The Cure of Misprision, Section 44 – Section 45
Sect. 44.
Sixtly. Another reaſon might be drawne from the Tempter: For as God ſo Satan alſo, Firſt, tryes us by, or rather tempts us to commit ſmall ſinnes: that after he may prevaile for greater. That ſubtill Serpent, and Sophiſter: preſents his alurements firſt by darting a temptation into our minds; after hee makes offer thereof by …ome inſtrument, to thoſe cinque ports the ſences: before the action, or execution will be condiſcended unto. And by caſting our water, feeling our pulſe, and obſerving our diſpoſition: he knowes where our infirmity lyes: and therefore corrupts our luſt, to corrupt us. Nor were the Fens of Laerna, ever ſo dangerous: or that Monſter Hydra to the inhabitants: the… this mother Concupiſcence is to the government within us. For as out of the bowes of a tree, are taken wedges to cleave it in pieces: ſo intra nos est, quod contra nos est. Out of our owne luſts, Satan workes Engines to deſtroy us.
But the former reaſons are ſufficient, both to vindicate the accuſed, and to ſhame their accuſers: Yea, to induce all that feare God, to feare any ſinne that he forbids, be it never ſo ſmall.
And indeed he is fouly to be ſuſpected, that allowes himſelfe in the leaſt ſinne: for he that will corrupt his conſcience for a penny, what would he doe for a pound? he that will miſreckon or tell a lye to ſave his purſe, what would he doe if his life lay upon it? Certainly, he will never grapple with a Gyant, who is beaten by every Dwarfe: nor get ground of his stronger corruptions, that watcheth, and wreſtleth not againſt the firſt, and weakeſt motions of ſin.
Whence every gracious heart, is in ſome meaſure ſcrupilous like David: whoſe heart ſmote him, for cutting off Sauls coat, when Saul himſelfe thought he merited, for not cutting his throat. And they that truly feare ſinne, (meerly becauſe it is ſinne) reſemble Marcus: who to ſave his life, would not give a poore halfe penny, towards the re edifying of an Jdolatrous Temple: ſaying it was as great wickedneſſe, to confer one halfe penny in caſe of impiety, as if a man ſhould beſtow the whole.
A good conſcience, is a tender conſcience: and a tender conſcience, is like the apple of the eye: for as the leaſt haire or duſt grieves and offends that which the skinne of the eye-lid would not complaine of: So a good and tender conſcience, is diſquieted not only with beames, but motes, even ſuch as the world accounts trifles. It ſtraines not only at Camels, but Gnats alſo. As he that feares poyſon, feares aſwell a drop as a draught. Or in caſe any ſinne hath been admitted by him through humane frailty: it ſhall neither rooſt, nor reſt in his heart. As when any uncleane thing, be it the drop of a candle, hath falne by chance into a Butt of Spaniſh wine, it will never leave working, untill it be all out againe. Pure religion, and undefiled before God, Saith St. James, is to keep a mans ſelfe unſpotted of the World. James 1. 27. It hates not only wallowing with the Sow in the myre, but is ſhie of very ſpots; And hates not only the fleſh, but the garment: not the garment only, which is groſly beſmeared: but even that which is but ſpotted with the fleſh, as St. Jude notes Jude 23. And this you may commonly obſerve, there is a good likelihood of that man, which is any way ſcrupilous of his wayes: but he which makes no bones of his actions, is apparantly hopeleſſe.
Yea, there cannot be a greater, or more certaine evidence of our ſinceritie (which is the life and ſoule of all grace) then the making conſcience of ſmall things: being joyned with an anſwerable care of greater matters, For this doth notably approve our obedience to be ſound, and free from deceit. In greater matters if we ſhould not ſtand out; all the world would cry ſhame of us: Yea, the Lawes of men might take hold of us, and here it would be hard to ſay, whether the love, or ſhame, or feare of men▪ whether the love of gaine, or glory, or the conſcience of Gods commandement urged us: But in leſſe matters wherein there is neither credit, nor profit, nor peace to be had or gained, but rather loſſe, hatred, and diſgrace: for the world will rather cry ſhame of us if we doe ſtand out, and ſhew our ſelves ſingular, here it is evident that good conſcience ſets one worke, and that obedience to Gods word, carries the greateſt ſtroak, and ſway with us.
Sect. 45.
And to ſpeake rightly, a good conſcience, and ſticking cloſe to the word: is the only thing that raiſeth their ſpleen: as it fared with Ananias the high Prieſt touching Paul. Acts 23. Who no ſooner heard him ſpeak of keeping a good conſcience, & ſerving God, but he ſmote him on the mouth, verſ. 1. 2. For had we conſciences (like them) made of Cheverill, that would ſtretch every way: all their malice, and cenſuring would preſently ceaſe. And what is ſaid by the Holy Ghoſt of Cains envy, we may as truly ſay of their cenſuring: Men of the world cenſure the religious, becauſe their owne workes are evill, and their brothers good) 1 Iohn 3. 12. as you may obſerve from an hundred inſtances and examples aleadged, and to be aleadged in this conference.
Neither do they ſpeak of us, as their hearts think: for the ſame men that call the conſcionable Puritans▪ and hypocrites, and that hate them to the death: will upon better conſideration, rather marry their daughter to ſuch an one, then to another of their owne religion, rather make ſuch an one their executor when they dy, then any of their own ſwearing companions. And when they ly ſick, O pray for me: (As Pharoah to Moſes, And Saul to David, and Simon Magus, to Simon Peter) you that I have ſo derided: rather then any of my ſcoffing companions. Nor can the moſt cauterized conſcience deny, but he deſires with Balaam, to have his laſt end like a beleevers, and his ſoul go where ſuch a deſpiſed puritans ſoule goeth: rather then with any mans that hath lived ſo careleſſely as himſelfe, and ſcoff at others for being more conſcionable.
But that a good conſcience, may beare us out againſt all the croſſe gales of their malicious cenſuring: take another evidence of ſincerity to the former: which can never faile, namely, when wee are as conſcientious alone, and in private, as if all the world ſaw us: and when we keep a narrower watch over our very thoughts, then any other can do of our actions: and no mans cenſure troubles us, more then our own.
And yet if we do not ſoe wee are very fooles: for we can do nothing without a million of witneſſes; the Conſcience being as a thouſand witneſſes and God as a thouſand conſciences.