Good Conscience, Treatise · Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
The comfort and benefit of a good Conſcience in the caſe of Diſgrace and Reproach.
WE are now come to the fift and laſt point which was propounded: The motiues to perſwade vsus to get good Conſciences. The motiues therevnto may bee many, I will keepe my ſelfe within the compaſſe of fiue.
1. Motiue. The incomparable and1. Motiue to a good Cōſcience. vnſpeakeable comfort, and benefit thereof in ſuch caſes and times as all other comforts faile a man, and wherin a man ſtands moſt in need of comfort. Theſe Caſes or times are fiue.
1. The Time and Caſe of Diſgrace and Reproach.
2. The Time of Common feare, and Common calamity.
3. The Time of Sickneſſe or outward croſſes in a mans goods.
4. The Time of Death.
5. The Time & Day of Iudgement.
In all theſe, or in any of theſe times,Interim elige ſocium qui cum …mnia ſubtracta▪ fuerint fidem ſervat dilectoribus ſuis me recedit in tempore anguſtiae. Ber. de Conſc. it is good to hauehave ſuch a friend or companion that will ſticke to a man, and be faithfull to him when all other things faile him. Such a friend & ſuch a companion, is a good Conſcience. A friend loues at all times, and a brother is borne for adverſity, Prov. 17. 17. But in ſome of theſe caſes a brother and a friend may be falſe and will not, or may bee weake and cannot helpe nor pleaſure a man, but a good Conſcience is better then all friends and brethren whatſoever, when they will not, or cannot, or may not, yet then will a good Conſcience ſticke cloſe to a man, and bee a ſure friend to him. Let vsus ſee in the particulars the truth of it.
1. In the Time and Caſe of Diſgrace, The comfort of a good Conſcience in caſe of diſgrace and reproach,Infamie, Reproach, and wrongs of that kinde, the comfort and benefit of a good Conſcience is vnſpeakeable. When a man ſhall be traduced, ſlandered, falſely accuſed and condemned, then in ſuch wrongs will a good Conſcience doe the office of a faithfull friend, will ſticke to, & ſtand by a man, and will comfort and hearten him againſt all ſuch iniuries. Paul is here cōvented before the Councell as a malefactor, he hath an whole Coūcel bent againſt him. What now is his comfort, and his defence againſt ſuch an heape of accuſers as doe affront him? This it is, Men and brethren, I hauehave liued in all good Conſcience. As if he had ſaid, Impeach, traduce, accuſe, and condemne me as you pleaſe, yet be it knowne vntounto you, that I hauehave a good Conſcience, and this my good conſcience is it which ſhall comfort, and vphold me againſt all your iniurious, and vnequall proceedings. You may bring forth falſe witneſſes againſt mee, but my Conſcience doth, and will witneſſe for me, you may condemne mee, yet my conſcience acquits, and abſolues me. And thus doth Paul ſhelter himſelfe vnderunder his good Conſcience.
The like wee may ſee in the next Chapter. Ananias, and the Elders come and bring Tertullus, and he is feed to be Pauls accuſer, and he layes heauy and hainous things to Pauls charge. verſ. 5. We hauehave found this man a peſtilent fellow, and a moover of ſedition among all the Iewes thr…ughout the world, a ring leader of the ſect of the Nazarens, &c. Here be foule things, what will Paul be able to ſay to all this? Will not this be enough to ſinke him downe vtterly, to ſee ſo many banded together, and ſuch great ones combined to countenance ſuch an accuſation? How will he be able to ſubſiſt? Now then behold the benefit; and comfort of a good Conſcience. He holds vp his former buckler, and ſmites Ananias, and the reſt with his former weapon, verſ. 16. Herein doe I exerciſe my ſelfe to hauehave alwayes a Conſcience voide of offence towards God, and to wards men. Ananias, and the Elders hauehave a mercenary Tertullus to accuſe him, Paul hath no man dares bee ſeene to plead for him, none will be reteined in his cauſe, but yet now Conſcience ſteps out, and ſtops the foule mouth of this ſlanderous Oratour, and puts ſpirit, and heart into Paul to plead his owne Cauſe againſt them all. Conſcience ſeemes on this manner to animate him; Feare not Paul the accuſations of this Tertullus, I witnes for thee thine Innocency. I iuſtifie it to the teeth of Tertullus, that he is one, whoſe malice, and Covetouſneſſe hath made him ſet his Conſcience to ſale; Stand vp therefore, and ſpeake boldly for thy ſelfe, dread them not. Well fare a good conſcience yet, that will ſpeake comfort to Paul, and make Paul ſpeake with courage, when none elſe dare bee ſeene in his Cauſe.
It was an ill caſe Dauid was in. Pſal. 69. 20. 21. Reproach hath br…aken mine heart, and I am full of heavines, and I looked for ſome to take pittie, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none: They gaue mee alſo gall for my meate, and in my thirſt they gaue mee vineger to drinke. A very hard caſe indeed. Where was now Davids familiar friend, his acquaintance with whom he was wont to take ſweet counſell▪ what was become of him now? Poſſibly ſome of his acquaintance were at this time like a broken tooth, & a foote out of ioynt. Prov. 25. 19. Confidence in an vnfaithfull man is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of ioynt. Others it may be that had profeſt him louelove, were readie to faſten a poyſond tooth in him. This was Dauids caſe, and this may be any mans caſe, but now at ſuch a time, and in ſuch a pinch appeares the excellency, and benefit of a good Conſcience. Though all a mans friends ſhould proue Iobs friends, like the Winter-brookes of Teman, that in Winter ouerſwell the bankes, but in the ſcorching heat of Sommer proue drie ditches, yet then, e…en then well fare a good Conſcience. That will heale Dauids heart broken with reproach, that will cheere him vp in his heauines, that will ſweeten the gall, and take away the ſharpnes of the vineger, which his enemies hauehave giuen him to drinke.
There is a generation Pro. 30. 14. whoſe teeth are as ſwords, and their iaw-teeth as kniues; and Prou. 12. 18. that generation ſpeakes as the piercings of a ſword. There is a generation, whoſe words are wounds that goe downe into the innermoſt parts of the belly. Prou. 18 8. Theſe be dangerous generations. But what generations are they? Generations of Vipers. Pſ. 140. 3. Adders poyſon is vnderunder their lips. Iunius tranſlates it, Venenum ptyados, The poyſon of the ſpitting Serpent. They bee then generations of ſpitting ſerpents, even of fiery ſerpents, that hauehave their tongues ſet on fire from hell, & ſo they ſpit fiery poyſon in the faces of Innocents. Now there is no man can liue in this world, at whom theſe adders will not ſpit, no man can be free from the ſprikling of their poyſon. The diſciple is not aboue the maſter; If theſe ſnakes hauehave hiſſed at the Lord of the houſe; and if theſe ſpitting ſerpents hauehave caſt their poyſon in his face, why would they feare to doe it to the ſervants? But is there then no balme againſt this poyſon? no buckler againſt theſe ſwords? Yes, there is the ſoveraign balme, & the impenetrable buckler of a good conſcience. It is a balſome that will alay the poyſon of theſe Adders, that it ſhall never burſt a mans heart, or if theſe ſwords pierce the very innermoſt bowels, yet this will ſo ſalue theſe wounds, that they ſhall not ranckle, nor become mortall. Oh! how mortal▪ is this adders poyſon, how fatall are thoſe ſwords, how …eene their edge, & how full of paine their wounds, where inward guilt giues ſtrength vntounto them? But Integritie, and goodneſſe of Conſcience, is a pretious balme of Gilead, that takes away the venome of this poyſon, and the ſtinging ſmart of the wounds of theſe ſwords.
Let Paul liue with ever ſo good a conſcience before God, and man. Act. 24. 16. yet Tertullus will play the ſpitting adder, and he will ſpit, yea, ſpue forth his poyſon in his face, and in the face of an whole Court, will not ſpare openly to ſlander him for an arrant varlet, a lewd, peſtilent, and a villanous fellow. Such drivell will the malicious world ſpit in the face of Godlines. But marke now the benefit, and comfort of a good Conſcience. Either a good Cō ſcience with Stephens Angelicall face wil dazle, & ſhame the divels oratours. 1 Pet. 3. 16. Hauing a good Conſcience that they may be aſhamed, or els like Paul it can ſhake off thoſe vipers without ſwelling, or falling downe dead. Yea, if Satans oratours will needs be opening their mouths againſt Paul, yet ſo good is his Conſcience, that as Iohn Hus appealed from Pope Alexander to Pope Alexander, namely, from him in his anger to him in his cold blood, & better adviſed, ſo dares Paul appeale from Tertullus to Tertullus, Dauid from Shimei to Shimei, frō enemies to enemies, from their tongues to their hearts, from their mouthes to their Conſciences, as knowing their owne integritie to bee ſuch, as that their enemies owne hearts giues their tongues the lye, and tells them that againſt their conſciences poſſeſſed with meere malice, they are hurried on in Satans ſervice. Tertullus knowes he lyes, and his owne Conſcience tells him hee lyes in his throate, that Paul is an honeſter man then himſelfe, yea, and the comfort is, that Pauls Conſcience comforts him, and aſſures him that Tertullus his Conſcience aſſures him all this. So vnſpeakeably ſweet is the comfort of a good Conſcience.
Dauid complaines of a great affliction. Pſal. 35. 11. Falſe witneſſe did riſe vp, they laid to my charge things that I knew not. What ſhould a man doe in ſuch a caſe, if he had not the comfort of a good Conſcience witneſſing for him. But now at ſuch a pinch appeares the benefit of a good Conſcience; Let ever ſo many riſe vp falſely to witneſſe againſt him, yet his conſcience will witneſſe as faſt for him. My friends ſcorne me, ſayes Iob, Iob. 16. 20. They witneſſed againſt him to bee a wicked perſon, and an hypocrite, they cenſured and condemned him, but what was Iobs comfort? That ſame verſ. 19. Behold my witneſſe is in heaven, and my record is on high. That was one comfort, but that was not all▪ he had alſo a witneſſe on earth, and his record below. VponUpon whoſe record, and witneſſe, ſee with what ſolemnitie and with what confidence he ſtands, Iob. 27. 2. 6. As God liueth who hath taken away my iudgement, and the Almightie who hath vexed my ſoule, All the while my breath is in me, and the ſpirit of God is in my noſtrils, my lips ſhall not ſpeake wickedneſſe, nor my tongue vtter deceit, God forbid that I ſhould iuſtifie you, till I die I will not remoue mine integritie from me, my righteouſnes I will hold faſt, & will not let it goe, mine heart ſhall not reproach mee ſo long as I liue. As if he had ſaid, As the Lord liues, whileſt there is breath in my body, INam ſi in …s iniquibus me criminantur teſtimoniū Conſcientia mea non ſtat contra me in conſpectu dei quo nullus oculus mortalis intenditur non ſolum contriſtari non debeo verū etiam exultare & gaudere quia merces mea multa eſt in coelis. Ne que enim intuendum eſt quam ſit amarum ſed quam falſum ſit quod audio, & quam verax pro cuius nomine hoc audio▪ Aug. Contra lit. Petil l 3. will not yeeld vntounto your accuſations, nor yet acknowledge my ſelfe guiltie of that you do charge me withall. Vrge me, and preſſe me what you will, yet will I never let goe mine hold. Why what is it that makes Iob thus ſtiffe, and reſolute, what is it that ſupports him with ſuch an excellent ſpirit? That ver. 6. Mine heart ſhall not reproach me ſo long as I liue. Indeed you reproach, cenſure, & condemne me, you lay heavie things to my charge. But I hauehave ſearched the records of my Conſcience, I hauehave called that vnpartiall witnes to teſtifie the truth, & I finde conſcience witneſſing ſtrongly on my ſide, and therefore doe what you can, you ſhall neuer beare me downe. Iobs friends may proue fickle, and falſe, but his owne Conſcience will proue true to him, that will plead for him, animate him, and comfort him againſt all their calumnious, and iniurious reproaches, and giuegive him cauſe of much ioy and triumph. Iob then had his witneſſe in heaven, & Iob had his witneſſe on earth, God and his own Cōſcience, two witneſſes beyond all exception; and in the mouth of two witneſſes eueryevery truth ſhall ſtand. Conſcience is a thouſand witneſſes, and God is aboue Conſcience. And what Conſcience witneſſes concerning matter of fact, God himſelfe will Iuſtifie the ſame. He that hath a good conſcience, hath a ſure friend, that will neither ſlinke, nor ſhrinke at any hand. Nay he hath two good friends, and two ſubſtantiall witneſſes, whoſe teſtimonies, though ſecret, yet are ſuch as ſweetly ſolace the heart of man againſt open reproaches, ſlanders, falſe witneſſes, & all wrongs, and iniuries of that kinde whatſoever. The teſtimony of Conſcience is full of Comfort, becauſe of the vndoubted certainty, and the vnqueſtioned infallibilitie thereof, ſo that it voycing on a mans ſide, ſtrangely cheares his heart. Pro. 27. 19. As in water face anſwers to face, ſo doth the heart of a man vntounto man; That is, as ſome expound it, As a man may ſee his face by looking in the water, ſo a man may ſee himſelfe, and what he is by looking into his conſcience. If a man ſhould be told that he had ſome filth or bloach on his face, if he would go lookIn ſpeculo Conſcientiae ſtatus interioris hominis, & exterioris cognoſcitur Non immerito Conſcientiam ſpeculo comparavit, quoniā in ea tanquā ſpeculo rationis, oculus tam indecens quā quod decens in ſe eſt claro aſpectu apprehendere poteſt Bern. de Conſc. into the water, or eſpecially into a looking-glaſſe, hee ſhould eaſily ſee whether it were ſo or no. And if looking into the water, or glaſſe, he could not ſee any ſuch filth in his face, though an hundred ſhould offer to beare him downe to the contrary, yet would hee beleeue his owne eyes before them al. So here, whē at any time foule mouths are open, and ſpare not to caſt aſperſions vponupon Innocency, and to lay …candalous things to a mans charge, then a man by looking into his conſcience can ſee himſelfe, and can finde whether he be guilty or not, and ſeeing himſelfe in that water, or in that glaſſe, to be cleere from that filth & dirt which malice would caſt in his face, it ſo fills his heart with comfort, and confidence, as makes him treade all reproach, and falſe Iudgement of man vnderunder his foot.Non ideo bona eſt cō ſcientia mea quia vos illam laudatis. Quià enim laudatis quod nō videtis? Aug. de ver dom ſer. 49. Si autem non aurem ſolam perculit …racund…a criminantis verū etiam conſcientiā mordet veritus criminis quid mihi prodeſt ſi me▪ continuis laudibus totus mū dus attollat▪ Ita nec malam Conſcientiā ſa…at praconiū …audantis nec bonā vulnerat convictantis opprobrium. Aug. contra lit. Petil. l. 2 In omni quod dicitur ſemper tacite occurrere debemus ad mentem & interiorem teſtem, & iudicem requirere. Quid enim prodeſt ſi omnes laudans & cō ſcientia accuſat? aut poterit obeſſe ſi omnes derogent, & ſolae Conſcientia defē dit? Greg. ſup. 125. hom, 6,
This appeares by the contrary. Let a man be prayſed, and magnified euer ſo, let euer ſo much good be ſpoken of him, and ever ſo much worth be attributed to him, yet if his owne heart tell him, that all is falſely ſpoken of him, and there is indeed no ſuch matter in him, he hath at all no true comfort in all the good words of the world. Pro. 27. 21. As the fining pot for ſiluer, the furnace for gold, ſo is a man to his prayſe, that is, a man is to try his praiſe that is giuen him, and if his conſcience tell him it is vndeſerved, hee is to ſeperate this droſſe of flattery from himſelf. All the commendations, and admirations of the world, what cōfort can they yeeld, whileſt a mans Conſcience tells him, that they are all but lying and glavering flatteries. What though the poor multitude feeling the ſweete, and refreſhment of a Phariſees almes, do canonize a Phariſe for a Saint, yet what is he the better, or what cōfort hath he the more, whilſt his own cōſcience reproaches, and reproues him, and tells him that he is a vaine-glorious hypocrite, and that though theſe whom he feedes, ſend him to heauen, yet he ſhall hauehave his portion with hypocrites, and vnbeleevers. What is a man the better for a flattering Funerall Commendation, whileſt in the meane time hee is vnderunder the reproach, and torture of his cōſcience, in the place of torment. How many a man is there that hath the good word of all men, no man but ſpeakes wel of him, but yet in the meane time, his own heart giues him bitter words, and rates him to his face. How well contented would ſuch an one bee, and what an happy exchange would hee hold it, to hauehave all the world rayle on him, & ſlander him, ſo his own conſcience would but ſpeak friendly & kindly to him. So he could find hony from his Conſcience, hee would not care what gall he had from the world.
Experience lets vsus ſee that ſuch as hauehave bin malevolent and iniurious againſt others innocency, though they hauehave bin abetted and born out by their vmpires, and advocates, that for handfuls of barley, and ſcraps, and cruſts, hauehave laboured to maintaine ill cauſes, and worſe perſons, yet they hauehave had no peace nor reſt of heart. Their advocates hauehave bid them ſit downe with reſt, and victory, the day is theirs, they hauehave cheered them, and ſtrived to deſerue their fee, & yet their guilty clients beeing netled with the inward guilt of their Conſciences, hauehave ſtill bin haunted with a reſtles & perplexed vnquiet ſpirit, whileſt others made guilty, and cenſured for offenders by ſuch mercenary vmpires, hauehave poſſeſſed their ſoules in patience, and hauehave bin cheerfull and merry-hearted, from the comfort of their own innocent and cleere Conſciences.
So that looke as the naughty conſcience can ſpeake no comfort, though all the world ſpeake well of it, ſo contrarily though all the world reproach, cenſure, ſlander, &c. yet a good conſcience can, and will ſpeake peace, and comfort to a mans heart.
The Corinthiās did exceedingly ſlightFaelix conſcientia nō ſibi in aliquo conſcia, quae nō proprium iudiciū, nec alienum veretur. Bern de Conſc. Beata plane quae non alienis aeſtimatur▪ iudiciis ſed domeſticis percipitur ſenſibus tā quam ſui iudex. Ne que enim populares opiniones pro mercede aliqua requirit, neq, proſupplicio pauet. Ambroſ▪ de offic. l. 2. c 1. N…n poſſūt aliena verba crimen affigere quod propria non recepit Cō ſcia. Ambrin Pſ. 38. Paul, He was this, and he was that, but how was he affected with it? See how, 1 Cor. 4. 3. 4. But with me it is a very ſmall thing that I ſhould be iudged of you, I know full well what your cenſures are, & what ſentēce you paſſe vponupon me, but know ye that I no whit at all regard the ſame, I make no reckoning therof at all. Why? might the Corinthians ſay, do ye count vsus ſo ſilly, & ſo iniudicious? Nay ſayes Paul, I ſpeak it not as if you were ſillier then others, with me it is a ſmall thing to be iudged of you, or of mans iudgement, let them be the moſt wiſe, & iudicious that are in the world, or of mans Day, though by men convened in ſolemne maner for iudgement; I paſſe not what their cenſure is, I regard not their miſ-iudgings of me. I, but what makes Paul thus ſlight mens iudgement of him? That in the fourth verſe, I know nothing by my ſelfe, mine owne Conſcience iudges me not, nor ſentenſes me, that layes no ſuch thing to my charge, and therefore ſo long as my Conſcience is on my ſide, I regard not a whit what the world iudges.
Now then ſee what a motiue this is to get and keepe a good Conſcience. As we would be glad to hauehave comfort and confidence againſt the malice of opprobrious tongues, as wee would hauehave a counter-poyſon againſt their venome, ſo get a good Conſcience. Here is that which may make vsus in louelove with a good Conſcience. Reproach muſt full often be the portion of Gods deare children. Iſraelites ſhall bee for ever an abomination to Egyptians. And though the Egyptian dogges moued not their tongues againſt Iſrael. Exodus 11. 7. yet dogged Egyptians will moue their tongues, and their teeth too. The Apoſtles muſt be counted the filth of the world, and the offſcowrings of all things, 1 Cor. 4. 13. The Lord Ieſus himſelfe dranke of this cup, Pſal. 22. 6. 7. I am a worme and no man, a reproach of men, and diſpiſed of the people, All they that ſee me laugh me to ſcorne, &c. The way to heauen is a narrow way, and this narrow way is beſet with ſnakes, ſpitting adders, barking, and biting, and mad dogs, and a man muſt paſſe to heauen through good and euill report. 2. Cor. 6. 8.
Well then it being ſo hard a paſſage,Currentem attrites ſuper aſpidas & baſiliſeos declinare ſenem vipera non poterit. proſp. dc Aug. Conſcia mens recti famae mendaci… ridet, Sed no… in vitiūm credula treba famus. Ovid. how may a man get himſelfe ſo armed that hee may paſſe cheerfully through all theſe; get a good Conſcience, and thou ſhalt regard theſe ſnakes, ſerpents, vipers, and dogs, no more then a ſtraw vnderunder thy foot. If thou hauehave a good Conſcience thou ſhalt laugh at the reproaches of enemies, as Eliphaz ſpeaks of deſtruction. Iob 5. A good conſcience will ſay vntounto thee, Goe on cheerily in the wayes of God, what euer diſcouragements the diuell rayſes by reproaches and ſlanders, feare them not, Behold I acquit and excuſe thee, I will beare thee out, I will witneſſe at Gods tribunall for thee. Lo, I giuegive thee balme againſt their poyſon, a buckler againſt their ſwords. Let them curſe, yet I will bleſſe thee; let thē reproach, yet I will …fort▪ let them condemn, fame thee, yet I will be thy compurgator: let them caſt dirt in thy face, yet I will waſh it off; let them diſquiet, yet behold, I am ready to cheere thee. Oh the ſweet and vnconceivable comfort that a good Conſcience will ſpeake, even in the middſt of the cruell ſpeakings of vngodly men, Iude 15. that will ſpeake comfortably when they ſpeake cruelly, and moſt comfortably, when they ſpeake moſt cruelly. Such is the benefit of a good Conſcience in caſe of reproach and diſgrace.