A Good Conscience the Strongest Hold, Treatise
A Good Conſcience THE Strongeſt Hold.
1 Tim. 1. 19.
Holding faith, and a good Conſcience, which ſome having put away concerning Faith have made Ship-wrack.
THeſe two Epiſtles to Timothy, and that to Titus, may well be called the Miniſters Directory, made up of Canons clearly and undubitately Apostolicall, Directing the Miniſter how to Govern himſelfe and how to Guide his People.
The Miniſters charge is looked upon by all as the greateſt; and the Apoſtle, who beſt knew what it was doth not ſpare to lay it home to him, and to give it him to the full.
Each Miniſter hath a double charge. The one ad extra, concerning others. The other ad intra, which concernes himſelfe. Both are 1 Tim. 4. 16.ſummed up in thoſe few words. 1 Tim. 4. 16. Take heed to thy ſelfe and to thy Doctrine.
And you may ſee the Apoſtle through this Epiſtle doth frequently inculcate both, and doth ſtraightly charge both upon his Conſcience, As for that part of his charge ad extra you may ſee it preſſed upon him. Chap. 1. ver. 3. 4. and Chapter 5. ver. 21. Chap. 6. 13, 17, 20. Strict charges all, and ſo in the ſecond Epiſtle Paſſim. Whereby it appeares that the Miniſter, beſides thoſe things concerning himſelfe, ſtands charged with the care of the whole Churches buſineſſe, for what concernes both Perſons, and Doctrines, and Truths and Errors, and Opinions, and Practices.
Then for that other part. That ad intra, for what concernes himſelfe, and his owne Perſonall Demeanour. He hath his Directions Chapter, 4. 12, Be thou an example of the Beleevers in word, and in Converſation, in Charity, in Spirit, in Faith and Purity. And Chap. 6. 11, 12. But thou, O man of God fly theſe things, and follow after Righteouſneſſe, Godlineſſe, Faith, Love, Patience, Meekeneſſe. Fight the Good Fight of Faith, &c.
The Text is part of a Charge, as you ſee, v. 18. Yea it is a compendious ſumme of his whole double charge Tam ad intraquam ad extra, Both as to himſelfe and to his Doctrine.
Verſe 18. A ſtraight charge is laid upon Timothy, This charge I commit to thee, that thou war a good warfare.] the Miniſters employment is no other then a warfare, neither better nor worſe, A warfare no better. A good warefare, no worſe.
This weighty charge is carryed home and Purſued. 1. With the affections of a Father. 2. With the arguments of an Apoſtle.
1. With the affections of a Father—Sonne Timothy]
2. With the arguments of an Apoſtle.
Here are two arguments urged.
1. The firſt is more Comfortable and reſpecteth Timothy himſelfe, according to the Prophecies which went before of thee] There were ſome in thoſe dayes who had the gift of Prophecy, and could foretell things to come, ſome ſuch had given out great hopes of Timothy when he was young, and of his inſtrumentallneſſe to the Church, when he ſhould come to be put in employment. Now gracious and hopefull young men (in the Miniſtery eſpecially) muſt ſee to it, that what hopes, expectations and good opinions others have had of them, and what Prayers, Promiſes, and Engagements have beene made for them, may be all made good (not void) by them in the whole courſe of their life. Therefore Timothy, thou muſt war a good warfare.
2, The other argument is more ſad: But reſpecteth others who had fearefully miſcarryed, He inſtanceth in two, viz. Hymeneus and Alexander, It is the ſame Hymeneus ſpoken of 2 Timothy 2. 17. There joyned with Philetus, (alwayes unhappy in his company), and Alexander the ſame (in all Probability) with That Alexander, Act. 19. 33. lived at Epheſus, this alſo did, therefore Timothy reſiding Paſtor at Epheſus is warned of him 2 Tim. 4. 15.him mentioned. Acts, 19. 33. There you finde him in his beſt, but mentioned alſo, 2 Timothy, 4. 14, 15. There a man much altered a deadly enemy to Paul and his Doctrine, for whom before he had ſo much appeared a friend and Champion, both were formerly faire Profeſſors, but now degenerated into foule Apoſtates, both of forward and (then hopefull) Diſciples now flown ſo high as to become too forward (but Dangerous) Teachers even denying common received Doctrines, as for inſtance; that Article of our faith concerning the Reſurrection. 2 Tim. 2. 17, 18, And broaching new, looſe and pernicious Doctrines, whereby they blew up the 2 Tim. 2. 17, 18.faith of ſuch as hearkned to them. 2 Timothy, 2. 18.
Whoſe black fowle and Tragick ſtory is here compendiouſly ſet downe in two verſes, 19, 20. and holds forth foure remarkable paſſages as touching them. Being the foure ſteps to their utter ruine and eternall predition. The two firſt of which ſet out their ſin…e, the two laſt their puniſhment. Their ſinne is ſet out Firſt in the Originall and beginning of it, They put away good Conſcience] the worſt beginning, à quo Principio provenit omne malum.
2. In the Perfection and Concluſion of it. They came at laſt to Blaſphem. The worſt end and concluſion that could be.
Here is nothing but ſin in theſe 2 paſſages, and ſin upon ſin.
In the two remaining there is nothing but judgement, judgement upon ſinne, and judgement upon judgement, a double judgement upon their double ſinne. The one Divine and ſecret for their ſecret ſinne, they had put away good Conſcience. And they are ſhattered and ſhip-wracked in their faith, for their puniſhment. They having repudiated Conſcience, and given her a bill of divorce, preſently commit Adultery with prodigious Errors and Opinions. The late Engliſh Annotation upon the place is very good. "That God doth puniſh men for giving raines to a licentious courſe of life, againſt the dictates of their owne Conſciences. By taking away the light of his Spirit from them, that in the midſt of their courſe they ſhould loſe their most precious ſpirituall Merchandiſe, and be drowned in Error and Hereſie, after the manner of thoſe, who in a Sea Tempeſt ſuffer ſhipwrack.
The other judgement that befell them was Humane, and Open for their open ſinne in publiſhing Blaſphemous aſſertions. It was the judgement of the Church watching over their Members, who obſerving ſome to become ſo Putrid and infectious, as to endanger the whole body of the joyning Congregation, deliver theſe over judicially in a way of Church Cenſures to Sathan. They are now cut off by excommunication which is the plaine meaning of that Phraſe, delivered up to Sathan] which Phraſe is alſo uſed. 1 Cor. 5. 5.
Here you ſee their ſinne and puniſhment. They put away, and reprobate Conſcience. They never thrive after in their ſoule, either for Grace or Peace, for Knowledge or Comfort. They become reprobate concerning the Faith. They excommunicate Conſcience out of themſelves, and themſelves are excommunicated out of the Church. They firſt deliver up Faith and good Conſcience to Sathan voluntarily; And are now by the Church Officers delivered up to Sathan judicially. The end of which Church cenſure is ſet downe in theſe words; That they may learne not to Blaſpheme] that is to ſay, that they may, if God ſee good to give Repentance, recover themſelves out of the 2 Tim- 2. 26. Ne impune ferant ſuas blaſphemias ſed ut ſuo malo diſcant quid ſit blaſphemare. Beza.ſnare of the Devill, or otherwiſe that they may be reſtrained; that others may not be leavened and infected, and conſequently the like blaſphemies for the future may be prevented.
Where by the way as we goe along, the Gleaner may fill his hand with ſome Obſervations before we come to the ſtanding Shock, where he that bindeth Sheaves may fill his Boſome,
1. How dangerous it is for profeſſed Chriſtians to grow wanton in matters of Faith and careleſſe of their Conſcience.
2. How dangerous is it to the Church, and Alexander was a Copperſmith it is certaine, whatſoever Trade the other was of,how ominouſly fatall is it to the undertakers themſelves when private Mechanickes do preſumptuouſly invade the Miniſtery, and become publique Preachers.
3. There is no dividing between Faith and a good Conſcience, leave Orthodox Faith, and farewell good Conſcience, or let go good Conſcience, and you have ſeene the laſt of Faith, it ſinkes, it ſhipwracks,
4. How true is that of 2 Tim. 3. 13. That evil men and Seducers foreign waxe worſe and worſe, deceiving and being deceived, ſeldome ſtaying when they begin to ſhrinke from their former ſincerity and ſtrictneſſe, till they arrive at the higheſt of impiety, going from ſinne to ſinne, and from Error to Error, till by the juſt judgement of God they are given over to become open Blaſphemers and outragious Perſecutors.
5. Every vicious and infectious Teacher, and every bold Broacher of Doctrines corrupting and ſtaining the ſimplicity of the Faith, and every Member of a corrupt and diſſolute Conſcience are not to be Tollerated and permitted in a new Teſtament Church, but all ſuch are deſervedly excommunicated the Church, who have once excommunicated Conſcience; and they juſtly ſuffer in being delivered up to Sathan who have wickedly ſinned in delivering Doctrines of Sathan. No liberty here you ſee for every kinde of Conſcience.
6. Yet are not viſible and open cenſures but for viſible and open ſinnes, not for Errors in judgement concealed, but publiſhed, not for want Publice declarantur pertinere ad regnum Satanae, quippe qui non pertineant ad regnum Chriſti Piſcator▪of faith, but for oppoſing it,
7 Excommunication (Clave non errante) is a ſolemne, and dreadfully operative Ordinance, a ſhutting out of Heaven, a ſhutting up in Hell him who is juſtly caſt out of the Churches fellow…hip, by that cenſure. He is delivered up to Satan.
8 The end of Excommunication, and all Church cenſures is not to ſerve to the deſtruction 2 Cor. 10. 8 & 13. 10. 1 Cor. 5. 5.of the Cenſured, or Private revenge of the Cenſurers, but to edification onelyonly; That the offender may be terrified, and reclaimed, The Traditi ſunt ad emendandum, non ad perdendum. Sedul. in locum.fleſh deſtroyed, that the ſoule may be ſaved; and that others may be warned, and ſo the infection ſtayed: That they may learne not to blaſpheme, Ʋt Caſtigatione hac adducti deſinant falſum ſuum dogma ſpargere Piſcator.
But none of theſe doe I intend to ſtand upon, though I ſhall have occaſion to meet with them in proſecuting the intended Doctrine.
To the words Holding Faith and a good Conſcience, &c.
Holding] foreign i. e. foreign Piſcator. It ſignifies properly Having; and ſo tranſlated, 1 Pet. 1 Pet 3. 16.3. 16. foreign -Having a good Conſcience, here Holding. To have and to hold in our Engliſh ſpeaking, are uſually put together; It is not enough once to have, or for ſome while to have Had, unleſſe we ever have and hold them.
Faith] Either take it firſt for that which we call Grace-faith, Fides quâ creditur, That hee ſhould Hold, Act, Maintaine, Exerciſe the grace of ſaving, and lively Faith. Or Secondly, for the Doctrine of Faith, Fides quâ creditur, In which ſence it is uſed, Chap. 3. 9. & 4. 1. Tit. 1. 13. Jud. v. 3. And Expoſitors do generally underſtand it ſo here, that Timothy ſhould 1 Tim. 3. 9. & 4. 1. Tit. 1. 13. …ud. v. 3.hold the whol…ſome forme of ſound words, and ſtill retaine the old received Faith in Orthodox Doctrine, for the grace of ſaving Faith will not be long kept in the heart, unleſſe we keepe the Doctrine of ſound faith, and principles in the head.
And a good Conſcience.] Conſcience, you ſeldome 1 Tim. 3. 9. 1 Pet. 3. 16. Acts 23. 1. Heb. 13. 19ſee it without an Epethite; and this uſually is his Epethite Good Conſcience, ſo in many places Cap. 3. 9. 1 Pet. 3. 16. Acts 23. 1. Heb. 13. 19. Faith had no Epethite of Good; you doe not Ordinarily ſee other Graces called Good; as good Love, good Repentance, Zeale, Hope, Patience, or the like; But ever good Conſcience. The other graces are commonly Nemo tam perditus eſt, ut ſit omni conſcientia planè expers Ameſ.good, or few have them, but thoſe that are good; But Conſcience is a thing which all have, though a good Conſcience but few; therefore get and hold a good Conſcience, or have none at all.
Which ſome having put away] foreign -qua repulſa. foreign de. trudo, depello, arceo ab foreign trudo, pello. Act, 7. 27. & 39Beza. Expulſa, Piſcator. quam Repellentes, Vulgar Tranſl. thruſling it away. This word is uſed Acts 7. 27. He that did his Neighbour wrong foreign, truſt Moſes away as a buſie body, and an intruding intermedler; ſo did theſe thruſt away Conſcience as if it had been a troubleſome uſurper over them; So after Act 7. 39. The rebelling Iſraelites thruſt him from them foreign They would caſt off, and eaſhiere Moſes, no more receive his Dictates, nor obey his directions, but would ſet up another Captaine whom they would follow, or lead rather into Egypt. Thus did theſe in the Text caſhiere, and throw off conſcience from his be truſted employment, and would follow their owne ſwinge. This word is uſed alſo Rom. 11. 1. 2. Hath God caſt away Ro. 11. 1. 2his people, foreign and v. 2. He anſwers foreign.
God hath not caſt away, or reprobated his people whom he foreknew; But theſe did reprobate Conſcience, and would make it a caſt away, as not to be retained in times of Goſpell Light and liberty; So that in this place the Tranſlation is with the ſofteſt, and more gentle it is here, then in any other place, when it is rendered, they put away good Conſcience] It might have been read, they thruſt off, threw away, caſhiered, diſclaimed, and even reprobated it.
Concerning faith made Shipwrack] Fide Vacui facti ſunt, They were emptied and eaſed of their faith Syriack tranſl. Their ſouls are Shipwrack'd their Faith, & Grace Ship-wrack'd, aleak being ſprung in Conſcience the Veſſel, they loſt all they had, and ſaved not the uſe, Comfort, Confidence, Joy, or feeling of former Faith and beleeving; Nor did they preſerve their former ſimplicitie and integrity of judgement, in matter of Doctrine and Truth; But as Conſcience was reprobated to their judgement, their judgement is now wholly reprobate concerning the Faith.
Now the words being opened, you ſee they are a Magazine or Panoply of Armor, and Ammunition to furniſh Timothy, and each good Miniſter, yea every Chriſtian with the moſt neceſſary and uſefull armes, both to warre that good warfare, v. 18. And to prevent this evill ſhipwracke, v. 19. Timothy thy charge is, that thou war a good warfare; thy duty is to get, keepe, uſe two weapons eſpecially, Faith, and a good Conſcience; get both or neither, faith in the one hand, good Conſcience in the other; thou haſt many enemies to reſiſt and fight with, thou muſt uſe both hands, not faith alone, without good Conſcience, nor good conſcience alone without Faith; Both make thee compleately armed, and will make thee more then a Conqueror; But hold them faſt, throw down neither, but ſhould thy weapons be beaten through violence of perſecution to thy head, never ſuffer them through cowardize to be beaten out of thy hands.
The latter eſpecially he giveth charge abovt, viz. a good conſcience; without this, if thou ſhouldeſt be all faith, all faith cannot ſave thee, nor ſave it ſelfe, without this ſecond, good conſcience; But faith either ſtands or ſwims with a good Conſcience, or falls and ſinkes with a bad Conſcience. Hence the point intended is:
In the moſt Perillous tempeſts of corrupt and dangerous Obſ.times, wherein we often ſee others loſing their Lives, their Graces, their Comforts, their former Peace, their future hopes, that our ſelves may not eternally miſcarry, and looſe all we have on earth for Grace, and comfort; and all we look for in heaven, for glory and happineſs; Our continuall care muſt be to get and keepe, to have and hold faith and a good conſcience.
If thou loſe not theſe two, thou ſhalt never have cauſe to complaine of loſing times, keepe theſe, they will keepe thee.
In times of common Naufrage, and Shipwracke, when we ſee abroad Church-wracks, State-wracks, Faith-wracks, Truth-wracks; take heed then of the worſt Ship-wrack of all at home, Conſcience-wrack.
Our life here is ſet out by a double Metaphor. 1. Of a warfaring condition, v. 18. 2. Of a Seafaring condition, v. 19.
Is our life a warfare; Theſe are our principal weapons, Faith and good Conſcience, if faith be the Shield, good Conſcience is the Breſtplate of Righteouſneſſe, Ephe. 6. 14. or the golden Eph. 6. 14. 16.Girdle of truth and ſincerity, v. 16.
Is our condition a Land fight? and not of a ſingle combate, but of common intereſt; Theſe two, Faith, and a good Conſcience, are the two ſtrong holds we muſt ſecure our ſelves in, and hold out to the laſt drop of blood, and gaſpe of life; Theſe two like Jonathan 1 Sam. 14. 13.and his armour bearer will diſco mfit an hoaſt of Enemies, and carry all before them, and break through the moſt inſuperable difficulties, 1 Pet. 3. 16. Having a good conſcience 1 Pet. 3. 16(ſaith the Apoſtle) that whereas they ſpeake evill of you, as of evill doers, they may be aſhamed, that falſely accuſe your good converſation in Chriſt, q. d. Though they encampe againſt you, beſet your houſes, ſhoot their arrowes, and bullets, bitter words, and as bad deeds; yea ſhould they diſcharge their murdering Peeces upon you, and thinke by firing and ſtorming to carry all before them, ſtand you your ground, quit your ſelves like men, retire you like the Cony to this Rock, like the Bird to this Hill, your Brazen walls of Faith which indeed (without any Hyperbole as Jerichoes walls) reach up to heaven; and that Adamantine Inworke of a good Conſcience founded on a Rock, no Gates or engines of Hell ſhall prevaile againſt; But they ſhall be aſhamed when they behold your good and unblameable converſation; They ſhall draw off with diſhonour and infamy as Abimeleck, when he attempted to fire the Tower of Thebez, to which they fled for ſafety, a woman threw a Jud. 9. 51. 52.piece of a Milſtone upon his head, and ſent him packing. Theſe indeed ſhall never be aſhamed Pſ. 127. 5.when they ſpeake with any Enemies in the Gate.
Is our life a Seafaring condition? A good Conſcience is the Arke, not like that wherein Moſes was expoſed to drowning and danger, Ex. 2. 3.an Arke of Bulruſhes, daubed with ſlime, and pitch; But like that of Noah, Pitched Gen. 6. 14. Et Seq.within and without with pitch, made by Gods own direction, wherein thou mayſt adventure as he did the whole world, both Church and State, thereinto God bad him enter, therein God ſhut him, and kept him ſafe, it preſerved that ſecond Adam, and all the reſerve of the Creation from that univerſall Deluge. A window it had in the top, to let in the light of Heaven, not the leſt Creviſe below to let in a drop of water to endanger it, It did ſhoot off all the Showers that fel downwards, and all the Floods that raged upwards. The like figure whereunto even Baptiſme doth now ſave us (not the putting away the filth of the fleſh, 1 Pet. 3. 20 21.but the anſwer of a good Conſcience towards God) by the Reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Peter 3. 20. 21.
Is our Life a Sea-fight? Theſe two, Faith, and good Conſcience, are our men of warre, which we muſt never yeeld up to any Enemy, but chuſe rather to periſh, and ſinke in defending them, and maintaining our Truſt. See what Trophees a Chriſtian brings home by making good theſe two, above all Trophees of honour, a Conqueror can get from a ſpoiled Enemy, 2 Cor. 1. 12. For our rejoycing is this, 2 Cor. 1. 12the teſtimony of our Conſcience, that in ſimplicity and godly ſincerity, not with fleſhly wiſedome, but by the grace of God, we have had our converſation in the world, but more abundantly to you-wards. It had been now an ill time with the Apoſtle, his ſufferings did abound, v. 5. He was preſſed above meaſure, and above humane ſtrength, Even to diſpaire of life, yet even under the ſentence and ſtroke of death, He had conſolations abounding as much as his afflictions, and joyes running over above meaſure, if afflictions above meaſure. And all from this Magazine and Treaſury of a good Conſcience.
In purſuite of this point. I ſhall firſt ſhew The five particulars to be handled.what Conſcience is.
2 What this good Conſcience is.
3. Give the particular kinds and ſorts of good Conſciences.
4. Give the reaſons of the point and duty.
5. Deduce the inferences ariſing hence by way of Application.