Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Two further meanes to procure integrity of Conſcience.
IN the fourth place, deale with thy conſcience as God would have Abraham doe by Sarah, Gen. 21. 12. In all that Sarah ſhall ſay unto thee, hearken unto her voice. So here, if we would get and keep a good conſcience, in all that it ſhall ſay unto us, being enlightned and directed by the word, hearken unto it. Conſcience being enlightned hath a voyce, and no man but ſometime or other ſhall heare this voyce of conſcience. Conſcience is Gods Monitor to ſpeake to men when others cannot, or dare not ſpeak. Sometimes men cannot ſpeak as not being privie to other mens neceſſities and failings. Sometimes they may not be ſuffered to ſpeak, as Ahab will not indure Micaiah to ſpeake to him. Sometime if a man ſpeake, hee may have rough and angry anſwers, as the Prophet had from Amaziah, 2. Chron. 26. 16. Art thou made of the Kings Counſell? forbeare, why ſhouldſt thou be ſmitten? God hath therefore provided every man even great men which may not be ſpoken to, he hath provided them a boſome Chaplein, that will round them in the eare, and will talk roundly to them, one that will be of their counſell in deſpight of them; one that feares no fiſts, dreads no ſmiting, yea, one that fears not to ſmite the greateſt, 2 Sam. 24. 10. And Davids heart ſmote him after that he had numbred the people. It may be many there were about David that had not the hearts to ſmite Dauid with a grave reproofe, though hee gives leave to the righteous to doe ſo, Pſ. 141. Let the righteous ſmite mee, but yet whilſt others, it may be, are fearfull and timorous to doe him that good office, conſcience is at no demurre upon the point, that feares not, but ſmites David for ſin.
Gods Miniſters are oft ſlighted, and light ſet by, preachers cānot be regarded, but God hath given men a Preacher in their own boſom, and this Preacher will make many a curtain ſermon, wil take men to task upon their pillow, & will be preaching over our Sermons againe to them. And though many will not be brought to repetition of Sermons in their Families, yet they have a Repeater in their boſom, that will be at private repetitions with them in ſpite of them, and will tell them, This is not according to that you have been taught, you have been taught otherwiſe; you have been reproved for, and convinced of this ſinne in the publicke Miniſterie, &c. Why doe not you hearken and reforme? Thus then conſcience having a voyce, and doing the office of a Preacher unto us, if wee would have conſcience good, then in all things that conſcience enlightened ſhall ſay unto us, hearken unto it. More diſtinctly conſcience hath a two-fold voyce.
1. A voyce of direction, telling us what is good or evill, what is lawfull and unlawfull, Iſa. 30. 21. And thine eares ſhall heare a word behind thee, ſaying, This is the way, walke ye in it. That is underſtood of Ita enim deſuper in ſilento ſonat quidam non auribus ſed mentibus. Auguſt. in Pſal. 42.the voyce of Gods ſpirit in the ſecret ſuggeſtions thereof, and ſuch is the voyce alſo of conſcience within us, dictating to us, and directing us what duties are to be done, what courſes to be avoyded. How many times doth conſcience preſſe us to repentance and to reforme our wayes? how often doth it call upon us to ſettle to ſuch and ſuch good courſes? and ſo with David, Pſal. 16. 7. Our reines doe teach it in the night ſeaſon.
2 A voyce of correction and accuſation, checking and chiding, taking up and ſhipping us when we do amiſſe. So Pſal. 42. 5. 11. and Pſ. 43. 5. Why art thou caſt downe O my Soule, and why art thou diſquieted within me? And Pſ. 77. 10. whilſt in the foregoing verſes he was complaining, and uſing ſome ſpeeches that might ſavor of ſome diffidence, ſee how Conſcience doth her office by a correcting voyce: And I ſaid, this is my infirmitie; as if hee had ſaid, whilſt I was uſing ſuch different expoſtulations, mine own conſcience told me, I did not do well. Cōſcience ſo ſpeaks to us, as the Lord to Ionah, Ion. 4. 4. 9. Doſt thou well to be angry? So ſayes conſcience oft, Doeſt thou well to be thus earthly, thus eager upon the world, thus negligent and formall in holy duties? thus conſcience gives her privie nips, and her ſecret checks. This is that of which Iob ſpeaks, Iob 27. 6. My heart ſhall not reproch me ſo long as I live. Implying that conſcience after ſin hath a reproching voice, as when it befooles a man, as foole that thou art to do this, to loſe thy peace with God for a baſe ſinfull pleaſure. Thus Davids conſcience reproched him, 2 Sam. 24. 10. I have don very fooliſhly; yea, Pſ. 37. 22. it puts the foole and the beaſt both upon him, So fooliſh was I and ignorant, I was as a beaſt before thee. This is the ſmiting of the conſcience, 2 Sam. 24. 10. Conſcience firſt points with the finger and gives direction, if that be neglected, it ſmites with the fiſt, and gives correction.
Now then that which I ayme at, is this; If we would get and keepe a good conſcience, then neglect not, nor deſpiſe conſcience when it ſpeaketh. Doth thy conſcience preſſe thee to any works of piety, to the care of family-worſhip, and privat devotion, to the reading of the Scriptures, ſanctification of the Sabbath, &c. In any caſe be ſo wiſe as to hearken to the councels, to the urgings, and to the injunctions which come out of the Court of Conſcience. Hearken in any caſe to this Preacher, whom thou canſt not ſuſpect of partiality, malice, ill will, as thou doſt others, therby giving way to ſatans policy, that hereby ſtops up the paſſages of thine heart, that the Word may not enter. Here can be no ſuch ſuſpitions; conſcience cannot be ſuſpected to be ſet on by others; though Ieremy be charged to be ſet on by Baruch, Ier. 43. 3. Therefore hearken to the voice of this Preacher, and this will helpe thee to a good conſcience.Ideo quantū potes, teipſum coargue, inquire in te, accuſatoris primum partibus ſungere, deinde Iudicis noviſſime deprecatoris: aliquando off…ndete. Senec. epiſt. 28.
Againe, doth thy conſcience rebuke thee, doth it chide and check thee, doth thy heart reproach thee for thy wayes? doth it ſay, doeſt thou well to live in ſuch and ſuch Sins? Doth it punctually reprove thee for thine evils? Doe not anſwer conſcience, as Ionas anſwered God, frowardly, Yea I doe well, but even cloſe with conſcience, and doe thou accuſe thy ſelfe as faſt as it accuſes, acknowledge thy folly, yield, promiſe, and covenant with thy conſcience a preſent and ſpeedy reformation. This if it were done, how happy ſhould men be in getting and keeping a good conſcience.
But alas, how few regard the voyce of Conſcience, and once hearken to it, and the very want of this duty is it which breeds ſo much ill conſcience in the world. Men in this caſe are guilty of a double wickedneſſe. Either they deale as the Iewes with the Apoſtles, Act. 4. 18. and 1 Theſ. 2. 16. They either ſtop conſciences mouth, and labour to ſilence this Preacher, or elſe they deale with conſcience as the Iews did with Stephen, Act. 7. 57. They ſtopped their eares. If they cannot ſtop conſciences mouth, they will at leaſt ſtop their owne eares.
1 They labour to ſtop conſciences mouth. If conſcience begin to take them aſide, and to ſay to them, as Ehud to Eglon; Iudg. 3. 19. I have a ſecret errand unto thee: they anſwer, but in another ſenſe, as hee did; Keepe ſilence. If conſcience offer to be talking unto them, they ſhufflle it off as Felix did Paul, they are not at leaſure, they will finde ſome other time when their leaſure will better ſerve. Yea many when their conſciences reproach them, they againe reproach and reprove it, and anſwer it as the Danites did Micah, Iudges 11. 23. What ayleth thee? and are ready to give reproachfull language to their owne conſcience, that it cannot be quiet and let them alone.
2 But yet Conſcience will not of entimes be thus poſted and ſhuffled off, will not bee gagged, or ſuffer her lips to bee ſown up, but will deale with a man as the woman of Canaan did with our Saviour, Math. 15. She would not be put off with neglect, or croſſe anſwers, but ſhe ſtil preſſes upon our Saviour, and grows ſo much the more importunat. So oftentimes conſcience when ſhe ſees men ſhuffle, growes the more importunate, and will dog and haunt men ſo much the more. Yea it deals like the blind men, Math. 20. 31. who when the multitude rebuked them, they cryed the more. Now then when conſcience growes thus clamorous, and will not be ſilenced, then they will ſtop their owne eares, that if it will needs be prating, it ſhall but tell a tale to a deafe man. To this end men put a double tricke upon their conſciences.
1 Sauls trick. Saul is vexed with an evill ſpirit, what muſt be the cure? ſeeke him out a minſtrell. Thus many, when the cry of conſcience is up, betake them to their merriments and jollities. They try whether the noiſe of the Harps, and Viols, and the roarings of good fellowes will not drowne the voyce and noiſe of conſcience. They will try whether the dinne of an Ale-houſe, or the ratling and clattering of the Dice and Tables cannot deafe their eares againſt the clamours of conſcience. Thus doe many in the accuſations of conſcience, give themſelves wholly up to all manner of pleaſures and delights, that ſo their minds being taken up with them, there might bee no leaſure to give conſcience any the leaſt audience.
2 Cains trick. Cain had a mark of God upon him, Gen. 4. 15. And what might that marke be? Chryſostome thinks it was a continuall ſhaking and trembling of his Chryſ. in …. ep. Cor. Hom. 7.body. If that were his marke, why might not that trembling come from the horrour of his guilty conſcience, following him with a continuall hue and and cry for murther, and reproching him for a bloody murtherer. How-ever, no queſtion but his conſcience continually haunted him, and the cry of blood was ever in his eares. Now then what courſe takes he? ye ſhall ſee Gen. 4. 17. That hee falls a building of Cities, betakes himſelfe to a multitude of imployments, that the noiſe of the ſawes, axes, and mallets, might be lowder then the noiſe of his Conſcience. If Conſcience bee out of quiet with them, & will not ceaſe to urge and pinch them, then have among their ſheepe, and oxen, that their bleating, and bellowing may keepe under the voice of conſcience, they do ſo poſſeſſe their heads and their thoughts, and ſo overload them with much dealings in the world, that there is no ſpare time wherein their eare can be free to heare the voice of conſcience. The clutter of their many buſineſſes make too great a noyſe for Conſcience to have audience. They deale with their conſciences as the Epheſians dealt with Alexander, Act. 19. 33. 34. And Alexander beckned with the hand, and would have made his defence unto the people. But when they knew that he was a Iew, all with one voice about the ſpace of two houres cryed out, Great is Diana of the Epheſians. If Alexander had had never ſo good lungs, and ſtrong ſides hee might have ſtrained his voyce till hee had crazed the organs of language, and might have ſpoken till he had been hoarſe againe, before he could have beene heard to have ſpoken one ſyllable, though he had ſpoken all the reaſon in the world. Such a noiſe of an outragious bellowing multitude had bin almoſt enough to have drownd the voice of a Canon. Thus deale men with their conſcience, if ſhe but prepare to ſpeak and give but a becke with the hand, preſently thruſt themſelves into a crowd of buſines that may out-cry and over-cry the bawling noiſe therof. It was an hideous noiſe that the ſhricking infants of Iſrael made when they were offred up alive in fire unto Moloch. Now leſt their parents bowels ſhould earne with compaſſion, and be affected with the ſhrickes of their poore babes, therfore they had their drums and trumpets ſtrucke up and ſounded in the time of ſacrifice, to make ſuch a noiſe, that in no caſe the lamentable cryes of the infants ſhould be heard. The ſame trick do too many put upon their conſciences, if they will be clamouring, they will have ſome Drum or other, whoſe greater noiſe may deafe their eares from hearing the cries of conſcience.
But alas what poore projects are theſe? The time will come when men ſhall have neither pleaſures nor profits, neither delights nor buſineſſe, to ſtop their eares. Though now men beate upon theſe Drum-heads, and with the noiſe of their pleaſures and profits keepe conſcience voice under from being heard, yet the day will come, when God will beat out theſe Drum-heads, and then the cries and horrid and hideous ſhrickes of conſcience ſhall bee heard: God will one day ſtrip thee of all thy pleaſures and imployments, and will turne thee ſingle and looſe to thy conſcience, and it ſhall have full liberty to bait thee, and bite thee at pleaſure. Oh how much better is it to be willing to hearken to the voice of Conſcience here, than to be forced to heare it in hell, when the time of hearkning will be paſt and gone. Hearken to it now, and thou ſhalt not heare it hereafter. Hearken to the admonitions and reproofes of it now; and thus ſhall thou get Integrity here, and ſhalt be free from hearing the dolefull clamours of it in hell hereafter.
5. To get and keepe a good Conſcience ever in caſes of a doubtfull and queſtionable nature, be ſure to take the ſureſt ſide. Many things are of a queſtionable nature, and much may bee ſaid on either ſide; in ſuch caſes, if thou wouldſt have a good Conſcience, take the ſureſt ſide, that ſide on which thou mayſt be ſure thou ſhalt not ſinne. As for example. There be divers games and recreations whoſe lawfulneſſe are queſtioned, yet much may be ſaid for them, and poſſibly they may have the judgement of divers reverend and learned men for their lawfullneſſe. Now what ſhall a man doe in this caſe? Take the ſure ſide. If I uſe them it is poſſible I may ſinne, it may be they are not ſinnefull, yet I am not ſo ſure of it that I ſhall not ſinne if I uſe them, as I am ſure I ſhall not ſin if I doe not uſe them. I am ſure that not to uſe ſuch ſports breakes none of Gods commandements, a man may bee bold to build upon that. Tutiores igitur vivimus ſi totum Deo daraus, non autem nos illi ex parte, & nobis ex parte committimus. Aug. de dono perſev. cap. 6.He that lives by this rule, ſhall keepe his Conſcience from many a flaw. He that ſailes amongſt Rockes it is poſſible hee may eſcape ſplitting, but hee is not ſo ſure to keep his veſſell ſafe and whole as he that ſailes in a cleare ſea where no rocks are at all. It is good in matter of life and practice, to doe as Auguſtine ſpeakes in caſe of doctrine. Wee live more ſafely, ſaith he, if wee attribute all wholly to God, and doe not commit our ſelves partly to God, and partly to our ſelves. In doctrines it is good to hold the ſafeſt ſide wherein there can be no danger, yea, Bellarmine himſelfe after his long diſpute for juſtification by Propter incertitudinem propriae Iuſtitiae & periculum inanis gloriae, tutiſſimum eſt fiduciam totam in ſola Dei miſericordia & benignitate reponere. Bellar. de Iuſtific. lib. 5. cap. 7.merit, comes to this at laſt, That by reaſon of the uncertainty of our owne righteouſneſſe, and the danger of vaine-glory, it is the moſt ſafe way to repoſe our whole confidence in the merciemercy and goodneſſe of God alone. Which way ſoever Bellarmine is gone himſelfe, or any of his religion, I thinke common reaſon will teach a man ſo much wiſdome to go the ſafeſt way to heaven, and that the ſafeſt way is the beſt way. The Lord that would have us make our calling and election ſure, 2 Peter 1. 10. would not have us put ſo great a matter as the ſalvation of our ſoules upon Bellarmines hazard, and confeſſed uncertaintie of our owne righteouſneſſe. Now as in caſe of doctrine, ſo in caſe of practiſe it is great wiſedome, and a great meanes of keeping a good conſcience, to doe that wherein we may Tutioris vivere, and to take to that which Tutiſsimum eſt, to follow that which is ſafeſt, and to take to that ſide which is the ſureſt, and the freeſt from danger.