The Souls Looking Glass, Treatise
A Treatiſe of Conſcience.
ROM. 2.15.
Which ſhew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conſciences alſo bearing them witneſſe and their thoughts in the mean while accuſing or elſe excuſing one another.
I Have ſhewed you,What Conſcience is. That every man is in an eſtate before God. And that hath made way now to a treatiſe of conſcience; which will ſhew us what eſtate we are in before God. I deſire to handle it common-place-wiſe: And firſt I will tell you in brief what the conſcience of every man is. I ſay, of every man: For Angels and devils have a conſcience too: ye may ſee it in the ſpeech of the Angel to John when John would have worſhipped him, I am thy fellow-ſervant, ſaith he,Rev. 19.10 ſee thou do it not. Mark; He had a conſcience that could ſay, I am a ſervant, and therefore muſt not take worſhip to me. So for the devils: When our Saviour bade them come forth of the poſſeſſed, they ſay,Matth. 8.29. Art thou come to torment us before our time. See; they had a conſcience that told them there would be a time when they ſhould be further tormented. But I am not to ſpeak of ſuch conſciences, but of the conſcience of man. Now the conſcience of man is the judgement of man upon himſelf as he is ſubject to Gods judgement. Divines uſe to expreſſe it in this Syllogiſme, He that truly believeth in Chriſt ſhall be ſaved: My conſcience telleth me this is Gods word. But I believe truly in Chriſt: My conſcience telleth me this alſo. Therefore I ſhall be ſaved. And ſo alſo on the contrary ſide. So that conſcience is a mans true judgement of himſelf:1. Cor. 11.31. If we would judge our ſelves; that is, If we would bring our ſelves before the tribunal of conſcience to receive its judgement.
Foure propoſitions are conteined in that portion of Scripture which I have choſen to make the ſubject of this enſuing treatiſe, Rom. 2.15.
Foure Propoſitions.1. That there is in every man a conſcience. [Their conſciences bearing them witneſſe,] Every one of them had a conſcience bearing them witneſſe.
2. That the light which conſcience is directed to work by is knowledge. [written in their hearts.]
3. That the bond that bindeth a mans conſcience is Gods law. [which ſhew the effect of the law written in their hearts.]
4. That the office and duty of conſcience is to bear witneſſe either with our ſelves or againſt our ſelves, accuſing or excuſing our ſelves or actions. [bearing witneſſe, and their thoughts accuſing or excuſing one another.] I begin with the firſt.