Heaven Upon Earth, To the reader – Errata 2
TO THE READERS, And more particularly to the Inhabitants of the City of GLASGOW.
THE Micro-cosme, or little World▪ Man, a notably curious Compend, and …abridgement▪ (as it were) of the larger one, and the great Master piece of all the visible works of GOD; w… when he came from under the ha…d of the Omnipotent Creator in the first Edition, a little Model, and Representation of the Divine Perfections; having impressed on him that blessed and beautiful, that amiable and admirable conformity to the Image and likenesse of GOD, wherein consisted▪ the preheminency of His Nature, above that of all other Creatures in the Visible …r Sublunary World; being one of the great excellencies that a created nature is capable of, and a clearer ray of Divine Majesty, then his dominion over the other Creatures; and which only made him capable of the enjoyment of God, as being that which assi…ilated to him, and brought him to the nearest approaches to Glory: All the faculties and powers of his Soul carried this glorious Character v…vely ingraven on them; His Body also had somewhat▪ of the same Image stamped on it, tho not in respect of its figure, and shape or natural u…e, but as an esse…l part of his nature, it was interested therein by a participa… on of original righteousnesse; For it was mans person that was made holy, tho his Soul was the first proper Subject of that con-created habit, and principle of holinesse, yet his body (as I said) as an essential part of his nature, did participat thereof, by a peculiar communication of that holinesse to … ▪ as far as it was to be influential on moral operations; and hereby were the Parts and Members of his Body, in that state of innocency and integrity, made Instruments and Servants unto righteousnesse and holinesse: His Understanding was a lamp of clear and pure light, without any the least measure or mixture of culpable darkness or ignorance, it was able clearly and distinctly to represent all objects, competent for him to know, with wonderful readinesse and facility: His Will was (to say so) straight as a rush, without any the least sinful crook, o… sinister byass▪ inclining only and perfectly to that which was good▪ and altogether averse from every thing that was evil; there being a thorow agreement betwixt his will, and the will of God, so that he willed wh… he willed, and …illed what he …illed: All his Affections moved only and constantly towards right and commanded objects, and that with perfection of regularity in all their motions▪ His Memory was of strong retention, neither knew he, while he remained such, what it was …o forget any thing that was suitable, and incumbent for him to remember: His Conscience was in excellent case …o reflect, and there being no ground for any challenge, reproof, or …, it did only commend and applaud▪ in a word, it did most faithfully and exactly act the part of God's Deputy, following his orders punctually and precisely, and so was keeped in an indisturbed calm, and perfectly serene tranquilli…ie: The Members of his body were servants only to righteousness, and with holy …lacrity, sub…erued the soul in all its operations; But, ah! the entring in of cursed sin, made a sad, sorrowful and stupendious Ca…astrophe, setting o… fire as it were the whole co…e of nature, and putting its very foundations some way out of course, and deplorably de…acing the curious stately, magnificent, beautiful and glorious Fabrick of this little … Man; quite vitia…ing and corrupting all the faculties, powers and parts of his soul and body, which by the exact and exquisit symetrie and harmonie thereof, through the image of God concreated with him, made him, while it remained in its integrity, incapable of all such motions, or actions, which should be subservient unto, or complyant with any thing contrary unto, or different from it: His Understanding, the leading facultie, and the eye (as it were) of the soul, became an abysse and dungeon of darknesse, covered all over with fogs, mists and clouds of ignorance, errors and mistakes, so that becoming of a spiritual and holy man, a carnal and corrupt man, He did not receive, neither could he know savingly the things of God, he became quite blind, having losed his vi…ive faculty, as to all spiritual discerning: His Will the ruling and governing facultie, utterly losed its rectitude, and became crooked, froward, perverse, rebellious and obstinat, strongly inclined and bent to evil, to all evil, only to evil, alwayes and constantly to evil, and altogether averse from every thing truly good; willing that which God nilled, and nilling that which he willed: His Affections turned all mutinous, disorderly, disturbed and confused, furiously rushing on prohibited objects, as the horse rusheth into the battel; and what movings of them were toward any commanded object, these were altogether irregular, not so much as one of them moved toward any such object, purely or primarly, because it was a thing commanded: His Memory, quite losed its re…entive facultie, as to the remembring of any thing spiritually good, in the way it should have been remembred, it became in that respect as a leck vessel, all such things slipping and running through and out of it: His Conscience being de…ed and made guilty, became clamorous, unquiet, challenging and accusing, boisterous and stormy, filling him with horrour; and (when not stupified and benummed with spiritually Lethargick Security, or Cauterized) p…ing him upon the rack, and making a kind of hell in his bosome, so that he was Magur …issabib, terror round about▪ even his own Burrio and tormente…: All the members of his body were yeelded to be the weapons of unrighteousness to sin; So that all the faculties and powers of his …oul, and members of his body, were on the suddain up in armes in hostility and rebellion against God, proclaiming and waging war with him, and on the matter blasphemously bidding him a defyance: O! …ad and sorrowful revolution, in and on the Little world Man. Heu quantum mutatus abillo! God made him upright, but he sought out to himself many inventions; wo to us for we have sinned, and the crown hath fallen from our head: And by the loss of our original righteousness, and the corruption of our whole nature, with the innumerable actual sins and transgressions that flow from thence, we bear, alas! a great deal more of the Image of the Devil, and of the Brute, then we do of the Image of God. The re-introduction, restauration, and renovation of the pristine beautiful conformitie to the glorious Image of God (with their reconciliation and justification through his satisfaction to divine justice) in some of the universally lapsed and losed posterity of Adam, even all the elect and gifted ones to the Mediator to be redeemed, sanctified and saved by him, in order to the capacl…ating of them to enjoy fellowship with God, (forefaulted by the fall) and that by a new Creation (the very splendor and glory of the whole Creation) was the great ear…nd and bussiness, for which Christ Jesus came▪ into the world; who being the head and foundation-stone of this new Creation, hath gracious… undertaken to prepare, sanctifie and glorifie his mystical body, or all the elect given to him by Iehovab: which he accordingly effecteth, and bringeth to passe, by regenerating them, by sanctifying them, and by carrying on this work of sanctification in the growth and gradual advances thereof, till it be perfected and consummated in glory: whereby the Image of God in men is again renewed, and restored both in their souls and bodies respectively, in a good measure now in this life, and shall be perfectly in the life to come; where, as they shall all see him as he is, intuitively face to face, and enjoy him fully and immediately, without any the least moments interruption through all eternity, so they shall be like him, perfectly like him, according to Creature capacitie; resembling him to the verie …fe: All the faculties and powers of their souls partake of this renewed work; The Understanding being savingly enlightned; the will rectified; the Affections reduced …nto order; the Memory strengthned, and the Conscience much cleansed and calmed, and put into a capacity as to accuse and condemne, so to excuse, allow and absolve, as there is just ground for either; and they put to make it their great bussiness about which they allow themselves to be exercised, alwayes to have it void of offence toward God and toward men? which Conscience with the concerns thereof being the great T…eam and Subject of these choice, searching and savoury Sermons (wherein if there be any thing that doth not so fully answer expectation, let it be imputed to the writer from his own mou…h, whose copple was so verie incorrect, that the fitting it for the view of the world hath caused no smal labour to me) I need say the less of it, only in general, I would humbly offer these few things.
First, we would above all things look well that once we have a good Conscience, not only Morally (that is when Conscience iudgeth it self bound to owne Gods …evealed will for its rule, and when it impelleth or pusheth the man to act according to that rule, and withall the more ordinary disposition of his will is … comply with these impulses of his Conscience, which may be where there is no special or saving grace,) but Graciously so; which necessarily pre-supposeth a state of regeneration, and the hearts applying it self by fai…h (the gift of God) to the blood of sprinkling, which both purgeth and …acifieth, cleanseth and calmeth the Conscience, which speaketh better things then the b…ood of A…el, yea hath a cry▪ abl… to out-cry the loudest cryes of the most cl…morous and guilty Conscience, and is that wherein all disquieting challenger and …ccusations for sin… are only …afely sunk and and put to silence, so as they shall never again swime above, and ra…k to the final sorrow and shame of such as are led through gra…e to take this course with them; as the now-sunk and any other way silenced challenges of most men and women, will once most certainly rise on them, and speak at a high rate against them, never any more to hold their peace from grievously galling and gnawing accusations; For to the unclean and unbelieving nothing is pure, but even the minde and conscience is defiled.
Secondly, The Conscience being thus made good, we would endeavour by all suitable means to keep it so, that we may be in case on warrantable and good grounds to say with the Apostle, We trust we have a good conscience in all things, willing to live honestly: Heb. 13. v. 18. And if at any time the Conscience of the Christian be defiled, and wounded by new contracted pollution and guilt; and challenges begin thence to arise, and to disturb the peace and sweet repose of the Soul; there would be on all such occasions, fresh believing applications made to the blood of sprinkling, that thereby the heart may be sprinkled from an evil conscience, and the Conscience purged from dead works to serve the living God; and endeavours would be renewed in the strength of grace to walk more tenderly, without offence toward God, and toward men: toward which these Sermons abound with varietie of choice and excellent directions and helps.
Thirdly, and more particularly we would study to have our Conscience well and throughly informed, by intimat acquaintance with the minde and will of God revealed in the Scriptures of truth, as to all things that we are called to believe and do, so that it may be in case to discharge its office and dutie aright, whether in Dictating or in Testifying, or in Iudging: an ill informed Conscience, especially where there is any zeal, or forwardness, strongly pusheth and suriously driveth men to many dangerous, distracted and destructive practices; hath not this driven men to kill the servants of Christ (as himself foretold) and in doing so to think that they did God service? did not this hurry on Paul, before his conversion, to persecute Callers on the name of the Lord Jesus▪ and to make havock of the Church, by drawing, and dragging the disciples both men and women bound to Prison, and by cruel persecuting of them even to strange cities, compelling them to blaspheme? so exceedingly mad was he (as himself confesseth) against them; O! what terrible and tragical things hath▪ this set men on to do, and what m…d work hath it made in some places of the world, beside many lesser impertinencies, extravagancies and disturbances in particular Christian Societies.
Fourthly, We would endeavour to have the Conscience deeply impressed with due and dee… v…neration, aw and dread of the Majestie of God, the supream Lord of, and great Law-giver to the Conscience; whose Laws and Commands are only properly, directly, immediately, and of themselves obligatory thereof; because the Consciences and Souls of men are properly subject only to God; and because the Law of God written in the hearts of men, and in the Scriptures, is the only rule of Conscience; and moreover because men cannot immediately judge the Conscience, nor know they the secret motions thereof; and finally because he can only inflict spiritual punishment on the sinning Conscience: all the Laws and Commands of men in what ever capacitie are only obligatory of the Conscience mediatly, indirectly, and consequentially; viz. in so far as they are consistent, complyant and agreeable with the Laws and Commands of the absolutely supream Law-giver, or not repugnant thereunto: for certainly he hath not given a dispensation to any power on earth, Civil or Ecclesiastick, to countermand his cōmands, or to enjoyn obedience …o commands contrary to, or inconsistent with his own; whose commands are immediately and inviolably binding of the Consciences of Superiors and Magistrates, though the greatest Monarchs on earth, as well as of Inferiours and Subjects, all without exception being Inferiours, and Subjects to him: Yet such Laws of men as do either press or declare the Commands and Law of God, and make for the conservation, and observation thereof, oblidge in Conscience; because such Laws as they are such, participat of the nature and force of the Divine Law: and because the Law of God doth directly and immediately command subjection to the Superior Powers: therefore even in reference to the… …njust Laws, and such as are repugnant to, or … with the divine Laws, Subjects are oblidged in … not to re…use obedience to them out of any contempt of lawful authority (let …e to disca…m an… renounce the same, as some poor seduced and deluded persons do, in these dayes, …ther ou… of ignorance, or humour, or misguide… zeal, to the great reproach of Religion) not to admit … any thing that m… have in it the … appearance of offence, and scandal that way; because the contempt o… lawful authority, and the …andal of others, are in themselves sins against the Law of God: yet still as no …eer humane laws do directly, immediately and of themselves (as I said) bind the conscience; so neither hath God given a power to any of the Super…our Powers on earth to enjo… obedience to commands that are cross to his own …njunctions, which all are oblidged indispensably to obey.
And therefore it is not only s…range, but even stupendious for any Christians, especially such as pretend to be Protestants, confidently to assert, and bol… …o publish to the world, as Mr. Hobbs doth in his Leviathan, (a book designed by him, as I have been informed, to complement Cromwel, against the writ…rs own Conscience, such as it was) p. 168. That no private man is judge of good and evil actions in a Common wealth, under civil Laws; and that the mea…ure of good and evil actions is the Civil Law (of actions civilv good why not? but of actions simply good and evil (as his assertion carries) wh…? what reason, or sh…dow of reason? God never having given, no… assigned such a rule; we may thus throw away ou… Bibles, as the rule of good and ev…l a…ions, and all betake our selves to the Civil Law as the only Rule) and the Legis l…tor the alone Iudge, since he may as well divest a man of humane nature and un-man him, as deprive him of a privat Judgement of discretion, or of a private discre…ive Judgement in reference to his own actions; the so…er exercise whereof is no assuming to himself in …he least, the capaci…e of a publick Judge; and it at any time in any thing rela…ing to …is … acts, this Judgement of private discreti…n fall to thwart the Law, or publick Judgement, he adven…es on that cum peric…lo, or on his pe…l; but it cannot in reason utte…ly rob him of it▪ since (as is said) he can as soon cease to be a man, or a rational creature, as to have that quite denyed him, or taken from him; & to what end or purpose should he be priviledged with this above brutes, i… the exercise of …t shall be for ever suspended in the Members of Kingdoms and Common-wealths, as almo… all men in the world are? what sound and Orthodox Divine, or sound Christian Lawyer ever taught such Doctrine? The learned doctor Ames tell… us in the 4. Co olary, and very last words of his first book of Cases of Conscience, that Interpretatio Scripturae, vel judicium …scernere voluntatem Dei, pertinet ad quemlibet. in foro consc…tiae pro …. And page 169. of the fore-cited book, the same Hobbs sayes, That he who is subject to no civil Law sinneth in …ll that …e doth against his conscience; yet …t is not so with him who liveth in a common wealth, because the Law is the publick conscience: which …eems to be inconsistent with, if no… point blank contradictory unto what the Apostle exhorts to Rom. 14. v. 5 Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind, or conscience, to wit, of the warrantablenesse of what he doth; and to what he asserts, v. 23. whatsoever is not done in faith, (or from this full perswasion of its warrantableness) is sin: He doth not surely write this to Christians …n Outopia, or in the …ancied new world in the Moon, …ut to those who were realy present memoers of the Roman Common-wealth, or Subjects of that Impire; neither can it with any shew of reason be supposed (especially by him who in the strain of his Book, as to this matt…r, makes very little, or rather no difference at all betwixt a Heathen and Christian Magistrat, for whether the Magistrat be Pagan, Mahometan, Iewish▪ Christian, Popish or P…otestant, Heretical, or Orthodox. Seems to …e all on… to him, and his followers in this debate) that if the Roman Emperour had been Christian he would have written otherwayes, or that his becoming such, would enervat, yea quite evacuat the strength and obligation of what he writs; for …e delivers it as an eternal and un-alterable veritie, Rule who will, and be the Civil Laws what they may be: and while in the 13. chapter of that same epistle, he telleth Christians, v. 5. That they must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake; he seems very clearly to distinguish betwixt the Law and Command of the Civil Power (which Mr. Hobbs calleth the publick conscience.) and the conscience of privat Christian Subjects, and to pres…e upon them subjection to the higher powers, for their own conscience sake; and so to leave to them some exercise and judgement of that their Conscience concerning the matter of their obedience and subjection; otherwayes the obedience and subjection could not well be said to be for Conscience sake, or out of Conscience; for he raight shortly have said, obey the dictats of the publick conscience, a… the laws of the superiour powers, there being no place for the exercise of the conscience of privat subjects in the matter. There is one divine (such as he is) who in his Eccle…iastick polity more lately, delivers the same doctrine; wherein he not only plainly Hobbizeth, but also palpably playeth the plagi…y, borrowing (not to say stealing) much of what he sayes to this purpose through his Book, from Mr Hobbs, tho in some few things he oppo…eth him, and delivers his sentiments in a finer dresse of language; it may be, that none may think that he is beholden to the other, for that which he would surprize the world with as his own new, and profoundly witty invention, vainly as it were crying foreign; let them for me, share betwixt them this glorying in their own shame, that shall not be rolled away: He sayes that in matters of Religion, and divine worship, subjects are to be ruled by authority and the publick conscience; and that in these matters, privat men have not power over their own actions, nor are to be directed by their own judgements, but by the commands ànd determinations of the publick conscience, only with these sory restrictions; If the things commanded do not either countenance vice or dis…race the Deitie; or if the things be not absolutely and essentially evil, whose nature no case can alter, no circumstance can extenuat, and no end can sanctifie: Mr. Hobbs hath only this limitation, if the things be not against the law of nature; in effect both come near to the same, if not to the very same amount, and by both an obligation is pleaded to ly on the Consciences of all privat Christian subjects, to give up themselves to the conduct and regulation of the publick conscience, or of the Laws of the Common-wealth, as to many at least, of the positive commands of God; doing contrary to which, will not fall within the compasse of these very narrow limitations: which either supposeth without any warrand or proofe, that the publick conscience is always infallible as to these (and it is worthie noticeing what the learned Monseur Claude hath to this purpose in his de…ence of the Reformation, where he saith, In effect an absolute obedience and intire resigning of ones self to the conduct of …nother in these matters that regard the faith and the conscience, is a duty that we can lawfully tender to none but to God, who is the first truth, the first principle of all justice, to which none can pretend without usur…ing the just right of God: As is also, what saith Amesius, page 6. of his Cases, That the conscience is immediately subject to God, and to his will, and cannot subject it self to any creature without Idolatry) Or it is the short cut, and compendious way to debauch mens consciences, and to drive all conscience out of the world; being obviously lyable to these following (beside others) great and gross absurdities 1. That privat Christian Subjects are not at all to trouble themselves, or to be at the pains to search the Scriptures, in order to the information of their consciences, and bringing themselves to be fully perswaded in their mind or conscience (which they are expresly commanded to do, Iohn 5. 39. and Rom. 14. 5.) Of the warrantableness of what they do, or are enjoyned to do in Religion, and in the worship of God; If it be not against the law of nature, which may be easily discerned; for sayes Mr. Hobbs, it is born with every man, and engraven on every mans heart; He is in all such things to acquiesce without debate or demure, in the determination of the publick conscience; and if he shall endeavour to have his conscience informed▪ the more he doth to, he but puts his own conscience the more upon the rack, and to the torture, if he must, notwithstanding the clearest information and best grounded perswasion of his own judgement and conscience, stand to, and acquiesce in the resolve of the publick conscience; as he must do according to this doctrine; if he sin not, (as hath not hitherto been doubted by any man of conscience) in counteracting his own light, and well-informed conscience▪ at lea…, he cannot but be more disquerted, that he was, according to the command of God, at so much pains in the …utit of seeking to have his conscience so well informed; which God never made a just ground of disquiet to the minds of his people: and his acquiescence in the determination of the publick conscience or of the law of the land, must be as to many, or most, if not all divine positives in Religion, and the worship of God; for saith Mr. Hobbs page 249. They to whom God hath not spoken immediately, are to receive commands from the Soveraign; and consequently in every Common-wealth, they who have no supernatural revelation to the contrary, ought to obey the Laws of their own Soveraign in the external acts, and profession of Religion; which drawes dreadfully deep, as wil… …ther appear from some of his instances; If (sayes he page 271.) it be asked, what if we be commanded by our lawful prince to say with our tongue, we believe not in Christ (he may as well add, we believe not that there is such a person as Christ) must we obey such a command? Profession with the tongue (sayeth he) is no more then any other gesture whereby we signifie our obedience, and wherein a Christian holding firmly in his heart the faith of Christ, hath the same liberty that Elisha allowed to Naaman the Syrian; a great and grosse mistake, the Prophet allowed no such thing, but without giving any particular answer to his demand, since by what Mr. Hobbs confesseth he could not but know that what he desired (if indeed he desired it some learned men asserting that the words, contain a reflection upon a past unlawful▪ practice, and a begging forgivenesse of it, and not a desire of a permission of any such practice for the future) was a sin and unlawful to be done; only bids him go in peace, wishing him well, and Gods blessing to him, though not as to that particular; …ere, sayeth he▪ Naaman believed in his heart, but by bowing before the Idol Rimmon, he denyed the true God in effect, as if he had done▪ it with his lips: (how dare he then be so bold, as to affirm that the Prophet allowed, and approved of his practice?) What then shall we say to that of our Saviour, whoever denyeth me before men, him will I deny before my Father which is in heaven▪ To this (sayeth he) We may say, that whatsoever a Subject, as Naaman was, is compelled to, in obedience to his Soveraign, and doth it not according to his own mind, but in Order to the Laws of his Countrey, that Action is not his, but his Soveraigns, nor is it be that in this case denyes Christ, but his Governour and the Law of his Countrey: O! what a wide door is opened here for grof…est distimulation, and jugllng in the matters of God, and for the most palpable inconsistancy betwixt the heart of …, and his actions? The one manifestly contradicting, and …elying the other; which ought, especially in such cases, f…thfully to correspond, and exactly to agree▪ What security, I pray, could men have upon earth one from another, in their Oaths, Covenants, …cts and Co…acts, in their mutual B…rgainings and dealings, if such a cursed latitude were allowed them, to say, promise and sweat one thing, and resolve another in their hearts? and sha… that be allowed in matters wherein the honour of God is so much, and so nearly concerned, which is so abominable in the concerns of Men, all which comparatively are but trifles▪ Might not all Christian Martyrs of old, and Protestant ones of late, by such obedience to their respective lawful Soveraigns, in the several parts of the Christian World, have escaped & delivered themselves from being burnt alive▪ & from other bloody, violent and cruel deaths, and exquisite torments▪ and shall they not according to this detestable Doctrine be looked at, as a company of silly fools who needlessely threw away their lives, which they might thus have very easiely preserved? …or none of them, we know of, were ever by their Popish lawful Soveraigns injoyned, to say with their tongue, that they believed not in Christ, which yet, sayeth he, they might and should, have done, (keeping their mind to themselves, and to God) and much more those things which they were commanded: Further, page 239, 240, 241. He refers to the decision of the Soveraign, all sorts of Doctrine in effect, and more particularly and expresly, whether the Subjects shall profess, That life eternal and happiness shall be on the earth only? Whether the Soul of man is a living Creature independent on the Body, or doth subsist separatly from the Body? Whether any meer man is Immortal, otherwayes then by the Resurrection of the last day? whether wicked men shall be tormented eternally, so as not to be destroyed, to die and be annihitated▪ at length? (to all which himself seemeth to be … as his own opinions▪ O! wicked and wretched▪ O! atheistical, detestable and damnable opinions!) whether I say the Subject shall professe these things or not, he refers to the decision of the Soveraign▪ by which we may very easily judge in how many, and in how very momentuous things in Christian Religion, he … subjects, as to their outward profession and carriage▪ to …stand to and acquies…e in the decision and determination of the lawful Soveraign, in a Kingdom, or Common-wealth, or of the publick Conscience, or Law of … …, which whether it be not to deny all Conscience … Subjects and private persons, in such matters as so nearly concern the eternal Salvation of their Immortal Souls, is obvious at first …. It puts me in mind of what is reported of a great man (smelling strong of this Conscience-destroying-doctrine) who expostulating with some Countrey men, living under him, for their nor doing somewhat required of them by him; for which nonp…rformance when they pleaded Conscience, he in a great …uffe, not without some execration, replyed,—What have the like of you to do with a Conscience? Which was plainly on the matter to say with Hobbs, that they, and such as they should have no Conscience, but what is ductile and governable by the Conscience of lawful Rulers, and Superiours, and that their commands and prohibitions make things just and adjust; which is (…ayeth Mr. Li…h in his Body of Divinity, page 378) to make Subjects beasts, and the Magistrat God. 2ly All pri…at persons living in a Kingdom, or Common-wealth must hence furth, according to these Doctors, allown, and not in the feast regard in many things, and those not of little moment in Religion, and the worship of God, their own Consciences as his Deputies, and have recourse to the publick Conscience, or the Law of the Land, as the uni…ersal Depute set over all the Consciences of privat persons, living therein, nay to it as taking Gods own room to make Laws directly, immediately, and of themselves obligatory of all their Consciences, and to enjoyn obedience to them, as so oblidging them; and must, contrary to the Scripture, no more notice the accusings or excusings of their own Consciences, but those only of the publick Conscience. 3ly. The indispensibly requisite qualification of the obedience of Children to their Parents, Ephes. 6. v. 1. viz. In the Lord, (whereby the Apostle doth undenyably lay it on the Children, to consider and judge by their judgement of private discretion, whether the commands and injunctions of their Parents be agreeable to the mind of the Lord, and such in obedience, whereto they may expect the Lords approbation) must be casheered and abandoned; for certainly there lyeth no greater obligation on Subjects to obey the commands of the Soveraign power of the Kingdom, or Commonwealth, then lyeth on Children to obey their Parents, who were Soveraigns in Families, before ever there were any Kingdoms, or Common▪wealths erected, as himself every where asserts. 4ly. That if the Apostles of our Lord should have been forbidden by the lawful Soveraigns of the Kingdoms, and Common-wealths of the World to preach the Gospel, and Baptize, they should in obedience to them have forborne; which Mr. Hobbs plainly without a blush insinuates, when he sayes, page 311. Our Saviour gave his Apostles power to preach and baptize in all parts of the world, supposing that they were not forbidden by their own lawful Soveraigns: Had they not their Commission from their Master in most ample form, without any the least either direct or indirect intimation of such an exceptation or …mitation? Math. 28. 19. 20. Go ye therefore (sayes he to them) and teach all nations▪ baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I command you; That is, of whatsoever nature they be, whether they be clear by the Law of Nature, or be divine positives, whoever forbid or command you …o the contrary; and Mark 16▪ v. 15. Go ye (saith he to them) into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every Creature, which accordingy they did, v. 20. And they went forth and preached every where, not only where they were not forbidden; did they not preach the Gospel at Ierusalem, notwithstanding they were severaly, not without threatnings, forbidden by their own Soveraigns the Council? and tell them plainly, that they ought to obey God, rather then men, wherein they could not obey both; alleadging that they could not, but speak the things that they had heard and seen, without any such regard (as might imped them in their work) to the strait threatnings and prohibition, to speak at all, or to preach in the name of Iesus: and least any should say, or think, that this was more then they had warrand for; we are told, after the inhibition to preach, and after their imprisonment for contrav…ning, from which they were miraculously set free; that the Angel of the Lord, who had opened their Prison Doors, charged them thus, Go and stand and speak in the Temple to the people (what…oever, the Rulers think o… it, and notwithstanding they have in…bited and imprisoned you) all the words of this life; of all which the divine Historian gives us an account in the 4. and 5. Chapters of the Acts of the Apostles: And why I pray doth he not as well make the supposition of their not being forbidden by any lawful Soveraign, as by their own? since he will not, neither doth deny, that lawful Soveraign Powers, may prohibit strangers within their own Dominions, to preach or practice against the Law, o… publick Conscience, and chas…ise them for controvention, and disobedience (excepting alwayes the persons of Ambassadors and …eraulds sent from other Civil. Soveraigns, which use to be accounted in a manner Sacred and Inviolabe) as well as their own native Subjects: and if so, had the Apostles been forbidden to preach and baptize, by the Soveraign power of every Kingdom, and Common-wealth, whether they came (as they could not readily, nor reasonably expect but they would, all the Kingdoms and Common-wealths of the world being then Pagan, excepting that of the Iewes) where would they, or could they have preached and baptized? and what would have become of the Gospel, and of a Gospel Church? Did not Paul and Silas after the Magistrats of the City of Philippi, had (it seems with their own hands, debasing themselves in their …ury, below the dignity of their Office) rent off their cloaths, laid many stripes on them, and casten them into prison, for their preaching, and teaching customs (as was alleadged by their accusers) Which were not lawful to be received or observed by them being Romans; did they not I say, go in and exhort, or preach to the brethren in the house of Lydia, & that after they were by the Magistrats desired to depart out of the City? as we may see, Acts 16. 5ly. That private persons living in Kingdoms or Common-wealths do not sin, and shall be keeped harmlesse in obeying the Laws and Commands of their lawful Soveraigns, though cross the dictats of their own Conscience, and it may be cross to the positive Commands of God; The first of these new Teachers, Mr. Hobbs tells us (as we shew before in the first absurdity) in the ca…e of denying Christ before men, most dreadfully threatened by him with denying them before his Father, that whatever a Subject as Naaman was, is compelled eo in obedience to his Soveraign, and doth it not in order to his own mind, but in order to the Laws of his own countrey; that action is not his but his Soveraigns, nor is it he that in this case denyeth Christ, but his Soveraign and the Law of his Countrey: and page 309. The Civil Soveraign, may make Laws …uitable to his Doctrine (for he will have him to be the only Soveraign teacher of the people that are under him Iure divino; which quite …ulls the divine right of all the Ministers of the Gospel) Which may oblid…e men to such actions, as they would not otherwayes do and which he ought not to command, and when they are commanded they are Laws and the external actions that are done in obedience to them without the inward approbation, are the actions of the Soveraign, and not of the Subject, who, in that … but the Instrument▪ without any motion of his own at all, because God hath commanded to obey them; Alas! the poor Subject is here by him not only robbed of his judgement of privat discret on and Conscience, as to his own acts, which is hard enough; but in a manner, of a humane rational Soul, if not also of a sensitive one, and so degraded and detruded below the very beasts that perish; For he makes him a meer instrument without any motion at all only he somewhat recovers him from his brut…, yea infra-brutal state, by making him capable to obey Commands, though against his Conscience: The other Hobbist Doctor, who will not be outstriped by his Master, according to his manner dictateth very Magisterialy▪ That if there be any sin in the command of the Soveraign Power; he that imposed it shall answer it, and not I. whose whole duty is to obey; the Command of Authority will warrand …y obedience, my obedience will hallow, at least excuse my action, and so secure me from sin, if not from errour: very easie, so…t, and smooth Doctrine indeed, for private Persons and Subjects. If its teachers could assure us of its certain and in…allible truth, and of its consonancie and agreeablenesse with the Scriptures of truth; But Subjects must not cast their Souls at h…p-hazard, on the bare and unproved asserts of these Gentlemen, who give us no great proof of either their truth or tendernesse in other great concerns of Religion; Especially since the divinely inspired Apostle reacheth us quite other Doctrine, while he tells us, more generally. 2. Cor. 5. v. 10. That we must all appear (or …e made manifest) before the judgement seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body (whether commanded by Superiours or not) according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad; And more particularly, Rom. 14. v. 12. So then every one of us shall give an account of himself, (not another for him) to God; and Gal. 6. v. 4, and 5. But let every man prove his own work, a…d then shall he have rejoycing in himself alone, and not in another; For every man shall bear his own burden; And 1 Cor. 3. v. 8. And every man shall receive his own reward, according to his own Labour: And indeed these Teachers by their flattering the Soveraign Powers, put them to make a very heavy reckoning & by their pretending to gratifie them, lay on them a great and insupportable burden; Which, when well considered, will be found very much to embitter all the sweet of that exhorbitant, and incompetent power granted to them. I would have none to think, that by any thing said, I design in the least to derogat from lawful Authority and the civil Magistrat any thing that is due thereunto, God forbid I should; I heartilie acknowledge Magistracy to be the ordinance of God; Rom. 13. v. 1, 4. And Magistrats to be by Office Ministers of God to us for good; to whom, for begetting and maintaining a just aw, dread and veneration of them, he hath imparted and communicated some of his own names, or stiles, calling them Gods, even such as areExod. 22. 28. Ps. 82. v. 1. 6. Iohn 10. 34, 35. his Le…vetennants, Vicegerents and▪ Representers on earth; and would beseech, and obtest that all of us may render, as unto God the things that are Gods, so to Cesar the things that are Cesars. Math. 22. v. 21.As to fear God so to honourthe King; that every soul be subject to the higher 1 Pet. 2. v. 17. Rom. 13. v. 1. 5.powers, subject not only for wrath, but for conscience sake. That we all submit our selves to every ordinance of man for the 1 Pet. 2. v. 13. 14. 15.Lords sake, whether it be to the King, as Supream, or unto Governours, as unto them that are sin: by him for the punishment of evil doors, and the praise of them that do well; For so is the will of God, that with well doing we may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. That we be subject, to principalities and powers, and obey Magistrates. And that first Tit. 3. v. 1. … Tit. …. v 1, 2of all supplications & prayers, and intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men for Kings & ▪ all that are in authority, that We may lead a quiet and peacable life in all godliness and honesty: Cheerfully allowing to them all that the Scriptures of the old & new Testaments, and the Consessions of Faith of the Reformed Churches of Christ allow unto them: and whoever have taught, or held, or do teach, and hold the contrary, whatever be their pretentions and professions, are not only, not true Presbyterians, but in so far, not true Protestants, yea not true Christians, but the disgrace, shame and reproach of Presbyterie, Protestanis…e▪ and Christianity, so far as in them lyes; for their way hath a manifest tendency to fasten such unworthy imputations on these interesis, though they can cause no inherent blemishes in them, no more then fogs and mists can do in the Sun, a…beit they may eclipse and obscure its glory: Let us make the supposition that the Apostles of our Lord had taught such Doctrine, as some very few, one or two have of late taught, and do still teach (which yet we cannot with any shadow of truth make; For these divinly and infallibly inspited persons could teach no such Doctrine) What ground of jealousie and prejudice would it have given to all the Secular Powers of the World against the Gospel of Christ? As if the design of it had been to ru…ne all Civil Authority, and to instigat its disciples to root out all Civil Magistrats and Rulers; how would it have set them on, and not without some reason, with implacable fury to have by all means stiffled the Gospel-Christian Church, in the very Infancy and Cradle thereof? whereas the Doctrine of Christ, and His Apostles teaching no such thing, but most clearly, convincingly and fully, the contrary; it made the Civil powers their persecuting its P…reossors utterly in excusable, and their sufferings by them to be truly … ous▪ and it is worthy observation, that the time wherein our Lord Christ, and his Apostles▪ Paul and Peter gave these fore mentioned Commands, and Instructions to Christians, relating to their duty, to the Superiour Civil Powers, was, when Tiberius, Cal…gula, Claudi us▪ and Nero were Roman Emperours; none o… whom were the best nor near the best▪ even of Pagan Emperours, and some of them were very Monsters of men. Only it would be carefully looked to, that foundations be not shaken, and put out of course, and that ancient boundaries and landmarks be not removed; which no Christian Civil Soveraigns, in Kingdoms or Common wealths, keeping them, selves in the Line of due and just Subordination to the Majesty of God, the great and absolute Superiour, and Soveraign, the King of Kings, by and under whom all Kings reign, will allow of, or give way unto, whatever un-hallowed Hobbists, profanely and impiously suggest to the contrary: Whose principles (whatever they pretend to grant to the Civil Soveraigns of Kingdoms, and Common-wealths) are a manifest tendencle to the unhinging, and utter dissolving of all government▪ For let us in short, but suppose these four things, which Hobbs very Magisterially, tanquam ex tripode, dictats, and takes fore granted, in his forcited book. 1. That all Religion is bottomed on human Authoritie, and precariously borrowed from the will and pleasure of men, and hath no divine authoritie of its own; whereby (as ingenious and acute Sir Charles Wo…sly, in his unreason ablness of athiesm, sayes▪) an inrode is made upon its best desence; for indeed (sayeth he) it will never be kept up with any other interest in the Consciences of men; and where it is not supported by conscience▪ it is ever tottering, and yeilds to the blasts of every humane pleasure; if once (sayeth the same learned Gentleman it be taken foregranted, that the Scripturs have no authoritie but what the Civil Power gives them; they will soon come upon a divine account to have none at all. adly. That the Apostles could not make their writings obligatory Canons without the help of the Sov…aign … Powers, and that therefore the Scripture of the new Testament, is the only law there; where the Civil Power makes it so; as if forsooth the Divine Authority stamped thereon by the absolute Soveraign, by the great and infallible Legis lator carried with it no immediat obligati on the Consciences of Men to whom it comes, to receive and obey it as his Law; Whosoever besteveth (sayeth Sir Charles Woolsl…) That it is in the power of every state, whether the Gospel shall be authentick, or not, he must needs throw off all divine respect to it, and be in a very fair way to trouble himself little with any devotion arising from it. 3ly. That there is no distinction of good and evil Actions but by the Civil Law, which is unto him the measure thereof; though this distinction of good and evil be deeply and indelebly engraven on the hearts of all men, as a native and necessary result of the faith of the being of God, as the supream rectitude. 4ly. That there are no ultra-mundan, or eternal rewards or punishments, nor any beyond or beside these that are bestowed or inflicted by the Civil Power in this present life; though from the beginning of the world, throughout all ages, experience hath given in full demonstrative▪ & undenyable evidence, that men have been mightily impelled and encouraged to do good by the hope of future eternal rewards, and proportionably restrained, pulled back, and deterred from doing evil, by the fear of future and eternal punishments; If (I say) we once suppose these things, we quite ruine and r…ze the great foundations▪ not only of revealed and supernatural, but also of natural Religion; without which it is impossible, that government amongst men, can have any sure or firm basis to rest on; but must needs, according to the prevalency of their selfinterests, cromble into pieces, and end in Anarchy and Confusion. It is not altogether unworthy of remark here, that Hobbs runneth quite cross to the dictats of famed Matchiavel, that prodigie of profound policy, though but a very coarse Divine, who labours much in his Prince to perswade Soveraign Civil Powers of the necessity and advantage, for the supportance of government, of dissembling and pretending at least, a great regard and veneration to Religion; in comparison of whom, the other is but an impolitick Puny, and a far worse divine, even (if it involved not a repugnancy) a diabolick one.
Fifthly, We would take heed that we do not supinely, and carelesly neglect and slight the checks, challenges, rebukes and accusations of our Consciences, in lesser things, or in matters of comparatively smaller moment (wherein yet Conscience hath a concern, as it hath in all our Moral Actions; neither are many, even of our Natural Actions, as circumstantiated quite excluded from its concern) for that insensibly weakens the voice, checks and rebukes of Conscience in more momentuous matters, and may pre-dispose and prepare to trifle with it in these too, and may provoke God, whose deputy Conscience is, to enj…n it silence, and to suffer the man to go on securely in sin without check or challenge▪ while yet in the mean time, he secretly commands it to write up, and keep a record of all these Items against him, and in due time to set them all in order, to marshal, as it were, and draw them up in rank and file before him in a terrible manner, and to give him at once a most fu…ious charge: challenges and accusations of Conscience, that have been smoothered for the time, and slighted after lying long silent, have in some notable strait and difficulty arisen and got up upon men many years thereafter; as these of Iosephs Brethren did on them, full twenty years at least, after their pitielesse, cruel, un-natural, inhumane and barbarous usage of their poor innocent younger Brother: A secure, silent and none-challenging ill Conscience is amongst the worst of ill Consciences, and in some respect worse then a turbulent, stormie and roaring ill Conscience, (if it come not to the hight of despair▪) because disposing the man athiestically to think, that because God by himself and his deputy the Conscience, keeps silence, he is therefore like unto the man himself, and that neither he nor his deputy will ever speak again, nor reprove for those things, but that he hath quite forgotten them all, and will not any more call to a reckoning for them, O! that such as forget God, and s…ight his challenges and reproofs by their own Conscience, would consider this, least he tear them in pieces, when there will be none to deliver: It may also provoke him to speak that very angry and terrible word, Hos. 4. v. 17. more terrible some way then if he should say, famine, fire, sword, pestilence, and wilde beasts fail on the man, he is joyned to his Idols (and so straitly joyned that he will listen to no challenges of his Conscience checking him for maintaining the conjunction; nor to any suggestion of it, perswading him to divorce from them, or to un…le any of the knots of that cursed conjunction) let him alone, let him sin on, and by sinning treasure up to himself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgement o' God. Beside that such a silent, sleeping and stupified Conscience through often trading challenges under foot, will at last waken and flee in the ungodly mans face, and as a fierce mastive Dog, or ravening Wolf take him by the Throat, and become his Burrio and Tormenter and perhaps, for eviting the trouble and terror of it, put him (though a poor and pitiful, desperat and distracted shift) to be his own murderer and executioner; or if it should keep silence to death, and even then not disqulet him, yet it will in Hell, as a never dying worm gnaw the heart of him, and as a ravenous vulture tear out, as it were his very bowels; and by its yelling and roaring, by its biting and renting the very c…ul of his heart, make him a hell to himself in hell, and so make a double hell to him: Alas! even the godly themselves may by somewhat of this guilt, raise great storms of trouble and disquiet in their own Consciences.
Sixthly. We would by all means guard against counteracting and running cross to the plain and down-right dictats of our Consciences, especially when clearly informed by the Word; for this is a high daring, malepert, affronting, desplsing and disowning of Gods Deputy, and as it were a violent putting him off the Bench; the language whereof is, that if God himself the Lord of the Conscience, were or could possibly be, as much in the mans reverence, as he supposeth his Conscience to be, he would deal with him at the same rate, and serve him with the same measure: this brings on dedolency, stupidity and caurerizing of Conscience, makes stout against God, hold and impudent in sinning, it makes the mans heart harder then an Adamant, it makes him to be of a brazen brow, and to put on a whores forehead, so that he▪ will not at all think shame, nay not so much as blush, but confidently wipe his mouth, and say, What have I done? and very readily it brings on all the dreadful effects mentioned in the foregoing Caution; and fills the world of the visible Church with prodigles of profanitie and monsters of mischief, and even in a manner bringsup hell upon earth, when it becomes habituall, and when God judicially gives men up to their own hearts lufts, and to walk in their own counsels, without all regard to what he sayes to them by his word without them, and by their own Consciences within them.
Seventhly, We would carefully advert that we adventure not to do any thing with an unclear, he sitant and doubting Conscience; since it is impossible in this case to do without sin and hazard of damnation, the Holy Ghost having positively and plainly told us, that whatsoever is not done in faith is sin; Rom 14 v. last. That is▪ not only whatsoever is not done by a person in a state of faith (without which it is impossible to please God) is sin; but also & most agreeablie to the scope, whatsoever is not done in the faith & perswasion of the warrantablenesse theros is so, and that he who thus doubtingly, and without such faith and perswasion eateth, o… doth, is damned, or judged. Ibid. It will not as…oil the doer doubtingly, or the doubting doer from sin and judgement, to tell him that his Conscience is in an error, and that he is not to regard what his erroniou▪ Conscience dictats to him, but to act contrarie to it; I …s …ue indeed, that an erring Conscience doth not oblidge a man to act according to its blind and erronious dictats, for a man never is, neither can be obliged to sin, he is rather bound to endeavour in Gods way to have his Conscience, when in an errour, un deceived and well informed, and so to lay aside his errour, but yet while his Conscience still continueth in its errour, and cometh not to be informed aright, the man is bound up so, that he cannot without sin counteract the dictats of his erring Conscience, which is not for the time apprehended by him to be in an errour: neither will it relieve the m…n whose Conscience doubteth of the lawfulnesse of doing such and such a thing, to tell him that more knowing and consciencious, more prudent and pious men then he▪ are free and clear for the thing whereof he doubts; for other mens Conscience can be no rule to his, unless he were perswaded of their infallibility, and that their Conscience could not be taken with any errour or mistake: God hath put a Conscience in every man, as his Deputy, to whose dictats he is carefully to take heed, and hath not made the Conscience of any one man, or Societie of men, his Depute over all the Consciences of other men: I shall easily grant, that when the Consciences of more knowing, more tender and more consciencious men then my self, dictat to them the warrantablenesse of such and such a practice▪ I am called to be holily jealous over, and suspicious of my sel…, impartially to examine the reasons of their clearnesse, and on that occasion to search very scrutinously, narrowly, and exactly into the grounds of my own unclearnesse, hesitation and doubting, and to be much and earnest in prayer to God, with unbyassed singleness and sincerity▪ For sending forth his light & truth to guide & lead me: But if no withstanding all this, my doubt still remains; and it may be also, that there are several other godly and judicious persons that are doubtful and unclear with me; I cannot in that case warrantably give up my self to be implicitly determined by the Conscience of others, whatever their qualifications be, or whatever my veneration may be for them, nor am I bound to act my self with a doubting Conscience; since I am expresly fold by the infallible Scriptures of Truth, that I cannot act in that case without sin, and without incurring the hazard of damnation; and that no man can keep me harmless in doing so, Since every man must give an account of himself to God: And if I shall do one thing with a doubting Conscience, because … may be mistaken, and in an errour; or because such and such godly and knowing persons are free for it, what a wide door would this open? why may I not do another thing of greater moment doubtingly, and another after that, and third after that▪ where shall I stay or stop, and when shall there be an end of such Conscience doubting actions? especially in times wherein troubles and tentations snares and offences do abound … wherein, as there hath been, so there will readily still be different sentiments and apprehensions as to some lesser and lower truths further removed from the fundamentals of Religion (where about all are agreed) and so proportionably as to … practices among… even truly godly men; it not being to be supposed that while Saints so journ, and are militant here on earth, the intellectuals of all of them will be of the same size, or cast into the same mould, that their light will be of the same clearness, and that they will be all of equal mortification, self-denyednesse, tenderness, un…hy affedness, fingleness, holy zeal, resolution, courrage and boldness; which as it sayes, that there will be more clearness▪ and more darkness and doubting amongst them, at least as to some remote things: So it speaks the necessity of mutual Christian for bea…ance▪ compassion▪ and Sympathie▪ And it hath been a very generally received maxime in matters of Conscience, that in dubiis tu…ius ist abstinere, in things that are doubtful (at least as to their very substance (to say so) and not only as to somewhat extrinsick to them) i…s safest▪ to abstain.
Eightly. We would in the case of indifferent things, wherein we are clear our selves, and fully perswaded of our own Christian liberty, be very tender of the Consciences of others, who may in that respect he more weak, and not so fully clear and perswaded▪ about them; least we offend and wound their Conscience; and so indirectly consequently and by the rebound, offend & wound ou… ow. Conscience▪ here the Apostles directions, assertions, precepts and practice, Rom. 14. 1 Cor. 8. 9 and 10. Chapters are singularly useful, admirably apposit and excellent; O! that the Apostolick primitive Christian amiable tendernesse in the matter of offence, in the use of things indifferent, were brought back to and revived in this much declined and degenerated generation, wherein offences abound, and the love of many waxeth cold; and wherein there is a great propension and readinesse, untenderly and uncharitably to give and to take offence. I do not by this in the least insinuat, that for preventing the offence (or rather displeasure) of any, we may warrantably do or forbear any thing that God hath commanded or prohibited the doing of; or that we should or may run cross to the dictats of our own Consciences, or do any thing with an unclear and doubting Conscience; which is alwayes sin, and therefore never …o be adventured on, offend and be displeased who will; though even in that case, their offence should be a grief to us, as it was to the Apostle (whose exercise it was to have alwayes a Conscience void of offence towards God and toward men) who said, Who is offended and I burn not?
Ninthly. We would take heed to, and be aware of pretending Conscience in any thing, about which we have no real exercise, doubt or scruple of Conscience; as for instance▪ in the first place, if professors of Religion should pretend Conscience, for abstaining from such and such a practice, only from long custome of doing so, from the example of others, or from loathness to displease them, or only from dis-inclination to, or aversion from the thing, which they will not readily abide by, if any considerable suffering, whether of emergent loss, or cessant gain be met with on account thereof; whereby it comes to pass that Conscience, and truly Consciencious persons, are expo…ed to contempt and scorn; Some standers by and lookers-on, taking occasion to think and say, that such persons have all the while been acted by no real principle of Conscience, but only by humour, or at best by the example of others, to the great reproach of Religion, and the holy profession there of; and such as have a natural and unreasonable prejudice at all serious godlinesse and tendernesse of Conscience, ly at the wait to fish and catch all advantages so fortifying themselves in their prejudice, and are ready to draw their conclusions not only, nor so much against the particular persons, as against the whole generation of conscientious and godly people, yea against godlinesse it self, and tendernesse of Conscience▪ their prejudice prompting them to think and say, We alwayes thought that sort of men were not truly conscientious and godly, whatsoever they professed; and now we see and find them to be so, and that we were not mistaken, but in the right, when we thought them to be such; they are all such, all of a piece, acted by no true principle of Conscience, but by humour, peevishnesse, or some such thing, notwithstanding of all their high floun pretensions of Conscience; for let them but be put a little to it, and all their Conscience-pretensions will be quite relinquished and evanish, and they will be, and do like others; which gives ground to sober and truely conscientious persons to think, that it were better, and more for the advantage and credit of Religion, and of the real pleas of Conscience, that it were never pretended in such things, where it is only pretended▪ I will not, I dar not say, but a truly conscienscious person may, by the more closse approaches of trouble and suffering on the account of some particular debated practice, or forbearance, be put upon more narrow and exact inquiry into, and examination of the grounds & reasons of that practice, or forbearance; And may after such inquiry and examination, come, from more clear light, to have different apprehensions about the thing, from what he had, before; Though the clearnesse win at, which is waited with the eschewing of trouble and suffering, would be holily jealoused and suspected, and brought to the light of the Word to be thereby scrutinously, accuratly and impartially tryed, least self-love in such a case bribe (as it were) and byass the persons judgement and light. 2dly. When Conscience is pretended in minute, small petty and comparatively inconsiderable things, while in the mean time little, or no Conscience at all is made of, but vast and unlimited latituds are taken in, the most momentuous, and weighty things of Religion; as the Pharisees pretended Conscience, in tithing the smallest herbs, as mint, anise and rue, while in the mean time, they passed over without making any bones of them. Iudgement and the Love of God; which is straining at gnats and swallowing of camels. 3dly. When Conscience is pretended for mens tenacious adhering to human traditions, while in the meantime they make no Conscience of making void the Law of God; as the same Pharisees did, for which out Lord, with holy severity inveigheth against them. 4ly. When Conscience is pretended for not shedding the blood of Innocents; and yet notwithstanding the same things are adventured on, and wickedly per-petrated, when they come in competition with mens worldly wealth, or preferment, or with the gratifying of great ones in order to the former; as it was with Pilat in the matter of condemning Christ, of whose innocence he was throughly convinced, and accordingly did thrice over hear publick testimony to it; yet when he was told, that if he did let him go, and condemned him not to death, he was not Cesars friend, he forthwith proceeded to the condemnatory Sentence, and delivered him to the persecuting and murdering Iews to be crucified; and, poor wretch, he imagined, that the silly shift of washing his hands in water, would wash and purge his deeply … fil…d Conscience, from the guilt and pollution contracted by shedding of that innocent and most precious Bloo… bu… it stuck faster to, and was more stiffly barkned on his Conscience, then to be so easily washed off: & with such poor and pitiful shifts, do such men think or fancie to pacifie their Consciences, and to purge them from the defilements of the greatest, most clamant and horrid crimes: If Pilat had any real demurr in his Conscience about the thing (as very probably he had) his counteracting it on so base and unworthy accounts, and then foolishly fancieing, that by such an empty ceremonie, as washing his hands in water, he could be washed from the guilt of so a…rocious a Crime, were high aggravations of it. 5ly. When men pretend Conscience as the reason of their not committing the least sin, nay of their not doing somethings that are very debateable, whether they be sins or not; while in the mean time they make no Conscience to stretch furth their hand to, …ay with an high hand to adventure on the commission of sins▪ that are incontravertably very great, and gross, as the Pharisees pretended Conscience, for their not going to the Iudgement Hall, least forsooth, they should be defiled, and so unfitted to eat the Passover, who yet made no scruple ma…ciously to embrew their wicked hands in the blood of the person, that was God, and typified by the Passover. 6ly. When Conscience, or a conscientious regard is pretended for divine institutions and ordinances, meerly and mainly from pickque and prejudice at the most tender and conscientious persons, as if their warrantable and consistent practices, were the grossest violations and greatest vi…ifyings of them, and plain inconsistencies with a just regard for them▪ How often thus did the Scribes and Pharisees quarrel with our Lord and his Disciples, as breakers and profaners of the Sabbath? because of somethings done by him, and them thereon, not in the least in-compatible with the sanctification thereof; as if they themselves had been more tender of the due observation of the Sabbath, then either the Disciples, or their Lord and Master was. 7ly. (to give no more instances) when Conscience is pretended for keeping, and not breaking of sinful engadgements, vowes and oaths wherewith men have rashly bound themselves; As suppose a man should rashly vow and swear, that he will be avenged at the highest rate on another, because of either an imagined or real, a lesser or greater injurie done him; and as Herod sware, very inconsiderarly and rashly, that he would give the dancing daughter of the incestuous Mother Herodias, whatever she should ask of him, even to the half of his Kingdom; who asking at her Mothers instigation, the head of Iohn the Baptist (which was of more worth then the whole, let be the half of his Kingdom) and he judging himself bound by his oath, to grant her desire, accordingly gave order (its said, for his oaths sake) to the Executioner to behead him in the Prison without any tryal, or so much as a hearing▪ though it was indeed against the light of his natural Conscience; he having been convinced, that he was not only an innocent, but also a just man and holy, and accordingly observed him, and did many things, enjoyned him by Iohn, and heard him gladly; as if unlawful and sinful oaths rashly come under, could in conscience bind men to act against the plainest and most palpable dictats of their own Conscience▪ whereas they ought rather to repent, and pray for the pardon of such engadgements, vows and oaths, and forthwith to break them, since Iuramentum nunquam potest esse vinculum iniquitatis, an oath can never be a bond of iniquitie, or oblidge men in Conscience to commit what is palpably a sin.
Tenthly. We would be aware, that we do not in-consideratly, rashly and precipitantly adventure upon any action, or meddle with any bussiness, especially of moment, before deliberat and serious consulting with our Conscience; (endeavouring alwayes to have it well informed by the Word) which either, makes many such actings and meddlings to be afterwards reflected on with a challenging and disquieted Conscience; or tempts us to endeavour the byassing, and bribing (as it were) of our own Conscience, towards a sort of justifying us in what we have done▪ or if neither of these should be, (which seldom cometh to passe) we are greatly in hazard to be very loath, reluctant and shy to hear, and lay due weight upon the after animadversions, and censures of our Conscience upon these actings and medlings, being over and by, and not now reversible: O! how safe and sure might we be in all our actings, movings and medlings; and with how much peace might we reflect on them, if we did alwayes call and admit Gods testimonies, and our own Consciences enlightned and informed by them, to be our advisers and counsellours; the neglect whereof makes many rugged, disorderly, irregular and unpeacable steps in our walk: That man only walks surely, that walks uprightly, in single and unbyassed complyance with the dictats of the Spirit of God in the Scriptures, and of his own Conscience conform thereunto; most certainly in the multitude of consultations, with such counsellours there is safety.
Eleventhly, We would carefully take heed that we do not baffle and prostitute Conscience, either by swearing at all by our Conscience, let be ordinarlly and customarily, (too much incident to many pro…est Christians, to the great scandal of Christian Religion) which beside the un-necessariness of it, at least in most cases, is never in any case warrantable; Conscience, though Gods Deputy, being but a creature, as Heaven, Earth and our Heads are, Math. 5. v. 34, 35, 36. (by which we ought not at all to swear, being expresly forbidden by the Lord to do so) and so never to be sworn by; Swearing being a piece, and a very solemn piece of Gods Worship, and often put for the whole Worship of God, in the Scriptures, where we are called to swear by him only: Deut. 6. v. 13. and 20. v. 10. or where swearing by it is much, or altogether abstained from & it may be somewhat abhorred, yet we would not dar to debase, vilifie and (as I said) to prostitute Conscience ordinarily, & on every light & trivial occasion, by saying in conscience, or on my conscience; which in common discourse, without any the least necessity, is sure more then Yea and Nay, and so according to the Lords own determination (precisly to be stood too) cometh of evil; neither will they really be found to be amongst the tenderest or most truly religious and conscientious persons; whatever be their professions of, or pretensions to Religion or Conscience, to whom this is most familiar; for by this customary and habitual solemn asserting every light, minute, and trifling matter (when withall it is offensive to tender ears) men may be tempted in other things to make too bold with their Conscience, which they thus debase, if not, even upon such petty occasions now and then to swear by it: Conscience is a very tender thing, and would be very tenderly dealt with, and in nothing in the least bourded or dalli…d with; and we are expresly commanded to abstain from all appearance of evil. 1 Thes. 5. v. 22.
Twelfthly. and finally, We would by all means take heed and beware that we do not mock, deride or flout at Conscience, and conscientious Persons (which no man that hath any Conscience will dare to do, no… to deny the power of it▪ nay the Atheist himself (as Sir Charles Woolsly sayeth well) cannot with all his skill disband his own fears, nor run away from his Conscience, no more then he can run away from himself; he finds seasons wherein he smarts under the lashes of it.) No… take up, entertain and harbour any prejudice and pique at them, as if such, by the tenderness, doubts and scruples of their Consciences, disturbed the repose, peace, tranquillitie, and free acting of all the Countreys, Corporations and Societies, greater and smaller wherin they live▪ and made a very unpleasant, unchearful and disquieted life to the persons themselves: or to think that it were a great advantage to the World, that all such persons were out of it, or clustered together by themselves only, in some remote corner of it; for whose nice and strait laced (as they call it) Conscience and its inquiries, scruples, and doubts, they cannot get leave to live quiet, and to act with that freedom they would be at: Alas! if such had their desire, and all doubts, checks and restraints of Conscience were removed from men; what confusion disorder, and distraction would the World run into? How instantly would it be turned into a very shambles? How would men, the greatest part of men turn like roaring Lyons, and ravening Wolves, as cruel Tygers, or savage wild Boars, one to another? How would it be filled with violence▪ rapine and blood? How would the greatest and most abominable villanies walk up and down in it, in the very streets and concurses of the People, un controlled, barefaced, not in masquerad, or under any disguise? How would reasonable men be as so many incarnat devils, or bruit beasts? such would take heed that this be not found to be the interpretative language of these thoughts; O! that there were not such a thing as Conscience Gods Deputy in men, in the World; And, O! that there were not a God to appoint, commissiona…, and establish such Deputies under him: I shall not deny (having plainly asserted it before) That an ill informed Conscience waited especially with any forwardnesse, may make very sad work amongst men, and prove a very troublesome and cumbersome neighbour; But alas! why should the blame be laid on Conscience▪ as Conscience, what evil hath innocent Conscience done? The general great advantages that come to the World with the many mischiefs that are keept of it by Conscience, are infinitly greater, and more valuable, then any little prejudices and disadvantages that now and then, here and there come by the ill▪informed turbulent Consciences of some particular persons: neither will I altogether deny, but the tenderest Consciences of truly godly men may sometimes dispose them to jealous, and suspect themselves, where they are not indeed guilty, as it did the eleven honest Disciples, when the Lord told them that one of the twelve should betray him, and through some weaknesse, may now and then disquiet and give them the allarme, when there is little or no ground for it: But I must say, that this may be very easily dispensed, and born with, since that little damnage (if it may be called so) will be easily and quickly compensed by its giving the allarme, and causing suitable disquiet, when there is just ground for it; Here a tender Conscience may be resembled to a vigilant and strict sentinal set to watch a house, lying in midst of Thieves and Robbers; who will sometimes on a mistake awake and allarme, and it may be at mid-night raise all the family, and put them into some fright▪ as if Thieves and Robbers were breaking in upon them; but they think the lesse of this, and bea… the better with it, a… being sure that when the Thiefe or Robber comes in very deed, he will give them the allarme; and there are very few, or none, that will not far rather chu…e to have one or two, yea …everal false allarmes, though somewhat disquieting, then to want a true one, when there is just ground for it; And when, by means thereof they may prevent the cutting of their Throats, or spoiling of their Goods.
Let then the Conscience be well informed by the Word; let its dictats according thereunto, be tenderly complyed with, and none of them counteracted; and let its checks, challenges, accusations; with its answers, testimonies and excuses, according to their respective grounds and reasons, be carefully listned to and admitted; in a word, let all study once to have a good Con…cience, and to be alwayes exercised to keep it void of offence toward God and toward men: And then great honour and glory would redound to God, the Lord and Soveraign of the Conscience; suitable and due deference would be given to his Word, as that whereby the Conscience is rightly informed; the peace of mens own Consciences would flow as a river; the offending and st…mbling of others would be much prevented; the profession of the Doctrine of the Gospel of Christ would be much adorned and beautified; and men of all Ranks, Stations, Capacities, and Relations; As Magistrats and Subjects, Pastors and Flocks, Husbands and Wives, Parents and Children, Masters and Servants, Teachers and Schollars, Buyers and Sellers, &c. would be blessings from God one to another, which would make a little Heaven upon Earth: To all which these few excellent Se…mons are singularly contributive; That they may therefore come with a special blessing to all the Readers of them, and more particularly to the Inhabitants of the City of GLAS GOW, (where they were Preached many years agoe) is the desire of
Novemb. 1. 1684. Your Servant in the Gospel I. C.
In the epistle, page 5. l. 4: r. renewing. p. 20. l. 29. r. R…epresentces p. 20. l. 6. 1. 1 Tim. l. last r. professors. p. 22. l. 6. r. upon the Con…ciences.