A Good Conscience the Strongest Hold, Treatise · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI. Of the danger and miſchief of an evil Conſcience.
THe Excellencie and Benefit of the Good The danger and miſchief of an evil conſcienceConſcience is not ſo great, but the evil and miſchief of the evil Conſcience is as great, which is our ſecond conſideration, and this will appear in three particulars:
1. Here commonly is the firſt decay, as in the Text you ſee, Hymeneus and Alexander no ſooner had put away their Conſcience, but they ſink their faith, when once Conſcience is tainted and become corrupt, then preſently the Judgement, then the Affections, then the Life, and what not? Corruption in the Conſcience is as poiſon in the ſpring head; this fountain corrupted all the ſtreams run muddie. Therefore Satan commonly begins here, and ſeeks Entrance for leſs ſins upon the Conſcience, as Houſe-robbers put in their leſs boies into the windowes, to ſet open all the doors of the houſe for all the companie to enter. Nemo repente fuit Turpiſſimus—
No man arrives at the height of impietie at once; And this is commonly the firſt ſtep. One unclean ſpirit entertained makes room Mat. 12. 45.for ſeven worſe to follow. When Conſcience likes not to retain the knowledge of God, God gives up to vile affections, at length to a reprobate minde, at laſt to be filled with all manner of unrighteouſneſs, Rom. 1. 26, 28, 29. The hopefull Profeſſour by this meanes ſoon becomes a dangerous Apoſtate, and at laſt a down-right Atheiſt in life, as the Apoſtle ſaith Titus 1. 15, 16. when once the minde and Conſcience is defiled, they may profeſs ſtill to know, but in works they denie God, being abominable, diſobedient, and to every good work as any reprobate. When the wormwood ſtar falls into the fountain of Conſcience, all the rivers become bitter; the ſun beginning to ſet in Conſcience, night haſtens on in the affections, Then farewell Grace. And when the ſun goes back in the heaven of Conſcience, the ſhadow muſt needs go back as many degrees in the Diall of Comfort, Then farewell Peace.
2. As the firſt decay is here commonly begun, ſo it proves the worſt decay and danger that can befall a man, a breach in Conſcience is like a breach in the Sea banks, proves deſperate; or like the Leake ſprung in the ſhip, drowns men in utter perdition; after a crack in Conſcience a man proves an utter Bankrupt; after other ſhipwracks one may recover and get up again, there are poſt naufragium Tabul…, but this is a fatall and commonly irrecoverable ſhipwrack.
Some ſins and ſlips are like breaking of a Leg, or an Arm, which may be ſet again; this is like breaking the Neck, few recover, to take hold of the paths of life after this. Judas brake his Conſcience Neck, and that brake his Neck.
Enquire as oft as you will, by what degrees any is come up to the higheſt ſins. As for inſtance, how ſome came to give themſelves over to laſciviouſneſs, to the committing of all uncleanneſs even with greedineſs. Epheſ. 4. 19. The Apoſtle tells us they had been practiſing upon their Conſcience firſt, they had firſt blinded their mindes, and had ſtunted their Conſcience to bring them to that dedolencie, that they might bee paſt feeling.
Again, do you wonder and enquire, how it is that in theſe laſt daies ſo many do depart from the faith, and give heed to ſeducing ſpirits, yea, to the very doctrines of devils, as was foretold? 1 Tim. 4. 1. the anſwer is at hand in the next verſe, They had firſt ſeared and ſtupified their Conſcience.
Do you enquire again, how it comes that ſome moſt hopefull Profeſſours become at laſt moſt violent and enraged Perſecutors, and as bold broachers of accurſed errours? you have the anſwer in the Text, Hymeneus and Alexander laid down their Old-Teſtament weapons Faith and a good Conſcience, then became filled with new wine, then grew corrupt themſelves, then vented blaſphemies, then were delivered up to Satan, as fitter for Hell then the Church. They fell into prodigious opinions and conceits, making a fable of the Reſurrection, 2 Tim. 2. 17. At laſt this Alexander came to be an open enemie to Paul, and Perſecutor of his doctrine, whom he praieth againſt more then he doth againſt any other, 2 Tim. 4. 14. This is indeed the readie way, nay the onelyonly way to ſin that unpardonable ſin, the ſin againſt the holy Ghoſt, which never hath forgiveneſs, becauſe it never hath Repentance.
A man that hath loſt his Conſcience is like a Bee that hath loſt his ſting, becomes a Droan ever after, and is at laſt expelled the Hive. The beginning of the Decaie of Conſcience is like the beginning of the Hectick feaver, which at firſt, as the Phiſitian ſaith, were eaſily cured, but that it is hardly known; but at laſt it is eaſily known, but hardly cured.
3. The third danger and miſchief is, that either thou muſt reſolve to make this Good warfare, required in the Text, for a Good Conſcience, or to ſuffer an ill warfare made upon thee from an ill Conſcience; either thou muſt make this Tree good, and his fruit good, or elſe make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: but Mat. 12. 33.know that this war is the worſt war which can bee made. All wars are bad, and end in bitterneſs, but of all wars civil wars are the moſt dreadfull, worſe when it is between Citie and Citie, then if it were Nation with Nation; and of all civil wars domeſtical in the ſame Familie when divided is worſe, then when a Kingdom divided; And in the ſame familie again, Matrimonial war when in the ſame bed is worſe, then any other war in the ſame houſe between father and ſon: for where the Relation is neareſt, diviſion there is unkindeſt. But there is one war yet worſe then all theſe, the perſonal diviſion is worſe then any diviſion between man and wife. This is to ſpeak properly the onelyonly Inteſtine war, when two are divided againſt three, and three againſt two. Ʋnderſtanding and Conſcience joyning together to keep in order Will, Affections, and Practiſes; but theſe joyntly riſe up to ſuppreſs their Legall and Rightfull Superiours Ʋnderſtanding and Conſcience.
It is a ſad Storie to read that of the father and his two ſons, who ſeparating from our Churches in England, kept together a while, but ere long the two brothers divided among themſelves again, and when the father could not reconcile them, he left the one childe to adhere to the other; but after that differences grew between the father and this one ſon, and they muſt Anathematize each other. Here was a lamentable Example to ſee in three perſons of neareſt naturall Relation ſuch an Enmitie, each ſtood aloof from the reſt, all three ſtood excommunicated, and accurſed by each other. But this ſeparation and difference I ſpeak of is beyond that, when a man doth ſeparate from his Conſcience, and excommunicate it firſt, then after doth Conſcience ſeparate from him, and accurſe him, yea, and he ſhall be curſed.
Many have thought that they have been able to make offenſive war againſt Conſcience, none have ever been able to make the defenſive. To fight aginſt Conſcience is to fight againſt God, and who hath ever hardened himſelf Job 9. 4.againſt him, and proſpered? Pharoab would begin with God, and make an offenſive war, Who is the Lord? I know him not, I will not let Iſrael go; but he was wearie of the defenſive, Exod. 5. 2.Let us flie, for the Lord fighteth againſt us. So if thou thinkeſt it a light thing to Exod. 14. 25.challenge and provoke Conſcience, while it would be at peace with thee, know thou wilt finde it next God himſelf the heavieſt adverſarie that thou couldſt have had.
If Conſcience be not regarded in his two firſt Offices, he will be known in his two laſt, if his Miniſteriall reproofs, and Magiſtraticall rods be ſlighted, he will as a witneſs againſt thee, and a Judge over thee, chaſten thee with Scorpions. Did not I ſpeak to you, will Conſcience ſay, as Reuben to his brethren, Gen 42. 22and you would not hear then, ſee now what is come on it, Now his bloud is required.
4. I might adde in the fourth place, that which followes in the Text, that when once any have betraied their truſt, and delivered up this Fort to Satan, they are ever after caſhiered God's ſervice, and are by him delivered up to Satans cuſtodie, and an evil Conſciences merciemercy; either to be miſled by an erroneous Conſcience, or terrified with an accuſing Conſcience. He that is filthy, let him Rev. 22. 11 Zech. 11. 9.be filthie, and that which periſheth, let it periſh, ſaith the Lord in his fierceſt anger; as they had no love to the truth, ſo they ſhall have no Judgement to diſcern lies, but be given over to ſtrong deluſions, to beleeve any lying doctrines, That all they may be damned who received not the love of the truth, that they might be ſaved. 2 Theſ. 2. 10, 11, 12. Thus it befell theſe Hymeneus and Alexander, who having once renounced Conſcience, and forfeited their faith, they were diſcharged any more emploiment; They have no more part in Chriſt, nor lot in the Church, but are delivered up to Satan among blaſphemers.