A Good Conscience the Strongest Hold, Treatise · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV. Of the Excellencie of a good Conſcience, and the benefits thereof.
HAving hitherto ſpoken of the nature of good Conſcience in generall, and of theſe ſeverall kinds of good Conſcience in particular, I ſhall now proceed to give ſuch reaſons, and uſe thoſe arguments which may provoke us to get and keep ſuch a good conſcience. Which reaſons are drawn from three generall heads:
1. From the excellency in, and bene…t gotten by a good Conſcience.
2. From the danger and miſchief of an evil Conſcience.
3. From the difficultie of getting and keeping a good, and eſcaping a bad Conſcience.
This Chapter ſhall ſpeak of thoſe excellencies which are in, and the benefits gotten by a good Conſcience: Which appears in five particulars:
1. The excellency of good Conſcience appears The excellencie of good Conſcience.both in the Honourable Title given it above all other graces, and the reall Preheminence it hath, if compared with all other things: 1. It hath this proper Epithite and denomination given it ordinarily, of good Conſcience, Act. 23. 1. 1 Tim. 1. 5. & 19. 1 Pet. 3. 16. & 21. whereas other graces, excellent in their place and kinde, ſeldom called thus. When do you reade of good faith, good repentance, or love, or holineſs, or obedience; but ſtill conſcience is called good Conſcience. There is ſurely ſome eminent and ſuperlative goodneſs, yea much communicative goodneſs in it. It is good it ſelf, and makes the good faith, and good love, and repentance, and obedience, &c. which all ceaſe to be good, when ſeparated from good Conſcience.
Then compare it with all other good things, and it hath the better of them. What Quid prodeſt plena bonis Arca, ſi inanis ſit Conſcien. tia?good is there in a cheſt full of goods, when the Conſcience is empty of goodneſs, ſaid Auſtin? What is a man better if he have all goods, and want this one good? what if he have good ware in the Shop, good ſtock in the ground, houſhold in the houſe, clothes on his back, and good credit abroad, and have not a good Conſcience in his heart? all this were like a rich ſuit on an ulcerous body. This man is like Naaman, a rich man, 2 Kin. 5. 1.but a Leper, a great and honourable man, but a foule man. What are all great Parts, and excellent Gifts, and Abilities of minde, without good Conſcience, but as ſo many ſweet flowers upon a dead man, wrapt up in fair linen? He is a dreſt man, but a dead man, outwardly ſweet, inwardly ſmelling; or like a ſounding braſſe, and tinkling Cymball: This is above knowledge alone. Adde Con, to Science, and you have the compleat Chriſtian, Omnibus numeris perfectum: Take away Con, and leave all Science, you leave nothing but Cyphers. Though, ſaith Bernard, many ſeek Knowledge, and deſire Science, few care for Multi ſcientiam quaerunt, pauci Conſcientiam, Conſcientia autem quam ſcientia citius apprehenditur, & utilius retinetur. Bern.Conſcience, yet is Conſcience gotten with more caſe, and kept with more advantage then all your Knowledge.
This is above All Faith alone, therefore they oft go together in Scripture, 1 Tim. 1. 5. and 19. and 3. 9. when Conſcience is put away, the text ſaith, Faith is caſt away, and ſhipwrackt. Nothing profits alone without this; not Baptiſme, 1 Pet. 3. 21. not coming to the Lords Supper, Heb. 10. 22. not Charitie, 1 Tim. 1. 5. not any ſerving of God, 2 Tim. 1. 3. not our ſubjection and obedience to men, or Magiſtracie, Rom. 13. 5. not all our ſufferings, 1 Pet. 2. 19, 20.
Take any man with all endowments foreign Dirt kneaded with bloud, as they call'd Tiberius Nero.without Conſcience, you have but the carcaeſe of a man without the ſoul. What is the learned Philoſopher, and eloquent Orator without Conſcience, but a rational brute, or a ſpeaking beaſt? who may like Balaams Aſs open his mouth to rebuke another more mad, yet is beaten himſelf. What is a Magiſtrate without Conſcience, but as the Gyant without his eye, or the eye without his ſight?
Let all Duties be performed, and Conſcience not regarded, you have but an Hypocrite; let all gifts remain, and Profeſſion ſtay, if Conſcience go, you have but an Apoſtate. Bernhard ſaith excellently to this purpoſe, It is better running to Conſcience then to all your wiſdom, unleſs you mean by your Ʋtilius eſt currere ad conſcientiam quam ad ſapientiam, niſi cadem ſit ſapientia quae conſcientia.wiſdom nothing but Conſcience. The unlearned man with his good Conſcience, ſaith Auſtin, will get the ſtart of thee, and be in Heaven before thee, when thou with all thy learning and abilities wilt be caſt into hell. Surgunt indocti & rapiunt regnum Coelorum, &c.
2. Conſider the abſolute Neceſſitie of a Good Conſcience to the very eſſe, and being of a Chriſtian, when many other things ſerve onelyonly to the melius eſſe, better being: And this will ſhew you a higher Excellencie in Good Conſcience, which ſhould ſet us upon getting it. This conſtitutes the Chriſtian, and is that ſine quâ non. To ſuppoſe a Chriſtian without Conſcience were to ſuppoſe the Sun without Light, or fire without heat; this is of the very ſame conſequence to ſpiritual life, as the ſenſe of feeling is to natural life, which compared with the reſt of the ſenſes hath the preheminence in ſundrie particulars, as the Philoſopher laies down in his Axiomes, all applicable to Conſcience.
1. Tactus Origine primus, they ſay: Feeling Conſcience to the ſoul is as ſenſe of feeling to the bodie, in four reſpects:is the firſt ſenſe in being; So is Conſcience the primum vivens, and ultimum moriens in the new Creature: Life diſcovers it ſelf in the ſoul firſt in his ſenſibleneſs and tenderneſs, as in the childes feeling appears the firſt of natural life, the childe beginneth to feel, when it firſt begins to li…e, and the man ceaſeth to live when once he ceaſeth to feel. So it is in the Soul, the life of grace appears ſooner in the ſenſibleneſs of Conſcience, ſpiritual Compunctions, Heart-ſmitings, and Heart-prickings for ſin and guilt, ſpirituall fears of his danger, ſorrow for his ſin, and miſcrie, then by any other tokens whatſoever.
2. Tactus as Origine primus, ſo it is Neceſſitate maximus, & uſu ſummus, of greateſt uſe, and abſolute Neceſſitie. It is firſt in the Original of life appearing, and the moſt neceſſarie above all the other ſenſes in the continual courſe of life. A man may want his ſight, yet be a healthful and underſtanding man; he may want his hearing, yet bee a very active, and apprehenſive man; he may want ſmell and taſte, yet be a ſtrong man; but if he want his feeling, he is a dead man. Theſe ſerve more to the bene eſſe of natural life, then to the ſimple being; So is Conſcience abſolutely neceſſarie to the very being of a Chriſtian, a man may be ſhort in parts, defective in knowledge, weak in duties, have loſt his comforts, never had the Ornaments of Abilities, Expreſſions, Experiences that ſome others have, yet a very good Chriſtian. But if he have loſt his Conſcience he is a dead Chriſtian altogether.
3. Tactus, they ſay, is Hominis Optimus. The other ſenſes other creatures excel man in. Ʋultur odaratu, the Dog and Vulture in ſmelling; in ſight the Eagle, in hearing the maſtiff, &c. But in feeling man, which is the moſt noble and excellent Creature, excelleth moſt, he hath the moſt quick and tender Touch, (which conſidered, I know no ſufficient reaſon to ſay of it, that Tactus is digniute ultimus, when they confeſs it is Origine primus, & neceſſitate maximus;) So the beſt Chriſtian excells in the tendereſt and quickeſt Touch of Conſcience: Others may out-go him in Excellencie of ſpeech, and wiſdom of words, worldly men may have ſtronger brains to out-wit, and over-reach the childe of God, who is not ſo wiſe in his generations as the children of this world; they have Luk. 16. 8.the finer wits, ſtronger memories, ſharper inventions, the better expreſſions, he hath ſtill the better part, and is the better man, becauſe he hath the better Conſcience.
4. Whereas other Senſes have a particular Organ of their own, and lie confined to a narrow roome; Hearing lies in the Ear only, Seeing in the Eie, Taſte in the Tongue or Palate, Smell in the Noſtrils: Feeling hath no ſuch narrow confinement, but is extended all the bodie over, within and without. So is Conſcience of vaſt and univerſall extent over the whole man, over all our actions, intentions, words, motions, from firſt to laſt. Faith looks to Promiſes, Fear to Threats, Hope to futures, Obedience looks to duties, Repentance to ſins. Conſcience looks to all. This is the great Superintendent, and overſees all, all Graces, duties, all ſins, and ſnares. Therefore ſaith one well, Conſcience is not confined to any one part of the Soul, it is not in the underſtanding alone, not in the memorie, will, affections alone; but it Dyke.hath place in all the parts of the Soul. Conſcience is the great Miſtreſs of the houſ; ſhe as ſoon as ſhe is up calls up all her maids, ſets them all about their work, and calls Pro. 31. 15, 27.them to their account.
3. The virtue and worth of a good Conſcience is moſt excellent above all other things, becauſe it moſt fortifies the ſoul with ſtrength againſt, and gives victorie over all Adverſities; it carries the ſoul unwounded through the greateſt afflictions; It's like Oile that alwaies ſwims aloft whatſoever waters of diſtreſs are below; It is as the Ark which hath a window open in the Top to let in the light of Heaven. This like Elias Mantle hath divided the waters, and earried godly ſouls through a floud of miſeries as on drie land. This hath encouraged them in the midſt of fire and faggots, hath accompanied them in Dens and Caves, and made Martyrs ſing in midſt of Priſons and flames; It overcomes all his tormenting Perſecutors; It's like the Anvile which breaks all that is beat upon it, but is it ſelf by all ſtrokes made more firm. It makes a man like a brazen wall, Jer. 1. 18. All may fight, none can prevail againſt it; at ſight of fear it ſaith Aha; At deſtruction and famine it doth laugh, and fears not the beaſts of prey, Job 5. 22.
This like Noahs Ark, to which it is compared 1 Pet. 3. 21. is pitcht within and without; Ideo bituminata intrinſecus, ne aquam emitteret ſuam, extrinſecus ne admitteret alienam. Aug.It is pitcht within, that it may not let out any of his own water of comfort, laid in for his own neceſſities, and relief; And pitcht without, that it may not let in any thing from without that may endanger the ſafetie of the ſhip: It keeps in all that may do Good, it keeps out all that may do hurt; It is the Chriſtians Armourie, or Magazine, like the Tower of David furniſhed with a thouſand Bucklers. Cant. 4. 4. or like the houſe of the foreſt of Lebanon, wherein Solomon put three hundred ſhields of beaten gold, 1 King. 10. 17.
This will inable a man with undaunted courage to hold up his head before any Judgement ſeat, Act. 23. 1. yea, before God's Tribunal, 1 Joh. 3. 21. Keep but Conſcience ſafe, it will keep thee ſafe; Keep it in puritie, and it will keep thee in peace. It will make Tranquilla Conſcientia tranquillat omnia.thy face to ſhine as Stevens did. The chearful Conſcience maketh the chearful Countenance, Prov. 15. 13.
This will bee a drie houſe to thee in a wet daie, it will make alwaies fair weather within doores; what ever weather it is abroad, Thou ſhalt ſub tecto imbrem exaudire, and thou ſhalt ever finde it fair above head, what ever it is under foot.
This makes nothing of the Viper of Detraction, Envie, and Malignitie, at which another man would have ſwoln, or ſworn, but without any more ado ſhakes it off into the fire whence it came. Premat corpus, fremat Diabolus, trahat mundus, illa ſemper erit ſecura. Let men, world, and divels do their worſt, Bernard. de Conſc. ca. 8.they cannot hurt Conſcience.
This is the whole skin which it is good ſleeping in, for a torn Conſcience is the worſt rent. The wounded ſpirit who can bear? If Prov. 18. 14.thou ſuffer Conſcience to be torn, to keep thy skin whole, the rent is made worſe; if thou loſe thy Conſcience to ſave thy life, thou art a Loſer, not a Saver; and if thou loſe thy l…fe to ſave thy Conſcience, thou art the greateſt gainer by that which the world calls greateſt loſs. Skin for skin, and all that I have to ſave my life, ſaith the world in Satans Language. Job 2. 4.Skin for skin, and life for life, to ſave my Conſcience, ſaith the godly man.
4. Good Conſcience doth not onelyonly bear up the Spirit with invincible Patience under all Preſſures, but it anoints the head with oile, and cauſeth the cup to run over with Joy and Conſolation. His excellencie herein is beyond all expreſſion. Good Conſciences Peace is the Peace that paſſeth underſtanding. It makes a Heaven foreign tam ſunt Dies ejus jucundi, quam ſi quotidiè lautiſſimè aleretur. Junius in Ioc.on earth, a continual feaſt, Prov. 15. 15. The merry heart, our late Tranſlation readeth it, hath a continual feaſt; Bonus corde. Ar. Montanus. Laeti corde. Junius. He hath Benjamin's Meſs before him, his fare is far above the ordinarie: The bread he hath to eat, others know not of, nor doth the ſtranger intermeddle in his joy. He hath Jehojakim's Proviſion, Every day a rate from the Kings Pro. 14. 10.Table all the dayes of his life, even to the day of his death, Jer. 52. 34. His feaſt is beyond Ahaſuerus Royall feaſt, which laſted the longeſt of any feaſt we read of, an hundred and fourſcore dayes, Eſth. 1. 4. but then ended. This maintains the heart, as Salomon did his ſubjects, with continuall undiſturbed peace all the dayes of his life, not by force and ſword, but by Prudence and Counſell. This makes thee live Halcyon-dayes in life, and ſing the Swan-like note at death, and leades thee into a new year of Jubile, after the expiring of the former year of Sabbath.
The Good Conſcience is it ſelf the Conſcientia bona titulus eſt Religionis, Templum Solomonis, Ager Benedictionis, Hortus Deliciarum, Aureum Reclinatorium, Gaudium Angelorum, Arca Foederis, Theſaurus Regis, Aula Dei, Habitaculum Spiritus Sancti, Liber ſignatus & clauſus, & in die Judicii aperiendus. Nihil jucundius, tutius, ditius bona Conſcientia. Bern. de int. domo.greateſt Good a man can have, and is the Procurer and Entertainer of all that Higheſt good that man is here poſſibly capable of. It is the onelyonly Paradiſe which God loves to walk in, the onelyonly Throne which Chriſt ſits in, the onelyonly Temple which the holy Ghoſt dwels in; it is the golden Pot which the bidden Manna is kept in, the white Stone which the new Name is written in, the Ark which the Tables of the Covenant are laid up in, the earthen Pot where all our writings and Evidences are preſerved in, it's Gideon's fleece which all the dew of Heaven falls on; it is the ſoft bed which the wearie ſoul ſleeps in; it is the Top of Jacob's Ladder reaching unto Heaven, Stevens Perſpective looking into Hic eſt Lectus Animae, in hoc requiem capit. Bern. Par. Sermon.Heaven, Moſes Nebo where firſt a view is taken of all the promiſed Inheritance, and thence a few ſteps higher, and he was in heaven; it is indeed our Penuel, God face to face.
5. The Good Conſcience is ſo extenſive and communicative a good, that it is not onelyonly a real Good it ſelf, but makes all other things better where it hath to do, whence it deſerveth that denomination of good Conſcience, which it commonly is honored with. Other things are called Good, as Riches, Honors, Learning, Eloquence, &c. which are not ſo really, but onelyonly in opinion, nor do they make any man the better. This makes all Good, and Good better where it comes. Your Riches, Honours, Great Parts, you call them good, but who is made good by them, if Good Conſcience be not there to do it? Bad men may have them, and bad they finde them, and as bad or worſe they leave them. But this is that which is inconſiſtent with any badneſs, no bad man can have a Good Conſcience. This makes all good it meets with, and leaves them good whom it found evil; It findes ſome ſinful, but leaves them holy; findes ſome proud, leaves them humble; unmerciful it findes ſome, leaves them charitable; covetous it findes ſome, leaves them content; unjuſt, and diſhoneſt it findes men, but makes them juſt and honeſt ere it hath done with them; it findeth men unprofitable, and good for nothing, it leaves them profitable; it findes ſome ſad, leaves them merry; poor, and leaveth rich; dead, and leaveth alive. What a change doth this one thing make in the world? It mends a Magiſtrate, it mends a Miniſter, it mends rich, it mends poor, for it mends all. This alone would mend ill times, mend ill Officers, mend ill Lawes, mend ill execution of good Lawes, mend Church, mend State, and mend all.
What Plato ſaid long ago of Commonwealths, Tum demum fore beatas res publicas, cum aut reges philoſopharentur, aut philoſophi regnarent. It would never be well in the world, till either Philoſophers were Kings, or Kings Philoſophers; we may certainly ſay, It will then be well with Commonwealths, (and not till then) when they that are moſt conſcientious are put in publike place, and made Magiſtrates, Rulers, Commanders, Officers, Miniſters, &c. or when they that are in ſuch place be moſt conſcientious.
Good Conſcience is the Treaſurie of good, which therefore brings forth nothing but what is ſo; Good Communication to edifie the hearer, Good Converſation to edifie the Beholder: yea, Conſcientiae ea eſt vis, &c. ſaith Dr Ames, that it alters the nature of things; it makes Actions in their own nature indifferent become good, and Actions good become better; as Conſcience when not good makes lawfull and indifferent actions ſinful and diſpleaſing, yea the moſt holy Action is turned into ſin, the ſacrifice is abomination offered with a wicked heart, Prov. 21. 27.
How mightily doth it concern us to get this Good Conſcience, which hath ſo much of Good Epitomized in it, which maketh Learning, Parts, Riches, Honour Good; yea, makes Faith, Repentance, Praier, Alms, Holineſs, Obedience, all Good when Good Conſcience there, which all ceaſe to bee good if it were not for good Conſcience commending them. Therefore did Irenaeus well to reſemble the Good Conſcience to the Altar, which ſanctifieth the gift that is upon it. Non ſacrificia ſunt quae ſanctificant hominem, ſed conſcientia ejus qui offert, ſanctifi…at ſacrificium pura exiſtens. It is not ſacrifice which can ſanctifie a man, and commend him to God, but it is Good Conſcience which ſanctifieth and commendeth the ſacrifice it ſelf.