Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
Two other, and the laſt notes of a good conſcience.
A Sixt note of a good conſcience followes, namely that which we have, 6. Note of conſcience. To ſuffer for conſcience.1 Pet. 2. 19. When a man for conſcience towards God endures griefe, ſuffering wrong. A good conſcience had rather that Ananias ſhould ſmite, then it ſelfe ſhould. Ananias his blowes are nothing to the blowes of conſcience. Ananias may make Pauls cheekes glow, but conſcience gives ſuch terrible buffets, as will make the ſtouteſt heart in the world to ake. That will pinch, and twitch and gird the heart with ſuch griping throwes, that all the blowes, and tortures that Ananias his cruell heart can invent are nothing to them.
Now therefore a man that ſets any ſtore by a good conſcience, will not part with the Peace or Integrity thereof upon any termes. Hee rates the goodneſſe of his conſcience far above al earthly things. Wealth, liberty, wife, children, life it ſelfe, all are vile, and cheape in compariſon of it. And therefore a man of a good conſcience will endure any griefe, and ſuffer any wrong to keepe his conſcience good towards God. Such a good conſcience had Daniel, Dan. 1. 8. Hee propoſed in his heart that hee would not defile himſelfe with the portion of the Kings meat. That is, he was fully ſetled and reſolved in his cōſcience, come what would come, he would not do that which would not ſtand with a good conſcience. But what if it could have gotten no other meat? without all doubt he would rather have ſtarved than have defiled his conſcience with that meat. Hee would have loſt his life, rather than have loſt the Peace, and Integrity of his conſcience. It ſeemes a queſtion of great difficulty, which was put to the three Children, Dan. 3. Whether they will give the bowing of their bodies to the golden Idoll, or the burning of their bodies to the fiery Furnace. But yet they find no ſuch difficulty therin, they were not carefull to anſwer in that matter, ver. 16. Of the two fires they choſe the cooleſt, & the eaſieſt. The fire of a guilty conſcience is ſeven times hotter, and more intolerable than the fire of Nebuchadnezzars Furnace, though it be heated ſeven times more then it is wont to be heated.
If the queſtion come betweene life and good conſcience, that one of the two muſt be parted withall, it is an hard caſe. Life is wondrous ſweet and precious. Skin for skin, and all that a man hath will he give for his life, Iob 2. 4. What then ſhould a man do in ſuch a hard caſe? Heare what is the reſolution of a good conſcience, Act. 20. 24. My life not deare unto me, ſo that I may fulfill my Miniſtration with joy. And wherein lay his joy, but in his good conſcience, 2 Corinth. 1. 12. It is all one as if hee had ſaid, I care not to loſe my life to keepe a good conſcience. A good conſcience in that paſſage of the Apoſtle, 1 Tim. 1. 19. is ſecretly compared to a ſhip. Now in a tempeſt at Sea, when the queſtion is come to this, whether the goods ſhall be caſt out, or the Ship be caſt away, what doe the Marriners? See Act. 27. 18. 38. They lightned the Ship, and caſt out the wheat into the Sea. The Marriners will turne the richeſt Commodities overboard to ſave the Ship, for they know if the Ship be caſt away, then themſelves are caſt away. Thus it is with a man that hath a good conſcience, when the caſe comes to this pinch, that either his outward Comforts, or his inward Peace muſt wrack, hee will cheerfully caſt the wheat into the ſea: will part with all earthly commodities and comforts, before he will ruſh, and wrack his conſcience upon any rock. He knowes if the ſhip be wrackt if his conſcience be crackt, that then himſelfe, and his ſoule is in danger of being caſt away, and therefore hee will throw away all to ſave conſcience from being ſplit upon the rocks, and being ſwallowed up in the ſands.
There is as great a difference between a good conſcience, and all outward things even unto life it ſelfe, as is betweene the arme, and the head or heart. The braine and the heart are vitall parts, therefore when the head is in danger to be cleft, or the heart to be thruſt through, a man will not ſtand queſtioning whether hee were beſt adventure his hand, or his arme to ſave his head, or his heart, but either of theſe being in danger, the hand and the arme preſently interpoſe themſelves to receive the blow, and put themſelves in danger of being wounded, or cut off; rather than the head or heart ſhould be pierced. A man may have his hand, or arme cut off, and yet may live, but a wound in the braine or heart is mortall. It is ſo in this caſe. A good conſcience values its owne peace above all the world. It is that wherin a Chriſtians life lyes, therfore he will ſuffer the right hand or foot to be cut off, and loſe all rather than expoſe conſcience to danger. A man may go to heaven with the loſſe of a limbe, and though he halt, Math. 18. 8. but if a man loſe his life, if conſcience be loſt, all is loſt. A man may goe to heaven though hee loſe riches, liberty, life, but if a good conſcience be loſt, there is no comming thither. All things compared to conſcience are as duplicate page duplicate page far beneath it, as the leaſt finger beneath the head. He were a mad man that would ſuffer his skull to be cleft to ſave his little finger, nay but the paring of his naile. And yet the world is full of ſuch mad men, that ſuffer conſcience to receive many a deepe wound and gaſh, to ſave thoſe things which in compariſon of good conſcience, are but as the nayle parings to the head.
Try mens conſciences here, and we ſhall find them exceeding ſhort. A good conſcience will endure any griefe, and ſuffer any wrong rather then ſuffer the loſſe of its owne peace. God commands Amaziah, 2 Chron. 25. to put away Iſrael, oh! but what ſhall I doe for mine hundred Talents? Tuſh, what are an hundred Talents? A good conſcience in yielding obedience to God is a richer treaſure than the Eaſt and Weſt Indies. And yet how many be there that will craze their conſcience an hundred times before they will loſe one Talent by obedience to God, out of a care to keepe a good conſcience. A talent; nay, that is too deepe, never put them to that coſt, they will ſell a good conſcience, not for gaining, but for the taking of a farthing token. God and good conſcience ſay, Sanctifie the Sabbath. Poſſibly ſome halfe-penny cuſtomer comes to a Tradeſmans Shop on a Sabbath, and askes the ſale of ſuch, or ſuch a commoditie. Now the mans conſcience tels him of the commandement, tels him what God lookes for, tels him it cannot ſtand with his peace to make markets on that day, &c. But then he tels conſcience, that if hee be ſo preciſe, hee may loſe a cuſtomer, and if hee loſe his cuſtomers, he may ſhutte up his Shop-windowes. An Inne-keepers conſcience tels him that it is fitter that hee ſhould bee attending Gods ſervice at his houſe on his day, than that hee ſhould be waiting on his gueſt. But then he replies to conſcience, that then his takings will be but poore, and this is the next way to pluck downe his ſigne. So here lyes a diſpute between Conſcience and Gaine, which of theſe two muſt be parted with. If now in this caſe a man will grow to this reſolution; By Gods helpe I am reſolved to keepe a good conſcience in keeping Gods Commandement and Sabbath, I will rather loſe the beſt cuſtomer I have, and the beſt gueſt I have, then the peace of a good conſcience. If I beg, I beg; I will ſay of my cuſtomers as Iacob of his children, Gen. 43. 14. If I am bereaved of them, I am bereaved. I will truſt God with my eſtate, before I will hazard my conſcience; Give me ſuch a man, ſuch a Tradeſman, and I will be bold to ſay he is a man of a good conſcience. But contrarily, when men are ſo ſet upon gaine, that ſo they may have it, they care not how they come by it, they will diſpenſe an hundred times with their obedience to God if any thing be to be had, if theſe have good conſciences let any judge. How would ſuch loſe their blood and lives, that will not loſe ſuch trifling gaines for the ſafety of their conſcience? Wee have not yet reſiſted unto blood, the more we owe to God, that know not what that reſiſtance meanes. Alas, how would thoſe reſiſt unto blood that ſet conſcience to ſale upon ſo baſe prices as they doe.
Peter ſpeakes of a fiery triall, 1. Pet. 4. 12. If God ſhould ever bring that triall amongſt us, that a company of droſſie conſciences would it find out? Wee have no fiery tryall, we have but an airy tryall onelyonly, and yet how many evill conſciences it diſcovers. Many a man could find in his heart to pray in his family, to frequent good exerciſes, and company, hee is convinced in his conſcience, that thus he ſhould doe, and conſcience preſſes him to it. But why then are not theſe things done? A Lyon is in the way. Hee ſhall loſe the good word and opinion of the world, he ſhall have ſo many frowns, and frumps, and cenſures, and ſcoffes, that he cannot buckle to this courſe. Many are in Zedekiah his caſe; he was convinced in his conſcience, that he ought, and it was his ſafeſt courſe to goe out to the Chaldeans, queſtionleſſe his conſcience preſt him to it, and bids him goe out. Why then goes he not? He is afraid, Ier. 38. 19. that he ſhall be mockt. Such conſciences as will not preferre their owne good word, a comfort before the good or ill words of the world; Such conſciences as more feare the mocks and flouts of men on earth, then they doe the grinning mocks of the devils in hell; Such as will not preferre the peace of conſcience before all other things, are meere ſtrangers to good conſcience.
The ſeventh and laſt note remaines. 7. Note of a good conſcience. Conſtancie in good.And that is in the Text, Vntill this day. Conſtancie and Perſeverance in good, is a ſure note of a good conſcience. Paul had beene young, and now was old, and yet was old Paul ſtill, ſtill the ſame holy man hee was. Time changes all things but a good conſcience, and that is neither changed by Time, nor with Time; Age changes a mans favour, but not a good mans faith; his complexion, not his religion; and though his head turne gray, yet his heart holds vigorous ſtill.
Vntill this day.] And this day was not farre from his dying day. And how held he out to his laſt day? Heare as it were his laſt and dying breath, 2 Tim. 4. 7. I have fought a good fight, I have finiſhed my courſe, I have kept the faith. He ſayes not, I have finiſhed my faith, I have kept my life, as many may, but I have finiſhed my courſe, I have kept the faith. He kept his faith till he had finiſht his courſe, not only here, untill this day, but there untill his finiſhing day. So long hee kept the faith, and therefore ſo long a good conſcience, for as the loſing of them goe together, 1 Tim. 1. 19. ſo the keeping of them goe together, therefore keeping the faith, he alſo kept a good conſcience till he finiſht his dayes.
Vntill this day.] And yet one would wonder that hee ſhould keepe it to this day, conſidering how hardly he had been uſed before, untill, and now at this day, the moſt of thoſe things, 2 Cor. 11. 23. were before this day. Often under ſtripes, in priſons oft, and yet ſtands conſtant in the maintenance of the liberty of his conſcience, verſ. 24, 25. Thrice I ſuffered ſhipwracke, &c. and yet made no ſhipwracke of a good conſcience, verſ. 26, 27. in a number of perils, in perill of falſe brethren, and yet his conſcience playes not falſe with God, neither is it weary of going on in a religious courſe.
Here then is the nature of a good conſcience, and the tryall of it.
A good conſcience holds out conſtantly in a good Cauſe, without Deflection, and in a good Courſe without Defection.
1. In a good cauſe. Let a good conſcience undertake the defence of a good Cauſe, and it will ſtand rightly to it, and neither grow weary nor corrupt. It will not make ſhewes of countenancing Pauls cauſe till he come before Nero, and then give him the ſlippe, and give him leave to ſtand upon his owne bottome, and ſhift for himſelfe as well as hee can. A conſcionable Magiſtrate, and a Iudge, who cut of a conſcience of the faithfull diſcharge of his place, takes in hand the defence of a good, or the puniſhment of a bad cauſe, will not leave it in the ſuddes, will not be wrought by feare or favour, to let Innocency be thruſt to the walls, and Iniquity hold up the neb, but will ſtand out ſtiffe, and manifeſt the goodneſs of his conſcience in his Conſtancie.
2. In a good Courſe. A man that is once in a good courſe, having a good conſcience, wil neither be driven, nor be drawn out of that good way to his dying day. There be tentations on the right hand, and there be tentations on the left, but yet a good conſcience will turne neither way, Pro. 4. 27. but keepes on fore right, and preſſes hard to the marke that is ſet before it; Try it with tentations on the left hand. Try it by the mockings and deriſions, of others whom it ſees in good wayes will this ſtagger or ſtumble it, and make it ſtart aſide? not a whit, but it wil go on with ſo much the more courage rather Iob 17, 6, 7, 8, 9. He hath made me alſo a by-word of the people, and aforetime I was a Tabret. Was not this enough to ſhake others, to ſee ſuch a prime man as Iob thus uſed, thus ſcorned and mocked? not a whit; for all this, The righteous ſhall hold on his way, and hee that hath cleane hands, be ſtronger and ſtronger.
Try it by mockings and deriſions perſonall, Si reddere beneficium non aliter quam per ſpeciem injuria potero, oequiſſimo animo ad honeſtum conſilium pe… medium infamiam …endam. Nemo mihi videtur pluris virtutem, nemo illi magis eſſe devotus quam qui boni viri famam perdidit ne conſcientiam perderet. Senoc. epi. 82.by perſonall infamy and reproach, let a mans owne ſelfe be derided, be defamed, this will goe neerer than the former, what, will this move him out of the way? No: He will loſe his good name, before his good conſcience. See Pſ. 119. 51. The proud have had me greatly in deriſion, yet have I not declined from thy Law. And though Michol, 2 Sam. 6. play the flouting foole, yet David will not play the declining foole, but if to be zealous, be to be a foole, he will be yet more vile. And though Ieremy was in deriſion daily, and every one mocked him, yea, and defamed him, yet he was rather the more than the leſſe zealous, Ier. 20. 7, 9, 10. The righteous Pſal. 135. 1. are like Mount Sion that cannot be removed, but abides for ever. What likelihood that a puffe of breath ſhould remove a Mountaine? When men can blow downe Mountaines with their breath, then may they ſcoffe a good conſcience out of the waies of godlineſſe and ſinceritie. Mount Sion, and a good conſcience abide for ever.
But theſe happily may be thought lighter trials, put a good conſcience to ſome more ſmarting, and bleeding trials, then theſe pettier ones are, and yet there ſhall we find it as conſtant as in the former.
Let the Lord give the Sabeans, Chaldeās, and ſatan leave to ſpoile Iob of his goods, and children, will not then Iob give up his Integrity? doe ye not thinke that he will curſe God to his face? So indeed the devill hopes, Iob 1. 15. But what is the iſſue? what gets the devill by the triall? onelyonly gives God argument of triumph againſt him in Iobs conſtancie, Iob 2. 3. And ſtill he holdeth faſt his integrity. As if he had ſaid, See for all that thou canſt doe, in ſpight of all thy ſpight, and miſchievous malice, he holds faſt his Integrity untill this day. See the terrible trials, to which they were put, Heb. 11. 37. They were ſtoned, ſawne aſunder, &c. and yet all could not make them ſhake hands with a good cōſcience. The raine, floods, and winds, could not bring downe the houſe founded upon the rocke, Mat. 7. Notwithſtanding all trials, a good conſcience ſtands to it, and holds it owne, and ſpeakes as once Father Rawlins did the Biſhop, Rawlins you left mee, Acts and Mon.Rawlins you find me, and Rawlins by Gods grace I will continue.
Try yet a good conſcience farther, with the tentations on the right hand, which commonly have as much more ſtrength in them above the other, as the right hand hath above the left, and yet we ſhall find the right hand too weake to plucke a good conſcience out of its ſtation.
It was a ſore tentation wherwith Moſes was aſſaulted. The treaſures, and pleaſures, the honors, & favors of the Aegyptian Court, & Princeſſe. All theſe wooe him not to goe the people of God. Had that people been ſetled and at reſt in Canaan, yet had it beene a great tentation to prefer Aegypt before Canaan. But the people are in Aegypt, in affliction, in bondage, therfore ſo much the more ſtrength in the tentation What will you be ſo mad to leave all for nothing, certaine honours for certaine afflictions? who can tell but you may be raiſed to this greatneſſe to be an inſtrument of good to your people! You by your favour in the Court may bee meanes to eaſe them of their bondage, and ſo you may doe the Church ſervice with your greatneſſe, &c. Here was a tentation on the right hand, and with the right hands ſtrength. Well, and how ſpeeds it? Is Moſes able to withſtand it? See Heb. 11. 24, 25, 26. He refuſed to be called the Son of Pharaohs Daughter, &c. All would not doe, nor ſtir him a whit. Thoſe faithfull Worthies before mentioned, could not be ſtirred with all the cruelties their adverſaries could invent. I, but it may be a tentation on the right hand, might have made them draw away the right hand of fellowſhip from a good conſcience. Well, their enemies therefore will try what good they can do that wayes, Heb. 12. 37. They were tempted, that is, on the right hand they were ſollicited and inticed, and allured with faire promiſes of honours, favours preferments, as Bonner uſed to deale with the Martyrs, hee had ſometimes butter and oyle, as well as fire and faggot, in his mouth. Thus were they tempted, but yet what availed theſe tentations? Iuſt as much as their ſtones, ſawes, ſwords, priſons, all a like. They for all theſe tentations keepe a good conſcience to their dying day, and hold faſt the faith and truth unto the end.
A good conſcience is of the mind of thoſe trees, in Iothams parable, Iudg. 9. It will not with the Olive loſe its fatneſſe, nor with the Fig-tree loſe its ſweetneſſe, nor with the vine its wine of cheerfulnes, to have the fatteſt, and ſweeteſt preferments and pleaſures of the world, no though it were to raigne over the trees.
It was an excellent reſolution of Benevolus Benevolo Iuſtina praecepit ut adverſus fidem patrum imperialia decreta dictaret; Illo vero ſe impia verba prolaturum abnuente, celſiorem honoris gradum ſpopondit, ſi mādata perficeret: cui Benevolus, Quid mihi pro impietatis mercede altiorem promittis gradum? hunc ipſum quem habeo auferte, dunt in…gram fidei conſcientiam tuear. Ac protonus cingulum ante pedes ejus abjecit. S…gon de occid. Imp. l. 1. pag. 200.in his anſwer to Iuſtina the Arrian Empreſſe, profering preferments to him to have beene inſtrumentall in a ſervice which could not be done with a good conſcience. What doe ye promiſing mee an higher degree of preferment for a reward of impiety? yea even take this from me which already I have, ſo that I may keepe a good conſcience. And ſo forthwith hee threw at his feet his girdle, the enſigne of his honour. Thus doth a good conſcience throw and trample honour and preferment under foot, to maintaine its owne integritie? Thus can nothing corrupt a good conſcience. I have beene young, and now am old, and yet never ſaw I the righteous forſaken, to wit, of God, Pſalm. 37. David out of his experience could have ſaid as much in this point, I have beene young, and now am old, yet never ſaw I God, and godlineſſe forſaken by the righteous, by the man that had a good conſcience. But the man that had a good conſcience when hee was young, will hold out and have it when he is old. It is the great honour and grace of a good Conſcience, which Walden thinks he ſpake to the diſgrace of Wickliffe, Ita ut cano placeret, quod inveni complacebat, He was young and old, one and the ſame man. Old age decayes the body, the ſtrength, the ſenſes, but conſcience it touches not, that holds out ſound to death. As of Chriſt in another ſenſe. Heb. 13. So may it be ſaid of a good conſcience in this, Yeſterday, and to day, and the ſame for ever. A good conſcience is no changeling, but let a mans eſtate change from rich to poore, from poore to rich, or let the times change from good to evill, or from evill to worſe; or a mans dayes change from young to old, let his haires and head change, yet among all theſe changes a good cōſcience wil not change, but hold it owne untill its laſt day.
Now put mens conſciences upon this triall, & their inconſtancie either in good cauſes, or courſes, will diſcover their naughtines. In a good cauſe how many are like Darius? his cōſciēce ſtruggles a great while for Daniel, he knew he was innocēt, he knows the action to be unjuſt, and therfore labours all day till the ſetting of the Sun for his deliverance, Dan. 6. 14. but yet overcome with the Preſidents & Princes urgencie, ver. 16. he cōmands him to the Lions den. Here was a natural conſcience ſtanding for equity and juſtice, but yet no good conſcience, it holds but till Sun ſet, and his conſcience went downe with the Sun. His cōſcience yields & is overcome, though it know the act to be unjuſt.
Pilats conſcience makes him plead for Chriſt. In his conſcience he acquits him, and thrice ſolemnly profeſſes that hee finds no fault in him, and therefore cannot in conſcience condemne him, yea withall ſeekes to releaſe him, Iohn 19. 12. Is not here now a good conſcience? Indeed it had beene ſo in this particular fact, if his conſcience had beene inflexible, and had held out. But when Pilate heares them ſay, that if he be his friend, he is no friend to Caeſar, Iohn 19▪ 12. and whileſt withall hee is willing to content the people, Marke 15. 15. Now that there is feare on the one ſide, and deſire to curry favour on the other, where now is his conſcience? Now hee preſently delivers him to be crucified, though he knowes in his conſcience that there is no fault in him. What a good conſcience hath many a Iudge, and Lawyer? How ſtiffely will they ſtand in, and proſecute a juſt caſe, till a bribe come and puts out the very eies of their conſcience. Their conſciences are of ſo ſoft a temper, that the leaſt touch of ſilver turnes their edge preſently. They hold out well till there come a tentation on their left hand, that is, in their right hand, Pſal. 144. 8. Whoſe mouth ſpeakes vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falſhood. If once the right hand be a right hand of falſehood, the mouth will ſoone ſpeake vanity, though before it ſpeake conſcience. Who would not have thought Balaam to have beene a man of an excellent conſcience? If Balak would give mee his houſe full of ſilver and gold, I cannot goe beyond the word of the Lord my God, to doe leſſe or more, Num. 22. 18. But yet beſides that faltering in thoſe words I cannot goe, whereas the language of a good conſcience would have beene, I will not goe; beſides that I ſay, before hee ends his ſpeech, ſee how the hope of promotions works, and works his conſcience like wax before the fire, ver. 19. Now therfore I pray you tarry heere alſo this night, that I may know what the Lord will ſay unto me more. A faltering inference: If his conſcience had beene good, it would have inferred ſtrongly thus; Now therefore I pray get you gone, and trouble me no longer. Hee knew in his conſcience the people ought not to be curſed, and that he ought not to goe, and yet comes in with I pray tarry all night, &c. Truly Balak needed not to have beene ſo laviſh and ſo prodigall, as to offer an houſe full, one handfull of his ſilver and gold will frame Balaams conſcience to any thing.
The like triall may be made of mens conſciences, by their inconſtancie in good courſes, and this will condemne three ſorts, as guilty of evill conſciences.
1. Such as ſometimes being convinced of the neceſſity of good courſes, doe ſet upon the practice of them, and begin to looke towards Religion, and religious duties, till meeting with ſome of their ſuppoſed wiſer neighbours, they be adviſed to take heed, they may bring themſelves into greater note then they are aware of, they will incur ſharper cenſures then they thinke of, &c. and ſuddenly all is daſht, all is quaſht and quencht. There is a diſeaſe among beaſts they call the Staggers, and it is a diſeaſe too frequent in mens Conſciences, who ſometimes are on, ſometimes off, one day begin, and next day ceaſe good courſes. That may be ſaid of many mens conſcices, which Iacob ſpeakes of Reuben, Gen, 49. 4. Vnſtable as water. The water moues as the winds blow. If the wind blow out of the Eaſt, then it moves one way; if out of the weſt, then it moves another, the cleane contrary, and upon every new winde a new way. So many, let them heare a convincing, and a good perſwading Sermon moving to good duties, then they will ſet upon them; let them againe heare either ſome mocks, or reproches for thoſe wayes, or ſome ſage adviſe from one they count wiſe, againſt the way of conſcience, they are as far off againe as ever. Theſe ſtaggering, irreſolute, and watry Conſciences are farre from good ones.
2. Such as in their youth, or when the world was low with them, were very zealous and forward; But what are they now at this day? True downeright Demaſſes, zealous when they were young, but now old and cold: zealous when they were meane, but now the world is come vponupon them, Demas-like they have forſaken goodnes, and embraced the world, have gotten now worme-eaten, and world-eaten conſciences. The zeale of Gods houſe was wont to eat them up, but now the world hath eaten up them, and all their good conſcience.
3. Thoſe that have made good the prophane Proverb, Young Saints and old Devills, whoſe hatred of Religion and good conſcience is greater then ever was their love thereto, as Ammon was towards Thamar, 2 Sam. 13. 15. They were zealous and forward frequenters of Gods houſe and Ordinances; zealous enemies againſt Swearing, and Sabbath-breaking, &c. But what are they at this day? yeſterday indeed zealous profeſſors of holines, but what are they to day? to day malicious ſcoffers of godlineſſe, haters and oppoſers of goodnes, the only ſwearers and drunkards in a country. What kind of cō ſciences are theſe? none of Pauls conſcience, I have lived in all good conſcience untill this day. What then? juſt the conſciences of Hymenaeus and Alexander, 1 Tim. 1. 18, 19. They once made great profeſſion of conſcience, but now enemies to Paul, and blaſphemers, men, as Paul ſpeaks, that had put away good conſcience, they did not through want of watchfulneſſe let it ſlip, or ſteale away; but as if it would never have been gone ſoone enough, they put, and drave it away, foreign, Beza tranſlates it, Qua expulſa. They uſed their conſciences as Ammon did Thamar after his luſt ſatisfied, 2 Sam. 13. 15, 17. Ariſe, be gone, ſayes hee to her, and when ſhee pleads for her ſelfe, hee cals his ſervant, and ſayes unto him, Put out this woman, and bolt the doore after her, put her out ſo, as ſhee may be ſure not to come againe. They dealt with their Conſciences as Colleges deale with Rake-hels, expelled them without all hope of re-entry. Thus many prophane Apoſtating backſliders cannot be content to loſe good conſcience, unleſſe Ammon-like they may put it away with violence, and expell it. And how can they have good conſcience that have put it away? Hee hath not his wife, that hath put her away, and given her a bill of divorce. In the dayes of Popery and darkneſſe, the Devill it ſeemed walked very familiarly amongſt them, and hence we have ſo many ſtories of Fayries, and of children taken out of cradles, and others laid in their roomes, whom they called Changelings. Since the light of the Goſpell, theſe Devils and Fayries have not beene ſeene amongſt us, but yet we are ſtill troubled with Changelings. Some, Prieſts and Ieſuites have changed; ſome, the world hath changed; ſome, Good-fellowſhip and the Ale-houſe hath changed. Theſe have played the Fayries, have taken and ſtolne away goodly, forward, and fervent Chriſtians, and have layd in their roomes Earthlings, Worldlings, Popelings, Swearers, Drunkards, Malicious ſcorners of all goodneſſe. Thus have theſe Fayries in ſtead of faire and comely children, brought in theſe lame, blind, deformed and wrizzled faced Changelings, that any one may eaſily ſee them to be rather the births of ſome Hobgoblins, then the Children of God. If therefore we would evidence our conſciences good, labour to hold to the laſt, and reſt not in youth, but labor to have age found in the way of righteouſneſſe. This is a Crowne of glory, and this is right good conſcience to live therein untill our dying day. All the former ſixe are nothing without this laſt.