Good Conscience, Treatise · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Two further meanes to procure Integritie of Conſcience.
IN the fourth place, Deale with thy Conſcience as God would hauehave Abraham doe by Sarah, Gen. 21. 12. In all that Sarah ſhal ſay vntounto thee hearken vntounto her voice. So here. If we would get and keepe a good Conſcience, in all that it ſhall ſay vntounto vsus being enlightened and directed by the Word, hearken vntounto it. Conſcience being enlightened hath a voyce, and no man but ſome time or other ſhal heare this voice of conſciēce. Conſcience is Gods Monitor to ſpeak to men when others cānot, or dare not ſpeake. Sometimes men cannot ſpeake as not being privie to other mens neceſſities & failings. Sometimes they may not be ſuffered to ſpeake, as Ahab will not endure Micaiah to ſpeake to him. Sometime if a man ſpeak he may hauehave rough and angry anſwers, as the Prophet had from Amaziah. 2. Chro. 25. 16 Art thou made of the Kings Counſell? forbeare, why ſhouldeſt thou be ſmitten? God hath therefore provided every man, even great men which may not bee ſpoken to, he hath provided them a boſom Chaplein, that will round them in the eare, and will talke roundly to them, one that will be of their counſell in deſpight of them; one that feares no fiſts, dreads no ſmiting, yea, one that feares not to ſmite the greateſt, 2 Sam. 24. 10. And Dauids heart ſmote him after that he had numbred the people. It may bee many there were about Dauid that had not the hearts to ſmite Dauid with a graue reprofe, though he giues leaue to the righteous to doe ſo. Pſal. 141. Let the righteous ſmite me, but yet whileſt others, it may be, are fearefull▪ and timorous to doe him that good office, conſcience is at no demurre vponupon the poynt, that feares not, but ſmites Dauid for his ſinne.
Gods Miniſters are oft ſlighted, and light ſet by, Preachers cannot be regarded, but God hath giuen men a Preacher in their own boſome, & this Preacher wil make many a curtaine Sermon will take men to taske vponupon their pillow, and will bee Preaching ouer our Sermons againe to them. And though many will not be brought to repetitions of Sermons in their Families, yet they hauehave a Repeater in their boſome, that will be at priuate repetitions with them in ſpite of them, & will tel them, This is not according to that you hauehave bin taught, you hauehave bin taught otherwiſe, you hauehave bin reproved for, and convinced of this ſinne in the publike Miniſterie, &c. Why doe you not hearken & reforme? Thus then conſcience having a voyce, and doing the office of a Preacher vntounto vsus, if wee would hauehave conſcience good, then in all things that conſcience enlightened ſhall ſay vntounto vsus, hearken vntounto it. More diſtinctly Conſcience hath a two-fold voyce.
1. A voyce of Direction, telling vsus what is good or evill, what is lawful & vnlawfull, Iſa. 30. 21. And thine eares ſhall heare a word behinde thee, ſaying, This is the way, walk ye in it, That is vnderſtoodIta enim deſuper in ſilēto ſonat quiddā non auribus ſed mentibus. Auguſt in Pſal. 42. of the voyce of Gods ſpirit in the ſecret ſuggeſtions therof, & ſuch is the voice alſo of conſcience within vsus, dictating to vsus, and directing vsus what duties are to be done, what courſes to be avoyded. How many times doth conſcience preſſe vsus to repentance and reformation of our wayes, how often doth it call vponupon vsus to ſettle to ſuch & ſuch good courſes, and ſo with Dauid, Pſal. 16. 7. Our raynes doe teach it in the night ſeaſon.
2. A voyce of correction, and accufation, checking and chiding, taking vp and ſnibbing vsus when we do amiſſe. So Pſal. 42. 5, 11. and Pſal. 43. 5. Why art thou cast downe O my ſoule, and why art thou diſquieted within me? And Pſal. 77. 10. whilſt in the foregoing verſes he was complaining, and vſing ſome ſpeeches that might ſavour of ſome diffidence, ſee how conſcience doth her office by a correcting voyce: And I ſaid, This is my infirmity; as if he had ſaid, whilſt I was vſing ſuch diffident expoſtulatiōs, mine owne conſcience told me, I did not doe well. Conſciēce ſo ſpeakes vntounto vsus, as the Lord to Ionah, Iona. 4. 4. 9. Doeſt thou well to be angry? So ſaies conſcience oft, Doeſt thou well to be thus earthly, thus eager vpō the world, thus negligent, and formall in holy duties? Thus conſcience giues her privie nips, and her ſecret checks. This is that of which Iob ſpeaks, Iob 27. 6. My heart ſhall not reproach me ſo long as I liue. Implying that conſcience after ſinne hath a reproaching voice, as when it befooles a man, as foole that thou art to do this, to loſe thy peace with God for a baſe ſinfull pleaſure. Thus Davids Conſcience reproached him. 2 Sam. 24. 10. I hauehave done very fooliſhly, yea, Pſal. 37. 22. it puts the foole and the beaſt both vponupon him, So fooliſh was I and ignorant, I was as a heaſt before thee. This is the ſmiting of the conſcience, 2 Sam. 24. 10. Conſcience firſt points with the finger, and giues direction, if that be neglected, it ſmites with the fiſt, and giues correction.
Now then that which I ayme at is this; If we would get and keepe a good Conſcience, then neglect not, nor deſpiſe Conſcience when it ſpeaketh. Doth thy Conſcience preſſe thee to any workes of pietie, to the care of family, worſhip, and priuate devotion, to the reading of the Scriptures, ſanctification on the Sabbath, &c. In any caſe be ſo wiſe as to hearken to the counſels to the vrgings, and to the Iniunctions which come out of the Court of Conſcience. Hearken in any caſe to this Preacher whom thou canſt not ſuſpect of partialitie, malice, ill will, as thou doſt others, thereby giving way to Satans policie, that hereby ſtops vp the paſſages of thine heart, that the Word may not enter. Here can bee no ſuch ſuſpitious; Conſcience cannot be ſuſſpected to be ſet on by others, though Ieremy be charged to be ſet on by Baruch, Ier. 43. 3. Therefore hearken to the voyce of this Preacher, and this will helpe thee to a good Conſcience.
Againe, doth thy conſcience rebuke thee, doth it chide and checke thee, doth thy▪ heart reproach thee for thy wayes? Doth it ſay, doeſt thou well to liue in ſuch and ſuch ſinnes? Doth it punctually reprove thee for thine evils?Ideo quantum potes, teipſum coargue; inquire in te accuſatoris primū partibus fungere, deinde Iudiciis noviſsime deprecatoris: aliquando offende te, Senec. ep…ſt. 28. Doe not anſwere Conſcience as Ionas anſwered God, frowardly, Yea I doe well; but even cloſe with Conſcience, and do thou accuſe thy ſelfe as faſt as it accuſes, acknowledge thy folly, yeeld promiſe, and couenant with thy conſcience a preſent and ſpeedy reformation. This if it were done, how happy ſhould men be in getting and keeping a good Conſcience.
But alas, how few regard the voyce of Conſcience, and once hearken to it, and the very want of this dutie is it which breeds ſo much ill conſcience in the world. Men in this caſe are guilty of a double wickedneſſe. Either they deale as the Iewes with the Apoſtles, Act. 4. 18. and 1 Theſ 2. 16. They either ſtop Conſciences mouth, and labour to ſilence this Preacher, or elſe they deale with Conſcience as the Iewes did with Stephen, Acts 7. 57. They ſtopped their eares: If they cannot ſtop Conſciences mouth, they will at leaſt ſtoppe their owne eares.
1. They labour to ſtoppe Conſciences mouth. If conſcience beginne to take them aſide, and to ſay to them as Ehud to Eglon; Iudg. 3. 19. I hauehave a ſecret errand vntounto thee: they anſwer, but in another ſenſe, as hee did; Keepe ſilence. If conſcience offer to be talking to them, they ſhuffle it off as Felix did Paul, they are not at leaſure, they will finde ſome other time when their leaſure will better ſerue. Yea many when their conſcience reproaches them, they againe reproach and reproove it, and anſwere it as the Dauites did Micah, Iudges 11. 23. What ayleth thee? and are ready to giuegive reproachfull language to their owne Conſcience, that it cannot be quiet and let them alone.
2 But yet conſcience will not oftentimes bee thus poſted and ſhuffled off, ſhe wil not be gagged, or ſuffer her lips to be ſown vp, but wil deale with a man as the woman of Canaan did with our Saviour, Math. 15. She would not be put off with neglect, or croſſe anſwers, but ſhe ſtill preſies vponupon our Sauiour, & growes ſo much the more importunate. So oftētimes conſcience whē ſhe ſees men ſhuffle, growes the more importunate, and will dog and haunt men ſo much the more. Yea it deales like the blind men Math. 20. 31. who when the multitude rebuked them, they cryed the more. Now then when Conſcience growes thus clamorous, and will not be ſilenced, then they will ſtoppe their owne eares, that if it will needs be prating, it ſhall but tell a tale to a deafe man. To this end men put a double tricke vponupon their Conſciences.
1. Sauls tricke. Saul is vexed with an evill ſpirit, What muſt be the cure? ſeeke him out a minſtrell. Thus many when the cry of Conſcience is vp, betake them to their merriments & iollities. They try whether the noyſe of the Harps▪ and Viols, and the roarings of good fellowes will not drowne the voyce and noyſe of Conſcience. They will try whether the dinne of an Alehouſe, or the ratling and clattering of the Dice and Tables, cannot deaf their cares againſt the clamours of Conſcience. Thus do many in the accuſations of Conſcience, giuegive themſelues wholly vp to all manner of pleaſures & delights, that ſo their minds beeing taken vp with them, there might be no leiſure to giuegive conſcience any the leaſt audience.foreign. Chryſ. in 1. ed Cor. hom. 7.
2. Cains tricke. Cain had a marke of God vponupon him, Gen 4 15. And what might that mark be? Chryſoſtom thinks it was a continuall ſhaking and trembling of his body. If that were his marke, why might not that trembling come from the horrour of his guilty conſcience, following him with a continuall hue and cry for murther, & reproaching him for a bloudy murtherer. How-euer, no queſtion but his Conſcience continually haunted him, and the cry of blood was euer in his ears. Now then what courſe takes he? ye ſhall ſee Gen. 4. 17. that hee falles a building of Cities, betakes himſelfe to a multitude of imployments, that the noyſe of the ſawes, axes, and mallets might be lowder then the noyſe of his conſcience. If Conſcience bee out of quiet with them, and will not ceaſe to vrge and pinch them, then hauehave among their ſheep, & oxen, that their blea…ing, and bellowing may keepe vnderunder the voyce of conſcience, they do ſo poſſeſſe their heads and their thoughts, and ſo overload them with much dealings in the world, that there is no ſpare time wherein their care can be free to heare the voyce of Conſcience. The clutter of their many buſineſſes make too great a noyſe for Conſcience to hauehave audience. They deal with their conſciences as the Epheſians dealt with Alexander, Act. 19. 33. 34. And Alexander beckned with the hand, and would hauehave made his defence vntounto the people. But when they knew that he was a Iew, all with one voyce about the ſpace of two houres cryed out, Great is Diana of the Epheſians. If Alexander had had neuer ſo good lungs, & ſtrong ſides, hee might hauehave ſtrayned his voyce till he had crazed the organs of language, and might hauehave ſpoken till he had been hoarſe againe, before hee could hauehave been heard to hauehave ſpoken one ſyllable, though he had ſpoken all the reaſon in the world. Such a noyſe of an outragious bellowing multitude had bin almoſt enough to hauehave drowned the voice of a Canon. Thus deale men with their conſcience, if ſhee but prepare to ſpeake and giuegive but a becke with the hand, preſently thruſt themſelues into a crowd of buſineſſe that may out-cry, and ouer-cry the bawling noyſe thereof. It was an hideous noyſe that the ſhriking infants of Iſrael made when they were offered vp aliue in fire vntounto Moloch. Now leſt their parents bowels ſhould earne with compaſſion, and be affected with the ſhrikes of their poore babes, therefore they had their Drummes and Trumpets ſtrucke vp, and ſounded in the time of ſacrifice, to make ſuch a noyſe, that in no caſe the lamentable cries of the infants ſhould be heard. The ſame tricke doe too many put vponupon their conſciences, if they wil be clamouring they will hauehave ſome Drum or other, whoſe greater noyſe may deafe their eares from hearing the cryes of conſcience.
But alas what poore Proiects are theſe? The time will come when men ſhal hauehave neither pleaſures nor profits, neither delights nor buſineſſe, to ſtop their eares. Though now men beat vponupon theſe Drumme-heads, and with the noiſe of their pleaſures & profits, keepe conſcience voyce vnderunder from beeing heard. Yet the day will come, when God will beat out theſe Drum-heads, and then the cries, & horrid, & hideous ſhrikes of Conſcience ſhall be heard. God will one day ſtrip thee of all thy pleaſures and employments, and will turne thee ſingle and looſe to thy Conſcience, and it ſhall hauehave full liberty to bait thee, and byte thee at pleaſure. Oh how much better to bee willing to hearken to the voyce of Conſcience here, then to be forced to heare it in hell, when the time of hearkening will be paſt and gone. Hearken to it now, & thou ſhalt not heare it hereafter. Hearken to the admonitions and reproofes of it now, and thus ſhalt thou get Integrity here, and ſhalt bee free from hearing the dolefull clamours of it in hell hereafter.
5. To get and keepe a good Conſcience euer in caſes of a doubtfull and queſtionable nature, be ſure to take the ſureſt ſide. Many things are of a queſtionable nature, and much may be ſayd on either ſide in ſuch caſes, if thou wouldſt hauehave a good Conſcience take the ſureſt ſide, that ſide on which thou mayſt bee ſure thou ſhalt not ſinne. As for example. There bee diverſe games and recreations whoſe lawfulneſſe are queſtioned, yet much may be ſaid for them, and poſſibly they may hauehave the iudgement of diverſe reuerend & learned men for their lawfulneſſe. Now what ſhall a man doe in this caſe? Take the ſure ſide. If I vſe them it is poſſible I may ſinne, it may be they are not ſinfull, yet I am not ſo ſure of it that I ſhall not ſin if I vſe them, as I am ſure I ſhall not ſinne if I doe not vſe them. I am ſure that not to vſe ſuch ſports breakes none of Gods commandements, a man may be bold to build vponupon that. Hee that liues by this rule, ſhall keepe his Conſcience from many a flawe. HeeTutiores igitur viuimus ſi totum Deo damus, Non autem nos illi ex parte, & nobis ex parte committimus. Aug. de dono perſeu. cap. 6. that ſayles amongſt rocks it is poſſible he may eſcape ſplitting, but he is not ſo ſure to keepe his veſſell ſafe and whole, as he that ſayles in a cleare ſea where no rocks are at all. It is good in matter of life and practice, to doe as Auguſtine ſpeakes in caſe of doctrine. We liue more ſafely, ſaith he, if wee attribute all wholly to God, and do not commit our ſelues partly to God, and partly to our ſelues. In doctrines it is good to hold the ſafeſt ſide, wherein there can be no danger, yea, Bellarmine himſelfe after his long diſpute for iuſtification by merit, comes to this at laſt, That by reaſon of the vncertainty Propter incertitudinem propriae Iuſtitiae & periculum inanis gloriae tutiſsimum eſt fiduciam totam in ſola Dei miſericordia & benignitate reponere. Bellar de Iuſtific. lib. 5. cap. 7.of our owne righteouſneſſe and the danger of vaine-glory, it is the moſt ſafe way to repoſe our whole confidence in the mercy and goodnes of God alone. Which way ſoeuer Bellarmine is gone himſelfe, or any of his religion, I thinke common reaſon will teach a man ſo much wiſdome to goe the ſafeſt way to heaven, and that the ſafeſt way is the beſt way. The Lord that would hauehave vsus make our calling and election ſure, 2. Pet. 1. 10. would not hauehave vsus put ſo great a matter as the ſaluation of our ſoules vponupon Bellarmines hazard, and confeſſed vncertainty of our owne righteouſnes. Now as in caſe of doctrine, ſo in caſe of practice it is great wiſedome, and a great meanes of keeping a good Conſcience, to do that wherin we may Tutiores vinere, and to take to that which Tutiſsimum eſt, to follow that which is ſafeſt, and to take to that ſide which is the ſureſt, and the freeſt from danger.