A Mirror both for Saints and Sinners, Treatise · Chapter 64 – Chapter 65
CHAP. LXIIII. Examples of the workings of Conscience.
A Good Conscience: Act. 23. 1. & 24. 16. Rom. 9. 1. 2 Cor. 1. 12. 1 Tim. 3. 9. & 1. 5, 19. 2 Tim. 1. 3. Heb. 10. 2. 22. 1 Pet. 2. 19. Heb. 13. 18. 1 Pet. 3. 16. 21.
Bad conscience, Joh. 8. 8. 1 Tim. 4. 2. Tit. 1. 15. Prov. 28. 1.
Weak conscience, 1 Cor. 8. 7. & 10▪ 29.
Conscience Rom. 2. 15. & 13. 5. 1 Cor. 10. 25. 2 Cor. 4. 2. & 5. 11. Heb. 9. 9, 14 & 10. 2.
Defin. It's a part of our understanding determining of all our particular actions either with, or against them, excusing, or accusing.
When the conscience accuseth, the tongue confesses, the eyes weep, the hands wring, the heart akes, and the voyce cryes, no part can be at ease; as Juvenal:
Cur hos evasisse putes, quos diri conscientia facti,
Mens habet attonitos, & surdo verbere caedit? &c.
How deem'st thou them acquit whom guilty mind of fact so foul doth fright,
And scourge unseen doth beat with unheard blow,
Their hangman, restlesse conscience biting so?
Scriptural examples of guilty consciences, Adam when he ran from God, Gen. 3. 8. Cain for murthering Abel, Gen. 4. 15. Josephs brethren, Gen. 42. 21. &c. Belshazzar Dan. 5 6. Herod for beheading John, Luke 9. 7. Judas for betraying Christ, Matth. 27. 3. &c. the unworthy Guest, Matth 22. 12. the Pharises Joh. 8. 9. A wounded spirit who can bear Prov. 18. 14. Examples of a good conscience: Abimelech, Gen. 20. 4, 5. Hezekiah, Isa. 38. 3. David, Psal. 3. 5, 6. & 23. 4. Paul, Act. 23. 1. & 24. 16. Heb. 13. 18.
Nero after the murther of his mother Agrippina was so continually haunted with the furies of his conscience, that he alwayes thought her ghost haunted him, which no incantation, nor sacrifices could appease till his own descended, so that when he was to leave this life for a worse, he cryed out, that his mother, wife, and father, willed him to die Nero's life.
Livius Drusus being to build him a house in the Palace at Rome: the chief workman told him that he would so contrive it that none should overlook him, nor see what was done in his house: to whom Drusus answered: Quin tu potiùs si quid in te artis est, it à compone domu… mea…, ut quicquid …gam ab omnibus inspici possit? Rather (saith he) if thou hast any art shew it in so contriving my house that whatsoever I do may be beheld by all. Lipsius.
Nicephorus Phocas the Greek Emperour having a guilty, and hellish conscience, and fearing heavens Justice for his sins, caused his Palace at Constantinople to be made impregnable, and then began to cast off his fears: But when he thought all safe▪ … voyce was heard, none know from whom, or whence, taxing his foolish confidence, and telling him that though he raised his walls as high as heaven, yet as long as wickednesse dwelt within, there was no safety to be expected.
In the reign of Q. Mary there was one Ralph Allerton who coming into the Church of Bently in Essex, finding the people idle, or ill imployed, read a Chapter to them, and prayed with them, for which being brought before Bonner, he by his subtile perswasions, and flatteries so prevailed with him that he drew him to a recantation, after which this Allerton was brought into such bondage, and terrours of conscience, and was so cast down that if the Lord had not looked mercifully upon him he had been utterly undone; but, through Gods goodnesse, upon his unseigned repentance he at last recovered comfort, and gave his life for the cause of Christ. See my Eng. Manyrologie. p. 193.
About the same time there was one Mr. Whittle, an Essex Minister, who being also called before Bonner, by the subtile practices of the B. and the advice of some carnal friends set his hand to a recantation; but presently after he fell into grievous terrours of conscience whereof himself thus writes: After (saith he) I had done this thing, I had little joy of any thing, my conscience telling me that I had done very ill by so slight a means to shake off the sweet Crosse of Christ. Yea, his terrours of conscience were so great that he could not sleep; whereupon he procured the writing, and to are out his name: After which he thus writes, Being condemned to die my conscience, and mind, I praise God, is quiet in Christ, and I by his grace, am very willing, and content to give over this body to death for the testimony of Christs truth, and pure religion against Antichrist, &c. Idem. p. 160, 161.
Before this in the reign of King Henry the 8 th. Mr. Thomas Bilney for fear of Death was drawn to an Abjuration, after which he fell into such terrours of conscience that he was near the point of utter despaire, so that his friends were fain to watch with him night, and day, endeavouring to comfort him, but all in vain: In this woful condition he continued for the space of a whole year, and was in such anguish that neither eating, drinking, sleeping, nor any thing else did him good: yea, he thought that all the Word of God was against him, and sounded his condemnation: But at last, resolving through Gods Grace, to lay down his life for▪ the truth, he began to feel some comfort, &c. See his Life in my first Part.
When Gensericus K. of the Arian Vandals in Africa raised a Persecution against the Orthodox, he had such a hellish, and guilty conscience that if any Minister in his Sermon did but mention Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Herod, &c. he presently applyed it to himself, and thereupon banished him. See my Gen. Martyro. p. 92.
Sr. Con Mac Genis one of the late Irish Rebels after he had murthered one Mr. Trug a Minister, was so haunted with the furies of his own conscience, that he thought his ghost followed him day, and night, so that he commanded his Souldiers to slay no more of the Protestants. Idim. p. 363.
The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity: but a wounded spirit who can bear?
Prov. 18. 14.
CHAP. LXV. Examples of Love to ones Countrey, and Countrey-men.
SCriptural Examples: David, 2 Sam. 24. 17. Mordecai, Esth. 4. 1. Esther, c. 4. 16. Nehemiah, c. 1. 4. &c. The Jewes, Psal. 137. 1, 5, 6. Paul, Rom. 9. 2, 3.
Camillus the Roman General having after ten years siege taken the rich City of Veia, one came to him, and told him, that he was a happy man, whereupon lifting up his hands towards heaven, he said; O mighty Jupiter, and ye O gods, which see, and judge mens works good and bad, you know right well that we have not begun this war, but justly to be revenged on a City that wronged us: But if to countervail this great prosperity, and victory, some bitter adversity be predestinated for us, I then beseech you to spare the City of Rome, and this our Army, and let it wholly fall upon my person alone. Plut.
Whilest Codrus was K. of Athens, the Peloponesians, upon an old grudge came with a great Army against the Athenians, and sending to the Oracle to know the event of the War; They were answered, That they should have good successe if they did not kill the King of Athens: Whereupon they charged all their Souldiers to be sure not to hurt Codrus the King when they came to the battell: Codrus understanding all this, changed his apparel with a common Souldier, and with a Snapsack on his back he went to the Peloponesian Army, and there picking a quarrel with one of the Souldiers, wounded him, whereupon the Souldier slew him, and after his death, being found to be Codrus, the Peloponesians returned back, expecting no good successe: and thus Codrus out of love to his Country, voluntarily dyed to deliver it from danger. Pez. Mel. Hist.
Agesilaus King of Sparta did so love and esteem his Countrey, that for the profit of it he neither spared his pains, nor shunned dangers, nor favoured his old age; and though by his prudent and upright dealing he had gotten all the power into his own hands, yet he studied nothing more then to maintain the Lawes, and to shew himself subservient to them, and amongst those which raised up dissensions in the Common-Wealth he carried himself as a father to his children chiding those that erred, and honouring those that did well. Plut.
Sylla having overcome Marius in Battel, commanded all the Citizens of Praeneste to be slain, excepting onelyonly one that was his intimate friend: But he hearing the Bloody sentence against the rest, stepped forth, and said, That he scorned to live by his favour who was the destroyer of his Country, and so went amongst the rest who were to be slain. Fulgos.
Sertorius the more he prospered and prevailed in his Wars in Spain, the more importunate he was with Metellus, and Pompey, the Captains of his enemies, that laying down Armes they would give him leave to return into Italy again, professing that he had rather live a private life with the sweet enjoyment of his Countrey, then to obtain the Government of many Cities. Sabi. l. 8.
Nescio quâ natale solum dulcedine cunctos
Ducit, et immemores non sinit esse sui.