A Good Conscience the Strongest Hold, Treatise · Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX. The Poſitive Truths ariſing hence aſſerted.
THe one part of the Uſe of Information was to diſcover ſome miſtakes, and to ſeek to remove them, which was done in the foregoing Chapter; The other part remains, which is to diſcover ſundry Truths, and to aſſert them, which is the ſubject of this Chapter. And firſt it tels us that whether we look on Timothie as a Chriſtian, or as a Miniſter, here are Inferences from it.
Firſt, if we look on Timothie as a Chriſtian, and finde him thus charged by S. Paul, This charge I commit to thee, Son Timothie, that thou war a good warfare, Holding faith and a good Conſcience.] That a good Conſcience is the Chriſtians greateſt Charge that he goes withall. Whatever thou takeſt charge of, be carefull of this, This is the charge of God, look to it, if thou loſe it, thy life muſt go for it. What Solomon ſaith of Wiſdom, I may ſay of good Conſcience the trueſt Wiſdom, Get wiſdom, get underſtanding, above all thy getting. Prov. 4. 5, 6, 7.So ſay I, Get a good Conſcience, keep a good Conſcience, above all getting get it, above all keeping keep it; forſake not her, ſhe ſhall preſerve thee; love her, ſhe ſhall keep thee. She is a tree of life to them that Prov. 3. 18.lay hold on her, happie he that retaineth her. But loſe this, and loſe thy ſoul; hate this and love death. Good Conſcience is the Prov. 8. 39.charge we travell with, whatever danger we may meet with in our way, we muſt run, or fight, or die, or fly for it, rather then deliver up ſuch a charge. Good Conſcience is the Ship in which we embarque and adventure all we have, Credit, State, Libertie, Life, and Soul too, as Noab put all into one Bottome, all his Familie, all the Catholike Church, and the Reſerve of the whole world, and all was ſafe. This Ʋeſſel or Man of war muſt never be yeelded up, but rather we muſt ſink and periſh in the defenſe of it. Good Conſcience is our ſtrong Fort, which we muſt upon no terms capitulate to deliver up to the enemie, but chuſe rather to die upon the ground.
Secondly, look upon Timothie as a Miniſter, and this doth further inform us, That a good Conſcience is the good Miniſters great Charge. This charge I commit to thee, Son Timothie, to hold Faith and a good Conſcience. Theſe are Arma Miniſtri, The Miniſters weapons. The Miniſter muſt be a man of Conſcience, and for Conſcience wholly. This is the floore he muſt daily purge. This the garden which he muſt dreſs and keep. The living ſtone which he muſt hew and poliſh, to make Temples for Chriſt of. This the Sanctum Sanctorum into which the Goſpel-Miniſter muſt daily enter. Faith and good Conſcience are his principall weapons he muſt be moſt expert in, and exerciſing at both in Perſon and Pulpit. This is to preach the whole counſell of God, to preach Faith in God, and Conſcience in men. To ſay that Conſcience is a Dutie is too little, it is the Summe of all Duties. To call good Conſcience a Grace is too little, it is the Summe of all Graces. It is Totum Dei, The whole Command of God. It is Totum homi is, The whole Dutie of man. Good Conſcience is the Contents of the whole Bible, and all the Scripture bound up in a ſmall Volume. Will you hear in one word the ſumme of all, Keep Faith and a good Conſcience, This is the whole dutie of man; The ſumme of the firſt Table is Epitomized in one word, Love God with all thy heart. Of the ſecond in another word, Love thy Neighbour as thy ſelf. But the ſumme of both Tables of the Law, and all duties of the Goſpel is reduced to this one word Conſcience. Haſt thou Conſcience? Thou doſt fulfill the firſt: haſt thou Conſcience? Thou wilt fulfill the ſecond.
Thou O man of God look well to thy Charge, thy own and thy Peoples Conſcience. Herein muſt thou daily exerciſe thy ſelf as a workman, who needeth not to bee aſhamed to keep thy ſelf pure, and to keep thy peoples Conſcience without offenſe to God and man; warning every man, and teaching every man in all wiſdom, that we may preſent every man perfect in Chriſt Jeſus, Col. 1. 28. The Heathen Prieſts and Aruſpices were to be skilfull in the Entrails of the beaſts, and by inſpection into the Sacrifices they were wont to make their obſervations. The Goſpel Miniſter his Inſpection muſt be into the inwards of his flock.
The beſt Chriſtian is he who is moſt verſed in his own Conſcience; and the beſt Miniſter is he, who is beſt acquainted, and hath moſt to do in his peoples Conſciences. Bernard hath an excellent ſaying of Conſcience, Ʋnicui que ſuus est Libellus Conſcientia, & propter hunc Libellum omnes alii libri inventi ſunt. Every mans Conſcience is his own Book and Bible, and for this little Books ſake all the good Books in the world, yea the Bible it ſelf, were written. All Divines Sermons, All Divines writings treat of this Book. And whatſoever Books are in the world, if they no way tend to this end, to inform, or direct, or ſatisfie, or better Conſcience, it were better that the world wanted all thoſe books. How happie were it in theſe times if Conſcience was preached more and Controverſies leſs? Whatever is the man that preacheth, Conſcience would be the matter preached and ſpoken off; whatever be the Auditorie, Conſcience would be the Argument; whatever the Occaſion, Conſcience the Subject of the Diſcourſe; whatever be the Text, Conſcience would be the Doctrine handled; whatever the Doctrine, Conſcience would be the Ʋſe; whatever the Companie, Conſcience would bee the Conference. Elſe I am bold to ſay, whatever be the Preacher, or Hearer, or Text, or Doctrine, or Reaſon, or Ʋſe, or Conference, nothing is ſpoken fit for the Preacher, or pertinent to the Matter, or Auditorie, or Occaſion, or Text, or Doctrine, or Ʋſe, or Companie.
Conſcience is the Lay-mans onelyonly Book, he can read no other. It is the Miniſters Concordance, which he muſt peruſe and ſtudie moſt: He is not a Preacher that is not well verſt in this. This little Book is like that little Book given to the two Prophets, Ezekiel, in the third of Ezek. v. 3. and St John, Revel. 10. 9, 10. which both are commanded to eat, and to receive inwardly into their bellie, not into their mouth, or head, or hand. Son of man cauſe thy bellie to eat, and fill thy Qui legem Dei recte interpretantur referunt eam ad rectum finem ſeu ſcopum, qui eſt charitas ex puro co…de, & conſcientia bona, & fide non ſimulata, at iſti doctores non referunt legem ad hunc ſinem, ſed ab iſtis commemoratis rebus, tanquam à ſ…po aberrant, ergo non rectè legem interpretantur, ſed ad vaniloquentiam deflectunt.bowels with this Roll which I give thee. But with this difference that to the godly and faithfull Miniſter it is like Ezekiels Roll as Honey for ſweetneſs, but to an unſound and man-plea…ing Miniſter it is like John's Book, Sweet in the mouth to diſcourſe of, Bitter in the bellie, diſpleaſing when it comes to practiſe This is the mark we ſhould aim at, ſaith Piſcator upon that place 1 Tim. 1. 5, 6. The end of the commandment is charitie out of a pure heart, and of a good Conſcience, and of faith unfained, which ſome having ſwerved from have turned a ſide unto vain jangling. That is the right interpreting of the Scripture when we referre all to this end to promote Charitie, and Puritie, and Faith, and Conſcience, to leave theſe is to miſs the mark, and to become Janglers, not Preachers.
Thirdly, this informes us in particular how it comes that ſo many daily break in Citie and Countrey, making ſhipwrack of Credit, of States, and Families, the matter is, they were broken at home firſt in their Conſciences, then they muſt needs break abroad. Break Conſcience, and thou art broken, none thrive after it. This makes the worſt bankrupts, it makes a man to be out of Credit with God, and in his own heart. A moth or worm in Conſcience is commonly followed with a moth and worm in the eſtate. The inheritance haſtily gotten, is as ſoon waſted. From the hire of an harlot if it came, to the hire of an harlot it returns, Micah 1. 7. They ever who take more care to get great States, then good Conſciences, do but conſult ſhame to their Honours, and ruine to their Houſes, They are like the fooliſh woman who puls down her houſe with her own hands. Wo to him that buildeth his houſe by unrighteouſneſs, and his chambers by wrong: That v…eth his neighbours work without wages: That ſaith, I will build me a wide houſe, and large chambers, and cutteth him out windows, and Jer. 22. 13, 14, 15, 16.it is ceiled with Cedar, and painted with Vermilion. Shalt thou reign, becauſe thou cloſeſt thy ſelf in Cedar? Did not thy father eat and drink, and do Judgement and Juſtice, and then it was well with him? Was not this to know me, ſaith the Lord? How many Examples do we ſee continually before our eyes of them who gather riches, and not by right, who are taken from them in the midſt of their dayes, and in the end die like fooles? Jer. 17. 11. Jeroboam would never be beholden to Conſcience, or Pietie, to ſecure his State and Crown, Policie ſhould do it, but did not his State-deſignes become a ſin, and a curſe to the whole houſe of Jeroboam to root them out of the Land? Ahab muſt not ſcruple the way of getting Naboths Vineyard, to get it was the thing, but did he joy it? The Prophet meets him with a cold Gratulation, Hast thou killd and alſo taken poſſeſſion? where the dogs licked the bloud of Naboth, the dogs ſhall lick thy bloud alſo. Did Achan thrive any better with his ſtolne wedge of gold? Or Gehazi with his two bags of ſilver of two Talents? The Conſumption in Conſcience breeds ordinarily a conſumption in the ſtate. This maketh the furrowes in the field cry out, and the ſtone in the wall, and the beam out of the timber anſwer, Wo to him who addeth houſe to houſe, field to field, and pound to pound, till they are alone: Doth not this leave great houſes without inhabitant, and fair houſes without any to dwell in them? This makes all fly at laſt, the beam from the timber, the timber from the wall, the wall from the houſe, the houſe from the name, and the name it ſelf from the face of the earth. His ſentence is, Write this man childleſs, a man that ſhall not proſper all his dayes, for his heart, and Jer. 22. 30.his eyes are onelyonly for covetouſneſs, and oppreſſion, and violence to do it.
Who…e Grand-childe doth the third Generation call happie in that Patrimonie dearly purchaſed by the expenſe of his Anceſtors good Conſcience? what houſe ſtands long, that is founded on the ruines of integritie and righteouſneſs? whoſo gathereth by labour increaſeth, whoſo by indirect courſes undoeth himſelf. It is godlineſs which is the great gain, it is the name and memoriall of the godly which ſhall be bleſſed, it is the poſteritie of the righteous which alone is happie. Godlineſs hath the Promiſe of this life alſo, as well as of that to come. Noahs Ark we know was not onelyonly the Preſerver of the Church, but of the whole Univerſe. So ſhall we finde good Conſcience not onelyonly the beſt Keeper of the Soul, but of the State. Truſt this thou maiſt with all that thou …rt worth.
4. This diſcovers yet a worſe decaie then that of temporall States, the Ground of that Decaie in Grace; whence it is that there are ſo many broken Profeſſours, bankrupts in Religion, and decaied Apoſtates in the Church. Hymeneus and Alexander this broke their backs▪ They were men ſometimes of as good account, and great eſteem as any other men in all that rich and mightie Citie Epheſus, forward men, very likely to make eminent Ones in time. They let fall puritie and ſtrictneſs of Conſcience, then were corrupted, then corrupt others, then denie Fundamentals, then broach blaſphemies, then turn Perſecutors, then were as a Peſt, and Gangrene to the Church, then out of Communion thereof they are caſt, and at laſt miſerably they ended. When good Conſcience once departs, the unclean ſpirit comes in, and takes poſſeſſion, brings in ſeven unclean ſpirits into a houſe formerly emptie, ſwept and garniſhed, they dwell and ſtay there, till the laſt ſtate of that man is worſe then the firſt. Break once theſe Old Bottles of good Conſcience, and all the wine of Grace and Comfort runs out, all is marred, the man is a loſt man. From prophane and vain babbling men proceed at laſt to Higheſt ungodlineſs, as the Apoſtles Advertiſement is u…on the lapſe and downfall of theſe miſerable ſeducers, 2 Tim. 2 16, 17.
5. This doth alſo clearly demonſtrate, That by Apoſtolical Rules, and the Primitive Diſcipline, Toleration is not to be granted, nor Church-Fellowſhip allowed to men who are of looſe and profligate Conſciences, and corrupt opinions, they who ceaſe to be members of Chriſt, and act for Satan, are to have no longer Com-memberſhip with the Church, but are to be delivered up to Satan, as we ſee in the Text. Notice is to be given of them and of their Errors to the Church, their mouthes to be ſtopped, their Companie to be avoided, and the godly warned to beware of them. 2 Tim. 4. 15.
6. This reſolves us how the world comes to ſwarm with foul and peſtilent opinions, this chief ſtone is laid aſide by the moſt of unskilfull builders. Wood, hay, and ſtubble is brought in to litter the Church, in ſtead of gold, ſilver, and precious ſtones. 1 Cor. 3. The firſt decaie is commonly here ſtill, Hymeneus and Alexander laying aſide Conſcience as legal, and ſervile, and Old-Teſtament ware, become ſoon tainted with noiſom opinions, at laſt come up to open blaſphemies, and profeſſed deteſtation of Paul, God doth expoſe unconſcionable Chriſtians to errors in Faith. Dr Twiſſe. Zech. 11. 10, 14, 15.and all ſuch like ſound Teachers. God in his juſt judgement ſmites ſuch Teachers in their right eye, and in their right hand; they are corrupt both in judgement and practice, and become no better then idol-Teachers, coming before God with the idols of their hearts, and laying ſtumbling blocks of iniquitie before the peoples face. And indeed whenſoever the Teacher layes by the Staffe of Beautie, Faith; and breaketh the Staffe of Bands, Good Conſcience; what hath he left to take, but the inſtruments of a fooliſh ſhepherd, ſome abſurd and dangerous opinions which drown men in perdition and errour? while they ſpeak high ſounding ſwelling words of vanitie, 2 Pet. 2. 18, 19.and promiſe others Libertie, themſelves are the captive ſervants of all corruption.
7. This informs us whence it ordinarily ariſeth that many have loſt that former Peace, and thoſe ſweet Soul-Comforts they have ſometimes had, they have loſt or wounded their Conſcience: The Lamp being broken, the Oile is loſt, and the light goes out of it ſelf. Men little minde this, but here is the common bane of all, They are excellent Obſervations of Learned Ames Med. Theol. lib. 1. cap. 30. Prou… fides, & Conſcientia vigent aut languent in hominibus, ſi… … certitu…o aug…tu…, aut dimi…ur. Ce…titudo Sal…tis non e…t ab aliis, neque alias per…ipitur, ni… ab iis qui una…um fide …tinent bo…am Conſcienti…m, idque dwn eam retinent ſine graviore aliquo vulnere, quod à peccatis iis infertur quae vaſtare ſolent Conſcientiam.Dr Ames in this reſpect, Look, ſaith he, how much thy Faith and good Conſcience do riſe or fall, ſo is thy Comfort and Aſſurance of Salvation more or leſs. Therefore, ſaith he, Aſſurance of Salvation is neither had by other men, nor by any other manner, then by thoſe who together with Faith do keep a go…d Conſcience, and that onelyonly while they keep Conſcience from any greater wound, which is uſually given by thoſe ſins which do waſte and make havock of Conſcience. And at laſt he concludes, Qui igitur ſine ulla fidei, & Reſipiſcentiae ſenſu, aut cu…â certò ſperant Salutem, praeſumendo ſperant, & ſperando pereunt. Whoſoever without care had of Faith, Repentance, and good Conſcience perſuade themſelves they have Aſſurance of Salvation, that Perſwaſion is their Preſumption, and that Preſumption will be their Perdition.
Conſcience doth not uſe to collogue and flatter any man, it will tell every man his own. If you make it ſad, it will make you as ſad. And if you be found to it what you ſhould not, wonder not if you finde that to you what you would not: who can make me glad, but the ſame who was made ſorrie by me? ſaid the Apoſtle in another caſe, 2 Cor. 2. 2. When thou haſt put away Puritie of Conſcience, wonder not if thou wanteſt Peace of Conſcience. The Bell when cracked loſeth not onelyonly his former ſoundneſs, but the pleaſantneſs of his former ſound. The crackt Conſcience makes but harſh muſick. What man could exſpect a ſong of the Lord in a Babylon of ſin? There was no voice of Bridegroom or Bride, or ſound of Harp to be heard any more, Revel. 18. 23. But the Harpers and Singers are onelyonly to be found upon Mount Sion. Revel. 14. 1, 2.
8. This informs us whence it is that many come to die ſo Tragically, deſpairingly, and to make ſuch fearfull ends. They have like Zimri ſet their own houſe (of Conſcience) afire, and now muſt periſh in it. Some have attempted to make away themſelves; ſome have done it, as Saul, Judas, and Abithophel; ſome have accurſed themſelves, as Spira; ſome have blaſphemed God, as Cain, and they mentioned Revel. 16. 11. All fruits of this ſhipwrack of Conſcience. All theſe fierie and devouring flames break out of the AEtna of a ſulphurie and helliſh Conſcience. Maxima violatio Conſcientiae maximum peccatum. Ames.The more thou doeſt wound another mans Conſcience, thou doſt offend againſt Charitie, and therefore doſt the more wound Chriſt, 1 Cor. 8. 12. The more thou woundeſt and grieveſt thy own Conſcience, thou offendeſt againſt Pietie, and therefore thou ſinneſt againſt, and grieveſt the holy Ghoſt. Paul while a Phariſee had done worſe acts then Judas, he had been a raging Perſecutor, a deſperate blaſphemer of Chriſt, a compeller of others to blaſpheme, he had his hand in the bloud of holy Martyrs. Judas did none of theſe hideous Acts, yet Paul ſaved, Judas damned; Paul found merciemercy, becauſe what he did, he did ignorantly in unbelief, he had never gone 1 Tim. 1. 13againſt the light of his own Conſcience. Therefore he ſaid Act. 23. 1. he had walked in all good Conſcience before God to that day. The like 2 Tim. 1. 3. I thank God whom I ſerve from my forefathers with a pure Conſcience. But as for Judas he could have no cloak for his ſin, he went fully againſt the clear light of his own Conſcience; therefore he had the more ſin, and the more horrour.
The conſumption of Conſcience doth not onelyonly bring the outward ſtate into a conſumption, that ſuch die beggers, or bankrupts, but it as uſually brings the inward man into fits of Convulſions, which are hardly cured, and at laſt they die in one of thoſe fits in great horrour. When Conſcience hath been often fretted, and grated upon by known and allowed ſins, at length it breeds an Ʋlcer in Conſcience, which is the moſt tormenting diſeaſe in the world, beyond any Ʋlcer in Bowels or Bladder. Theſe live and die in great extremities of Miſerie. The ſtroke at Conſcience is the ſtroke at the fift Rib, the fatall and deadly ſtroke.
9. Laſtly, it informs us whence it is that ſome have arrived at the higheſt pitch of impietie, to commit that ſin of ſins, that ſin againſt the holy Ghoſt; It is ever firſt by muzzling and ſnubbing their Conſcience, and afterwards intreating it worſe, waſting, worrying and ſtabbing of it. No other way of coming up to this incurable diſeaſe, and unpardonable ſtate but by violation of Conſcience. Keep this fierie ſword in thy hand, The Word of God turning every way in the door of Conſcience, and the Tree of Life is guarded, The Gate of Paradiſe kept, no danger of committing the ſin againſt the holy Ghost. But on the other ſide, when thou doſt croſs the Line, and ſwim through and over, and beyond thy Conſcience, then is the Gulf fixed, and the Gate of Hell ſhut, that there is no coming thence for them that would, as no coming thither but over this Gulf.