Good Conscience, Treatise · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
Two other, and the laſt notes of a good Conſcience.
A Sixt note of a good Conſcience6 6. Note of a good Conſcience. To ſuffer for conſcience. followes, namely, that which we hauehave, 1 Pet. 2. 19. When a man for Conſcience towards God endures griefe, ſuffering wrong. A good conſcience had rather that Ananias ſhould ſmite, then it ſelfe ſhould. Ananias his blowes are nothing to the blowes of Conſcience. Ananias may make Pauls cheekes glowe, but conſcience giues ſuch terrible buffets, as will make the ſtouteſt heart in the world to ake. That will pinch, and twitch, and gird the heart with ſuch griping throws, that all the blowes, and tortures that Ananias his cruell heart can invent are nothing to them.
Now therefore a man that ſets any ſtore by a good conſcience, will not part with the Peace or Integritie thereof vponupon any termes. He rates the goodnes of his Conſcience farre aboue all carthly things. Wealth, libertie, wife, children, life it ſelfe, all are vile, and cheape in compariſon of it. And therefore a man of a good Conſcience, will endure any griefe, & ſuffer any wrong to keepe his conſcience good towards God. Such a good Conſcience had Daniel. Dan. 1. 8. Hee purpoſed in his heart that hee would not defile himſelfe with the portion of the Kings meat. That is, he was fully ſetled, & reſolued in his Conſcience, come what would come, he would not do that which would not ſtand with a good cōſcience. But what if he could hauehave gotten no other meat? Without all doubt hee would rather hauehave ſtarved, then hauehave defiled his Cō ſcience with that meat. He would hauehave loſt his life rather then hauehave loſt the Peace, and Integritie of his Conſcience. It ſeemes a queſtion of great difficultie, which was put to the three Children, Dan, 3. Whether they will giuegive the bowing of their bodies to the golden Idoll, or the burning of their bodies to the fiery Fornace. But yet they finde no ſuch difficultie therein, they were not carefull to anſwer in that matter. ver. 16. Of the two fires they chooſe the cooleſt, & the eaſieſt. The fire of a guiltie conſcience is ſeaven times hotter, and more intollerable then the fire of Nebucadnezzars Fornace, though it be heated ſeauen times more then it is wont to be heated.
If the queſtion come betweene life and good Conſcience, that one of the two muſt bee parted withall, it is an hard caſe. Life is wondrous ſweet and pretious. Skin for skin, and all that a man hath, will he giuegive for his life. I…b 2. 4. What then ſhould a man doe in ſuch an hard caſe? Heare what is the reſolution of a good Conſcience. Act. 20. 24. My life is not deare vntounto me, ſo that I may fulfill my Miniſtration with ioy. And wherein lay his Ioy, but in his good Conſcience. 2. Cor. 1. 12. It is all one as if he had ſaid, I care not to looſe my life to keepe a good Conſcience▪ A good Conſcience in that paſſage of the Apoſtle. 1 Tim. 1. 19. is ſecretly compared to a ſhip. Now in a tempeſt at Sea, when the queſtion is come to this, whether the goods ſhall be caſt out, or the Ship be caſt away, what doe the Marriners? See Act. 27. 18. 38. They lightened the ſhip, and caſt out the wheat into the Sea. The Marriners will turne the richeſt Commodities over boo…d to ſaue the ſhip, for they know if the ſhip be caſt away, then themſelues are caſt away. Thus it is with a man that hath a good conſcience, when the caſe comes to this pinch, that either his outward Comforts, or his inward Peace muſt wrack, he will chearfully caſt the wheat into the Sea, will part with all earthly commodities & comforts, before he will ruſh, and wrack his conſcience vponupon any rocke. He knowes if the ſhip be wrackt, if his Conſcience bee crackt, that then himſelfe, & his ſoule is in danger of being caſt away, & therefore he wil throw away all to ſaue conſcience from being ſplit vponupon the rocks and being ſwallowed vp in the ſands.
There is as great a difference between a good conſcience, and all outward things even vntounto life it, ſelfe, as is between the arme, & the head or heart. The brain and the heart are vitall parts, therefore when the head is in danger to bee cleft, or the heart to bee thruſt through, a man will not ſtand queſtioning whether he were beſt adventure his hand, or his arme to ſaue his head, or his heart, but either of theſe being in danger, the hand & the arme preſently interpoſe themſelues to receiue the blow, and put themſelues in danger of being wounded, or cut off, rather then the head or heart ſhould be pierced. A man may hauehave his hand, or arme cut off, and yet may liue, but a wound in the braine or heart is mortall. It is ſo in this caſe. A good Conſcience values its owne peace aboue all the world, It is that wherein a Chriſtians life lyes, therefore he will ſuffer the right hand or foot to be cut off, and looſe all rather then expoſe Conſcience to danger▪ A man may go to heauen with the loſſe of a limbe, and though he halt. Mat. 18 8. but if a man looſe his life, if Conſcience be loſt, all is loſt. A man may goe to heauen though he looſe riches, liberty, life, but if a good Conſcience be loſt, there is no comming thither. All things compared to Conſcience are as farre beneath it, as the leaſt finger beneath the head. He were a mad man that would ſuffer his skull to bee cleft to ſaue his little finger, nay but the paring of his nayle. And yet the world is full of ſuch mad men, that ſuffer conſcience to receiue many a deep wound and gaſh, to ſaue thoſe things which in compariſon of good Conſcience, are but as the nayle parings to the head.
Try mens Conſciences here, and we ſhall finde them exceeding ſhort. A good Conſcience will endure any griefe, and ſuffer any wrong rather then ſuffer the loſſe of its owne peace. God commands Amaziah. 2. Chro. 25 to put away Iſrael, oh! but what ſhall I doe for mine hundred Talents? Tuſh, what are an hundred Talents? A good Conſcience in yeelding obedience to God is a richer treaſure then the Eaſt and Weſt Indies. And yet how many be there that will craze their Conſcience an hundred times before they wil loſe one Talent by obedience to God, out of a care to keepe a good Conſcience. A talent? nay, that is too deepe, neuer put them to that coſt, they will ſell a good conſcience, not for gaining, but for the taking of a farthing token. God and good conſcience ſay, Sanctifie the Sabbath. Poſſibly ſome halfepenny cuſtomer comes to a Tradesmans Shop on a Sabbath, and askes the ſale of ſuch, or ſuch a commodity. Now the mans conſcience tels him of the commaundement, tels him what God lookes for, tels him it cannot ſtand with his peace to make markets on that day, &c. But then he tels conſcience, that if he be ſo preciſe, he may looſe a cuſtomer, and if hee looſe his cuſtomers, he may ſhut vp his Shopwindowes. An Inne-keepers conſcience tels him that it is fitter that hee ſhould bee attending Gods ſeruice at his houſe on his day, thē that he ſhould be wayting on his gueſts. But then hee replies to conſcience, that then his takings will be but poore, and this is the next way to plucke downe his ſigne. So here lyes a diſpute between conſcience and Gaine, which of theſe two muſt be parted with. If now in this caſe a man will growe to this reſolution. By Gods helpe I am reſolued to keepe a good conſcience in keeping Gods Commandement, and Sabbath, I will rather looſe the beſt cuſtomer I hauehave, & the beſt gueſt I hauehave, then the peace of a good conſcience. If I beg, I beg, I I will ſay of my cuſtomers as Iacob of his children. Gen. 43. 14. If I am bereaued of them, I am bereaued. I will truſt God with my eſtate, before I will hazard my conſcience; GiueGive mee ſuch a man, ſuch a Tradeſman, and I will bee bold to ſay he is a man of a good conſcience. But contrarily, when men are ſo ſet vponupon Gaine, that ſo they may hauehave it they care not how they come by it, they will diſpenſe an hundred times with their obedience to God if any thing be to be had, if theſe hauehave good conſciences let any iudge. How would ſuch looſe their blood & liues, that will not looſe ſuch trifling gaines for the ſafety of their conſcience. We hauehave not yet reſiſted vntounto blood, the more we owe to God, that know not what that reſiſtance meanes. Alas, how would thoſe reſiſt vntounto blood that ſet Conſcience to ſale vponupon ſo baſe priſes as they doe.
Peter ſpeakes of a fiery triall. 1. Pet. 4. 12. If God ſhould euer bring that tryal amongſt vsus, what a company of droſſie conſciences would it find out. We hauehave no fiery tryall, we hauehave but an ayrie tryall onelyonly, and yet how many euill conſciences it diſcouers. Many a man could find in his heart to pray in his family, to frequent good exerciſes, and company, hee is convinced in his conſcience, that thus he ſhould doe, and conſcience preſſes him to it. But why then are not theſe things done? A Lyon is in the way. He ſhall looſe the good word, and opinion of the world, hee ſhall hauehave ſo many frowns, & frumpes, and cenſures, and ſcoffers, that hee cannot buckle to this courſe. Many are in Zedekiah his caſe; he was conuinced in his conſcience, that he ought, & it was his ſafeſt courſe to go out to the Chaldeans; queſtionles his conſcience preſt …im to it, and bids him goe out. Why then goes he not? He is afrayd. Ier. 38. 19. that he ſhall be mockt. Such conſciences as will not preferre their owne good word & cōfort, before the good or ill words of the world, Such conſciences as more feare the mockes and flouts of men on earth, then they doe the grinning mockes of the Diuells in hell, Such as will not prefer the peace of Conſcience before all other things, are meere ſtrangers to good Conſcience.
The ſeventh and laſt note remaines.7 7. Note of a good Conſcience. And that is in the Text; Vntill this day. Conſtancy and perſeverance in good, is aConſtancy in good. ſure note of a good conſcience. Paul had beene young, and now was old, & yet was old Paul ſtill, ſtill the ſame holy man he was. Time changes al things but a good conſcience, and that is neyther changed by Time, nor with Time. Age changes a mans favour, but not a good mans faith, his complexion, not his religion, and though the head turn gray, yet the heart holdes vigorous ſtill.
Vntill this day.] And this day was not farre frō his dying day. And how held he out to his laſt day. Heare as it were his laſt and dying breath. 2. Tim. 4. 7. I hauehave fought a good fight, I hauehave finiſhed my courſe, I hauehave kept the faith. He ſayes not, I hauehave finiſhed my faith, I hauehave kept my life, as many may, but I hauehave finiſhed my courſe, I hauehave kept the faith. He kept his faith till hee had finiſht his courſe, not onelyonly here, vntill this day, but there vntill his finiſhing day. So long he kept the faith, and therefore ſo long a good conſcience, for as the looſing of them goe together. 1. Tim. 1. 19 ſo the keeping of them goe together, therfore keeping the faith, he alſo kept a good conſcience till hee finiſht his dayes.
Vntill this day. And yet one would wonder that he ſhould keepe it to this day, conſidering how hardly hee had bin vſed before, vntill, and now at this day. The moſt of thoſe things. 2. Cor. 11. 23. were before this day. Often vnderunder ſtripes, in priſons oft, and yet ſtands conſtant in the maintenance of the liberty of his Conſcience. verſ. 24. 25. Thrice I ſuffered ſhipwracke, &c. and yet made no ſhipwracke of a good conſcience. verſ. 26. 27. in a number of perils, in perill of falſe brethren, and yet his cō ſcience plaies not falſe with God, neither is it weary of going on in a religious courſe.
Here then is the nature of a good conſcience, and the triall of it.
A good conſcience holds out conſtantly in a good Cauſe without deflection, and in a good Cauſe without defection.
1. In a good Cauſe. Let a good conſcience vndertake the defēce of a good Cauſe, and it will ſtand rightly to it, & neither grow weary, nor corrupt. It will not make ſhews of countenancing Pauls cauſe till he come before Nero, & then giuegive him the ſlippe, and giuegive him leaue to ſtand vponupon his own bottome, and ſhift for himſelfe as well as he can. A conſcionable Magiſtrate, & a Iudge, who out of a cōſcience of the faithfull diſcharge of his place, takes in hand the defence of a good, or the puniſhment of a bad cauſe, will not leaue it in the ſuddes, will not be wrought by feare or favour, to let Innocency bee thruſt to the walles, and Iniquitie hold vp the neb, but will ſtand out ſtiffe, and manifeſt the goodneſſe of his Conſcience in his Conſtancie.
2. In a good Courſe. A man that is once in a good Courſe, hauing a good conſcience, will neither be driven, nor bee drawne out of that good way to his dying day. There be tentations on the right hand, and there be tentations on the left, but yet a good Conſcience wil turne neither way, Pro. 4. 27. but keeps on foreright, and preſſes hard to the marke that is ſet before it. Try it with tentations …t hand. Try it by the moc…s and deriſions of others whom it ſees in good wayes, will this ſtagger or ſtumble it, & make it ſtart aſide? Not a whit, but it will go on with ſo much the more courage rather, Iob 17. 6. 7. 8. 9. He hath made me alſo a byword of the people, and aforetime I was a Tabret. Was not this enough to ſhake others, to ſee ſuch a prime man as Iob thus vſed, thus ſcorned and mocked? Not a whit; for all this. The righteous ſhal hold on his way, & he that hath clean hands, ſhall be ſtronger and ſtronger.
Try it by mockings and deriſionSi reddere beneficium non aliter quam per ſpeciem iniuria poter… aquiſsim… animo ad honeſtum conſiliū per mediam infamiam tē dam-Nemo mihi videtur pluris aſtimare virtutē, nemo illi magis eſſe d… votus quā qui boni viri famam …erdidit ne conſcientiam perderet. Sence. epi. 82. perſonall, by perſonall infamy and reproach, let a mans owne ſelfe bee derided, be defamed, this will goe neerer then th… former, what will this move him out of the way? No: He wil loſe his good name, before his good Conſcience. See Pſ. 119. 51. The proud hauehave had me greatly in deriſion, yet hauehave I not declined from thy law. And though Michol. 2. Sam. 6. play the flouting foole, yet Dauid will not play the declining foole, but if to be zealous, be to be a foole, he will be yet more vile. And though Ieremy was in deriſion daily, & eueryevery one mocked him, yea, and defamed him, yet he was rather the more then the leſſe zealous. Ier. 20. 7. 9. 10. The righteous, Pſ. 125. 1. are like Mount Sion that cannot be remooued, but abides for euer. What likelihood that a puffe of breath ſhould remoue a Mountain? When men can blowe downe Mountaines with their breath, then may they ſcof a good▪ cōſcience out of the wayes of godlines & ſinceritie. Mount Sion, and a good conſcience abide for euer.
But theſe happily may bee thought lighter tryalls, put a good conſcience to ſome more ſmarting, and bleeding tryalls then th…ſe pe…tier ones are, and yet there ſhall we finde it as Conſtant as in the former▪
Let the Lord giuegive the Sabaeans, Chaldaeans, and Satan leaue to ſpoyle Iob of his goods, and children, will not then Iob giuegive vp his Integritie, doe ye not thinke that hee will curſe God to his face? So indeed the diuell hopes. Iob 1. 1…. But what is the iſſue? What gets the diuell by the tryall? OnelyOnly giues God argument of triumph againſt him in Iobs Conſtancy. Iob 2. 3. And ſtill he holdeth faſt his Integrity. As if he had ſaid, See for all that thou canſt do, in ſpight of all thy ſpight, and miſchieuous malice, he holds faſt his Integrity vntill this day. See the terrible▪ tryalls, to which they were put. Heb. 11. 37. They were ſtoned▪ ſawne aſunder, &c. and yet all could not make them ſhake hands with a good Conſcience. The raine, floodes, and windes, could not bring downe the houſe founded vponupon the rocke, Math. 7. Notwithſtanding all tryals a good Conſcience ſtands to it, and holds it owne, and ſpeakes as one Father Rawlins did to the Biſhop, Rawlings Acts and Mon.you left me, Rawlins you find me▪ and Rawlins by Gods grace I will continue.
Try yet a good Conſcience farther with the tentations on the right hand, which commonly hauehave as much more ſtrength in them aboue the other, as the right hand hath aboue the left, and yet we ſhall finde the right hand too weak to plucke a good Conſcience out of its ſtation.
It was a ſore tentation wherewith Moſes was aſſaulted. The treaſures, and pleaſures, the honours and ſauours of the Egyptian Court, and Princeſſe. All theſe wooe him, not to goe to the people of God. Had that people beene ſetled and at reſt in Canaan, yet had it bin a great tentation to preferre Egypt before Canaan. But the people are in Egypt, in affliction, in bondage, therfore ſo much the more ſtrength in the tentation. What will you bee ſo mad to leaue all for nothing▪ certain honours, for certaine afflictions? who can tell but you may be rayſed to this greatnes to bee an inſtrument of good to your people! you by your fauour in the Court may be a means to eaſe them of their bondage, and ſo you may do the Church ſeruice with your greatneſſe, &c, Here was a tentation on the right hand, & with the right hands ſtrength. Well and how ſpeeds it? Is Moſes able to withſtand it? See Heb. 11. 24. 25. 26. He refuſed to be called the ſonne of Pharaohs daughter, &c. All would not do, nor ſtirre him a whit. Thoſe faithfull Worthies before mentioned, could not bee ſtirred with all the cruelties their aduerſaries could inuent. I, but it may bee a tentation on the right hand, might hauehave made them draw away the right hand of fellowſhip from a good Conſcience. Well, their enemies therfore will try what good they can doe that wayes. Heb. 11. 37. They were tempted, that is, on the right hand, they were ſollicited and enticed, and allured with faire promiſes of honours, fauours, preferments, as B…nner vſed to deale with the Martyrs, hee had ſometimes butter and oyle, as well as fire and faggot, in his mouth. Thus were they tēpted, but yet what auayled theſe tentations? Iuſt as much as their ſtones, ſawes, ſwords, priſons, all alike. They for all theſe tentations keepe a good Conſcience to their dying day, and hold faſt the faith & truth vntounto the end.
A good conſcience is of the mind of thoſe trees in Iothams parable. Iudg. 9. It will not with the Oliue loſe its fatneſſe, nor with the Figtree loſe its ſweetnes, nor with the Vine its wine of cheerfulneſſe, to hauehave the fatteſt, and ſweeteſt preferments and pleaſures of the world, no though it were to raign ouer the trees.
It was an excellent reſolution of Benevolus Benevolo Iuſtina praecepit vt adverſus fidē patrū imperialia decreta dictaret Illo vero ſe impia verba prolaturum abnuente celſiorem bonoris gradū ſpoſpondit ſi mandata perficeret, cui Bonevolus. Quid mihi pro impietatis mercede altiorē promittis gradum? hune ipſum quē habeo, auferte dū integram fidei conſcientiam tuear. Ac protinus cingulum ante…pedes eius abiec… Sigon. de …ccid. Imp l. …. pag. 200.in his anſwer to Iuſtina the Arrian Empreſſe, profering preferments to him to hauehave beene inſtrumentall in a ſeruice which could not bee done with a good Conſcience. What doe ye promiſing me an higher degree of preferment for a reward of impiety? yea euen take this from me which already I hauehave, ſo that I may keep a good Conſcience. And ſo foorthwith he threw at her feet his girdle, the enſigne of his honour. Thus doth a good conſcience throw and trample honour and preferment vnderunder foot to maintaine its owne integrity? Thus can nothing corrupt a good conſcience. I hauehave been young, and now am old, and yet neuer ſaw I the righteous forſaken, to wit, of God, Pſalm. 37. David out of his experience could hauehave ſayd as much in this point, I hauehave bin young and now am old, yet never ſaw I God, and godlines forſaken by the righteous, by the man that had a good conſcience. But the man that had a good conſcience when he was young, will hold out & hauehave it when he is old. It is the great honour and grace of a good conſcience which Walden thinks hee ſpake to the diſgrace of Wickliffe, Ita vt Cano placeret quod inveni complacebat, He was young and old, one and theFox Acts and Mon. ſame man. Old age decayes the body, the ſtrength, the ſenſes, but conſcience it touches not, that holds out ſound to death. As of Chriſt in another ſenſe, Heb. 13. ſo may it be ſaid of a good conſcience in this, Yeſterday, and to day, and the ſame for ever. A good Conſcience is no changeling, but let a mans eſtate change from rich to poore, from poore to rich, or let the times change from good to evill, or from evill to worſe; or a mans dayes change from young to old, let his haires and head change, yet among all theſe changes, a good conſcience will not change, but holds it owne vntill its laſt day.
Now put mens Conſciences vponupon this tryall, and their inconſtancy either in good cauſes, or courſes, wil diſcouer their naugtineſſe. In a good cauſe how many are like Darius? His conſcience ſtruggles a great while for Daniel, hee knew he was innocent, he knowes the action to be vniuſt, and therefore labours all day till the ſetting of the Sun for his deliuerance, Dan. 6. 14. but yet ouercome with the Preſidents and Princes vrgencie, ver. 16. he commands him to the Lions Denne. Heere was a naturall Conſcience ſtanding for equitie and iuſtice, but yet no good conſcience, it holds but till Sunne ſet, and his Conſcience went downe with the Sunne. His Conſcience yeeldes and is ouercome, though it know the act to be iniuſt.
Pilates Conſcience makes him plead for Chriſt. In his conſcience he acquits him, and thrice ſolemnly profeſſes that hee findes no fault in him, and therefore cannot in conſcience condemne him, yea withall, ſeekes to releaſe him, Iohn 19. 12. Is not heere now a good Conſcience? Indeed it had bene ſo in this particular fact, if his Conſcience had beene inflexible, and had held out. But when Pilate heares them ſay, that if he bee his friend, hee is no friend to Caeſar, Ioh. 19. 12. and whileſt withall hee is willing to content the people, Marke 15. 15. Now that there is feare on the one ſide, and a deſire to curry favour on the other, Where now is his conſcience? Now he preſently delivers him to bee crucified, though hee knowes in his Conſcience that there is no fault in him. What a good conſcience hath many a Iudge, and Lawyer▪ How ſtiffely will they ſtand in, and proſecute a iuſt cauſe till a bribe come & puts out the very eies of their Conſcience. Their Conſciences are of ſo ſoft a temper, that the leaſt touch of Siluer turnes their edge preſently. They hold out well till their come a tentation on their right hand, that is, in their right hand. Pſal. 144. 8. Whoſe mouth ſpeakes vanitie, and their right hand is a right hand of falſhood. If once the right hand be a right hand of falſhood, the mouth will ſoone ſpeake vanity, though before it ſpake Conſcience. Who would not hauehave thought Baalam to hauehave beene a man of an excellent Conſcience? If Balak would giuegive me his houſe full of ſilver and gold, I cannot goe beyond the word of the Lord my God, to doe leſſe or more, Num. 22. 18. But yet beſides that faltring in thoſe words, I cannot goe, whereas the language of good conſcience would hauehave beene, I will not goe; beſides that I ſay, before he ends his ſpeech, ſee how the hope of promotions worke, and works his Conſcience like waxe before the fire, verſe 19. Now therefore I pray you tarry heere alſo this night, that I may knowe what the Lord will ſay vntounto mee more. A faltring inference: If his Conſcience had beene good it would hauehave inferred ſtrongly thus, Now therefore I pray get you gone, and trouble me no longer. He knew in his Conſcience the people ought not to bee curſed, and that he ought not to goe, and yet comes in with, I pray tarry all night, &c. Truely Balak needed not to hauehave beene ſo lauiſh and ſo prodigall, as to offer an houſe full, one handfull of his Siluer and Gold will frame Balaams Conſcience to any thing.
The like tryall may be made of mens Conſciences, by their inconſtancy in good courſes, and this will condemne three ſorts as guilty of evill conſciences.
1. Such as ſometimes being convinced of the neceſſity of good courſes, do ſet vponupon the practiſe of them, & begin to looke toward Religion, & religious duties, till meeting with ſome of their ſuppoſed wiſer neighbours, they be adviſed to take heed, they may bring thē ſelues into greater note then they are aware of, they will incurre ſharper cenſures then they thinke of, &c. and ſo ſuddenly all is daſht, all is quaſht and quencht. There is a diſeaſe among beaſts they call the Staggers, and it is a diſeaſe too frequent in mens conſciences, who ſometimes are on, ſometimes off, one day begin, and next day ceaſe good courſes. That may be ſaid of many mens conſciences which Iacob ſpeaks of Reuben, Gen. 49. 4. Vnſtable as water. The water mooves as the windes blow. If the winde blow out of the Eaſt, then it moves one way, if out of the Weſt then it moves another, the cleane contrary, and vponupon every new winde a new way. So many, let them heare a conuincing, & a good perſwading Sermon moving to good duties, then they will ſet vponupon them; let them againe heare either ſome mocks, or reproaches for thoſe wayes, or ſome ſage adviſe frō one they count wiſe, againſt the waies of conſcience, they are as far off againe as euer. Theſe ſtaggering, irreſolute, and watry conſciences are far from good ones.
2. Such as in their youth, or when the world was low with them, were very zealous and forward; But what are they now at this day? True downeright Demaſſes, zealous whē they were young, but now old and cold: zealous when they were meane, but now the world is come vponupon them, Demas-like they hauehave forſaken goodneſſe, and embraced the world, hauehave gotten now worme-eaten, and world-eaten Conſciences. The zeale of Gods houſe was wont to eate them vp, but now the world hath eaten vp them, and all their good Conſcience.
3. Thoſe that hauehave made good the profane Proverb, Young Saints and old Divels, whoſe hatred of Religion and good conſcience is greater then ever was their louelove thereto, as Ammons was towards Thamar, 2 Sam. 13. 15. They were zealous and forward frequenters of Gods houſe and ordinances; zealous enemies againſt ſwearing, and Sabbath-breaking, &c. But what are they at this day? Yeſterday indeede zealous profeſſors of holineſſe, but what are they to day? To day malicious ſcoffers of godlineſſe, haters and oppoſers of goodneſſe, the onelyonly ſwearers & drunkards in a Countrey. What kinde of conſciences hauehave theſe? None of Pauls Conſcience, I hauehave liued in all good Conſcience vntill this day. What then? Iuſt the conſciences of Hymenaeus and Alexander, 1 Tim. 1. 18, 19. They once made great profeſſion of Confcience, but now enemies to Paul, and blaſphemers, men, as Paul ſpeakes, that had put away good Conſcience, they did not through want of watchfulnes let it ſlip, or ſteale away; but as if it would neuer hauehave bene gone ſoone enough, they put and draue it away, foreign, Beza tranſlates it, Qua expulſa. They vſed their Conſciences as Ammon did Thamar after his luſt ſatiſfied, 2 Sā. 13. 15. 17. Ariſe, be gone, ſayes hee to her, and when ſhe pleades for her felfe, he cals his ſeruant, and ſayes vntounto him, Put out this woman, and bolt the dore after her, put her out ſo, as ſhee may bee ſure not to come againe. They dealt with their Conſciences as Colledges deale with Rake-hels, expelled them without all hope of re-entry. Thus many profane Apoſtatizing back-ſliders cannot be content to loſe good conſcience, vnleſſe Ammon-like they may put it away with violence, & expell it. And how can they hauehave good Conſcience that hauehave put it away? He hath not his wife that hath put her away, and giuen her a bill of divorſe. In the dayes of Popery and darkenes, the Divell it ſeemed walked very familiarly amongſt them, and hence we hauehave ſo many ſtories of fayries, & of children taken out of cradles, and others layde in their roomes, whom they called changelings. Since the light of the Goſpell theſe Divels and Fairies hauehave not been ſeene amongſt vsus, but yet we are ſtill troubled with changelings. Some, Prieſts and Ieſuites hauehave changed, ſome, the world hath changed, ſome, goodfellowſhip and the Ale-houſe hath changed. Theſe hauehave plaid the fayries, hauehave taken and ſtolne away goodly, forward, and fervent Chriſtians, and hauehave layd in their roomes Earthlings, Worldlings, Popelings, Swearers, Drunkards, malicious ſcorners of all goodneſſe. Thus hauehave theſe fayries in ſtead of fayre and comely children, brought in theſe lame, blinde, deformed, and wrizzled faced changelings, that any one may eaſily ſee them to be rather the birthes of ſome hobgoblins, then the children of God. If therefore wee would evidence our Conſciences good, labour to hold to the laſt, and reſt not in a youth, but labour to hauehave age found in the way of righteouſneſſe. This is a crowne of glory, and this is right good Conſcience to liue therein vntill our dying day. All the former ſixe are nothing without this laſt.