A Good Conscience the Strongest Hold, To the reader
To the Conſcientious Reader.
CHriſtian and Conſciencious Reader, for ſuch I deſire to find, at leaſt to leave thee: the World is now full of Books, ſo full that it cannot contain all that is written, and of how many may it be ſaid, that they do but proclaim the vanity of the Writer, and procure wearineſſe, if not vexation to the Reader?
As for the ſubject and matter of this Diſcourſe, it cannot but receive thy Approbation. Howſoever the homely and plain language in it, the unelegancy and untakingneſs of the compoſure and compoſer in this now ſo knowing, but more cenſorious Age, may cauſe it to be laid aſide with neglect by ſome who as in hearing they hear not Sermons but names, ſo in reading uſe not to read Treatiſes but Titles. O my Lord, I am not Eloquent, Vir verb… rum. Ex. 4. 10.but of a ſlow Speech, and of a ſlow Tongue; yet if the Lord ſay I will go with thee, and be with thy mouth, and with this Rod and Pen in thy Hand, how much may a ſtammerring and diſcouraged Moſes undertake and go through with?
Jerom ſaid he did diligere Chriſtum in Auguſtino, Love Auſtin the better for Chriſts ſake; our times invert it, and we do onelyonly diligere Auguſtinum in Chriſto, we love Chriſt the better for St. Auſtins ſake, and it may be, ſhould not like Chriſt at all if it were not in Auſtins mouth and parts. The preaching of Chriſt in a crucified ſtile, now is accounted fooliſhneſſe, as heretofore in a crucified ſtate.
But as of all Divinity it may be ſaid, Ornari res tanta nega…, contenta doceri; ſo eſpecially a diſcourſe of Conſcience needs leaſt the dreſſe of humane Ornaments, requires moſt the ſtrength of Divine Evidence and Demonſtration of the Spirit.
It is a ſubject wherein many of eminent worth have travelled, ſome more antiently, many more of latter times, and among our ſelves: All which will have their deſerved praiſe in the Churches of Chriſt unto ſucceeding Ages. And yet it were much to be wiſhed, that either more were written in theſe dayes by thoſe who are foreign, and of more leiſure and abilities, or that what is already written were more read, ſtudied, peruſed and practiſed.
As for me, although I cannot but be ſo far at leaſt Conſcious to my own weakneſſes and inſufficiencies as to ſay with Gideon, Is not my thouſand the leaſt in the Tribe? and is not ſome others Gleanings better than my whole Vintage? yet having expected that ſome of more dayes, and name, and parts ſhould have ſpoken in Abners language to Joab, calling for a Ceſſation, 2 Sam. 2. 26.or a Retreat, How long ſhall it be ere thou bid the People return from purſuing their Brethren? that our Swords of Contention may he beaten into Plough-ſhares of more uſe and fruitfulneſſe for the Lords field; and our Spears of difference into Pruning-hooks, to prune and dreſſe the Lords Vineyard, leaſt all practicall Divinity be eaten up of controverſal, which being exhaled firſt from more ſpecious utrums, ſhortly congeales into more groſs & dubious neutrums, & at laſt diſſolves into irreligious nihilums, and ſettles in ſcepticiſm at laſt, or fouleſt Atheiſm; and fearing leaſt our ſmal Coal or Spark which is yet remaining, our ſacred Coal of Iſrael (of Religion, Faith, and good Conſcience) ſhould be quite put out, which to me ſeems to be ſtruck at, and in great danger: I have with Craeſus Son who had never ſpoken before, till he ſaw his Fathers life in that danger, broken that ſilence, and broke out from that privacy which I could gladly have enjoyed. But if Religion be in danger, as clearly it is, I concluded that if Dumb men ſhould not cry out, the very ſtones would cry out againſt them.
Conſcience is the Book of Books, the ancienteſt piece of Scripture in the World, the firſt Tables of Gods own hewing, and Hand-writing in the heart of man, for whoſe ſake all other Books ſince, yea, the Scripture was after purpoſely written to Comment upon it. Unicui que ſuus liber Conſcientia, & propter hunc libellum, omnes alii libri inventi ſunt, if Bernard ſay true.
This is thy Book, which thou muſt be well verſed in, or all thy other reading will be unprofitable. To ſtudy other Books may make thee a Scholler, but to ſtudy this makes thee a Chriſtian.
Conſcience is a little Map or volume of Divinity, there is more of God to be ſeen in Conſcience than in any other piece. It is the rareſt piece that God ever made. Of all Creatures there is more of God to be ſeene in Man than in them all, in Man moſt in the Soul, in the Soul moſt in the Conſcience. This ſmelleth more of God (ſaith one) than the Heavens, the Sun, the Stars, or all the glorious things of the Earth, Gold, precious Stones, Rubies, or the ſweeteſt Herbs, Roſes, or Lillyes.
Conſcience is the Art of Arts, and Science of Sciences, which every one of whatſoever Degree, Quality, Science is of abſolute neceſſity bound to be skilled and exerciſed in, A Book it is, which neither the Learned when it is delivered to him with this Charge, Read this I pray, may refuſe & put away, as he, Eſa. 29. 11, 12. and ſay I cannot, for it is ſealed, It is an open Book: Or when to the unlearned with the ſame Charge, Read this now, he may not ſay, I cannot, for I am not Book-learned, It is …n eaſie Book, the Lay-mans Book, or Primmer: Multae ſunt Scientiae hominum, ſed nulla melior illa, quâ homo cognoſcit ſeipſum; Many Sciences there are, but none like that whereby a man knowes himſelf.
The Tree of Knowledge hath often proved to the ſons of men the Tree of Evill; the fruit though delightful to the eye, and pleaſant to the taſte, often proving bitter Apples of contention; God hath juſtly hedged it in, and ſet an Angel to keep man from approaching it. But the Tree of Conſcience is ever the Tree of Life, his fruit is meat, his leaves medicine, and his very ſhade comfort…ble. And truly if a man have but ſo much Knowledge, as to get and keep a good Conſcience, though he can never attain to thoſe high Speculations which the world admires, it is enough. I would have you, ſaith the Apoſtle to the Ro. 16. 19.Romanes, as ſimple to evill, as wiſe to good. And our Saviour to thoſe of Thyatira, whoſe parts could not reach the bottome of thoſe ſtrange and deep notions which they called foreign, depths; though depths of Satan, counting their doctrines of licentiouſneſſe depths, and the old plain ſincerity and conſcientiouſneſſe but ſhallows and ſimplicities, I will lay upon you no other burthen, but what you have already hold faſt till I come.Rev. 2. 24, 25.
The truth is, Heaven and Glory are not for the learned Scribe, and the Scholler-like Diſputant, for Seraphical parts, and Serpentine pates; but for the poor and ſimple, the Babes and children who attend the knowledge of God and Conſcience, and are Ignoramuſſes in the Worlds Sciences and grand Myſteries. He that receiveth not the Kingdome of God as a little child, ſhall not enter therein.
Theſe times of ours have been too fruitful in diſputes and controverſies; in dealing with which as there is no end, ſo in the end no ſatisfaction at all, or benefit: To which therefore that of the wiſe man may be applyed, Better is the End than the Beginning, though Both are Vanity; and better than them both is a total abſtinence from them, and an harmleſſe neſcience of them. But how barren are we, and unfruitfull in the right knowledge of God, and faith in Jeſus Chriſt, and that conſcientiouſneſſe which doth adorn the Christian. Never was there more Knowledge in the World, and never leſſe; Never ſo many Saints, never ſo few; Never ſo much of Conſcience in the world, and never ſo little; Notionall Knowledge never more, Subſtantiall and Obedientiall never leſſe; Titular Saints never ſo many, their number as the ſand of the Sea, their nature as the ſtones, or myre in the ſtreets; Reall Saints never ſo few, their nature as the Stars in the Skie, but their number leſſe than of the moſt precious Stones and Rubies, fewer than the gates of Jeruſalem, or the precious Stones in Aarons Breſt-plate, for each Tribe one; Never ſo much of Conſcience heard, never ſo little of it ſeen; Every man propounding doubtful Queries about it, but one plain man in a family, or two in a Tribe, buſying themſelves about the exerciſe of it. But as Auſtin very excellently ſaid of the Poor Gardiner, who hath an excellent Fruit-tree in his Orchyard, whereof he is the undoubted Owner, he gathers and eats the Fruit, he taſtes the ſweetneſſe, this man, ſaith he, hath much more benefit by this Tree, though he be a mean Scholler, can neither write or read, nor can he tell you the name of his Tree in Greeke or Latine, nor doth hee know any thing of the Antiquity of it, or the Original roote whence it came; He is no ſuch Artiſt as to take the height of it, nor ever buſied he himſelfe to meaſure the compaſſe and thickneſſe of his Tree, much leſſe to tell the Twigs and number the Apples on it; But he is ſure he is the owner of it, and it is all his, with all Appurtenances: He lookes to the fencing, pruning, dreſſing, dunging of his Tree, and gathering of the fruit: He I ſay, hath far more good by this Tree, than he that can learnedly in any language diſcourſe of it, and tell you the Phyſical nature of the fruit, and can exactly tell you his Age, Deſcent, and to an Inch give you his Thickneſſe, and Height, and tell you how many Twigs and Leaves there are upon it, and how much fruit to an Apple, but all this while it is none of his.
So ſurely he is much the happier man, who though he fall ſhort in matter of parts, yet is he the man that lookes to his Conſcience, and minds that.
Conſcience is the ſumme of the whole matter, it is the Totum Dei, and the Totum Hominis too. Firſt it is the Totum Dei, the whole charge of God, and his chief Agent. Conſcience next to the Son, and Spirit, and Word of God, is inveſted with the greateſt Authority, and by Divine Inſtitution his Head is lifted above all his Fellowes, and his Throne as Jehoiakims in the day of his Enlargement above all other Thrones and earthly Judicatories. It is Gods greateſt Officer and Vice-gerent, ſet by him to be (as it were) thy Angell, Keeper, Monitor, Remembrancer, King, Prophet, Witneſſe, Examiner, Judge, yea, thy lower Heaven. Submit to Conſcience, it muſt command thee: Be ruled by it, it will not wrong thee: Be not ſhie of it, it will not betray or deceive thee. Againe, I ſay Beware of it, provoke it not (as the Lord ſaid of his Angel) Obey his voice, for he will not ſpare thee: If thou ſlight or flie it, it is as the Angel in the way againſt Balaam, to reſiſt thee with a ſword in his hand: It will be an Adverſarie to thee, and an Informer againſt thee, an Accuſer, Witneſſe, Judge, Jaylor, Tormentor, a Worme, Rack, Dungeon to thee, yea, thy upper Hell.
Secondly, Conſcience is totum Hominis, It is the worlds great Charge: Art thou a Miniſter? All that thou haſt to doe, is onelyonly to look well to Conſcience. Tota cura animarum abſolvitur in ſolâ curâ Conſcientiarum? Art thou a Chriſtian? this is thy Charge, like his 1 King. 20. 39. Look well to this, ſee thy eye be never off it: Let it not break looſe and make eſcape from thee, thy life ſhall go for it if it do.
To call Conſcience a Grace is too little, it is as Hegai the Kings Chamberlaine, the Eſt. 2. 3.Keeper of all the Royal Virgins (thoſe daughters of Beauty) to whoſe charge they were committed, he was to Miniſter to them all neceſſaryes, he to furniſh them with Veſtments, and Odours to purifie them. Conſcience is the Keeper of the Graces, in whoſe Chamber they ly, and from whoſe hand they receive whatever is requiſite, that they may be fit to appear in the preſence of the King of Heaven.
To call Conſcience a Duty is too little, it is the Summe and Epitome of all duty; it is not a Star, but a Conſtellation of many ſtars. It is like the via lactea in the Heavens, all beſet with ſtars; it is like the Gates and Streets of the new Jeruſalem, Re. 21. 21.the one all Pearls, the other all Gold.
In a word, what ever thou art, and what ever is thy work, Conſcience muſt be thy Charge and thy work. Art thou a Merchant? this is the Pearl thou muſt Trade and lay out for. Art thou a Marriner? Conſcience is the Ship thou muſt ſail in; and except thou abide in this ſhip (as Paul ſaid to his Companions) thou canſt not be ſaved.
Art thou a Souldier, a Garriſon Souldier? Conſcience is thy Fort to fly to, which thou muſt manfully defend and make good. A Field-Souldier? Conſcience muſt be thy Word; if the enemy get this from thee, and thou once fight againſt Conſcience, thou ſhalt be certainly routed and ruined.
Art thou a Husbandman? this thy field to till, and Garden to dreſſe. A Tradeſman? this muſt be thy Shop to worke in, and attend upon. A Chapman? this thy weight and meaſure to buy and ſell by.
Art thou a Scholler? Conſcience muſt be thy Library, at leaſt thy Vade mecum. A Divine? this muſt be thy Text, or Doctrine, at leaſt thy Application muſt be to Conſcience. Art thou a Lawyer? Conſcience muſt be thy Principall Client, whoſe cauſe if thou wilt plead, thou ſhalt have double fees; but if thou be of Counſel againſt he… ▪ or by thy oppoſition, ſilence, craft, or negligence, ſhe be caſt and overthrowne, thou ſhalt never be able to ſtand in the Judgement, but be diſabled pleading before the Lord Chief Juſtice at that Upper Bench.
Art thou a Phyſitian? Conſcience muſt be thy Patient, whom thou muſt attend moſt; be ſure to keepe her out of a Lethargy and a Conſumption, to which diſeaſes ſhe is naturally, moſt inclined; if this Die under thy hand, and miſcarry, thou art an undone man, and all thy skill and practiſe nothing worth,
If thou be a Rich man, Conſcience will furniſh thee with Baggs which wax not old, of Treaſure that will not waſte. If Poor, it will furniſh thee with a Cruſe and Barrel that will not fail. If thou haſt a good Conſcience, it will be a ſtaff to ſupport thee: If an evil, it will turn in to a Serpent to ſting thee. If thou art an Iſraelite, it is the Red Sea, fear not to go into it, it will ſecure thee; if an Egyptian, thou art drowned if thou go into it.
If thou be a woman Conſcience is thy Glaſſe into which thou muſt looke, and by which thou muſt dreſſe thy ſelf, ſaith Bernard, that thou mayeſt pleaſe Chriſt thy Spouſe.
If a Maid, this thy attire. If a Bride, this thy Ornament. If a Mother, this thy Child, which thou muſt nurſe thy ſelf (not put out of doors as Moſes Mother did him, for any danger or benefit.) Take heed of ſtarving and overlaying thy Conſcience. Thou muſt be as tender of this as of thy only Child, for it more concerns thee.
Whoſoever thou art, I have two things more to beg, the one for thee, that what is here all along ſpoken of Conſcience, may be alſo ſpoken effectually to thy Conſcience, and tend to the clarifying and fortifying, to the purifying, pacifying, and preſerving of thy Conſcience, and the other from thee, that thou wilt joyne in thy prayers & endeavours, that the Lords baniſhed may be brought home; that baniſht Conſcience may be reſtored to his liberty, and that depoſed Conſcience may be Re-in-throned in his full power, and ſoveraigne authority commanding in the heart and lives of all profeſſors and Chriſtians, that while Conſcience reignes, the peace of God which paſſeth all onderſtanding may foreign beare rule in our hearts and minds. So I remit thee to the Conſcience of God, and commit thee to the foreign. 1 Pe. 2. 19God of Conſcience, that thou maiſt live full of Conſcience, ſo dye full of comfort, and riſe full of glory. So prayes he, who is
The meaneſt ſervant of thy Faith and Conſcience. J. S.