Good Conscience, Title page – Table of contents 2
GOOD Conſcience: OR A TREATISE SHEWING THE Nature, Meanes, Marks, Benefit, and Neceſſitie thereof.
By IER: DYKE; Miniſter of Gods Word at Epping in Eſſex.
The ſecond Edition Corrected.
Luke 10. 42.
One thing is neceſſary.
Auguſt. de verb. dom. ſerm. 18.
Ʋniverſa inutiliter habet, qui vnum illud quo vniverſis vtatur, non habet.
LONDON Printed for ROBERT MILBOVRNE, and are to be ſold at his Shop, at the great South-dore of Pauls. 1626.
TO THE RIGHT VVORSHIPFVL Sr. FRANCIS BARRINGTON, Knight and Baronet, a Patron and patterne of Pietie and Good Conſcience.
RIGHT WORSIPFV…L,
THat which the Apoſtle Paul ſpeakes of a mans deſire of the office of a Biſhop, may bee truely ſpoken of eueryevery one who deſires to gaine men to the louelove of a good Cōſcience, that he deſires a worthy work. Yea it is the work which is, & ought to be made the ſcope & drift of the worthy worke of the Miniſtry. And therefore it is, that he, that deſires the calling of the Miniſtry, deſires a worthy work becauſe of this worthy worke of bringing men to good Conſcience. A worke at which all worke and bookes, ſhould ſpecially ayme: Conſcience is aVnicuique liber eſt pro pria conſcientia, et ad hunc librū diſcutiendū et emendā dum omnes alii inventi ſunt Bern. de Conſ. booke, one of thoſe bookes that ſhall bee opened at the laſt day, and to which men ſhall bee put, and by which they ſhall be iudged. Therefore to the directing, informing, and amending of this booke, ſhould all other bookes ſpecially tend. Yea Salomon ſeems to call men off from all other bookes, and ſtudies to the ſtudy of this ſo neceſſary a point, the keeping of a good Conſcience:Eccl. 1212 13. Of making many bookes (ſaith hee) ther is no end, & much ſtudy is a wearines of the fleſh, Let vsus heare the cō cluſiō of the whole matter, Feare God and keep his Cōmandements, for this is the whole duty of man. As if his adviſe tended to this, to neglect all ſtudies in cōpariſon of that ſtudy, which aymes at the getting and keeping of a good Conſcience. It would be exceeding happy with vsus if this ſtudy were more in requeſt amongſt vsus. Wee ſeeme to liue in thoſe dayes fore-told by the Prophet, wherein the earth Iſa. 11. 9.ſhould be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. We are bleſſed that liue in ſo cleare a Sun-ſhine of Gods truth, but yet the griefe is, that through our owne default, our Sun-ſhine is but like the winter light, all light, little or no heate, and we make no other vſe of our light, but onelyonly to ſee by, not to walke and worke by. In the firſt re-entrance of the Goſpell amongſtAntiqua ſapientia nihil aliud quā facienda & vit… da praecepit, et tunc longe meliores erant viri. Poſtquam docti prodierunt bons deſunt Sim plex enim illa et aperta virtue t… obſcuram et ſolertē ſcientiā ▪ verſa eſt, docemur que diſputare, non vivire Sence. epist. 96. vsus, how devout, holy, zealous, and men renowned for Conſcience were our Martyres, and our firſt Planters, Preachers, and profeſſors of Religion. They had not generally the knowledge and learning, the world now hath, nor the world now the Conſcience they then had. There be now better Schollars, there were then better Men: they were as excellent for Devotion, as our Times are for Diſputation. It is an excellent ſight to ſee ſuch Chriſtians as were the Romans, Full of goodneſſe, filled Rom. 15. 14with all Knowledge. It is pitty that ever ſo louely a payre ſhould bee ſundred. Yet if they be parted, it is beſt being without that which with moſt ſafetie may be ſpared. A good Conſcience is ſure to doe well, though it want the accompliſhment of Learning, and greater meaſures of Knowledge and Vnderſtanding. But take Learning from a good Conſcience, and it is but a Ring of gold in a Swines ſnout, or that which is worſe, A thorne in a Drunkards Prou. 26. 9hand. Learning is to bee highly apprized; Riches, Honours, and all other earthly bleſsings are vile to it. But yet though it take place of all other things, yet muſt it giuegive good Conſcience the wall and vpper-hand, as that which is farre before it in worth, vſe, and neceſsity. As Salomon of wiſdom, ſo may it be ſaid of good Conſcience, Shee is more precious then Prou. 3, 15.Rubies, and all the things thou canſt deſire are not to be compared to her. Gold and Rubies cannot ſo enrich a man as good Conſcience doth, and yet alas the blindneſſe of men, how willing are they in this caſe, with a wilfull pouertie? Not Rubies, but handfulls of Barley, morſels of Bread, and Cruſts are preferred before the invaluable treaſure of a good Conſcience.
After the many worthy endeavours therefore of ſo many as hauehave bin before me in this work of laboring men to a good Conſcience: I hauehave adventured alſo to lend my weak ſtrength to the ſame worke. If one or two witneſſes prevaile not, yet who knowes what an whole clowd may doe? Though Eliah and Eliſha be the Horſemen and Chariots of Iſrael, yet the Footmen doe their ſeruice in the Battell, and Apollos may without offence water, where Paul hath planted.
Now theſe my poore endeavours ſuch as they are, I am bold to publiſh vnderunder your Worſhipfull name, and to put them forth vnderunder your Patronage, entreating you to countenance that in a Treatiſe which you hauehave ſo long countenanced in the practiſe. None ſo fit to bee a Patron of a Treatiſe of good conſcience, as he that hath beene a religious both profeſſor, and protector of the Practiſe thereof. To hauehave a Naile faſtned in a ſure place, the Antiquitie Iſa. 22. 23.of a long ſtanding Name, and Family, to bee hewen out of the Quarry of the beſt Stocks of Parentage, to hauehave faire Lines, & a faire lot in outward poſſeſsiōs, to bee bleſſed with a fruitefull Vine, and Oliue plants, fairely growne & planted round about a man, all theſe are to bee helde high honours, and great fauours from the God of heauen. And with all theſe hath the Lord honoured your ſelfe. But yet your greateſt honour that hath given luſtre to all the reſt, hath beene your louelove to the Truth, Religion and a good Conſcience. Auguſtine repented him that hee attributed more to Mallius Theodorus, D…ſplicit autem illic quod Mallio Theodoro, ad quem librum ipſum ſcripſi, quā vis docto et Chriſtiano viro plus tribui quam deberem. Aug. Retrlib. 1. cap. 2.to whom he wrot a booke, then he ſhould hauehave done, though otherwiſe he were a Learned and Chriſtian man. A man may eaſily ouerſhoote himſelfe in the commendation of a good man, eſpecially, if a great man. It ſhall ſuffice therefore to hauehave ſaid ſo little, and that to this ende, that hereby the World may knowe the reaſon of my choice of your Patronage of this Treatiſe. It would hauehave beene an incongruity to hauehave had the name of a perſon of an euill Conſcience, prefixed before a booke of good Conſcience. I deſired a Patron ſutable to my ſubiect. I preſume the very ſubiect ſhall make the Treatiſe welcome to you; Be you pleaſed to affoord your acceptāce as I will affoord you my poore prayers, that the Lord who hath already ſet vponupon your head the crowne of the elders, Childrens Children, Prou. 17. 6.and one crowne of glory herePro. 16. 31. on earth, Age found in the wayes of righteouſnes, would alſo in his due time giuegive you that incorruptible crowne of righteouſneſſe, and eternall glory in the heavens, which that righteous Iudge ſhall giuegive to you, and to all thoſe that in the waies of a good Conſcience waite for the bleſſed appearance of the Lord Ieſus.
Your Worſhips in all Chriſtian obſervance: IER: DYKE.
The Contents of this TREATISE.
The Text containes three Maine heads.
1. Maine head. Pauls Proteſtation of a good Conſcience, where fiue things conſidered.
1. What Conſcience is.
2. What a good Conſcience is. It is good with a two-fold goodneſſe.
1. With the goodneſſe of Integritie, & this Integritie is threefold.
1. When being rightly principled by the Word, it ſincerely iudges and determines of good & evill.
2. When it doth excuſe for good and accuſe for evill.
3. When it vrges to good, and reſtraines from evill.
2. With the goodnes of Tranquilitie, & Peace. Here three ſorts of Conſcience diſcouered not to be good. viz.
1. The Ignorant Conſcience.
2. The Secure Conſcience.
3. The Seared Conſcience.
3. The meanes of getting and keeping a good Conſcience.
1. To get and keepe the Conſcience good peaceably, or with the goodneſſe of peace, three things required.
1. Faith in Chriſts bloud.
2. Repentance from dead works
3. The Conſcionable exerciſe of Prayer.
2. To get and keepe the Conſcience Good, with the goodneſſe of Integritie, and to hauehave it vprightly good, fiue things required, viz.
1. Walking before God.
2. Framing ones Courſe by the Rule of the Word.
3. Frequent examination of the Conſcience.
4. Hearkning to the voice of Conſciēce.
5. In caſes of queſtionable nature, to take the ſureſt and the ſafeſt ſide.
4. The markes, and notes of a good Conſcience; and they be ſeauen.
1. To make Conſcience of all ſinnes, and duties.
2. To make Conſcience of ſmall ſinnes, and duties.
3. To affect a Miniſtry that ſpeakes to the Conſcience.
4. To doe dutie, and avoide ſinne for Conſcience ſake.
5. Holy Boldneſſe.
6. To ſuffer for Conſcience.
7. Conſtancie, and Perſeuerance in Good.
5. The Motiues to a good Conſcience, and they are fiue.
1. The incomparable Comfort and Benefit of it in all ſuch Times and Caſes, as all other Comforts fayle a man, and wherein a man ſtands moſt in neede of Comfort. Theſe Caſes or Times are fi…e.
1. The Time, and Caſe of Diſgrace, and Reproach.
2. The Time of Common feare, and Common Calamitie.
3. The Time of Sickeneſſe, or other croſſes.
4. The Time of Death.
5. The Time, and day of Iudgement.
2. That a good Conſcience is
1. A Feaſt for
1. Contentment, and ſatisfaction.
2. Ioy and Mirth.
3. Societie.
2. Better then a feaſt for
1. The Continuance.
2. Independencie.
3. Ʋniuerſalitie.
3. Without a good Conſcience, all our beſt duties are naught.
4. It is the Ship and Arke of Faith.
5. The miſery of an euill one,
1. In this world in reſpect of
1. Feare.
2. Perplexity.
3. Torment.
2. In the world to come.
2. Maine Head. Ananias his inſolent Iniunction. Whereout is obſerved.
1. What is the reſpect a good Conſcience findes in the world.
2. The impetuous Iniuſtice of the enemies of good Conſcience,
3. Who commonly be the bittereſt Enemies of good Conſcience.
4. That Vſurpers are Smiters.
5. What is a ſaid forerunner of a Nations Ruine.
3. Maine Head. Pauls Anſwer and Conteſtation. Whereout is obſerved.,
1. That Chriſtian Patience muzzles not a good Conſcience from pleading it own Innocency.
2. The ſeveritie of Gods Iudgements vponupon the enemies and ſmiters of good Conſcience.
3. The equitie of Gods adminiſtration in his execution of Juſtice.
A Table of the ſeverall Chapters of this Treatiſe.
Chapter I. The Introduction to the Diſcourſe following. Folio 1
Chapter II. Conſcience Deſcribed. 10
Chapter III. A good Conſcience what it is. Falſe ones diſcouered. 24
Chapter IV. Peace of Conſcience how gotten. 43
Chapter V. Integrity of Conſcience how procured. 56
Chapter VI. Two further meanes to procure Integritie of Conſcience. 69
Chapter VII. Two markes of a good Conſcience. 86
Chapter VIII. Three other▪ Notes of a good Conſcience. 106
Chapter IX. The two laſt Notes of a good Conſcience. 121
Chapter X. The comfort and benefit of a good Conſcience, in the caſe of Diſgrace, and Reproach. 150
Chapter XI: The comfort and benefit of a good Conſcience in the times of common feares and calamities, and in the times of ſickeneſſe, and other perſonall evils. 171
Chapter XII. The comfort and benefit of a good Conſcience, at the dayes of Death and Iudgement. 192
Chapter XIII.A ſecond Motiue to a good conſcience, That is a continuall Feaſt. 210
Chapter XIV. A third and fourth Motiue to a good Conſcience. 235
Chapter XV. The laſt Motiue to a good Conſcience, viz. The miſerie of an euill one. 250
Chapter XVI. The portion and reſpect, that a good Conſcience findes in the world. 272
Chapter XVII. The impetuous Iniuſtice, and malice of the Aduerſaries of a good Conſcience. 286
Chapter XVIII. The ſeveritie of Gods Iuſtice vponupon the enemies of good Conſcience, and the vſuall equitie of Gods Adminiſtration in his executions of Iuſtice. 299
GOOD CONSCIENCE.
ACTS 23.
1. And Paul earneſtly beholding the Councell, ſaid; Men and brethren I hauehave liued in all good Conſcience vntill this day.
2 And the high Prieſt Ananias commanded them that ſtood by, to ſmite him on the mouth.
3. Then ſaid Paul vntounto him, God ſhall ſmite thee thou whited wall.