The Cause and Cure of a Wounded Conscience, Title page – Table of contents
THE CAUSE AND CURE OF A VVOVNDED CONSCIENCE.
By THO: FULLER, B. D.
PROV. 18. 14.
But a wounded conscience who can beare?
LONDON, Printed for John Williams, at the Crowne in S. Pauls Churchyard. M D C XLVII.
TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, And Vertuous Lady, Frances Mannours, Countesse of Rutland.
Madam,
BY the Judicial Law of the Jewes, if a servant hadExod. 21. 4. children by a wife which was given him by his Master, though he himselfe went forth free in the seventh yeere, yet his children did remain with his Master, as the proper goods of his possession. I ever have been, and shall be a servant to that noble Family, whence your Honour is extracted. And of late in that house I have been wedded to the pleasant embraces of a private life, the fittest wife, and meetest Helper that can be provided for a Student in troublesome times: And the same hath been bestowed upon me by the bounty of your Noble Brother, EDW: Lord MONTAGUE: Wherefore what issue soever shall result from my mind, by his meanes most happily marryed to a retired life, must of due redound to his Honour, as the sole Proprietarie of my paines during my present condition. Now this Booke is my eldest Off-spring, which had it duplicate page duplicate page beene a Sonne, (I mean, had it been a Worke of Masculine beauty and bignesse) it should have waited as a Page in Dedication to his Honour. But finding it to be of the weaker sexe, little in strength, and low in stature, may it be admitted (Madam) to attend on your Ladiship, his Honours Sister.
I need not mind your Ladiship how God hath measured outward happinesse unto you by the Cubit of the Sanctuarie, of the largest size, so that one would be posed to wish more then what your Ladiship doth enjoy. My prayer to God shall be, that shining as a Pearle of Grace here, you may shine as a Starre in Glory hereafter. So resteth
Your Honours in all Christian offices, Tho: Fuller. Boughton, Ian. 25. 1646.
To the Christian Reader.
AS one was not anciently to want a wedding garment at a Marriage feast; So now adayes, wilfully to weare gaudy cloathes at a Funerall, is justly censurable as unsuiting with the occasion. Wherefore in this sad subject, I have endeavoured to decline all light and luxurious expressions: And if I be found faulty therein, I cry and crave God and the Reader pardon. Thus desiring that my pains may prove to the glory of God, thine, and my owne edification, I rest,
Thine in Christ Jesus, Thomas Fuller.
THE CONTENTS of the severall Dialogues.
1. Dialogue. What a wounded conscience is, wherewith the godly and reprobate may be tortured.
page 1.
2. Dial. What use they are to make thereof, who neither hitherto were (nor haply hereafter shall be) visited with a wounded conscience.
p. 7.
3. Dial. Three solemne seasons when men are surprised with wounded consciences.
p. 14.
4. Dial. The great torment of a wounded conscience, proved by Reasons and Examples.
p. 20
5 Dial. Soveraign uses to be made of the torment of a wounded conscience.
page 30.
6. Dial. That in some cases more repentance must be preached to a wounded conscience.
p. 36.
7. Dial. OnelyOnly Christ is to be applyed to soules truly contrite.
p. 43.
8. Dial. Answers to the objections of a wounded conscience, drawne from the grievousnesse of his sins.
p. 50.
9. Dial. Answers to the objections of a wounded conscience drawn from the slightnesse of his Repentance.
p. 59
10. Dial. Answers to the objections of a wounded conscience, drawn from the feeblenesse of his faith.
p. 72.
11. Dial. God alone can satisfie all objections of a wounded conscience.
p. 76.
12. Dial. Means to be used by wounded consciences, for the recovering of comfort.
p. 81.
13. Dial. Foure wholsome counsels for a wounded conscience to practice.
p. 95.
14. Dial. Comfortable meditations for wounded consciences to muse upon.
p. 102
15. Dial. That is not alwayes the greatest sin whereof a man is guilty, wherewith his conscience is most pained for the present.
p. 111.
16. Dial. Obstructions hindring the speedy flowing of comfort into a troubled soule.
p. 118.
17. Dial. What is to be conceived of their finall estate who die in a wounded conscience without any visible comf…rt;
p. 124.
18 Dial. Of the different time and manner of the comming of comfort to such who are healed of a wounded conscience.
p. 134.
19. Dial. How such who are compleatly cured of a wounded conscience, are to demeane themselves.
p. 140
20. Dial. Whether one cured of a wounded con…cience, be subject to a relapse.
p. 147.
21. Dial. Whether it be lawfull to pray for, or to pray against, or to praise God for a wounded conscience.
p. 152.