The Souls Looking Glass, Title page – Table of contents
The Souls Looking-Glaſſe, lively repreſenting its Eſtate before GOD: With a Treatiſe of CONSCIENCE; Wherein the definitions and diſtinctions thereof are unfolded, and ſeverall Caſes reſolved:
By that reverend and faithfull Miniſter of the Word, WILLIAM FENNER. B.D. Sometimes Fellow of PEMBROKE-HALL in CAMBRIDGE, and late Parſon of Rochford in Eſſex.
ACTS 24.16.
I exerciſe my ſelf to have alwayes a conſcience void of offenſe toward God and toward men.
CAMBRIDGE. Printed by Roger Daniel, Printer to the Univerſitie; For John Rothwell at the Sunne in Pauls church-yard. 1643.
To the Chriſtian Reader.
IT was the ſaying of Solon, That there were many good laws made, but there wanted one law to make us put all thoſe laws in execution:Ille verè Scripturas legit qui verba vertit in opera. The like may be ſaid concerning the books that are written now adayes, There are many good books written, but there wanteth one book to make us to put thoſe good books in practice. Such a book were worth writing, and worth reading. And I know no reaſon but that this book (if the Spirit of God write it in our hearts) may have this happie effect: For it is a book that will teach us how to get into the State of grace, and how to get and keep a good Conſcience. And whoſoever readeth a book with a good conſcience will make conſcience to practice what he readeth: For a good conſcience is, as Ariſtotle ſaith of Juſtice, *foreigna Synopſis and Epitome of all virtues: It is a *foreign,à ſanandis omnibus morbis.Panacea to cure all ſoul-diſeaſes: It is *foreigna medicine to digeſt all book-ſurfetting.
There are foure ſorts of Conſciences: Some bad and unquiet, ſome bad and quiet, ſome good and unquiet, ſome good and quiet. For a conſcience to be bad and quiet is the worſt temper that can be: Better have a bad unquiet then a bad and quiet conſcience: better have a tormenting Tophet in the ſoul then a fools Paradiſe: The beſt frame of Conſcience is the good and quiet conſcience: This is a *Laetitia bonae conſci…ntiae paradiſus eſt anim… rum, g…udium▪ angelorum hortus deliciarum, ager benedictionis, templ…m Sol…m…m…, aula Dei, habitaculum Spiritús ſancti, Bernard.Paradiſe upon earth, *foreign.a pr…guſtation and prelibation of heaven, a manſion for the Trinitie to dwell in. Now this enſuing treatiſe will teach us how to purchaſe this precious jewel of a good and quiet conſcience. A treatiſe very neceſſary in theſe unconſcionable dayes, wherein moſt people make no conſcience to ſinne againſt conſcience; and ſome have ſinned ſo long againſt conſcience as that they have loſt all conſcience of ſinne. As *Multi Chriſtianum nomen ad judicium habene non ad remedium.S. Auguſtine ſaith of the name of a Chriſtian, ſo may I ſay of conſcience, Multi conſcientiam habent, non ad remedium ſed ad judicium, Many have a conſcience for their condemnation and not for their ſalvatition. Conſcience Domus animae, Guil. Pariſienſ.it is the houſe of the ſoul: But this houſe lieth waſte and is much ruinated and decayed in theſe times, wherein *Dum tempora ſuperiora cum noſtris comparo, dicere conſuevi plus illos conſcientiae, ſcientiae minus babuiſſe; nos contrà, ſcientiae plus, conſcientiae minus habere, Beza.never more ſcience but never leſſe conſcience. Conſcience *Prejudicium judicii, Tertull.it is a private judgement-day before the publick day of judgement: And it is an ill preſage that moſt people will never ſtand upright in the court of heaven, becauſe they ſtand accuſed and condemned in the court of conſcience. Conſcience is Gods preacher in our boſomes: And it is a moſt certain rule; That that man that will not regard the preacher in his boſome will never regard the preacher in the pulpit. And the reaſon why the preacher in the pulpit doth no more good, is becauſe the preacher in the boſome is ſo much deſpiſed and neglected. And therefore I doubt not but this book (theſe motives conſidered) will be very acceptable to all thoſe that have or deſire to have a good and quiet conſcience. For as *Unicuique liber eſt propria conſcientia; & ad hunc librum diſcutiendum & emendandum omnes alii invenli ſunt.S. Bernard moſt excellently ſaith, Every mans conſcience is his book; and all books are written to diſcover and amend the errours of the book of conſcience. Let thoſe that reade this book of cōſcience look into the book of their own conſcience, and amend all the faults of that book by this.
The reverend Authour of this book was a Miniſter very conſcientious, and one that had a great abilitie given him by God to preach unto and work upon the conſciences of people, to awaken the ſleepie conſcience, to inform the erroneous conſcience, to ſettle the doubtfull conſcience, and to comfort the wounded conſcience: his ſermons were all dipt in conſcience: And therefore a ſubject of Conſcience muſt needs be welcome from ſuch a preacher. It is true that this birth is Posthumum opus, and cometh out after the death of the Authour: But I hope it will be the more pleaſing, to revive the memory of him whoſe life and labours were deſervedly precious in the eſteem of Gods people. And if conſcience, though for a while blind, & dumbe, and ſeared, & put out of all office, will notwithſtanding at laſt be put into office, and made to ſee, ſpeak and feel, to the utter deſtruction of an impenitent ſinner; why may not a diſcourſe of Conſcience, though long ago preached, be ſuffered to revive and live for the ſalvation of thoſe that ſhall have grace to reade it aright? eſpecially conſidering that theſe ſermons were perfected by himſelf in his life time?
Much I could ſay in commendation of this worthie Divine, both in regard of his unweariſome pains in preaching, conſuming his own bodie to ſave the ſouls of others, as alſo of his learning and exemplarie pietie:Praelucendo pereo. but I forbear. All that I will ſay is this; They that fully knew him did love and reverence him: and if any did diſeſteem him, it was becauſe they did not fully know him. He is now a ſhining ſtarre in the firmamēt of heaven. And there are hundreds of people that will bleſſe God to all eternity for his pains. He needeth not our praiſes, but our imitation.
All that I deſire from you that reade this ſhort treatiſe is this, That ye would either get a good conſcience by the reading of this book, or bring a good conſcience to the reading of it. Labour to make an addition to the heavenly joyes of this faithfull ſervant of God by making this book a means to bring thy ſoul to thoſe heavenly joyes which are at Gods right hand for evermore: which are joyes unſpeakable and glorious, ſo great that, *Tanta eſt dulcedo coeleſti… gaudii, ut ſi una guttula difflueret in infernum, totam amaritudinem inferni abſorboret.as S. Auguſtine ſaith, If one drop of the joyes of heaven ſhould fall into hell, it would ſwallow up all the bitterneſſe of Hell. And that God would make you heirs of this joy, is the prayer of your ſoul-friend
EDM. C.
A Table of the Contents.
An Enquiry after a mans eſtate before God. Coloſſ. 4.8.
WHat a mans eſtate before God is pag. 1
Miniſters are to enquire after the eſtate of their people 3
Every man is either in an eſtate of grace or ſinne 8
This estate may be known 11
Why every man ought to enquire after his own eſtate 14
Means whereby a man may come to know what estate he is in 15
Impediments which hinder this knowledge 18
Motives to be diligent in this enquirie 19
2. A treatiſe of Conſcience. Rom. 2.15.
WHat conſcience is 21
I. Propoſition.
There is in every man a conſcience 23
Why the Lord did plant a conſcience in every man 25
II. Propoſition.
The light that conſcience acts by is knowledge 1. of Gods law; 28
The light that conſcience acts by is knowledge 2. of our ſelves. 28
The great neceſſity of knowledge 29
III. Propoſition.
The office of conſcience is to bear witneſſe, accuſing or excuſing 33
1. Foure properties of this witneſſe-bearing It is
1. Supreme 34
2. Impartiall 35
3. Faithfull 36
4. Privie 37
2. The parts of this witneſſe-bearing:
I. Its ſingle witneſſing
1. What we have done 38
2. What we intend to do ibid.
3. What is the bent of our hearts ibid.
II. Its judiciall bearing witneſſe 42
1. About things to be done or omitted: Where are conſidered
1. Its Office,
1. To judge 45
2. To counſel 46
2. Its Adjuncts: It is either
1. Illightned 51
2. Erroneus 56
3. Doubting 52
4. Scrupulous 58
5. Faithfull 63. or
6. Unfaithfull 69
2. About things alreadie done or omitted: and here alſo
1. It is Office is,
1. To approve 77
2. To abſolve 78
3. To miſlike 79
4. To condemne 80
2. Its Affections: It is either
1. Tender 83
2. Sleepie ibid.
3. Benumbed 84, or
4. Seared 85
From all th…ſe proceed two other Adjuncts;
I. A quiet conſcience: concerning which is conſidered
1. What it is 87
2. How that in the godly differeth from that in the wicked 90
3. How to know whether we have it or no 100
Where is handled;
Whether a child of God may fear death, and how farre 105
Whether a wicked man may be deſirous to die, and in what caſes 108
The great benefit of peace of conſcience 110
II. An unquiet conſcience
What it is, and the cauſes of it 114
The degrees of it 117
The difference of it in the Godly and in the wicked 121
How a man may keep peace of conſcience 131
How it dependeth upon obedience 135
What manner of obedience that is which peace of conſcience dependeth upon? 139
What a man muſt do to be freed from a burdened and troubled conſcience 141
As conſcience beareth witneſſe of our actions ſo of our perſons 146
It can and doth inform every man what estate he is in 147
How it doth this 150
When it doth this 153
Why many nevertheleſſe are deluded about their eſtate 157
What a good conſcience ſoundly renewed is 162
What a weak and infirm good conſcience is 168
IV. Propoſition.
The bond of conſcience is the law of God 175
1. The Primarie and ſupreme, is Gods word 177
Gods law bindeth the conſciences of the regenerate 184
2. The Secondarie and relative, others, or our ſelves 194
1. Others may bind our conſcience, as Magiſtrates, Superiours; and how farre ibid.
2. We may bind our own conſciences by lawfull vows and promiſes 207
What vows are unlawfull and not binding ibid.
Of the vow made to God in baptiſme, how great it is, and how much to be regarded 209