Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
Three other notes of a good Conſcience.
A Third note of good conſcience may be this. It loves and likes a Miniſtry and ſuch Miniſters as preach, and ſpeake 3. Note of good conſcience: To love a Miniſtry that ſpeaks home to the conſcience.to the Conſcience. It likes ſuch a diſpenſation of the Word as comes home to it, whether for direction or reproofe. The Word is the rule of conſcience, and a good conſcience is deſirous to know the rule it muſt live by. The Word muſt judge the conſcience, this every good conſcience knowes, and therefore grudges not to be reproved by it, as knowing that if it will not abide the Words reproofe, it muſt abide the Words iudgement. Therefore a man with a good conſcience ſpeakes as Samuel, Speake Lord, thy ſervant heares. He can ſuffer the words of exhortation, and not count himſelfe to ſuffer whilſt it is done. He is of Davids minde, Let the righteous ſmite me, and it ſhall be a kindneſſe; let him reproue me and it ſhall bee an excellent oyle which ſhall not breake mine head. Pſal. 141. 5. It is with good conſcience as with good eyes that can abide the light, and can delight in it, whereas ſicke and ſore eyes are troubled and offended therewith. A ſound heart is like ſound fleſh that can abide not onelyonly touching, but alſo rubbing and chafing, and yet a man will not bee put into a chafe thereby; whereas contrarily if the leaſt thorne or vnſoundneſſe bee therein, Tu ſcis Deus noſter, quod tunc de Alipio ab illa peſte ſanando non cogetaverim. At ille in ſe rapuit me que illud non niſi propter ſe dixiſle credidit, & quod alias acciperet ad ſuccenſendum mihi▪ accepit honeſtus adoleſcens ad ſuccenſendum ſibi, & ad meardentius diligendum. Aug. conf. lib. 6. ca. 7.a touch at vnawares provokes a man, if not to ſmite, yet to angry words and language of diſpleaſure. Vnſound fleſh loves to be ſtroakt, and to be handled gently, the leaſt roughneſſe puts into a rage. That is the ingenuity of a good conſcienence, which was the good diſpoſition of Alipius, when hee was vnwittingly taxed by Auguſtine for his Theatricall vanities; hee was ſo ſarre from being angry with him, though he conceived him purpoſely to ayme at him, that hee was rather angry with himſelfe, and loved Auguſtine ſo much the better.
Put mens conſciences vponupon this triall, and we ſhall ſee what the conſciences of moſt men are. Let a man preach in an vnprofitable maner, let him ſpend himſelfe in idle curioſities and ſpeculations, let him be in combate with obſolete or forraine hereſies, ſo long their Miniſter is a faire and a good Churchman. But let him doe as God commands Ezekiel to doe, Ezek. 14. 4. Anſwer them according to their Idols, preach to their neceſſities, let him call them, and preſſe them to holy duties, and reprove them for their vnholy practiſes, and make knowne vntounto them what evill conſciences they have: what then is Scio me offenſurum quam plurimos qui generalem de vitiis diſputationem in ſuam referunt contumeliam, & dum mihi iraſcuntur ſuam judicant conſcientiam, multo que prius de ſe quam de me judicant. Hieron. ad Ruſtic. Monach.their carriage and behaviour? Even that, Amos. 5. 10. They hate him that rebukes in the gate; and they abhorre him that ſpeaks vprighly. This Miniſtry that comes to the conſcience will not downe with them. It lets in too much light vponupon them, and Ahab hates Micaiah for drawing the curtains ſo wide open, he cannot endure ſuch punctuall and particular preaching that clappes ſo cloſe to his conſcience. A plaine ſigne that Ahab hath a rotten and an vnſound Conſcience. Micaiah could not be more punctuall with Ahab, then Iſaiah was with Hezekiah, Iſa. 39. 6, 7. And yet what ſayes Hezekiah? Good is the word of the Lord which thou haſt ſpoken; as if he had ſaid, a good Sermon, a good Preacher, all good. Whence comes this good entertainment of ſo harſh a meſſage? Hezekiah had a good Conſcience, and therefore though the meſſage went againſt the haire, yet he could give good words, Let the righteous ſmite mee, and it ſhall be a kindneſſe, Pſal. 141. I, but that is whē the righteous ſmites the righteous, what if the Prophet ſmite Amaziah? he will threaten to ſmite him againe, 2 Chron. 25. 16. Forbeare, why ſhouldeſt thou be ſmitten? Why if Paul preach of a good Conſcience, and ſo make Ananias his Conſcience to ſmite him? Ananias will commaund the ſtanders by to ſmite him on the mouth. Now let all the ſtanders by judge whether Ananias have any good Conſcience in him, who cannot brook the preaching of good Cōſcience. Let men profeſſe they know God as long as they will, yet if they ſlight the word, or ſwel at it, or be diſobedient to it when it is laid to their Conſcience, Paul makes it a manifeſt ſigne of a defiled conſcience, Tit. 1. 15, 16. Their mind and their conſcience is defiled. How appeares that? They profeſſe they know God, but they are diſobedient. When therfore the Miniſtry of the Word ſhall charge thee with dutie, or reproove thee for ſinne, and then thou ſhalt charge the Miniſter with railing, and girding, and that this Sermon was made for the nonce for thee, & thou likeſt not that Miniſters ſhould be ſo particular, &c. In Gods feare bee adviſed to looke to thy Conſcience, and know it that thou haſt a naughtie conſcience: when the Miniſtry of the Word ſmites thy conſcience, then for thee to ſmite the Miniſter with reproachfull and diſgracefull tearmes, to ſmite him with thy mouth: How is thy conſcience better then Ananias his, that commands to ſmite Paul on the mouth? he that cannot brooke that Gods Miniſters ſhould not diſcharge a good conſcience in preaching to the conſcience, be bold to challenge that man for a man of an evill conſcience.
4. That is a fourth note of a good conſcience, 4 Note of a good conſcience. To doe duty for conſcience ſake.Rom. 13. 5. ye muſt be ſubject for conſcience ſake. To doe good, or abſtaine from evill meerly for conſcience ſake, is a note of a right good conſcience indeed. Conſcience, as we ſaw before, doth excite and ſtirre up, and bind to the doing of good, and bind from the doing of evill. Now when the conſcience upon juſt information from the Word, ſhall preſſe, and forbid, and then a man ſhall, becauſe conſcience forbids, forbeare, or becauſe it preſſes, performe obedience: thus to doe good, or not to doe evill, for conſcience ſake, is a note of a good conſcience. It evidences a good conſcience when the maine weight that ſets the wheeles on worke is conſcience of Gods cōmandement. When it is that, Pſ. 119. 4. that ſets a man on work, Thou haſt cōmanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. The end of the commandement is love, 1 Tim. 1. 5. and love is the fulfilling of the commandement, Rom. 12. But what love? From a pure heart, and a good conſcience, 1 Tim. 1. 5. When conſcience of the commandement carries a man to the fulfilling of the end of it, then doth ſuch love come frō a good conſcience. Salomons deſcription of a good man, Eccl. 9. 2. is that he fears an oath. He ſaies not, that ſwears not; but that feares an oath. For a man not to ſweare may be the fruit of good education, and of the awe a man hath ſtood in of his Governours, but to feare an oath, argues that a man feares the commandement, Prov. 13. 13. and to feare the commandement is the note of a good conſcience.
Here let mens conſciences be tried. Thou prayeſt in thy family, heareſt the Word, keepeſt the Sabbath, &c. Now ſearch thine heart, and make inquirie what it is that carrieth thee to theſe duties. Doeſt thou do them for conſcience ſake? Doeſt thou find conſcience to urge and preſſe thee, and to give ſatisfaction of the conſcience, and obedience to the injunctions thereof. Are theſe things done? If ſo, it is a ſigne of a good conſcience. But this diſcovers the naughtineſſe of mens conſciences, who though they be ſound in ſome good duties, or in the avoyding of ſome evils, yet is it not conſcience that workes them thereto. Yee muſt be ſubject, not onelyonly for wrath, that is, for feare of the Magiſtrates wrath and revenge, but for conſcience ſake, Rom. 13. 5. It is no good conſcience when a man will be ſubject for his skins ſake, and leſt hee ſmart by the Magiſtrates ſword, but then a mans conſcience is good, when in obedience to Gods Word, and in conſcience of his commandement he ſubjects. The like may be ſaid of all by-ends. Ye muſt doe good duties, not for profit, not for credit, not for vaine-glory, not for …aw, but for conſcience ſake; or elſe evill conſciences ye have in that ye doe. The Shechemites receive circumciſion, Gen. …4. And is not circumciſion Gods Ordinance? And is it not joy of them that they will joyne to the Church, and profeſſe the true Religion? Yes ſurely, if it were done for conſcience. I, but it is not done for conſcience ſake. Alas no ſuch matter, but for Hamors ſake the Lord of the Towne, and for Shechems ſake, their young Maſter, and for the hope of gaines ſake: Shall not their cattell, and their ſubſtance, and every beaſts of theirs be ours? Gen. 34. 23. For the oxen ſake, and not for conſcience ſake are the Shechemites circumciſed. Shechem for Dinahs ſake receives the Sacrament. Oh the zeale and forwardneſſe that ſome will profeſſe on a ſudden. What frequenters of holy exerciſes? But what, is it for conſcience ſake? No ſuch matter, but Shechem is in hope of a match with Dinah, and all theſe ſhowes of Religion are neither for Gods ſake, nor conſcience ſake, but all for Dinahs ſake, all under hope of preferment by a rich marriage. They were goodly ſhewes of zeale, Ioh. 6. 22. 24. in ſeeking and following after Chriſt, but it was neither for Chriſt, nor conſcience ſake, but ver. 26. for the loaves, and the bread, and their bellies ſake.
Many of the heathens, Eſth, 8. 17. turned Iewes. Was there not joy of ſuch Proſelytes? not a whit, for not the fear of God, but the feare of the Iewes fell upon them; as many frequent the publicke aſſemblies more for feare of the ſtatute, then for fear of the commandement. The officers of the King helped the Iewes, Eſther 9. 3. Was it for conſcience ſake? Nothing leſſe, but for wrath ſake, and for feare, becauſe the feare of Mordecai fell upon them.
If the Phariſes had done all that (Mat. 6.) for conſcience ſake, which they did for vaine-glory ſake, they had had the glory of good conſciences. Many preached the Goſpel in Pauls daies, Phil. 1. Does not ſo good a worke argue a good conſcience? Yes, if it had beene done for conſcience ſake; but that was done for contention ſake, not to adde ſoules to the Church, but to adde ſorrowes to Pauls afflictions.
It is a note of a good conſcience, when that which we doe is done with a reſpect unto the commandement of God, Pſal. 119. 6. and not with a ſquint reſpect unto our owne private, for praiſe or profit. It Vtrine majores heretici? illine qui pictas & ligneas, an qui aureas & argenteas imagines è templis exigerent, & ad conflandam monetam igne adurerent? Dubro. hiſt. Bohe. l. 24.was a good argument of thoſe Bohemians good conſciences in plucking downe Images, that they beate downe onelyonly painted and wooden Images, whilſt Sigiſmund the Emperour pulled downe ſilver and golden ones, to melt into money for pay of his Souldiers, as they plead for themſelves, when they were held Heretikes for their fact. If they had pulled downe ſuch Images as hee did, they might have beene thought to have done it for gaine, and not for conſcience ſake.
How great is often the zeale of many againſt faſhions, and ſuch vanities? How well it were if it were for conſcience ſake, and not for envy againſt ſome particular perſon, whom they doe diſtaſte, and ſo for the perſon, the vanity For if it be for conſcience ſake, how is it that thoſe vanities, ſuch great offences to their conſciences found in ſome diſtaſted perſons, are yet no trouble to their conſciences, being the very ſame, if not worſe in their owne favourites, and aſſociates? Iudge whether ſuch zeale come from conſcience, or from corrupt affection, whether it be not more againſt the perſon, 5. Note of a good conſcience. Holy boldneſſe. Bona conſcientia prodire vult & conſpici, ipſas nequitia tenebras timet. Senec. ep. 98. Qui non deliquit decet audacem eſſe & confidenter proſe, & proterve loqui. Plaut. in Anth.then againſt the ſinne.
5. We have a fift note of a good conſcience in the Text. And Paul earneſtly beholding the Councell. Here is a marke of a good conſcience in his lookes, as well as in his words; in his face, as well as in his ſpeech. Paul is here convented before the Councell, with what face is hee able to behold them? And Paul earneſtly beholding the Councell. A good conſcience makes a man hold up his head even in the thickeſt of his enemies. It can looke them in the faces, and out-face a whole rabble of them aſſembled on purpoſe to caſt diſgrace on it. That may be ſaid of a man with a good conſcience, which is ſpoken of ſome of Davids men, 1 Chron. 12. 8. Whoſe faces were like the faces of Lions, for the righteous is bold as a Lion, Prov. 28. 1. Now might Paul truely have ſaid, as David, Pſ. 57. 4. My ſoule is among Lions, I ly among them that are ſet on fire. And now how fares hee? what is he all amort? lookes he pale and blanke? doth he ſneake or hang downe his head, or droope with a dejected countenance? No, Paul is as bold as a Lion, and can face theſe Lions, and earneſtly fixe his countenance upon the beſt of them. A good conſcience makes a mans face as God had made Ezekiels, Ez. 3. 8, 9. Behold I have made thy face ſtrong againſt their faces, and thy forehead ſtrong againſt their foreheads. As an Adamant harder then flint have I made thy forehead, feare them not, neither be diſmaid at their lookes. Such hartening and hardening comes alſo from a good conſcience. A good conſcience makes a man goe, as the Lord in another ſenſe tells Iſraell he had done for them, Levit. 26. 13. I have made you goe upright. A good conſcience erects a mans face, and lookes, it is no ſneaking ſlinker, but makes a man goe upright. As contrarily, guilt dejects both a mans ſpirits, and his lookes, and unleſſe a man have a Sodomiticall impudencie, Iſa. 3. 9. or an whores forehead, Ier. 3. 3. which refuſes to be aſhamed, makes him hang downe the head.
Paul fixes his eyes here, and lookes earneſtly upon them, but what if they had looked as earneſtly upon him? yet would not his good conſcience have beene outfaced. See Act. 6. 15. All that ſate in the Councel looked ſtedfaſtly on him; namely on Steven. If but the high Prieſt alone had faced him, it had beene ſomewhat, but all that ſate at the Councell looked ſtedfaſtly on him. Surely one would thinke ſuch a preſence were able to have damped, and utterly to have daſhed him out of countenance. But how is it with him? Is hee appalled? Is hee damped? They ſaw his face as it had beene the face of an Angell, ſayes the text. As wiſedome, Eccl. 8. 1. ſo a good conſcience makes the face to ſhine. A good conſcience hath not onelyonly a Lions, but an Angels face; it hath not onelyonly a Lion-like boldneſſe, but an Angelicall dazling brightneſſe, which the ſicke and ſore eyes of malice can as ill indure to behold, as the Iſraelites could the ſhining brightneſſe of Moſes face. The face of a good conſcience tels enemies that they are malicious Lyars. And no wonder that a good conſcience hath ſuch courage and confidence in the face, ſtanding before a whole Councell, when it ſhall be able to hold up it head with boldneſſe before the Lord himſelfe, at that great day of the generall Iudgement. Even then ſhall a good conſcience have a bold face.