A Heaven or Hell Upon Earth, Title page – Dedication
A HEAVEN or HELL UPON EARTH: OR, A DISCOURSE CONCERNING Conſcience.
By Nathanael Vincent, M. A. Miniſter of the GOSPEL.
Acts 24. 16.
Herein do I Exerciſe my ſelf, to have a Conſcience void of Offence towards God, and towards Man.
Multi quaerunt Scientiam, pauci Conſcientiam; ſi vero tanto ſtudio & ſollicitudine quaereretur Conſcientia; quanto quaeritur ſecularis & vana ſcientia, citiùs apprehenderetur, & utiliùs retineretur. Bernard. de Interior. dom. cap. 21.
foreign. Hierocl. in Pythag. aur. Carm. pag. mihi 213. 214.
London, Printed for Thomas Parkhurſt, at the Three Bibles and Crown at the Lower end of Cheap-ſide. 1676.
TO THE Much Honoured,
Sir Nathanael Herne,
Henry Aſhurſt, Sen. Esq
Mr. Abr. D'olins, Merchant.
John Gould, Esq
Mr. Kiffin, Merchant.
Grace, Mercy, and Peace be Multiplyed.
Honoured Sirs,
IF a Wiſh might be Granted, to hear the Apoſtle Paul in the Pulpit, one would be ready to Wiſh again, that Chriſt or Conſcience might be the Subject of his Sermon. Were He to Preach, how would he ſet forth Chriſt, who is the Beloved Son of God! the brightneſs of his Fathers Glory! who is Adored by all the Angels! and deſerves to be the Deſire of all Nations! How plainly and impartially would he deal with Conſcience, examining, ſearching, and reproving it, and thereby commend himſelf to it in the ſight of God. One (a)Ʋnicuique Liber eſt ſùa Conſcientia; & ad hunc Librum diſcutiendum & emendandum, omnes alii inventi ſunt. Bernard. De Interior. Dom. Cap. 28.of the Fathers calls Conſcience a Book, and Affirms, that other Books were invented, that the Errata in this might be Corrected. The Scriptures themſelves were given by Inſpiration of God, to this End, that the Evils of Conſcience might be Diſcovered, and the Man of God made Perfect, throughly furniſhed unto all good Works.
'Tis therefore a bad World, becauſe Conſcience ſeems to be Exiled and Baniſhed out of it. Conſcience has in theſe Days loſt its Power, and does not Exerciſe that Authority which by right it ſhould, as Gods Vicegerent here below: But Mens Wills and Luſts have got the head; ſo that neither God is feared, nor Man regarded: And for their own Souls, they are leaſt of all concerned. If it be a ſad Sight to ſee Beggars on Horſe-back, and Princes Walking as Servants upon the Earth, much more is it to be Lamented, that Mens Corruptions, which ought to be held in perpetual Reſtraint, ſhould ſway and Command all; and Conſcience the mean while be ſlighted, ſtifled, ſtupified, and kept under; which, as a Prince ſhould be Obeyed in every thing, and from God give Laws to the whole Man.
What One ſaid of a good Magiſtrate, may be applyed unto a good Conſcience, that (b)foreign.'Tis a Benefactor and Friend to Mankind. 'Twill never be well with us till this have a Reſurrection. This is the way to obtain a Bleſſing from God, the way to have Proſperity, Trade, Reputation; (and which is more than any, than all theſe) the Honour and Credit of the Chriſtian Religion revived; which has ſunk in the eſteem of many, becauſe ſo little of Conſcience has appeared in thoſe who have Profeſſed it.
That thus it may be, is the end, both of this Book, and of its Author.
And I have Dedicated it unto you (Honoured Sirs) who are of different Perſwaſions, to ſhew that great Reſpect I unfeignedly bear unto you All; and becauſe Perſons of all Perſwaſions have need to ſtudy the Subject here Treated of. How many bad Conſciences are there of every Opinion! And if all of every Opinion would but look well to their Conſciences, and be ſo ſelf-denying, as to lay aſide their Paſſions and their Intereſts: This would be one of the moſt probable means to bring all to a better Agreement. They are the Carnal and Hypocritical of every Party, who endeavour to make breaches wider, that are the Quarrellers and Diſputers. The truly Conſcientious abhor Contention; the ſincere are very inclinable unto Peace.
I ſhall add no more, but Conclude this my Addreſs to you with an earneſt Wiſh, that All of every Perſwaſion may imitate You All in regard of Conſcientiouſneſs, Moderation, and Wiſdom. And 'tis not a Complement to tell you, that in thus Wiſhing, I Wiſh well to the whole Nation, and to the Churches of Chriſt in it.
Your moſt Humble Servant for Jeſus ſake, Nathanael Vincent.