saint, yet what is he the better, or what comfort hath hee the more, whileſt his owne conſcience reproaches, and reproves him, and tells him that hee is a vain-glorious hypocrite, and that though theſe whom hee feeds, ſend him to heaven, yet hee ſhall have his portion with hypocrites, and unbelievers. What is a man the better for a flattering Funeral commendation, whilſt in the meane time he is under the reproach, and torture of his conſcience, in the place of torment? How many a man is there that hath the good word of all men, no man ſpeakes well of him, but yet in the meane time, his owne heart gives him bitter words; and rates him to his face? How well contented would ſuch a one be, and what an happy exchange would he hold it, to have all the world raile on him, and ſlander him, ſo his own conſcience would but ſpeake friendly and kindly to him? ſo he could find hony from his conſcience, he would not care what gall he had from the world.
Experience lets us ſee that ſuch as have beene malevolent and injurious againſt others innocencie, though they have been abetted and borne out by their umpires, and advocates, that for handfulls of barley, and ſcraps, and cruſts, have laboured to maintaine ill Cauſes, and worſe perſons, yet they have had no peace nor reſt of heart. Their advocates have bid them, ſit downe with reſt and victory, the day is theirs, they have cheered them, and ſtriven to deſerve their fee, and yet their guilty Clients being netled with the inward guilt of their conſciences, have ſtill beene haunted with a reſtleſſe and perplexed unquiet ſpirt, which others made guilty, and cenſured for offenders by ſuch mercenarie umpires, have poſſeſſed their ſoules in patience, and have been cheerfull and merry-hearted, from the comfort of their owne innocent and cleare conſciences.
So that looke as the naughty conſcience can ſpeake no comfort, though all the world ſpeake well of it; ſo contrarily, though all the world reproach, cenſure, ſlander, &c. yet a good conſcience Foelix conſcientia non ſibi in aliquo conſcia, quae non proprium judicium nec alienum veretur. Bern. de Conſc. Beata plane quae non alienis aeſtimatur judiciis, ſed domeſticls percipitur ſenſibus tanquam ſui iudex. Ne que enim popularis opiniones pro mercede aliqua requirit, neque pro ſupplicio pavet. Ambroſ. de offic. l. 2. c. 1. Non poſſunt aliena verba crimen affigere quod propria non recepit conſcientia. Ambroſ. in Pſal. 38.can, and will ſpeake peace, and comfort to a mans heart.
The Corinthians did exceedingly ſlight Paul, Hee was this, and hee was that, but how was he affected with it? See how, 1 Cor. 4. 3, 4. But with me it is a very ſmall thing, that I ſhould be judged of you. I know full well what your cenſures are, and what ſentence you paſſe upon me, but know ye that I no whit at all regard the ſame, I make no reckoning thereof at all. Why? might the Corinthians ſay, do ye count us ſo ſilly, and ſo injudicious? Nay, ſayes Paul, I ſpeake it not as if you were ſillier than others, with me it is a ſmall thing to bee judged of you, or of mans judgement, let them be the moſt wiſe, and judicious that are in the world, or of mans Day, though by men convened in ſolemne manner for judgement; I paſſe not what their cenſure is, I regard not their miſ-judgings of mee. I, but what makes Paul thus ſlight mens judgement of him? That in the fourth verſe, I know nothing by my ſelfe, mine owne conſcience judges me not, nor ſentences mee, that layes no ſuch thing to my charge, and therefore ſo long as my conſcience is on my ſide, I regard not a whit what the world judges.
Now then ſee what a Motive this is to get and keepe a good conſcience. As we would be glad to have comfort and confidence againſt the malice of opprobrious tongues, as wee would have a counterpoiſon againſt their venome, ſo get a good conſcience. Here is that which may make us in love with a good conſcience. Reproach muſt full often be the portion of Gods deare children. Iſraelites ſhall be for ever an abomination to Aegyptians. And though the Aegyptian dogges moved not their tongues againſt Iſrael, Exodus 11. 7. yet dogged Aegyptians will move their tongues and their teeth too. The Apoſtles muſt be counted the filth of the world, and the offſcowrings of all things, 1 Corinth. 4. 13. The Lord Ieſus himſelfe dranke of this cup, Pſal. 22. 6, 7. I am a worm and no man, a reproach of men, and deſpiſed of the people. All they that ſee me, laugh me to ſcorne, &c. The way to heaven is a narrow way, and this narrow way is beſet with ſnakes, ſpitting adders, barking, and biting, and mad dogs, and a man muſt paſſe to heaven through good and evill report, 2 Corrinth. 6. 8.
Well then, it being ſo hard a paſſage Currentem attrites ſuper aſpidas & baſiliſcos decl…nareſenem vipera non poterit. Proſp. do Aug. Conſcia mens recti fama mendacia ridet, Sed nos in vitium credula turba ſumus. Ovid.how may a man get himſelfe ſo armed that he may paſſe cheerfully through all theſe? get a good conſcience, and thou ſhalt regard theſe ſnakes, ſerpents, vipers, and dogs, no more than a ſtraw under thy foot. If thou have a good conſcience, thou ſhalt laugh at the reproaches of enemies, as Eliphaz ſpeakes of deſtruction. Iob 5. A good conſcience will ſay unto thee, Go on cheerily in the wayes of God, what ever diſcouragements the Devill raiſes by reproaches and ſlanders, feare them not, behold I acquit & excuſe thee, I will beare thee out, I will witneſſe at Gods tribunall for thee. Lo, I give thee balme againſt their poyſon, a buckler againſt their ſwords. Let them curſe, yet I will bleſſe thee; let them reproach, yet I will comfort; let them condemne, yet I will abſolve thee; let them defame thee, yet I will be thy compurgator; let them caſt dirt in thy face, yet I wil waſh it off; let them diſquiet, yet behold, I am ready to cheere thee. Oh the ſweet and unconceivable comfort that a good conſcience wil ſpeak, even in the middſt of the cruell ſpeakings of ungodly men, Iude 15. that will ſpeake comfortably when they ſpeake cruelly, and moſt comfortably, when they ſpeak moſt cruelly. Such is the benefit of a good conſcience in caſe of reproach and diſgrace.