A Good Conscience the Strongest Hold, Treatise · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. Chap. 1.What Conſcience is?What conſcience is.
TO the firſt; What conſcience is. This I ſhall ſhew in two particulars: 1. Explaining what the word Conſcience ſignifies. 2. What the thing Conſcience is.
1. What the word conſcience ſignifies. Notatio nominis praemittenda notationi Rei. foreign] The word in Greeke, and (Conſcientia) in Latine, and (Conſcience) in Engliſh, are all compound words, and ſignifie a knowing together; and imply two things: 1. Some competent meaſure of knowledge, or there can be no conſcience. Hence the word, ſo tranſlated 1 Cor. 4. 4. foreign. I know Nullius rei mihi conſcius ſum. Beza So. Nil conſcire ſibi Horat.nothing by my ſelfe. Prov. 8. 12. Wiſdome ſaith, Ego ſapientia cum Prudentia cohabito, I Wiſdome dwell with Prudence. So Ego Conſcientia cum ſcientia, I Conſcience dwell with knowledge.
2. It implies a knowing together, not a common, ſingle, abſtracted, Theoretick knowledge, but a double, or multiplied knowledge it muſt be. Hence the learned ſay Conſcientia eſt Aqninas Ri vet & alij.cum alijs ſcientia,.
In this ſence it intends a four-fold knowledge.
| Conſcire. | 1. cum Deo | to know together. | 1. with God. |
| 2. cum ſeipſis | 2. with our ſelves | ||
| 3. cum alijs | 3. with others. | ||
| 4. cum rebus ipſis | 4. with things themſelves. |
In all which Idem eſt conſcire, & conſentire, The Conſcientious man is ever a Conſentientious man.
1. Cum Deo ſcire, Conſcience is firſt to know Conſcientia eſt notitia vel ſenſus internus judicij proprij vel alieni praecipue Dei de noſtris bene vel male factis. Paraeus in Ro. 13.together, or conſent together with God; whence commonly Divines ſay, Conſcientia is cum deo ſcientia; When we have the ſame Idaea, apprehenſion, and eſteeme of things in our minde, that is in Gods, when we allow, or diſallow, thinke, ſpeake, doe according to the rule of Gods word; when wee are not ſwayed by mans judgement, or the wiſedom of the world; But what God commendeth is approved, what God commandeth is obeyed, what he promiſeth is beleeved, what hee threatneth is avoyded, what ever God propoundeth is regarded and received; this is conſcience, when we light our Candle at the Lampes of the Sanctuary. Hence we ſay, Ʋox conſcientiae is vox dei. The voyce of a right enlightned Conſcience, is the voyce of God, ſo ſaith Solomon, Pr…v. 20. 27. The ſpirit of a man is the Candle of the Lord, Lumen ex ipſius Prov. 20. 27.lumine, lighted at his Word; then ſearching the inner parts of the Belly, and the ſecrets of the heart, and is become a diſcoverer of the ſecret thoughts, nothing being hid from the view of theſe two heart-ſearchers. What is Conſcience other then the hewing and ſquaring our Tables according to the Tables delivered to us from the hand of God? Mr. Burroughs, Moſes ſelfe denyall, p. 39"As it is reported of Boleſlaus King of Poland, who uſed to weare the Picture of his Father in a plate of Gold hanging about his neck, and whenſoever he was to do, or ſpeake any thing of importance he would take his Picture and kiſſing it ſay; Deare Father I wiſh I may not do any thing remiſſely unworthy of thy name &c. So Conſcience ſtill hath a remembrance of God before his eyes, and when any thing is to be done, ſaith, Lord, Col. 1. 10.Give me to walke worthy of God to all Pleaſing, fruitfull in every good worke. This is to have our works to be wrought in God. Jo. 3. 21. And as in the ſight of God, 2 Cor. 2. ult.
2 Conſcire is cum ſeipſo ſcire aut conſentire, Conſcience is the knowing of a man with himſelfe. Cor quando ſe novit appellatur conſcientia, quando praeter ſe alia ſcientia. Bern.Conſcience maketh an identity in the ſame man throughout. Hence it is that Bernard often calls Conſcientia Cordis Scientia, When the head and heart are agreed. Knowledg in the head alone, is barely Science, oft ſo falſely called. Knowledge in the heart too, is then Conſcience rightly ſo called. In this reſpect I may ſay, Ecl. 10. 2Let thy right hand know, whatſoever thy left hand doth. Thy heart muſt lye at thy right hand, yea and lye neare thy mouth too: That is to ſay, to Weigh, Trye, Examine, Obſerve, Order all that thy mouth ſpeaketh, or hand acteth, or thought intendeth. Caleb ſpake as it was in his heart, Joſhu. 14. 7. And in the next verſe, he ſaith, I fully followed the Lord. Here is nothing but Conſcience in both theſe expreſſions, His heart followed the Lord, there is cum Deo Scire; And he fully followed his heart. There is cum ſeipſo ſcire, Pſal. 15. 2. The Godly man ſpeaketh his Conſcience, he ſpeaketh the truth in his heart. So the Apoſtle Ro. 9. 1. I ſpeake the truth in Chriſt, and lye not, (there is cum Deo ſcientia) My conſcience alſo bearing me witneſſe in the holy Ghoſt. (There is the other Cordis Scientia) There is conſcience when theſe two meet; happy is the man who condemneth not himſelfe (in his heart) for what he alloweth, & approveth in practiſe, Hic murus ahaeneus eſto Nil conſcire ſibi—That little quantity of Ayre, which wee breath in at our noſtrils, which goes into the man, even to the heart, and which thereafter is breathed out thence againe, is more to a man, (it is indeed his life) then all the three regions of Ayre, which fill up that vaſt ſpace between Earth and Heaven. However Philoſophers conceive there is purer Aire, in the higheſt Region. Certainely that leſſer proportion of Knowledge of Divine truths, which we take downe, and ſucke into the heart, and after draw out and deliver thence, is more to a Chriſtians life and Comfort, then all your ref…ned ſpeculations, even of the third and higheſt Region.
3. Conſcire cum alijs, To know together with others, and conſent with them. This is Conſcience, to put our Soules into their Soules Iob. 16. 4.ſtead as Job ſpeaketh. Then to doe to others, as wee would they ſhould do to us. Mat. 7. 12. To know the heart of a ſtranger, Ex. 23. 9. that thou doe not oppreſſe him, Cognoſcit juſtus Animam foreign jumenti ſui, Prov. 12. 10. The righteous man is Arias Montan. Conſcientia eſt notitia & ſenſus internus judicij proprij & alieni. &c. Paraeus ubi ſupramercifull to his Beaſt, Becauſe hee conſidereth the heart and condition of the poore dumb Creature with Sympathy; much more doth he know and conſider the caſe of the poore, of the oppreſſed in the Gate, of the Orphan, of the widdow, when as Job ſaid of himſelfe, Job. 31. 18. they were ſtill with him, either in his preſence to releeve and ſupport them, or in his Bowels to commiſcrate and condole with them. The conſcientious man ſaith, who is weake, and I am not weake? who offended, and I burne not? How can I wound my Brothers conſcience, and ſinne againſt him, but I wound my 2 Cor. 11. 29. 1 Cor. 8. 12ſelfe, and ſinne againſt Chriſt?
O what a worthy ſpeech was that of Hadrian, a heathen Emp. Emperatorem Erga unum Cent. Mag. Cent. 2. Cap. 3.quem que debere eſſe talem, qualem ſi privatus eſſet ſibi vellet eſſe imperatorem. The Emperour ſhould ſo carry himſelfe to every private perſon, as he would deſire, were he in that poore mans caſe, the Emperour ſhould deale with him. This is to approve our ſelves to every good mans conſcience in the ſight of God, 2 Cor. 4. 2. This is cum alijs ſcire. Be ye as I am, I am as you are, Gal. 4. 12. This is to provide things honeſt, Not onelyonly in our owne ſight, or in Gods Bernard, lib. 2. de conſc.ſight in ſeeret, but openly in the ſight of all men. Felix conſcientia, nec ſibi in aliquo conſcia, nec proprium veretur judicium, nec alienum de ſe, Bernard. That is, The ſound conſcience feares no cenſure from himſelfe, or from any other man. He doth ever examine himſelfe, and his owne actions, and is not afraid that any other man ſhould examine them, and know all his heart, and his manner of Dealings.
foreign Jo. 7. 24. By outward appearance, Vulgar opinion, worlds Theſ. 5. 214 Cum rebus ipſis conſcire aut conſentire. To judge of things not, eſteem or cuſtome, but to judge righteous judgement Conſcience is to trye all things, holding faſt only what is good; to weigh all in the Ballance of the Sanctuary. Such a one was upright Caleb in all reſpects; he did. 1. cum deo ſcire, he fully followed the Lord, 2. cum ſeipſo ſcire he ſpake as it was in his heart, and ſo here he did cum rebus ipſis ſcire, he made his report, as hee found things were indeed. But here the un…uſt Steward ſhewed his diſhoneſty, who to get a new maſter, or friend, cozened his old Maſter, and altered his Books, brought in a falſe account, for one ſumme of 100. he ſet downe fourſcore, for another he ſet downe fifty; here was neither honeſty nor Conſcience.
In all theſe foure conſiderations, Conſcience may be called the godly mans Counterpane, anſwering and conforming to foure other Patterns. 1. Gods minde. 2. Our owne. 3. Other mens. 4. And to things themſelves. And it is the conſtant and continuall practiſe of that Art lately ſpoken of, (if there be at leaſt any ſuch invention) viz. Of writing ſeverall Copies at once, with one and the ſame hand. Conſcience is reſembled in nothing better, then in that viſion, Ezek. 1. 5. 10. Where were foure living Creatures all alike; each having foure ſeverall faces; all went every one the ſame way, v. 12. They had one uniforme motion, and were acted by one and the ſame ſpirit; Or to the foure wheeles, v. 16. That were of one likeneſſe, yet had foure diſtinct faces, each of them; And all foure were of one forme and appeareance, yet were ſo involved, that they ſeemed to be a Wheele in a Wheele; all had one motion, and one ſpirit, went together, ſtopt together, roſe up together, and ſtaid together; for the living ſpirit was in theſe Wheeles. You will obſerve this moſt lively and clearely in a good conſcience. Gods minde is the firſt Coppy and Prototype, my conſcience muſt be the exact counterpane foreign or Antitype of the minde and will of God; Then my words, actions and Dealings with others, muſt be commenſurate unto, and the counterpane of my owne conſcience; Laſtly my actions, Dealings and conſcience too muſt be cut even with things themſelves. As the ten Curtaines of the Tabernacle were all of one meaſure, and did one meet with the other, and were coupled together, Exod. 26. 1, 2. 3. Or as the ten Baſes in Solomons Temple, 1. Kings 7. 37. They had all one caſting, one meaſure, and one ſize. So is conſcience in theſe his fourefold acts.
The man then whom we ſeeke, is he whoſe judgement is conforme to truth; his conſcience conforming to his judgement; then his will ſtooping to his conſcience; his affections, bowing to ſuch a will; his expreſſions auſwering his affections, and his actions ſuiting with his expreſſions. This is the man of conſcience, whoſe works are wrought in God.
Hence flow four Corollaries.4 Corollaries.
Corol. 1. Not to act according to Gods minde, and the nature of the things themſelves, argues an erroneous conſcience.
Corol. 2. Not to act according to a mans owne minde, and others minde, argues a very corrupt conſcience.
Corol. 3. To conceive and judge according to all foure, is the right intellectuall conſcience, and un-erring conſcience.
Corol. 4. To act according to ſuch a fourefold judgement, is the right practicall, and unoffenſive conſcience.
In ſumme thus it is: The good Chriſtian muſt be competently ſcientious, and grounded in principles of knowledge; then the underſtandingly ſcientious muſt be cordially conſcientious. The cordially conſcientious muſt be univerſally con-ſentientious; and the thus ſcientious, con-ſcientiou and con-ſentientious Chriſtian is made up of unanimity, and uniformity.
1. Vniformity in his apprehenſions with God, himſelfe, others, and things themſelves in their own nature.
2. Ʋniformity in his actions, when his thoughts, words, actions, dealings, are of the ſame meaſure, ſtamp and faſhion with his minde, and his minde with Gods minde, &c. This man hath now no more an heart, and an heart, or one heart, and another hand; but one heart, one hand, and one way. Euſebius. Lib. 6. cap. 2 ſaith of Origen; This was the Teſtimony given of him; As he taught ſo hee lived As he lived ſo he taught. So ſhould it be Ʋt vixit, dixit, ut dix it, vixit.the Chriſtians Motto; As he meant he ſpake, As he ſpake he did; and as he ſpake and did, ſo he meant and thought. It was the honour of our Saviour, that his doing and teaching went together, Act. 1. 1. And that he was alike mighty in words and deeds, Luk. 24. 19.
The good conſcience then remember is a multiplied knowledge, and fourfold, it is like a Quadripartite inſtrument, containing foure Copies of the ſame tenor, and inſcription, every of which muſt exactly anſwer the other, as their counterpane.
And the man of conſcience is like a perfect ſquare quadrangular Building, whoſe length and bredth, and height, and depth are all alike and uniforme. Such it is obſerved, were the three holieſt peices and places of worſhip in the old Teſtament, viz. The Sanctum Sanctorum 1 King. 6 20. Ezek 41. 4. compared with 2 Chron. 3. 8.in Moſes Tabernacle, and in Solomons, and Ezekiels Temples; and alſo in the holy City mentioned in the new Teſtament, that were all uniforme; Their height, and bredth, and length were equall, Revel. 21. 16.
So muſt it be with the true Chriſtian, the living and ſpirituall temples, and Cities for God to dwell and walke in. They muſt be four-ſquare, their length, bredth, height and depth are equall. Their ſcience muſt bee no longer then their 1 Cor. 6. 16.conſcience, their conſcience no larger then their ſcience, their words no higher then their actions, their actions no lower then their words; And this is conſcience. And thus much to ſhew what the word (Conſcience) doth import and ſignifie.
The ſecond thing I have to doe, is to ſhew what the thing (Conſcience) is, having opened Ames de conſc lib 1. cap. 1. conſcientia eſt judicium hominis de ſeipſo pro ut ſubijcitur judicio dei.what the word imports; ſundry Definitions are given of it by ſundry men, and each may be good. It is ſaith, Dr. Ames, The judgement of a man, concerning himſelfe, and his owne waies, in reference and ſubordination to the judgement of God. It is the Soule recoyling on it ſelfe, ſay others more briefly. Warde. Dyke.
I ſhall not trouble my ſelfe to debate whether Scot. Bon. Dur.Conſcience be an Habit, as many of the Schoole-men affirme. Or whether a faculty or power, as reverend Mr. Perkins, judicious Rutherford diſp. againſt pretended liberty of conſ. cap. 1 Ames de conſc. lib. 1. cap. 1Rutherfurd, and divers of the Schoolmen determine. Or whether an act onelyonly, as acute Dr. Ames contendeth. Nor ſhall I with any curioſity at all diſcourſe of it. Origen had an odde fancy, (as he had many an other) that it was another ſpirit in the ſoule. But ſomewhat is in it, for as I ſaid before, it is as a wheele in a wheele, a wheele full of eyes, a wheel ful of motion, a wheel ful of ſpirit of life; And as all the ſight is contracted in the apple of the eye, ſo I may ſay is conſcience as much as con-knowledge, or knowledge contracted and epitomized, and conſcience as it were the apple of the ſoules eye.
I ſhall deſcribe it thus, Conſcience is the ſoules acting, and reflecting on it ſelfe, and on all a mans own actions. This is conſciences worke, theſe are his Bounds; what haſt thou to doe with another mans Conſcience, in this ſence, or what 1 Cor. 10. 29hath hee to doe with thine? A man ſtandeth or falleth to his owne conſcience, That ſtandeth or falleth to his owne Maſter, and onelyonly to him. Ro. 14. 4.Humility, Patience, Meekeneſſe, Compaſſion, Juſtice, Righteouſneſſe, Chaſtity, &c. extend to others; my charity may and muſt relieve others, knowledge may and muſt informe and benefit others; But conſciences worke is to make every man his owne keeper.