my choice of your Patronage of this Treatise It would have bin an incongruity to have had the name of a person of an evill Conscience prefixed before a booke of good Conscience I desired a Patron sutable to my subject I presume the very subject shall make the Treatise welcome to you Be you pleased to afford your acceptance as I will afford you my poore prayers that the Lord who hath already set upon your head the crowne of the Elders Prov. 17. 6. Childrens Children and one Crowne of glory here one earth Age found in the Prov. 16. 1. wayes of righteousnes would also in his due time give you that incorruptible crowne of righteousnes and eternall glory in the heavens which that righteous Judge shall give to you and to all those that in the wayes 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 thee Maine Heads The first maine head Pauls Protestation of a good Conscience where five things are considered 1. What Conscience is 2. What a good Conscience is It is good with a twofold goodnesse 1. With the goodnesse of Integritie and this integrity is threefold 1. When being rightly principled by the VVord it sincerely judges and determines of good evill 2. VVhen it doth excuse for good and accuse for evill 3. VVhen it urges to good restraines from evil 2. VVith the goodnesse of Tranquillitie and Peace Here are three sorts of Conscience discovered not to be good viz. 1. The Ignorant Conscience 2. The Secure 3. The Seared 3. The means of getting 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 blood 2. Repentance from dead workes 3. The conscionable exercise of Prayer 2. To get and keepe the Conscience good with the goodnesse of integrity and to have it uprightly good five things required viz. 1. VValking before God 2. Framing ones Course by the Rule of the VVord 3. Frequent examination of the Conscience 4. Hearkning to the voice of Conscience 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 seven 1. To make Conscience of all sinnes and duties 2. To make Conscience of small sinnes duties 3. To effect a Ministery that speakes to the Conscience 4. To doe duties and avoid sin for Conscience sake 5. Holy boldnesse 6. To suffer for Conscience 7. Constancie and Perseverance in Good 5. The Motives to a good Conscience and they are five 1. The incomparable comfort and benefit of it in all such times and cases as all other comforts faile a man and wherein a man stands most in need of comfort The Cases or times are five 1. The Time and case of Disgrace and Reproach 2. The Time of common feare cōmon calamity 3. The Time of sicknesse or other Crosses 4. The Time of Death 5. The Time and day of Iudgement 2. That a good Conseience is 1. A feast for 1. Contentment and satisfaction 2. Ioy and Mirth 3. Societie 2. Better than a feast for 1. The Cotinuance 2. Independency 3. Vniversalitie 3. Without a good Conscience all our best duties are nought 4. It is the Ship and Arke of Faith 5. The misery of an evil one 1. In this world in respect of 1. Feare 2. Perplexitie 3. Torment 2. in the world to come The second Maine Head Ananias his insolent injunction Whereout is observed 1 What is the respect a good Consciēce finds in the world 2. The impetuous injustice of the enemies of good consciēce 3. Who cōmonly be the bitteest enemies of good conscience 4. That Vsurpers are Smiters 5. What is a sad fore-runner of a Nations Ruine The third maine head Pauls Answere and Contestation Whereout is observed 1. That Christian patience muzzels not a good Conscience from pleading its owne Innocencie 2. The severitie of Gods Iudgements upon the Enemies and Smiters of good Conscience 3. The equity of Gods administration in his execution of Iustice GOOD CONSCIENCE ACTS 23. 1. And Paul earnestly beholding the Councell said Men and brethren I have lived in all good Conscience untill this day 2. And the high Priest Ananias commanded them that stood by to smite him on the mouth 3. Then said Paul unto him God shall smite thee thou whited wall CHAP. I. The Introduction of the Discourse following THere is no complaint so generall as this that the world is naught His experience is short and slender which will not justifie the truth of this complaint And what think we may the Cause be of the generall wickednes of our Times Surely nothing makes Ill Times but Ill men and nothing makes Ill men but Ill consciences Ill Conscience is the source and fountaine Hominum sunt istae non Temporum Sonec ep 98. from whence comes all iniquities which makes times here so ill How well should hee deserve that could amend ill times There is a course if it would be taken that would do the deed and so cease the common complaint Elisha's course in healing the waters of Iericho must be taken They said of their waters as wee of our times The water is naught and the ground barren 2 King 2. 19. What course now takes Elisha for healing of the waters He went out unto the spring of the waters and cast the Salt in there ver 21. So the waters were healed ver 22. The spring and fountaine of all actions good or evill is the Conscience and all actions courses of men are as their Consciences Out of the heart are the issues of life Prov. 4. 23. the heart and Conscience is the fountaine every action of a mans life is an Issue a little rivelet and a water passage thence Are these waters then that issue thence Naught The way to heale them Nō erit fructus bonus nisi arboris bonae Mutacor mutabitur opus Aug. de ver Dom. Serm. 12. is to cast the Salt into the spring Mend the Conscience and all is mended Good Consciences would make Good men and Good men would make Good Times Lo here a project for the reformation of evil times Were this Project set on foot and a good Conscience set up how should we see prophanation of Gods holy Name and Day Injustice Bribery Oppression Deceit Adulteries and Whoredomes and all other Iniquities how should wee see all these as our Savior saw Satan falling downe like lightning from heaven How should we see them come tumbling downe like so many Dagons before Gods Arke yea tumbled downe and broken to the stumps The onely Arke that must dash and ding downe these Dagons is a good Conscience And if we would well weigh the matter what is there equally desirable with a Ecce quid prodest plena bonisarca cum sit inanis
TVVO TREATISES THE ONE Of Good CONSCICNCE Shewing the Nature Meanes Markes Benefits and Necessitie thereof THE OTHER The mischiefe and misery of Scandalls both taken and given Both Published BY IER DYKE Minister of Gods Word at Epping in Essex The Sixth Edition corrected LONDON Printed by A. M. for Robert Milbourne 1635. GOOD CONSCIENCE OR A TREATISE SHEVVING THE Nature Meanes Markes Benefit and Necessitie thereof BY IER DYKE Minister of Gods Word at Epping in Essex The Sixth Edition corrected LVKE 10. 42. One thing is necessarie LONDON Printed by A. M. for Robert Milbourne 1635. TO THE RIGHT Worshipfull Sir FRANCIS BARRINGTON Knight and Baronet a Patron and pattern of Pietie and good Conscience RIGHT WORSHIPFVL THat which the Apostle Paul speakes of a mans desire of the office of a Bishop may be truly spoken of every one who desires to gaine men to the love of a good Conscience that hee desires a worthy Worke Yea it is the worke which is and ought to bee made the scope and drift of the worthy worke of the Ministery And therefore it is that he that desires the calling of the Ministerie desires a worthy worke because of this worthy worke of bringing mento Vnicuique liber est propria conscientia ad hunc librum discutiendū emendandum omnes alij inventi sunt Bern. de Cons good Conscience A worke at which all workes and books should specially ayme Conscience is a book one of those books that shall be opened at the last day and to which men shall be put and by which they shall be judged Therefore to the directing informing and amending of this booke should all other bookes specially tend Yea Salomon seemes 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 Of making many bookes saith he there is Eccles 12. 12 13. no end and much study is a wearinesse of the flesh Let us heare the conclusion of the whole matter Feare God and keep his Commandements for this is the whole dutie of man As if his advice tended to this to neglect all studies in comparison of that study which aimes at the getting keeping of a good Conscience It would be exceeding happy with us if this study were more in request amongst us Wee seeme to live in those dayes fore-told by the Prophet wherein the earth should bee filled with the knowledge of the Lord. We Isa 11. 9. are blessed that live in so cleare a Sunne-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 use of our light but onely to see by not to walke and work by In the first re-entrance of the Gospell amongst us how devout holy zealous and men renowned Antiqua sapientia nihil aliud quam facienda vitāda praecepit tūc longe meliores erant viri Postquā docti prodierunt boni desunt Simplex enim illa aperta virtus in obscuram solertem scientiam versa est docerumque disputare non vivero Seneo epist 56. Rom. 15. 14 for Conscience were our Martyrs and our first Planters Preachers 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 bee now better Scholers 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 Romanes Full of goodnesse filled with all Knowledge It is pitty that ever so lovely a paire should be 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 hand Learning Prov. 26. 9. 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 give good Conscience the wall and upper-hand as that which is farre before it in worth vse and necessitie As Salomon of wisdome so may it be said of good Conscience Shee Prov. 3. 15. is more pretious than 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 povertie 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 have bin before me in this worke of labouring men to a good conscience I have adventured also to lend my weake strength to the same worke If one or two witnesses prevaile not yet who knows what an whole cloud may doe Though Eliah and Elisha bee the Horsemen and Chariots of Israel yet the Footmen do their service in the battell and Apollo may without offence water where Paul hath planted Now these my poore endeavours such as they are I am bold to publish under your Worshipfull name and to put them foorth under your Patronage entreating you to countenance that in a Treatise which you have so long countenanced in the practise None so fit to bee a Patron of a Treatise of good Conscience as he that hath bin a religious both professor protector of the practise therof To haue a Naile fastned in a sure place the antiquity Isa 22. 25. of a long standing Name and Family to be hewen out of the Quarry of the best Stocks of Parentage to have faire Lines and a faire lot in outward possessions to be blessed with a fruitfull Vine and Olive plants fairely growne and planted round about a man all these are to bee held high honors and great favours from the God of heaven And with all these hath the Lord honoured your selfe But yet your greatest honour that hath given lustre to all the rest hath bin your love to the Truth Religion and a good Conscience Augustine repented him that he attributed more to Mallius Theodorus to Displicetautē illic quod Mallio Theodoro adquem librumipsum scripsi quāvis docto Christiano viro plus tribui quam deberem Aug. Retr lib. 1. cap. 2. whom he wrote a booke than he should have done though otherwise hee were a learned and Christian man A man may easily overshoot himselfe in the commēdation of a good man especially if a great man It shall suffice therfore to have said so little and that to this end that hereby the World may know the reason of
not in meates and drinks but in righteousnesse peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. Quietnesse and a dry morsell is better then an housefull of good cheare with strife Pro. 17. 1. Though it be but outward quietnesse when a man is free from vnjust vexations and the molestations of froward and contentious disposition even such quietnesse makes a dry morsell good cheere makes a feast of a crust But when there is inward quietnesse of a good conscience and a mans heart is at quiet from his peace with his God what excellent cheere is a dry morsel then Though a man have ever so good fare yet to have it sawced with the bitternesse of contention and to live in a continuall wrangling with pevish people what poore content would a well furnisht Table afford such a man And what poore cheere especially would all these feasts in the world make where there is brawling and contention from the conscience Here then is the excellencie of this feast above all other feasts This feast is able to subsist and to maintaine it selfe without other feasting other feasting is nothing without this of a good conscience Other feasting often hurts and hinders this feast whilest men by their vaine and licentious carriage therein Feasting without all feare Iude. 12. Doe make the conscience fast and starve and whilest their Quailes are betweene their teeth Leannesse enters into their soule Psalm 106. 5. So farre is bodily feasting from helping that it hinders this feasting rather Conscience can have mirth enough without a feast but little is the comfort and content that a feast can give where the Conscience is not good Men may Sed non est ista hilaritas longa Observa videbis cosdem in exiguum tempus atergime ridere acerrime rudere Senec ep 92. set a face vpon it and bragge laugh and be jolly in their feasting but yet in the middest of their laughter the heart is sorrowfull and the end of that mirth is heavinesse Prov. 14. 13. Conscience awakened even in the middest of the greatest jollitie gives men many a bitter twitch at the heart and in the middest of all their revellings gives them Vineger and Gall to drinke A good conscience is it that sweetens and seasons all the dishes of a feast that is the sawce that makes meat savoury the sugar that sweetens Wine that is the musicke that makes a mans heart dance But let a man goe to the most sumptuous and delicious feasts without a good conscience and how is it with him then Iust as with Belshazzar Dan. 5. Where the hand writing on the wall marred all his mirth or else it is in such a case as it was with Haman The foole brags that he alone is invited to Esters banquet with the King Esth 5. 12. Oh how happy a man was he under how fortunate a Planet was he borne to be the King and Queenes Favorite both But see what little reason hee had to brag Chap. 7. 2. Even at the banquet of Wine Esther gives him a cup of gall at the banquet of Wine doth she accuse Haman to the King Oh! how many glory in their banquetting and their feasting but how often doe their consciences put Esthers tricke vpon them even accuse them to God and gall and gird them in the midst of their wine conscience serves many as Absoloms villaines served Amnon when his heart was merry at Absoloms feast then they stabd him to the heart Cōscience deales with them as the Israelites were dealt withal in their quaile feast They had their Quailes and their dainties but a man would rather want their good cheere than have their sawce Their sweet meat had sharpe sawce Whilst the flesh was between their teeth Gods anger brake in upon them So whilst many are chewing their dainties conscience fils their mouth with gravell and so sawces and spices their dishes that they find but little content therein So miserable are all feasts and merriments of this world when a man wants the independent feast of a good conscience So happy also are they that have the feast of a good conscience although they never taste bit of other feast whilst they live although they be denied the crums that fall under the feasting Gluttons table 3. It is better in regard of the Vniversality of it As for belly feasts it stands not with every mans condition and purse to make them It belongs onely to the richer and abler sort to feast Feasting is a matter of charge and cost and so is out of the reach of the poorer sort But here is the excellencie of this feast The poorest that is may make it and the poore have as good priviledge to make it as the rich and the poore in this respect may keepe as good an house as the best Nobleman yea for the most part the poorer sort keep this feast best Nabal makes a feast like a king but wretched man in the mean time what feast keepes his conscience It may be many a poore Carmelite neighbour of his that went in a poore russet coat and lived in a poore thatcht cottage kept that feast abundantly richly whilst he poore sot had not the crums that fell from their tables Lazarus could not have the crums that fell from the gluttons table but how happy had it been with the glutton if in stead of this delicious fare he might have had but the reversions of Lazarus boord Lazarus may not come to his feast no nor yet to his fragments neither will Lazarus condition permit him to feast it as the glutton did but yet this feast of a good conscience Lazarus may make as well as hee and can and doth keepe it whilst the glutton feeles many an hunger-biting gripe What an excellent feast is this above all other feasts wherein the russet hath as much priviledge as the velvet the beggar as the King the poore tenant as the rich Landlord The rich Landlord often so feeds upon and eates up his poor tenant by oppression that the tenant is kept low enough for feasting It is well with him if hee have food hee had not need thinke of feasting But loe now the excellent feast of a good conscience here may the Tenant keep as good cheere as the Landlord yea and it may be may feast whilst the rich Landlord is ready to starve for want of this provision Now then all this considered what a Motive should it be to make us in love with a good cōscience How powerfully should this perswade us therto whē God would perswade men to come to the joyes of heaven hee uses no other argument than this to invite them to a feast as in the Parable Luk. 14. Behold here is the same argument to move you to be in love with a good conscience behold the Lord invites you to a feast and to a feast where ye shall have sufficiencie without want or loathing where ye shal have wine mirth musick and good
Propter incertitudinem propriae Iustitiae periculum inanis gloriae tutissimum est fiduciam totam in sola Dei misericordia benignitate reponere Bellar. de Iustific lib. 5. cap. 7. merit comes to this at last That by reason of the uncertainty of our owne righteousnesse and the danger of vaine-glory it is the most safe way to repose our whole confidence in the mercie and goodnesse of God alone Which way soever Bellarmine is gone himselfe or any of his religion I thinke common reason will teach a man so much wisdome to go the safest way to heaven and that the safest way is the best way The Lord that would have us make our calling and election sure 2 Peter 1. 10. would not have us put so great a matter as the salvation of our soules upon Bellarmines hazard and confessed uncertaintie of our owne righteousnesse Now as in case of doctrine so in case of practise it is great wisedome and a great meanes of keeping a good conscience to doe that wherein we may Tutioris vivere 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 CHAP. VII Two markes if a good Conscience THus wee see how a good conscience may be had it followes we consider how it may be knowne and be discerned to be had The markes and notes by which a good conscience may bee knowne are seven 1. This in the Text. In all good conscience 1. Note of good conscience Conscience in all things It is a good note of a good conscience when a man makes conscience of all things all duties and all Sins There be that have naturall consciences principled by some generall grounds of nature and it may bee so farre as these rules carry them may make some conscience but their principles comming short they must needs also come as short of a good conscience I have lived saies Paul here in all good conscience and Heb. 13. 18. Wee trust wee have a good Conscience in all things It is a good conscience when a mans life all his life is a life of conscience when in all his life and the whole tenour thereof he makes conscience of all that God commands and forbids Psal 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed what breeds shame but evill conscience when I have respect unto all thy Commandements When all are respected there is no shame because where all are respected there is good conscience and where good conscience is there is no shame That argued Davids good conscience Psal 119. 101. I have refrained my feet from every evill way Try mens consciences by this and it will discover a great deale of evill conscience in the world Many a morall man makes conscience of doing his neighbour the least wrong hee will not wrong or pinch any man payes every man his owne deales fairly and squarely in his commerce there is no man can say blacke is his eye you shall have him thank God that he hath as good a conscience as the best These are good things and such things as men ought to make conscience of but yet here is not enough to make a good conscience A good conscience must be all good conscience or it is no good conscience Now indeed these men may have good consciences before men but my Text tels us that we must live in all good conscience before God And Paul joines them two together Act. 24. 13. And herein I doe exercise my selfe to have a good conscience voyd of offence towards God and towards men Now be it that these have good conscience before men yet what have they before God Alas they are miserably ignorant in the things of God no consciences to acquaint themselves with his truth no conscience of prayer in their families of reading the Scriptures no conscience of an oath and as little of the Sabbath and the private duties thereof How far are these from good conscience Others againe seeme to make conscience of their duties before God but in the meane time no conscience of duties of Justice in the second Table make no conscience of oppression racking rents covetousnesse over-reaching c. these are no better consciences then the former neither are good because they live not in all good conscience Thus may ◠man discover the naughty consciences of most Iehu seemes wondrous zealous for the Lord and seemes to be a man of a singular good conscience in the demolishing the Tēple of Baal putting to death his Priests I but if Iehu make conscience of letting Baals Tēple stand why doth he not as well make conscience of letting Ieroboams Calves stand If Iehu had had a good conscience hee would as ill have brookt Ieroboams as Iezebels Idolatry he would have purged the land of all Idols Herod seemes to make some conscience of an Oath Marke 6. 26. For his Oaths sake hee would not reject her It is joy of him that hee is a man of so good conscience I but in the meane time why makes hee no conscience of incest and murther Hee feares and makes conscience to breake an unlawfull Oath but makes no conscience to cut an holy Prophets throate Who would not have thought Saul to have beene a man of a very good conscience see how like a man of good conscience hee speakes 1 Sam. 14. 34. Sinne not against the Lord in eating with the blood Hee would have the people make conscience of eating with the blood and indeed it was a thing to be made conscience of I but he that makes conscience of eating the flesh of Sheepe and Oxen with the blood like a bloody hearted tyrāt as he was he makes no conscience of sucking and shedding the blood of fourescore and five of Gods Priests Iust the conscience of his blood-hound Doeg 1 Sam 21. 7. Doeg was there that day deteined before the Lord. How deteined either out of a religious conscience of the Sabbath or by occasion of a vow the man made conscience of going before the Sabbath were ended or the dayes of his vow finisht A thing indeed to be made conscience of men ought not to depart from Gods house till holy services bee finisht a duety that even the Prince must make conscience of Ezek. 46. 10. Who therefore would not judge this Edomite a conscionable Proselyte I but why then makes hee no conscience of Lying Psalm 25. Why no conscience of being instrumentall to Sauls injustice in that barbarous villany of slaying not onely innocent men but innocent Priests of the Lord such were the Consciences of the Chiefe Priests Matth. 27. 6. How like honest conscionable men they speake It is not lawfull for to put them into the treasury because it is the price of blood Sure it is great conscience ought to bee made of bringing the price of blood into the Temple treasurie Are they not then men of good conscience It is not lawfull
Prophet when God commanded was smitten with an heavie judgement It is no lesse dangerous to smite when God forbids smiting God hath an heavie hand for those that are so light fingred and he will give them blow for blow that will bee smiting his for a good conscience Touch not mine anoynted and do my Prophets no harm Ps 105. 15. He that touches them touches the apple of Gods eye Zach. 2. 8. So hee that smites them smites the apple of his eye The eie is a tender place and sensible of a little blow God will not take a blow on the eye nor beare a blow on his face at the hands of the proudest enemies of them all and though we must turne the other cheek rather than smite againe yet the Lord to whom vengeance belongs wil take no blows at their hands but if they will be smiting they shall be sure to heare of him to their cost You find Ex. 2. 11. an Aegyptian smiting an Israelite It becomes none better than Aegyptians to be smiting Israelites Moses spies an Aegyptian smiting of an Hebrew What gets the Aegyptian in the end See verse 12. God stirs up the spirit of Moses to smite him and to slay him Thus will God teach Aegyptians to be medling Pashur smites Ieremy Ier. 20. 2. What got he by it The heavie stroke of Gods hand upon himselfe and all his friends ver 3 4 5 6. Herod was a smiter too Act. 12. 1 2. He stretched forth his hands to vexe certain of the Church and he killed Iames the Brother of Iohn with the Sword And what became of him in the end See ver 23. The Angel of the Lord smote him he was eaten up of worms and he gave up the ghost It is said of Ionas his gourd that a worme smote it and it withered Ion. 4. That was much that a worme should so soone smite the gourd But when men will be smiting Gods people and his prophets for a good conscience and when Herod will be so busie as to smite Apostles God can send not onely an Angel one of his most glorious creatures but even a base worme even one of the weakest creatures to smite Herod and eate him both Ieroboam stretches forth his arme against the Prophet 1 Kin. 13. his arm withers he doth but threatē to smite God smites him How much more when Herod stretches forth his hād to vexe the Church and to smite Gods Ministers wil God not only wither them but smite him as Sampson smote the Philistims hip and thigh and make him a rotten and a stinking spectacle to all malicious smiters to the worlds end Thus is that true which the Prophet implies in that speech Isa 27. 6. Hath hee smitten him as hee smote his smiter Marke then Gods dealing hee uses to smite smiters Neither is this true only of smiters with the fist and with the sword but it is also true of those smiters Ier. 18. 18. Come and let us smite him with the tongue Even such smiters will God smite also as wee may see there ver 21 22 23. Thus God met with Nabal David sends for reliefe to him upon his festivall day and he in stead of an almes fals a railing on him and cals him in effect a Rogue and a Vagabond and a run-away Thus hee smote David with his tongue What follows See ver 38. And it came to passe about ten dayes after that the Lord smote Nabal And how smote he him That he died So Zach. 14. 12. Their tongue shall consume away in their mouth What might the reason be of that judgment Because haply many that cannot or dare not fight with their hands for fear of the law yet fight against Gods Ministers his servants with their tongues Wel God hath a plague to smite such sinners Though they smite but with the tongue yet God will smite them and give them their portion with the rest of the adversaries of the Church And if God will not spare such smiters how much lessewil he spare such as smite with the sword Terror to all smiters either with hand Vse 1 or tongue Smite on goe on in your malicious courses doe so but yet know that there is a smiter in heaven that will meet with you Had Zimri peace who slew his master So said Iezabel to Iehu and so may it bee said in this case Search the Scriptures search the Histories of the Church Had ever any smiters peace which lifted up either hand or tongue against any of the Lords people Did smiters ever scape scot-free Had they any cause to brag in the end Had they ever any cause to brag of the last blow Did Herod prosper that smote Iames with the sword did Ananias prosper that smote Paul did the Aegyptian prosper that smote the Hebrew Did Doeg prosper who was a tongue-smiter as well as an hand-smiter Psa 52. Oh consider this you that dare lift up your hands and tongues against a good conscience be afraid of Gods smiting hand tremble to meddle in this kind Learne to hold your hands and tongues unlesse yee long to feele Gods smiting hand Especially take heed of smiting Gods Ministers in any kind Deut. 33. 11. Levi hath a strange blessing Blesse Lord his substance accept the worke of his hand smite through the loynes of them that rise against him and of them that hate him that they rise not again God saw that of al others Levi would be most subject to the blowes of fists and tongues and therefore he is fenced with a blessing for the nonce to make smiters feare to meddle with him or if they will needs meddle yet to let them see that it were better to wrong any other tribe than that God would smite thē smite them to the purpose that shal offer to smite him Here is that which may make Gods people comfortably patient under all the Vse 2 wrongs injuries of smiters in any kind Here is that may make them by patience to possesse their soules may make them hold their hands and their tongues from smiting Smite not thou God will smite smiters Indeed when we will be smiting wee prevent Gods smiting and so they have the easier blows by the meanes For what are our blowes to the Lords Do as Christs did 1 Pet. 2. 23. Who when hee was reviled reviled not againe but committed himself to him that judges righteously It is best leaving them to the Lords hand Pray for thy smiters that God would give them smiting hearts that their hearts may smite them for their smiting pray to God if he see it good they may be so smitten This is a revenge will stand with charity Yet if not leave them to God who best knows how to smite smiters It is great comfort against the sore afflictions Vse 3 of Gods Church at this present The enemies of the Gospel have smitten Gods Church with a sore blow Wel yet let us not bee out
when such scandal is giuen wee must not take offence at Religion because we see there is a necessitie of scandalous euents in the Church of God and amongst such as doe professe true Religion Indeed when scandals do fal out this is the conclusion the Deuill would haue men infer vpon them and it is the thing hee aymes at in bringing men into scandals to haue men thereupon iudge such Religion naught and all of the same outward profession to bee alike f Ecce quales sunt qui Christum colunt falsum plane illud est quod aiunt se bona discere se sanctae legis praecepta retinere Si enim bona discerent boni essent talis profecto secta est quales sectatores hoc sunt absque dubio quod docentur Mimesis Paganorum apud Salu. de Prou. lib. 4. Doe yee not see what they are Are not of the very choicest and chiefest of them scandalous As they are so are they All As they are so is their Religion they professe Surely this Religion and the profession of it are not of God But this is the Deuils Logicke and reasoning taught in the Schoole of Hell Here bee two things inferred First Therefore their Religion is naught and not to be trusted Secondly Thus they are all That men may not thus stumble at scandals consider the weaknesse of such inferences 1. They that professe Religion fall into scandals therefore their Religion and Profession is naught c. If this bee a good reason the Religion that is from Heauen and which is taught by God himselfe must bee damned for a false Religion for here wee see that amongst the Professours of true Religion in the very Church of God there must bee scandals So that if men shall goe this way to worke they will make but mad worke of it Let vs but a little consider this kind of reasoning what validitie it hath or could haue in such mens cases whose religion and profession were without question on all hands of God Fowle and fearefull was the scandal of Dauid And what was the issue Presently the enemies of God and godlinesse beganne to lift vp their heads and to fall fowle vpon Dauids religion 2. Sam. 12. The enemies of God blasphemed the Name of God And that happily on this or the like manner Oh this is hee that was so grand a Zelot that the zeale of Gods house did eat him vp Psal 69. 9. This is the man forsooth that danced before the Arke out of his transcendent zeale 2. Sam. 6. 14. This is he that prayed thrice a day Morning Euening and at Noone Psal 55. 17. This is he that was so strict and so precise in the gouernment of his Family Psal 101. This your great precise Zelot hath defiled the Wife and murthered the Husband Now you see what his religion is Now you see what comes of this Profession of so much Holinesse and Godlinesse Such as he is such is his religion nought both Now was this thinke wee faire reasoning Was Dauids religion false because his scandal was fowle Who dares iustifie Dauids fact yet who dares condemne his Religion and Profession The fact of the Incestuous Corinthian was exceeding fowle he marries his fathers wife vncleannesse vnparalleld amongst the Heathen And how wide now thinke we were the Heathen Corinthians mouthes opened Certainly at that time they did as those Psal 59. 7. Behold they belch out with their mouth and as those Psal 73. 9. They set their mouth against the Heauens and their tongue walkes through the earth So that Heauen and Earth seemed now to ring of them g Vbi est lex catholica quam credunt vbi sunt pietatis castitatis praecepta quae discunt Euangelia lâ—gunt impudici sunt ApostolosaudiuÌ„t inebriantur Christum sequuÌ„tur rapiunt vitam improbaÌ„ agunt probaÌ„ legem haberese dicunt Mimesis Paganotum apud Salu. de Prou. lib. 4. Now see say they what the God and the religion of these pure Christians is These be the fruits of this Christian religion Is not your religion a goodly religion A cleere case that their religion is naught Thus the Heathens and right like Heathens did they reason and pitie it is to heare such Heathen Logicke in Christians mouthes Was the Religion of Christ preached and professed at Corinth naught and false because that Corinthian being a Christian proued so fowle God forbid Here that hath a truth in this sense which Tertullian spake in case of Heresies h Quid ergo si Episcopus si Doctor si etiam Martyr lapsus à regula fuerit ideo haereses videbuntur veritatem obtinere ex personis probamus fidem an ex fide personas Tertul. de praescript aduers Haeret. Doe we trie faith by mens persons or mens persons by their faith Euen in this case may we not iudge of faith by mens persons as if because some persons professing religion proue scandalous therfore their religion should bee proued false The religion of the Christian Corinthians was of God though that mans incestuous practice were from Satan We find a case Mal. 2. 8. But yee are departed out of the way yee haue caused many to stumble at the law It is spoken to the Priests they should haue beene examples of holinesse and patternes of pietie to the people but they liued wickedly and scandalously so that many of the people stumbled at the Law of God They began to call the Law and their Religion into question and like enough were ready to say Surely this Law is not of God nor this Religion which the Priests preach and professe is not from Heauen For if this Law and Religion were from God why liue these Priests so lewldy and basely Thus the stumbled people reasoned But was their reason good against the Law and Religion because the Priests were scandalous Was the Law to bee cryed downe because they liued not according to that Law they preacht and profest Was the Law naught because the Priests were so Wherefore sayes the Apostle the Law is holy and the Commandement is holy and iust and good Rom. 7. 12. Though they were vnholy yet the Law was holy though they were vniust yet the Law was Iust though they were naught yet the Commandement was good So that it was the peoples great sinne to stumble at the Law though the Priests departed out of the way It is not therefore a safe processe to condemne and cry downe Religion from the scandals and offences of the Professours thereof Is the Protestant Religion false because as the Papists reason so many Protestants are scandalous Drunkards Adulterers c. yea let this reason stand good shew mee that Religion in the whole World that can bee true by this reason there is no true Religion at all on earth For giue me any Religion on the face of the earth Turkish Iewish Heathenish Popish or Protestant among the Professours whereof there may not scandalous
into an hatred and dislike of sauing religion and sauing powerfull profession of it Into which who so falles how woefully falls he That scandals do bring this woe vpon the world and proue ruining stumbling blockes thus to make them fall is further cleere by that Mal. 2. 8. Yee are departed out of the way It is a charge vpon the Priests The u Misera eorum conuersatio plebis tuae miserabilis subuersio est Bernard in conuers Pauli ser 1. Priests that preached professed the law they departed out of the way they committed grosse and fowle scandals what was the issue of it A great deale of mischiefe followed vpon it namely a woe an heauie woe vnto the people from their scandals But what was that woe Yee haue caused many to stumble at the Law that is to stumble at true religion and the wayes of God When the people saw the Priests that professed and preacht the Law and who so great Zelots for the Law as they when they saw these Priests to liue so loosely and so scandalously they began to start at it and to question happily whether this Law this religion they preached and professed were of God or no. And if this were their law and their religion for their parts they were resolued neuer to haue to doe with such a Law with such a religion Thus their scandals did stumble thē And thus did their scandals bring an heauie woe vpon the people for what a woefull condition was this thus to stumble at the Law at the true religion of God what was this but to seale vp and make sure their owne damnation for if they would none of the Law they could none of Heauen if shut out of Heauen what remayned but Hell The Lord had it is likely a long while called vpon the people by his Prophets they would not hearken nor repent nor imbrace the truth of God The Lord therefore in his Iustice resolues to be reuenged vpon them by bringing a woe vpon them And what woe would God bring vpon them This woe of stumbling at religion that so hee might make sure worke with them that since they would not be saued when hee offred them saluation therfore now they should neuer be saued But now what course will God take to effect this and bring this woe vpon them He will in his wise prouidence lay the stumbling blocke of the Priests scandals in their way at which they shall so stumble as to dislike the Law and to fall into an vtter distaste of religion by which they should make sure worke against their owne saluation And so woe was vnto the people from the Priests scandals 2. Scandals make way for woe in that they make way to occasion men of the world to fall into the fowle and woefull sinne of blapheming Gods holy Name It is a woefull thing to fall into that sinne especially so to fall into it as to make that the ioy of our hearts which tends to the reproach and dishonour of his Name The Name of God is a glorious and a fearefull Name Deut. 28. 50. and therefore how woefull and fearfull a thing for a man to blaspheme that Name What doth he better then cut himselfe off from all communion with God that blasphemes his Name that flies in his face and triumphes in his reproach It is said of the malicious Iewes Act. 13. 45. that they spake against Pauls doctrine contradicting and blaspheming And marke what followes vers 64. Seeing yee put the word of God from you and iudge your selues vnworthy of euerlasting life loe we turne to the Gentiles See then when they blasphemed what they did They put away the word from them they iudged themselues vnworthy of life they caused God to turue away the meanes of saluation from them Such a case is a woefull case and to this case will contradicting blaspheming of God and his truth and Religion bring men And therefore in this regard are scandals wofull euents because they occasion men to blaspheme and speake euill of God and his truth When Dauid fell into that foule Scandal what followed vpon it See 2. Sam. 12. 14. By this deede thou hast giuen great occasion to the enemies of God to blaspheme Those amongst the people that were haters of true godlinesse and enemies to the powerfull profession thereof and so enemies of God when Dauid fell into this sinne they fell into a woefull case they presently fall a blaspheming of Religion and speaking euill of godlinesse and he that blasphemes godlinesse blasphemes God and so by this meanes causes God in wrath peremptorily to turne from them So Rom. 2. 23. 24. thorough you the name of God is blasphemed amongst the Gentiles So that the scandalous sinnes of the Iewes were stumbling blockes to the Gentiles that made them fall into that fowle sin of blaspheming that must needes make them vnworthy of eternall life 3. Scandals make way for woe in that they make way for the hardning of the hearts and stiffening of the neckes of sinnefull men in their euill wayes It is a very dangerous thing for a man to bee in a sinnefull way but for a man to haue his hand strengthened in his Iniquity to bee hardened in any sinne this is a woefull condition It is the greatest woe and curse that can be to haue ones hart hardened Lam. 3. 64. 65. Render vnto them a recompence O Lord according to the worke of their hands Giue them obstinacie of heart thy curse vnto them Salomon speakes of the plagues in the heart 1. King 8. 38. The plague in the body is a woefull disease and what then is the plague in the heart God threatens Pharaoh with this plague Exod. 9. 14. I will at this time send all my plagues vpon thine heart and see how God did it Exod. 10. 2. Goe into Pharaoh for I haue hardened his heart Therefore the Hardnes or Hardening of the heart is the plague of the heart God sent ten plagues vpon Pharaoh but this plague of his heart in the hardening of it was ten times greater then all the plagues of Aegypt It is that which vsually God premises and fore-sendes when hee meanes to prepare men to temporall destruction When God meanes resolutely to speede a particular person or a whole nation and to bring ineuitable destruction vpon them God first makes way for it by the hardening of mens hearts Exo. 14. 17. When God would get himselfe honour in the destruction of Pharaoh and the Aegyptians I will saith hee harden their hearts and they shall follow them and I will get me honour vpon Pharaoh So Iosh 11. 19. 20. Not a City that made peace with the children of Israel saue the Hiuites the Inhabitants of Gibeon They tooke all in battell But why did not other Cities doe as the Gibeonites why did not they submit and seeke their peace Because God had a purpose they should bee destroyed and to make the surer way for it gaue
is vncleane Leu. 15. 2. 4. But why speake vnto the children of Israel Because they only were vncleane and made others vncleane by running issues Heathens as some obserue out of the Iewish Rabbins did not make vncleane by an issue or childbirth c but Israelites did An issue was an issue in an heathen as well as in an Israelite but in an Israelite onely an vncleane and a desiling issue Sinnes are sinnes in other men as well as in professours of Religion but in professours they bee horirible sinnes Ier. 18. 13. Aske now among the Heathen who hath heard such things The Virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing The sinnes of Gods people are horrible sinnes because k Quanto enim honoribus alios antecellunt tanto quoque ipsorum peccatum etiam si alioqui idem sit grauius efficitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isid pelus lib. 4. Epist 15. Quo grandius nomen eo grandius scandalum Ber. Epist 200. their persons are honourable persons Isai 43. 4. As God speakes of the Prophets of Samaria and Ierusalem Ier. 23. 13. 14. So it may be said of the people of both I haue seene folly in the Prophets of Samaria I haue seene also in the Prophets of Ierusalem an horrible thing and yet in effect the sinnes of both were the same but the same sinnes diuersly circumstanced may differ much and so by reason of the persons one being Prophets of Baal the other professing themselues the Prophets of the true God that which was but folly in the Prophets of Samaria was an horrible thing in the Prophets of Ierusalem So is the case amongst the people that which is but folly in such as are ignorant irreligious and liue without God in the World is an horrible thing in a man that makes profession of Religion And therefore hence it is iust with God to bee so seuere in the punishment of such and God will bee sanctified in them that come nigh vnto him and before all the people will hee bee glorified Leuit. 10. 3. If he be not sanctified by their singular and speciall obedience towards him he will bee sanctified by his iustice vpon them and will be glorified before all the people that is publiquely and openly he will do such seuere exemplary iustice vpō them that all shall take notice of it It suits with that Amos 3. 2. You onely haue I knowne of all the Families of the earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities How smart was Gods iustice vpon Ierusalem Dan. 9. 12. For vnder the whole Heauen hath not beene done as hath beene done vpon Ierusalem Why so for vnder the whole Heauen had not beene done as had been done in by Ierusalem Ierusalem was the holy Citie Math. 4. 5. The Citie of the great King Math. 5. 35. The Citie of God Psal 87. 3. Such she professed herselfe so that she sinning her sinnes were out of measure sinfull and therefore God most righteous though most seuere against her It is in this case of the peoples sufferings as it was in the Priests Offerings Wee shall see that in some cases the people sinning they might bring for their Offering a Kid of the Goates Leuit. 4. 23. 28. But still for the sinnes of the Priests there must bee offered a Bullocke Leuit. 4. 3. Leuit. 16. 6. Exod. 29. 10. What might the reason of this be The Priests person being more excellent and nigh vnto God their sins were greater then other mens so much greater as a Bullocke is greater then a Kid and therefore wheras a Kid would serue another man the Priest must bring a Bullocke So here in case of suffering iustice All that professe themselues Gods people doe professe themselues Priests vnto God and therefore their sinnes are as much aboue other mens as is a Bullocke aboue a Kid and therefore when other mens punishment which they suffer shall be but the weight of a Kid that punishment which they suffer shall bee the weight of a Bullocke Woe euen a weightie and an heauie Woe to him by whom the offence commeth Profession of Religion giues no man a licence or dispensation as if because men will owne and countenance Religion God were beholding to them and they may take libertie to doe what they please but profession of Religion is the strongest l Religio autem est scientia Dei ac per hoc omnis religiosus hoc ipso quod religionem sequitur Dei se voluntatem nosse testatur Professio itaque religionis non aufert debitum sed auget quia assumptio religiosinominis sponsio est deuotionis per hoc plus quispiam debet opere quanto plus promiserit professione Saluian contra Auarit lib. 2. obligation the deepest ingagement vnto godlines holinesse that can be That bond and obligation being broken God will assuredly both sue the bond and take the forfeiture to the vtmost And thus wee see the reasons of Gods so sharpe seueritie in punishing Scandals and scandalous offendours CHAP. IX The great care we should haue of giuing scandal and sorrow for them giuen and the cause of humiliation they haue by whom offences come THe iustice of God being thus smart and seuere vpon such as giue offence consider wee for the close of all what vse may bee made of it It serues therefore to teach three things 1. Gods iustice being so seuere against the giuers of scandal how warie and how carefull should it make vs and with what feare and trembling should we walke least at any time an offence should come by vs. Let this Wo pronounced against all scandal-giuers be as the flaming Sword of the Cherubims to scare vs and make vs afraid how euer we do any thing or come neere the doing of any thing that may proue offensiue and scandalous Since the Woe is so heauie and so smart let it make vs listen to that counsell Rom. 14. 13. That no man put a stumbling blocke or an occasion to fall in his brothers way If Christ haue denounced a Woe and a Curse to him that layes a stumbling blocke in anothers way then as wee feare that Woe and that Curse to light on our heads so take heed of laying a stumbling blocke for another mans feet Let vs learne to liue by that rule 1. Cor. 10. 32. Giue none offence neither to the Iewes nor to the Gentiles nor to the Church of God Haue a care so to carrie our selues that neither the Church of God may be grieued nor the enemies of the Church bee either hindred from good or hardened in euill to their ruine and destruction Wee see Reuel 2. 14. That Balaam taught Balak to cast a stumbling blocke before the children of Israel Hee did not himselfe cast the stumbling blocke but hee taught Balak to doe it And yet God met with Balaam and taught him by his iustice vpon him what it was to teach others to cast stumbling blockes in his peoples wayes