Church and Common-wealth that the people of God might in peace and piety be the better maintained O rowze vp your selues I beseech you in the name of God of the Gospell of the King and Countrey and with a zealous conscionable affection and a constant couragious resolution shew your selues such Angels such Carpenters such Worthies in opposing the violent streame and torrent of these vicious times and in executing iust and speedy iudgement on all malicious and seditious transgressours of the Lawes of God and the King And for a perclose of the premises heerein exercise the vprightnesse of your conscience and the sincerity of your conscionable obedience viz. in cutting off putting downe or shutting vp all mischiefe-practising-workers of iniquity and all mischiefe-plotting seeds-men and fauourers of Schisme and soule-murthering Popery Thus by taking away the wicked from before Prou. 25. 4. the King his Throne in righteousnesse shall bee established your places of authority shall in their full strength and vertue bee preserued Gods fierce wrath be turned away which is imminent on Prince and people where grosse sinnes passe vnpunished and the peace and piety of these quarters of the Land shall more and more bee increased All which the Lord grant for his great mercies sake for his Gospels sake for his Glories sake and for his Christs sake and so plentifully distill the sweet dewes of his heauenly grace on the high Hill Hermon and all the Mountaines of Sion that there may be still a fruitfull watering and ioyfull refreshing of this whole Land of Israel and that maugre the mischieuous proiects and practices of the malignant enemies of the Gospell truth and peace may meet together righteousnes and mercy kisse each other in all the quarters thereof as long as the earth rests in her Center and the heauens continue their restlesse motion Amen THE CONSCIONABLE CHRISTIAN Preached at Taunton Aug. 8. 1620. The Text Acts 24. 16. Heerein I indeuour my selfe to haue a good conscience alwayes towards God and men RIGHT HONOVRABLE Rightly regarded and beloued in the Lord Iesus c. As good Ionathan 1. Sam. 20. 20. in loue vnto Dauid whom hee loued as his soule did shoot three Arrowes of admonition to driue him the further off from Sauls death-breathing fury So in loue vnto your soules I am now from the as-yet bent Bow of my Text to send forth a third Arrow of instruction and direction to draw you the neerer home to Gods life-giuing fauour Whereof you shall be sure to haue the stronger hold-fast and assurance by how much the more you indeuour and exercise your selues in this to haue alwayes a good conscience towards God and men For the care of a good conscience brings comfort in holinesse and comfort in holinesse breeds assurance of blessednesse and blessed shall you be if to those diuers Ingredients which concurre to the composition of an vpright conscience whereof yesterday I spake at large it shall please you to adde this as the complement of the rest viz. Doct. perseuerance in doing well and cherishing the vertuous and constant boldnesse in repressing euill and punishing the vicious wheresoeuer you haue to doe being as earnest in the pursuit of grosse sinne as worthy Eleazar was in smiting the Philistines 2. Sam. 23. and cleauing as fast in your 2. Sam. 23. 10. hearts to Gods Word the warrant of your wel-doing in this as his hand claue vnto his sword the instrument of his well-doing in that What if for your zeale and religious resolution herein you be sometimes crossed with mischieuous intentions thwarted by mighty oppositions wronged by malicious detractions yet desist not faint not feare not Regium est cùm benefeceris Alexander malè audire It is a princely thing to heare ill for doing well In which course of well-doing as I am bound to be a suiter vnto God for you that your Bow may abide strong and that your hands Gen. 49. 24. and armes may be strengthened by the mighty God of Iacob So giue me leaue also in the name of God to be a bold sollicitour vnto you and for the Gospels sake which you professe and are bound by your best actions to beautifie now the third time to be your humble Monitor and Remembrancer that according to your places of command and greatnesse you would therein striue with an holy kind of emulation the more fully and freely to exercise your goodnesse And as it hath pleased God to indow you with greater meanes power and ability so to account it the best Christian policy by your good workes on earth to lay vp treasure for your selues in heauen and euery day to bring in somwhat into Gods Exchequer as the Israelites did Exod. 25. to the Tabernacle the remembrance whereof may long after both in life and death comfort you and whereof you may say in singular confidence claiming an especiall interest in Gods fauour and expecting the promised recompence Remember me O my God according to this Neh. 13. 22. Note Math. 5. 26. For albeit the glory of God must be the vltimus terminus of our cogitations and actions and the principall motiue of our good workes and the primum mobile of our obedience yet in the Aquin. actions of obedience whilest we seeke the aduancement of Gods glory in the first place wee may as a secondary obiect or adiunct respect Caluin our owne commodity and haue an eye to our eternall reward yea it is lawfull for euery sanctified Christian maugre the spirit of contradiction in weaklings or wranglers whilest he remembreth God in sincere obedience as Abraham did in sacrificing Isaac Moses in guiding Gen 22. 1. King 2. Luk. 7. and going before Gods people Obediah in relieuing the Lords Prophets Magdalen in washing Christs feet Dorcas in making garments Act. 9. for poore widowes Philemon in refreshing Epist Philem. Nehem. 5. 19. the bowels of the Saints and Nehemiah in doing good to Gods House and his people to desire God to remember him by a gracious recompence and to say with Nehemiah Remember Nehem. 13. 22. me O my God concerning this but yet as conscious to himselfe of many imperfections in his best actions of defects and defaults either in the end matter manner or measure of his obedience he is as it followeth in the same place to supplicate for mercy and to pray as there Nehemiah doth But pardon me according to thy great mercy For as Saint Augustine saith Nisi Aug. in Psa 100 Deus per misericordiam parceret non inueniret quos per iustitiam coronaret Except God should spare vs in mercy hee should finde none whom hee might crowne in iustice But yet in hope and expectation to be crowned in mercy let vs all as the Almners of the Almighty remember daily to doe good in our seuerall callings according to our ability to be plentifull in the works of charity to bee faithfull in the exercises of piety that
the hauing and holding of an vpright conscience within you Doe all things as in Gods presence cherish true sauing-faith by often hearing and reading of the Word and the frequent practice of Prayer and true repentance inure your selues by religious exercises to a kind of familiarity with God that the assurance of his loue in Christ and the comforts thereof be not interrupted walke carefully in your particular callings to the glory of God and the common good auoyding as serpents couetousnesse and ambition which make men set their consciences on tenters and stretch like cheuerill and because at the great and generall Assises sentence shall passe and Iudgement be awarded according to the things written in the Booke of euery mans conscience take we heed Reu. 20. 13. that these Bookes of account bee kept vnblurred vnpolluted pure and cleane from presumptuous sinnes which are the cut-throate of the soule and offensiue in Gods sight In a word let this be your wish aboue all wishes and herein make sure worke come of the rest what will that by the effusion of Christs Blood for you and infusion of his Spirit into you you may inioy this pleasant and peaceable portion of a good conscience which is more highly to bee esteemed of and held at a dearer rate then the Merchants precious Pearle for which as it is Mat. 13. 46. in the Parable he sold all that he had in comparison whereof the things that are in the worlds eye most aduantageable vnto vs are to be accounted losse and iudged as dung that we Phil. 3. 7. may win it Let others say Who wil shew vs any good Yet Lord lift thou vp the light of thy Psal 4. countenance vpon vs. Let others content themselues with a portion in this life whose bellies Psal 17. 14 15. thou fillest with thy hid treasure but let vs O Lord behold thy face in righteousnesse and in the glasse of a good conscience heere on earth so when we awake in the day of Resurrection we shall be satisfied with thine Image rauished with seeing and secured for retaining thy glorious presence in heauen All earthly ioyes and treasures without this of a good conscience are but as so many ponderous waights to giue poize to the soule to sinke it to hell But with this all outward helpes for present maintenance are as so many Promooters and Proctors for the future inheritance giuing vs not onely wings of a Doue or an Eagle but of an Angel to ascend into heauen With this heauenly treasure then of an vpright conscience whosoeuer amongst vs O that there were many such is really possessed to speake plainely in the phrase of the holy Ghost he is without controuersie richly yea royally blessed * Sola conscientia virtutum praestat gaudium verum perpetuum Caeterae hilaritates frontem remittunt cor non implent Sen. in Ep. 23. Hee need not enuy the rich Corne-hoorders barnes inlarged and goods increasing or the Gluttons purple rayment and delicious feeding or the greatnesse of the greatest Potentate arrayed in robes of State powdered with Pearle and boasting with Nebuchadnezzar of his power and stately building No Hee need not enuy the magnificent pompe and vsurped Oecumenicall power of that triple-crowned ruffling Priest of Rome that Meridianus Daemon as Bernard calls Antichrist who to giue life to the image of the Beast seekes as Reu. 13. 15. much as in him lieth to make the Lord of life exhaeredem vineae exhaeredem vitae riding on mens shoulders treading on Emperours necks and swimming in his Orcipotent Sea with the bladders of intolerable pride and insolency No no Vix vnius assis Nec pretio pluris mundana haec omnia ducit For carryed in the triumphant Chariot of a cleare conscience and aduanced farre aboue these painted Pageants of things sublunary and perishing with Gods leaue and loue he inioyeth a selfe-sufficient happinesse in health and sickenesse in life and death and after death euer-induring Vse O happy then and thrice happy we if as S. 1. Cor. 1. 12. Pauls was so our reioycing and glory bee in the testimony of a good conscience if in truth wee can doe as in all his tryalls he did hold foorth this testimony as a shield of defence and flag of defiance against all scandalous imputations and Acts 23. 24. 25. aspersions if we can truely say as he said Wee are assured that we haue a good conscience desiring in all things to liue honestly Heb. 13. 18. or duely indeuour as hee in my Text indeuoured to haue a good conscience alwayes towards God Text. 3. part and men Which words importing the latitude or extent of a good conscience in respect of time and the obiects thereof come now very fitly to bee handled wherein I will labour to preuent your wearinesse First of the time and duration of the Apostles indeuour and exercise to haue a good conscience namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alwayes being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Alwayes Scholiast hath it being in all things euery manner of way so farre as humane frailty did not let inoffensiue and vnblameable indeuouring at all times through the whole tenor of his life Non pro vsura exigui temporis aut pro primis Caluin tantum diebus sed omnibus diebus vitae post conuersionem as Caluin renders it to bee vprightly conscionable conscionably vpright Doct. 8 So that this word Alwayes imports constancie and equality without remissenesse or partiality In the life of man and course of his calling there are many turnings references occurrences opportunities importunities and diuers respects in all which at euery turne to bee the same man requires the strength of a good conscience A child or weakeling may take two or three steps well and walke somewhat euenly but to turne hither and thither vp and downe with actiuenesse and dexterity and to maintaine the thorow pace or race with settled constancie and alacrity argues the metall and making of a very strong man Such an one was our Apostle in the race of Christianity after his conuersion as appeareth by his Triumphant Epinichion 2. Tim. 4. I haue fought a good fight 2. Tim. 4. 7. kept the faith finished my course c. and by his confident protestation Acts 23. 1. I haue Acts 23. 1. serued God with a good conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thorowout vnto this day Alwayes without stumbling without offence as it is in my Text c. Which is not so precisely to bee vnderstood Reas double as if he had beene alwayes indowed with an equall good disposition to godly duties and had neuer slipt or slept through humane infirmity For as the Spouse of Christ confesseth Cant. 5. ◠of her selfe I sleepe but my heart waketh and so condemneth her drowzinesse in the flesh notwithstanding her watchfulnesse in the Spirit So S. Paul Rom. 7. complaineth on himselfe Rom. 7. 19. that
others or to profit your selues yee dare not be agents or instruments of betraying an innocent For after the fact when your conscienences shall as sooner or later they will vex and gall you for it and make your liues more irkesome to you then the most violent death whither will you runne for comfort and reliefe in this agony will you returne to your great friends for whose pleasure you did it as Iudas did to the high Priests and Elders for fauour when he had sold his Master Alas they will reuile you and leaue you disconsolate and when in anguish of spirit you shall confesse as Note hee did that you haue sinned in betraying the Innocent they will desperately reply as not touched with the sinne themselues procured and hired What is that to vs looke thou to it Hast thou forsworne thy selfe in my cause thou vnconscionable Iuror hast thou applyed thy wit and tongue to maintaine and follow my lawlesse suite thou corrupt Lawyer Hast thou for lucre or fauour stretcht thy conscience to doe wrong in a matter of forgery thou false witnesse What is that to me looke thou to it Thus if you deale hollowly with God for mens fauours you shall finde them in need but hollow friends yea miserable comforters Whither next will you betake your selues for succour for helpe for remedy What to the money or worldly benefit gotten by this trechery or purchased by that villany Indeed the thirty pieces of siluer were Iudas his Thamar 2. Sam. 13. the delight of his soule and longing of his thoughts vntill his wickednesse was acted but afterwards feeling that hee had dearely bought them by betraying his Master to death his credit to detestation and his soule to damnation he tooke no ioy in them as an execrable thing he abandoned them yea he hated them more Math. 27. 5. then he loued them before and could not bee quiet till hee had thrust them out at doore as Amnon did Thamar and cast them downe in the Temple as the witnesse of his sinne and the burthen of his soule and so departing hanged himselfe Dignum opus authore est dignus ipse opere Sith then neither your friends nor your gaine gotten by guile nor to bee briefe any other worldly hopes or helpes can comfort you but rather will bee corrosiues to you when your consciences awaked shall sting you for your wrongfull mis-dealings with those in whose matters you haue had to doe what refuge now remaineth for you Will you now at last cast fly to God for redresse in this your distresse It is likely such is mans presumption you will make so bold an aduenture But alas there can be small hope of aduantage heereby for God will not so easily bee intreated to pleasure you sith you haue so easily condiscended in the seruice of the diuell and your owne lusts to displease him but as he sent the Israelites in their Iudg. 10. 14. extremity to the Idols which they had chosen saying Now let them deliuer you So will hee send you to your wicked policies plots and deuices which you haue preferred before his counsels and Commandements and bid you seeke helpe but all in vaine from them yea your owne Monitor in the bosome will deliuer that fearfull message to you which Samuel did 1. Sam. 15. 26. to Saul Thou hast forsaken the Lord and the Lord hath forsaken thee You haue said whilest you were in the pursuit of your sinnes to the Holy one of Israel Depart from vs we desire not the Iob 21. 14. knowledge of thy wayes Therfore now when the horrour of your sinnes vnrepented pursueth you he will be euen with you and say Depart Math. 7. 23. from me ye workers of iniquity I know you not O consider this in your owne soules and refuse not in time to bee made wise for your selues Hearken to the counsell of Iesus the sonne of Syrach Say not O man thus and thus haue I Eccl. 5. 4. done and yet no euill hath come vnto me for though the Almighty bee a patient rewarder yet he will not leaue thee vnpunished neither say I haue enough for my life I haue strength and who will bring me vnder for my workes for God the auenger will reuenge the wrongs done by thee And although haply thou art so in grace with the greatest and so eminent in place and authority that thou thinkest the persons by thee wronged dare not lift vp a finger against thee yet for all thy security thou knowest not how neere thou art to ruine and misery For the wronged innocents besides a good and iust King on earth haue also a rightfull Defender in heauen and such an one as hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a reuenging eye and hand too who will one day take the matters of the fatherlesse widowes and poore Innocents into his owne hands when there shall be a new inquest and what hath bin heere put off shuffled vp and partially iudged shall then be sentenced and iudged againe together with the Iudges Counsellours Iurors and all inferiour Officers themselues And as they or any of them haue sowne in hardnesse of heart so shall they reape in horrour of conscience quorum oculos culpa clausit poena aperiet Aug. and as they haue liued vnconscionably by the Law so shall they dye vncomfortably without Gospell Yea lest any obdurate forehead whose resolution can laugh his sinnes out of countenance or any wilfull peruerter of Iudgment Eccl. 8. 11. and persecutor of the poore and impotent should prophanely thinke that God hath lost his power or left his prouidence because he doth not presently execute Iudgement on an euill worke Nouerint vniuersi Be it knowne to all such workers of euill that euen in this life God will right or reuenge the iniuries and indignities of his poore oppressed distressed ones and when in the anguish of their soules they shall cry vnto him Exurgat Deus Psal 68. Let Psal 68. 1. God arise He with an Ecchoes readinesse will reply Surgam Psal 12. I will arise For the oppression of the needy the sighes of the poore I will vp saith the Lord and deliuer them Psal 12. 5. Yea though the poore-oppressed swallow vp their griefe in silence cry not for vengeance yet res ipsa clamabit the hire of the labourers Iam. 5. 4. detained Iam. 5. The blood of Abel and Naboth spilled 1. King 21. The stone and beame by Gen. 4. Habak 2. 11. fraud and violence placed in the house of the mighty oppressour shall cry out for vengeance against him who hath made his field Acheldama and his house Golgotha building it with the goods of the poore painting it with the blood of the poore and hanging it about with the skinnes of the poore and as I may say vnderpropping it with the bones of the poore And surely God shall be auenged on him as hee was on Cain Ahab Iezabel and not
in the duties of holinesse and piety towards God or of righteousnesse peace or equity towards men And heerein c. which words being thus expounded by way of diuision offer to the duty of our consideration Three remarkable points of obseruation 1. The first S. Pauls Christian practice and actuall imployment grounded on the hope of the resurrection Heerein therefore doe I exercise my selfe 2. The second is the matter subiect of his Diuision imployment and exercise to haue and preserue an vpright conscience 3. The third is the latitude extent of the same either In respect of time to haue a good conscience alwayes In respect of the obiects to haue and discharge a good conscience towards God Men. THe blessed Apostle confesseth in the verse Illustr Text. foregoing my Text that he confidently beleeued the doctrine of the Resurrection and therfore in a well groūded expectation therof professeth himselfe heere studious of a godly life and vnblameable conuersation Hee had well learned that Christianity consisted not in idle speculation but industrious negotiation and therefore sets to the worke not doing it by a Deputy or putting it ouer to after-times but for the present without doubt or delay exerciseth himselfe Heerein I exercise my selfe He vnderstood well enough that the best duties required the greatest diligence and therefore vltimata voluntate with all might and maine exerciseth himselfe in this to haue alwayes an vpright conscience Hee knew that to make a shew of deuotion and piety towards God and not to procure things honest in the sight of men sauoured of hypocrisie and on the contrary to obserue a kind of peaceable truth and plausible equity in our dealing with men and to be regardlesse of Religion and Zeale in matters of Gods worship was no other then prophane formality and therefore with a settled resolution indeuoureth to hold a concurrence and correspondencie of both in their order that is first to approoue the truth and sincerity of his seruice in all duties Diuine towards God and then with all diligence and dexterity to performe all humane dues and duties towards men These Right Honourable and Beloued are the seuerall bounds and limits of my intended Meditations on this Text answerable to the seuerall limmes and lineaments of S. Pauls holy practice and profession shaddowed forth therein for the more liuely describing and portraying of which in their proper colours and proportions three generall doctrines and instructions 3. Doct. obs are principally to bee obserued Whereof the first resulteth and issueth from the motiue The second from the manner The third from the matter of Saint Pauls religious exercise and imployment as in order they offer themselues to bee handled The first Doctrine arising from the motiue 1. Doct. to wit the hope Saint Paul had of the resurrection of iust and vniust is this That the assured hope and settled expectancy of the day of Resurrection and Iudgement to come when we shall render account and receiue a reward according to our deeds is and ought to bee a forcible allectiue to draw on Christians to the earnest pursuit of godlinesse and constant practice of true Religion Tolle spem Resurrectionis Chrys in 24. Mat. saith golden-mouthed Chrysostome resoluta est omnis obseruantia pietatis Take away the hope of the Resurrection and the building of piety wanteth her foundation For vpon this foundation all the Apostles haue builded their exhortations to amendment of life and sanctification as Saint Paul Acts 17. Now God admonisheth Acts 17. 30. 1. Thes 4. 2. Tit. 11. all men euery where to repent because he hath appointed a Day in which he will iudge the world in righteousnesse And 1. Iohn 3. 1. Ioh. 3. 3. Wee know when Christ Iesus shall appeare wee shall bee like him and euery one that hath this hope purgeth himselfe as he is pure So S. Peter Seeing the Heauens shall passe with a 2. Pet. 3. 11. noise the Elements melt with heate and all these things be dissolued what manner of persons Vers 14. ought yee to bee in holy conuersation and godlinesse Yea seeing that ye looke for these things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace and blamelesse in that Day The expectation of which Day called the Day of Restauration Acts. 3. 21. of all things hath euer beene is and will be to such as feare God a forcible prouocation to vertuous atchieuements and religious actions Then then indeed runs a man cheerefully in the Race of Christianity when hee knowes that he runs not at vncertainety Tolle Bernard viatori spem perueniendi continuò franguntur vires ambulandi He blunts the edge of industry that denies recompence and where there is no apprehension of a Day of remuneration there is little care of proficiency or striuing to perfection For to reason as the Apostle doth Reason 1 Phil. 3. How can we dwelling on earth desire Phil. 3. 20 21. to haue our conuersation in heauen if we looke not for the second comming of our Sauiour and how can we looke for his comming except we beleeue the Resurrection and how can we beleeue the Resurrection vnlesse wee acknowledge that power by which he is able to subdue all things to himselfe Againe How doe wee acknowledge our God to bee Almighty in power without the faith of the Resurrection and how can wee haue the faith of the Resurrection without the hope of a Sauiour and how can we haue hope of a Sauiour without an heauenly conuersation So that the life of this conuersation is hope by which wee expect the comming of a Sauiour and the ground of this hope is faith by which wee are assured that at his comming hee will change our vile bodies and make them like to his glorious Body and the reason of this faith beyond reason is his power by which hee is able to accomplish all things after his good will and pleasure All these be linkes so diuinely hanging and depending each on other in that golden chaine of the Apostle that if we let slip one we lose the comfortable hold-fast of all but good Christians misse not of any but established in faith rooted in hope and abounding in loue set forward in an holy course of life and follow hard towards Phil. 3. 14. the Marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ knowing that they are begotten by the immortall seed of the Word in the bosome 1. Pet. 1. 3. of the Church Militant on earth to a liuely hope of an inheritance immortall and vndefiled in the Church Triumphant in heauen Reason 2 This hope as it giueth vs an edge that wee should earnestly affect couet spirituall things so doeth it giue vs a backe also to indure all things for why doe the seruants of God beare crosses and losses so patiently abstaine from euill so carefully pursue the things that are good so cheerefully but because
abandoned and according to your Office of pleading your Clients cause formally and prosecuting his affaires faithfully as much as in you lieth let innocency be preserued vse your best indeuour that right may bee had with moderate expence vse the Law lawfully that it may prooue a speciall and speedy remedie of wrongs and not an Engine or trap to insnare the weake as many complaine what though for your plaine and conscionable dealing you lose your fees and profit in the place of Iudgement on earth yet bee assured of this your innocency shall procure you a better reward at the Iudgement seate in heauen And now for you the reuerend Sages and honourable Iudges of this Circuit and for you also the praise-worthy Iusticers of this Shire what remaineth to be done but only this that out of your owne ingenuous disposition without any prescription of mine you should ioyne together what in places of iudicature may not be put asunder all these Symbolicall sentences and quarter them as so many Scutchions with the Armes of your houses and offices in this order Dicatur veritas first Fiat iustitia next and then in the third place Seruetur innocentia whereunto adde for a Crest to make vp the compleate coate of a gracious Magistrate Dominetur conscientia Thus if looking vp to God who is present and chiefe President in your assemblies you shall in a reuerent feare of his Name see that truth bee testified and deliuered Iustice done and executed innocency preserued and protected and a good conscience in all things kept and preserued then shall the mountaines and hilles bring vnto the people peace and prosperity then shall Iustice as the Sunne Mercy as the Moone other vertues as the Starres shine about your seates of Gouernement to the confounding of the wicked and the comfort of the godly Which God grant by the assistance of his grace to the praise of his glory Amen Amen THE CONSCIONABLE CHRISTIAN Preached at Taunton Aug. 7. 1620. The Text Acts 24. 16. Heerein therefore doe I exercise my selfe to haue alwayes an vpright conscience towards God and men AS the Prophet Ionas brought the same message to the Nineuites at his second sending vnto them so doe I bring Right Honourable c. the same Text of Scripture at this my second calling before you desiring to end what the last Assises I began and to adde a roofe to that foundation which then I laid and to giue an account of such particulars as remaine yet vndiscussed of that generall Bill of parcels which then I exhibited to your Christian consideration And hauing then as you may remember spoken generally according to the modell of time allotted for me to speake and you to heare of the reall religious practice and the actuall Christian imployment of Saint Paul prosecuting withall such doctrines and vses as the motiue and manner of his imployment did offer to our obseruation I come now by orderly descent to handle more especially the matter subiect and meane businesse of conscience wherein he was thus seriously imployed and exercised And for my better proceeding therein and your profiting thereby will by Gods assistance and your continued patience present to the eyes of your vnderstanding First Conscience it selfe as in her nature Diuis 3. parts properties and offices in her power command and Soueraignty she is considered to be great Secondly I will commend to your view and entertainement an vpright conscience as in her causes and effects in her priuiledges of being the best Gardian Counsellor and Comforter shee is found to bee singularly good And thirdly as her goodnesse according to the latitude thereof extendeth it selfe in respect of time alwayes thorow the whole course of mans life to the performance of all good duties concerning God and man Herein doe I exercise my selfe to haue alwayes a good conscience towards God and men Of each of these in their order and first of 1. Part. conscience according to its power and greatnesse whereof my purpose is not to make an exact Scholasticall Discourse but to touch the tops of generall notions and with Gideons Souldiers Iudg. 7. to lap at the brinkes of those riuers wherein others haue deepely waded and with Ionathan 1. Sam. 14. to giue you a taste on the tip of my rod of that sight-cleering honysweetnesse which therefrom may be gathered Wherefore passing by the nicities and curious speculations of Schoole-men whether conscience be an Act or an Habit a faculty Theoricall or Practicall simple or mixt and compounded of both whether seated in the vnderstanding will or memory as the proper subiect thereof c. and passing ouer with a light finger and dry foot the Rhetoricall Notifications and witty Illustrations thereof drawne from its Illustr consc offices adiuncts effects when and where it is deciphered to be a mans best friend soonest offended or bitterest foe hardliest appeased a bridle before sinne to preuent it a scourge after sinne to punish it domesticus index index carnifex in briefe to be the soules Schoolemaster Monitor and Domesticall Preacher mans tutelar God and protector Gods Law-Booke Leiger Ambassadour Spie Intelligencer and the truest Prognosticatour in a mans bosome or brest foretelling what shall become of him hereafter c. As an abstract of all the premisses I will briefly and plainely commend to your consideration the nature and essence of conscience vnder these termes of a definition or description Conscience so called either à cordis scientia Description of conscience Bern Aquin. in reference to the soule reflecting and recoyling vpon it selfe or à scientia cum alio in respect to God with whom it is a co-witnesse of whatsoeuer is in man is a noble and diuine power Rom. 2. 15. and faculty planted of God in the substance of mans soule working vpon it selfe by reflection Esa 30. 21. and taking exact notice as a Scribe or Register and determining as Gods Viceroy and deputy Iudge of all that is in the mind will affections actions and whole life of man I name it a faculty and not a bare act because Prob. desc sundry actiōs as to testifie accuse excuse acquit condemn are giuē vnto it I terme it a noble diuine power and not an humane acquired habit because acts and habits too may be got and lost deposed from their subiect and separated from the soule but Conscience as it is borne with vs so it will neuer leaue vs it is indiuiduall inseparable there is no putting of it to flight or flying from it nec fugere nec fugare eam poteris but it will say to thee as Ruth to Naomi I will Ruth 1. goe with thee wheresoeuer thou goest To bee briefe I giue it roome and place in the whole soule and doe not as some haue done thrust it into a corner thereof as if it were a part onely of the practicall vnderstanding because the operation of it cannot bee circumscribed in narrower bounds then the soule it selfe