could not see any such filth in his face though an hundred should offer to beare him downe to the contrary yet would hee beleeve his owne eyes before them all So here when at any time foule mouths are open and spare not to cast aspersions upon innocency and to lay scandalous things to a mans charge then a man by looking into his conscience can see himself and can find whether he be guilty or not and seeing himselfe in that water or in that glasse to be cleare from that dirt and filth which malice would cast in his face it so fils his heart with comfort and confidence as makes him treade all reproach and false judgement of man vnder his foot This appeares by the contrary Let man bee praised and magnified ever so â—et ever so much good be spoken of him and ever so much worth be attributed to him yet if his owne heart tell him that all is falsely spoken of him and there is indeed no such matter in him he Non ideo bona est coÌ„scientia mea quia vos illam laudatis Quid enim laudatis quod non videtis Aug. de ver dom ser 49. Si autem noÌ„ aureÌ„ solam percutit iracundia criminantis verumetiam coÌ„scientiam mordet veritas criminis quid mihi prodest si me coÌ„tinuis laudibus totus mundus attollat Ita nec malam coÌ„scientiam sanat praeconium laudaÌ„tis nec bonam vulnerat conviciantis opprobrium Aug. contra lit petil l. 2. In omni quod dicitur semper tacite occurrere debemus ad mentem interiorem testem judicem requirere Quid enim prodest si omnes laudant conscientia accusat aut poterit obesse si omnes derogent sola conscientia defendit Greg. sup 125. hom 6. hath at all no true comfort in all the good words of the world Prov. 27. 21. As the sining pot for silver the furnace for gold so is a man to his praise that is a man is to try his praise that is given him and if his conscience tell him it is undeserved hee is to separate this drosse of flattery from himselfe All the commendations and admirations of the world what comfort can they yield whilest a mans conscience tels him that they are all but lying and glavering flatteries what though the poore multitude feeling the swette and refreshment of a Pharisees almes doe canonize a Pharise for a Saint yet what is he the better or what comfort hath hee the more whilest his owne conscience reproaches and reproves him and tells him that hee is a vain-glorious hypocrite and that though these whom hee feeds send him to heaven yet hee shall have his portion with hypocrites and unbelievers What is a man the better for a flattering Funeral commendation whilst in the meane time he is under the reproach and torture of his conscience in the place of torment How many a man is there that hath the good word of all men no man speakes well of him but yet in the meane time his owne heart gives him bitter words and rates him to his face How well contented would such a one be and what an happy exchange would he hold it to have all the world raile on him and slander him so his own conscience would but speake friendly and kindly to him so he could find hony from his conscience he would not care what gall he had from the world Experience lets us see that such as have beene malevolent and injurious against others innocencie though they have been abetted and borne out by their umpires and advocates that for handfulls of barley and scraps and crusts have laboured to maintaine ill Causes and worse persons yet they have had no peace nor rest of heart Their advocates have bid them sit downe with rest and victory the day is theirs they have cheered them and striven to deserve their fee and yet their guilty Clients being netled with the inward guilt of their consciences have still beene haunted with a restlesse and perplexed unquiet spirt which others made guilty and censured for offenders by such mercenarie umpires have possessed their soules in patience and have been cheerfull and merry-hearted from the comfort of their owne innocent and cleare consciences So that looke as the naughty conscience can speake no comfort though all the world speake well of it so contrarily though all the world reproach censure slander c. yet a good conscience Foelix conscientia non sibi in aliquo conscia quae non proprium judicium nec alienum veretur Bern. de Consc Beata plane quae non alienis aestimatur judiciis sed domesticls percipitur sensibus tanquam sui iudex Neque enim popularis opiniones pro mercede aliqua requirit neque pro supplicio pavet Ambros de offic l. 2. c. 1. Non possunt aliena verba crimen affigere quod propria non recepit conscientia Ambros in Psal 38. can and will speake peace and comfort to a mans heart The Corinthians did exceedingly slight Paul Hee was this and hee was that but how was he affected with it See how 1 Cor. 4. 3 4. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you I know full well what your censures are and what sentence you passe upon me but know ye that I no whit at all regard the same I make no reckoning thereof at all Why might the Corinthians say do ye count us so silly and so injudicious Nay sayes Paul I speake it not as if you were sillier than others with me it is a small thing to bee judged of you or of mans judgement let them be the most wise and judicious that are in the world or of mans Day though by men convened in solemne manner for judgement I passe not what their censure is I regard not their mis-judgings of mee I but what makes Paul thus slight mens judgement of him That in the fourth verse I know nothing by my selfe mine owne conscience judges me not nor sentences mee that layes no such thing to my charge and therefore so long as my conscience is on my side I regard not a whit what the world judges Now then see what a Motive this is to get and keepe a good conscience As we would be glad to have comfort and confidence against the malice of opprobrious tongues as wee would have a counterpoison against their venome so get a good conscience Here is that which may make us in love with a good conscience Reproach must full often be the portion of Gods deare children Israelites shall be for ever an abomination to Aegyptians And though the Aegyptian dogges moved not their tongues against Israel Exodus 11. 7. yet dogged Aegyptians will move their tongues and their teeth too The Apostles must be counted the filth of the world and the off-scowrings of all things 1 Corinth 4. 13. The Lord Iesus himselfe dranke of this cup Psal 22. 6 7. I am a worm and no man a reproach of men and despised of the people All they that see me laugh me to scorne c. The way to heaven is
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
latitude within the compasse whereof I will bring both those forenamed and all other materiall points which this Protestation doth afford CHAP. II. Conscience described THe maine subject of this Protestation and the ayme of this following discourse being concerning a good Conscience for the more orderly handling thereof consider these specialls 1. What Conscience is 2. What a good Conscience is 3. How a good conscience may be gotten and kept The meanes of it 4. How a good Conscience may be knowne The marks of it 5. The Motives to get and keepe a good Conscience 1. What Conscience is It may be thus described Conscience is a power and faculty of the soule taking knowledge and bearing witnesse of all a mans thoughts words and actions and accordingly excusing or accusing absolving or condemning comforting or tormenting the same I know there be other definitions given by others more succinct and neat but I rather chuse this though it may be not altogether so formall to the rules of Art The rules of love and profit many times may make bold to dispence with rules of Art So I may be profitable I care the lesse to be artificiall It may suffice that this description is answerable to that Auditory for whose sake it was first intended A plaine familiar description agrees well enough with such a people For the better conceiving of it let it be taken in pieces and every parcell viewed severally It is a faculty or power of the soule It is therefore called the Heart 1 Ioh. 3. 20. If our heart condemne us Eccl. 7. 22. Thine own heart knows that thou thy selfe likewise hast cursed others that is thine own Conscience knowes It is also called the spirit of man 1 Cor. 2. 11. For what man knowes the things of a man save the spirit of man which is in him And Rom. 8. 16. The spirit it selfe beares witnesse with our spirit that is with our Conscience Not that Conscience is a spirit distinct from the subject of the soule as Origen mistooke but because it is a faculty of the soule therefore the name that is oft given to the soule is given to it If it be asked in what part of the soule this facultie is placed we must know that Conscience is not confined to any one part of the soule It is not in the understanding alone not in the memory will or affections alone but it hath place in all the parts of the soule and according to the severall parts thereof hath severall Offices or acts Taking Knowledge Eccl. 7. 22. Thine owne heart knowes Conscience is placed in the soule as Gods spy and mans superiour and overseer and inseparable companion that is with a man at all times and in all places so that there is not a thought word or worke that it knowes not and takes not notice of So that that which David speakes of God himselfe Psa 139. 3 4. Thou compassest my heart and my lying downe and art acquainted with all my wayes for there is not a word in my tongue but loe thou knowest it altogether Whither shall I goe from thy spirit If I ascend up to heaven c. The same may be also said of conscience Gods deputy it is acquainted w th al our waies not a motion in the mind nor a syllable in the mouth to which it is not privy yea it is thus inseparably present with us not only to see but also to set downe to register and to put downe upon Record all our thoughts words and works Conscience is Gods Notary and there is nothing passes us in our whole life good or ill which Conscience notes not downe with an indeleble character which nothing can raze out but Christs Nam quocuÌ„que me verto vitia mea me sequuntur ubicunque vado conscienscia mea me non deserit se praesens adsistit quicquid facio scribit Idcirco quaÌ„quam humana subterfugiam judicia judiciuÌ„ propriae cons â—ugere non valeo Et si hominibus celo quod egi mihi tamen qui novi maluÌ„ quod gessi celare nequeo Bern. de inter Com. cap. 31. bloud Conscience doth in this kind as Iob wishes in another Iob 19. 23 24. Oh that my words were now written Oh that they were printed in a booke That they were graven with an iron pen laid in the rock for ever Conscience prints and writes so surely so indelebly yea it writes mens sins as Iudah his sin was with a pen of iron with the point of a Diamond and they are graven upon the Table of their hearts Ier. 17. 1. Conscience doth in our pilgrimage as travellers in their journey it keepes a Diary or a journall of every thing that passes in our whole course it keepes a booke in which it hath a mans whole life pend In regard of this office conscience is placed in the memory and is the Register and Recorder of the soule And bearing witnesse This we find Rom. 2. 15. Their conscience also bearing witnesse Rom. 9. 1. My conscience also bearing me witnes 2. Cor. 1. 12. This testimony of our conscience And this the end of the former office of the conscience For therefore it is exact and punctuall in setting downe the particulars of a mans whole life that it may bee a faithfull witnesse either for him or against him For a faithfull witnesse cannot lie Prou. 14. 5. This office it is ready to doe at all times Peccata mea celare non possum quoniam quocuÌ„que vado coÌ„sc mea mecum est secum portans quod in ea posui sive bonum sive malum servat vivo restituet defuncto depositum quod servanduÌ„ accepit Bern. Med. de vot cap. 14. of triall affliction and most of all at the last day the day of iudgement when it shall be more solemnly called in to give in evidence Rom. 2. 15. 16. Their conscience bearing witnes c. In the day when God shall iudge secrets of men At that day it shall especially witnes either for or against a man if our life and actions have beene good it will then doe like the true witnesse Pro. 14 25. A true witnes delivers soules If wicked ungodly it will deale with it as Iob complaines God did with him Iob 10. 17. Thou renewest thy witnesse against me It will testifie according to every mans deeds And this testimonie of conscience is without all exception for in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall stand and conscience as our common saying is is a thousand witnesses for it is an eye-witnesse of all our actions yea a pen-witnes bringing testimonie from the authentique Records and Register of the Court of Conscience Concerning this testifying office of Conscience that place is worth the noting Esa 59. 12. For our transgressions are multiplied before thee our sins testifie against vs for our transgressions are with vs and as for our iniquities we know them By which place wee may know the
this poyson No buckler against these swords Yes there is the soveraigne balme and the impenetrable buckler of a good conscience It is a balsome that will allay the poyson of these Adders that it shall never burst a mans heart or if these swords pierce the very innermost bowels yet this will so salve these wounds that they shall not ranckle nor become mortall Oh! how mortall is this adders poyson how fatall are these swords how keene their edge and how full of paine their wounds where inward guilt gives strength unto them But integrity and goodnesse of conscience is a precious balme of Gilead that takes away the venome of this poyson the stinging smart of the wounds of these swords Let Paul live with ever so good a conscience before God and man Act. 24. 16. yet Tertullus will play the spitting adder and hee will spit yea spue forth his poyson in his face and in the face of an whole Court will not spare openly to slander him for an arrant varlet a lewd pestilent and a villanous fellow Such drivel will the malicious world spit in the face of Godlinesse But mark now the benefit and comfort of a good conscience Either a good conscience with Stephens Angelicall face will dazle and shame the devils Oratours 1 Pet. 3. 16. Having a good conscience that they may be ashamed or else like Paul it can shake off those vipers without swelling or falling downe dead Yea if Satans orators will needs be opening their mouthes against Paul yet so good is his conscience that as Iohn Hus appealed from Pope Alexander to Pope Alexander namely from him in his anger to him in his cold blood and better advised so dares Paul appeale from Tertullus to Tertullus David from Shimei to Shimei from enemies to enemies from their tongues to their hearts from their mouthes to their Consciences as knowing their owne integritie to bee such as that their enemies owne hearts give their tongues the ly and tels them that against their Conscienses possessed with meere malice they are hurried on in Satans service Tertullus knowes he lyes and his owne Conscience tells him hee lyes in his throate that Paul is an honester man that himselfe yea and the comfort is that Pauls Conscience comforts him and assures him that Tertullus his Conscience assures him all this So unspeakably sweet is the comfort of a good conscience David complaines of a great affliction Psal 35. 11. False witnesse did rise up they layd to my charge things that I knew not What should a man do in such a case if he had not the comfort of a good conscience witnessing for him But now at such a pinch appeares the benefit of a good conscience Let ever so many rise up falsly to witnesse against him yet his conscience will witnesse as fast for him My friends scorne mee sayes Iob Iob 16. 20. They witnessed against him to be a wicked person and an hypocrite they censured and condemned him but what was Iobs comfort That same vers 19. Behold my witnesse is in heaven and my record is on high That was one comfort but that was not all hee had also a witnesse on earth and his record below Vpon whose record and witnesse see with what solemnitie and with what confidence he stands Iob 27. 2 6. As God liveth who hath taken away my judgement and the Almighty who hath vexed my soule All the while my breath is in me and the spirit of God is in my nostrills my lips shall not speake wickednesse nor my tongue utter deceit God forbid that I should justifie you till I dye I will not remove mine integrity from me my righteousnesse I will hold fast and will not let it goe mine heart shall not reproach me so long as I live As if he had said As the Lord lives whilst Nam si in his in quibus me criminantur testimonium Conscientiae meae non stat contra me in conspectu Dei quo nullus oculus mortalis intenditur non solum contristari non debeo verumetiam exultare gaudere quia merces mea multa est in coelis Neque enim intuendum est quam sit amarum sed quam falsum sit quod audio quaÌ„ verax pro cujusnomine hoc audio Aug. contra lit Petil. l. 3. there is breath in my bodie I will not yield unto your accusations nor yet acknowledge my selfe guilty of that you doe charge mee withall Vrge mee and presse me what you will yet I will never let goe mine hold Why what is it that makes Iob thus stiffe and resolute what is it that supports him with such an excellent spirit that ver 6. Mine heart shall not reproach me so long as I live Indeed you reproach censure and condemne mee you lay heavie things to my charge But I have searched the records of my conscience I have called that unpartiall witnesse to testifie the truth and I find conscience witnessing strongly on my side and therefore do what you can you shall never beare mee downe Iobs friends may prove fickle and false but his own conscience will prove true to him that will plead for him animate him and comfort him against all their calumnious and injurious reproches and give him cause of much joy and triumph Iob then had his witnesse in heaven and Iob had his witnesse on earth God and his owne conscience two witnesses beyond all exception and in the mouth of two witnesses every truth shall stand Conscience is a thousand witnesses and God is above conscience And what Consciences witnesse concerning matter of fact God himselfe will justifie the same He that hath a good conscience hath a sure friend that will never slinke nor shrinke at any hand Nay he hath two good friends and two substantiall witnesses whose testimonies though secret yet are such as sweetly solace the heart of man against open reproaches slanders false witnesses and all wrongs and injuries of that kinde whatsoever The testimony of conscience is full of comfort because of the vndoubted certaintie and the vnquestioned infallibility thereof so that it voycing on a mans side strangely cheares his heart Pro. 27. 19. As in water face answers to face so doth the heart of a man unto man That is as some expound it As a man may see his face by looking in the water so a man may set himselfe and what hee is by looking into his conscience If a man should be told that hee had some filth or bloach on his In speculo Conscientiae status interioris hominis exterioris cognoseitur Non immorito Conscientiam speculo comparavit quoniam in eâ— tanquam speculo rationie oculus tam indecens quam quod decens in se â—st claro aspectu appredere potest Ber. de Consc face if he would goe looke into the water or specially into a looking-glasse hee should easily see whether it were so or no. And if looking into the water or glasse hee
III. A good Conscience what it is False ones discovered 19 CHAP. IV. Peace of Conscience how gotten 35 CHAP. V. Integrity of Conscience how procured 46 CHAP. VI. Two further meanes to procure Integrity of a good Conscience 57 CHAP. VII Two marks of a good Conscience 73 CHAP. VIII Three other Notes of a good Conscience 90 CHAP. IX The two last Notes of a good Conscience 103 CHAP. X. The comfort and benefit of a good Conscience in the case of disgrace and reproach 128 CHAP. XI The comfort and benefit of a good Conscience in the times of cōmon feares and calamities and in the times of sicknes other personall evils 147 CHAP. XII The comfort and benefit of a good conscience at the dayes of Death and Iudgement 165 CHAP. XIII A second Motive to a good conscience That it is a continuall feast 180 CHAP. XIV A third fourth Motive to a good cōscience 201 CHAP. XV The last Motive to a good conscience viz. The misery of an evill one 213 CHAP. XVI The portion and respect that a good conscience finds in the world 232 CHAP. XVII The impetuous injustice and malice of the adversaries of a good conscience 243 CHAP. XVIII The severity of Gods justice upon the enemies of good Conscience and the usuall equity of Gods administration in his execution of Iustice 253 FINIS THE MISCHIEFE And Miserie of Sandals Both Taken and Giuen By IER DYKE Minister of Epping in Essex Wherfore let him that thinks he stands take heed least he fall 1. Cor. 10. 12. Aug de verb. Dom. Serm. 53. Imo vtinam terruerim vtinam aliquid egerim Vtinam qui sic filerat vel quae sic fuerat non sit vlterius Vtinam verba ista infuderim non effuderim LONDON Printed by W. S. for R. Milbourne in Pauls Church-yard at the Greyhound 1632. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE Ladie the Ladie ELIZABETH Countesse of Winchelsey his Noble PATRONESSE MADAM IT is not vnknowne vnto your Honour what first occasioned mee to meddle with this Subiect That which first moued me to preach it in mine owne Charge hath also induced mee to make it more publique I conceiued it might bee a worke well worth the while to vindicate as much as in mee lay the Honour of God from that impeachment it commonly receiues from Scandals to heale the bleeding wounds they vsually giue to the profession of Godlinesse to stop the mouth of iniquity which they set so wide open and to giue men notice of the great danger that both the taking and giuing of Scandal may bring them into J obserue that men doe with the Scandals of Professours as the Leuite did with the twelue partes of his Concubine they send them Iudg 19. 29. thorough all the quarters of Israel It were happie that such foule actions as trench to the dishonour of God and Religion might be buried in eternall silence and neuer be published Publish it not in 2. Sam. 1. Gath But since that is impossible but that they will be published in Gath What inconuenience is it that something bee published in and sent into the Coasts of Israel that may stop the mouthes of the men of Gath that may salue the Honour of God and Religion and that may discouer and preuent the danger of Scandalous euils J confesse that when I considered how frequently Scandals haue fallen out and what a world of mischiefe hath beene done by them I wondred that no man for ought I know or can learne had hitherto medled with this Argument so needfull and so vsefull and therefore thought it would not be lost labour to doe something in this kind And what I haue done I now make bold to present vnto your Honour as presuming that that shall be welcome to you that pleades for the Honour of God and his Truth I acknowledge my selfe many wayes deeply engaged to your Honour and the many fauours I haue receiued from you binde mee to a thankefull acknowledgement of them May it please you therefore to accept of this small Treatise as a publike testimoniall of my thankefulnesse Which if you shall please to doe I shall reckon it as a superadded fauour to all the rest and to my thankefulnesse to your selfe shall adde my daily prayers to the God of all Grace for his blessing vpon your noble Family both roote and branch and that he would not onely continue to you the blessing of the left hand Riches and Honour Prou. 3. 16. but giue you the blessing of the right hand also length of dayes and with them both the best of his blessings All spirituall blessings in heauenly places in Christ Iesus This shall bee the daily suite of Your Honours Seruant in the Gospell of Christ Iesus Jer. Dyke To the Reader THere is not any one thing that Satan the professed enemie of Mankind labours and endeauours more then the hindrance of the saluation of man There is but one way to Heauen that which Peter cals the way of Truth 2. Pet. 2. 2. which Salomon cals the way of good men Prou. 2. 20. which Isaie cals the way of Holinesse Isai 35. 8. which Ieremie cals the old and the good way and the ancient pathes Ier. 6. 16. 18 15. Now Sathan to keepe men from Heauen doth his vtmost to make men stumble at and from the ancient pathes that by taking offence at the waies of God disliking and distasting them the saluation of their soules might become impossible To effect their stumbling at those wayes Sathan layes many and sundrie kinds of stumbling blocks in the wayes of men But yet amongst those many ones I find there bee some more dangerous then others and by which the Deuill preuayles much more then by the rest And those I obserue and conceiue to be specially these three 1. The Reproach Contempt and Obloquie that by some men is vsually cast vpon Religion and the conscionable profession and Professours thereof Sathan tels men that if they will needs goe this way they shall haue a deale of filth and dirt flung in the faces of them that they must looke to be scorned and Reproached as if they were the very Of scourings of the earth And this very thing starts and stumbles not a few Some will better abide a stake then some others can a mocke Zedekiah could happily haue found in his heart to haue hearkened to the Prophets counsell but that this lay in the way I am afraid of the Iewes least they deliuer me into the Caldaeans hands and they mocke me Ier. 38. 19. It was death to him to be mocked But all considered we shall see how little reason any haue for this to stumble at Religion For doe but consider who they are commonly that mock at Godlinesse Doe but obserue their Character in the Scriptures and you shall finde them such as these A company of Hypocrites Hypocriticall mockers Psal 35. 16. A crue of Drunkards Psal 69. 12. I am the song of Drunkards A sort
Truth to turne at the last to the greater honour and glorie of both Hee by his permissiue decree orders all such scandalous euents to worke together to bring him in a great and a rich returne of glory Therefore Ezek. 3. 20. God is said to lay a stumbling blocke before a man And I lay a stumbling blocke before him God hath decreed that there shall bee scandals Not a Sparrow falls on the ground without our Father Math. 10. 29. And therefore not a Professour of his Name fals into scandal without him And therefore God hauing decreed that scandals shall be there is a necessitie of the euent It is impossible but that there should be offences But yet this decree doth in no wise make God the authour of these euils because his decree hath no necessitating influence into the wils of men It is a necessitie of infallibilitie and certaintie of the euent but not a constraining forcing necessitie to make them to doe that which shall giue scandal Scandals shall necessarily that is infallibly come to passe but yet such as giue scandal shall not bee forced and necessarily constrained by the decree of God to doe that they doe They shall worke freely and voluntarily in that which they doe or else it were iniustice in God to bring a woe vpon him by whom an offence comes if hee by a Superiour power from Heauen were forced and constrained to fall into scandal What Gods holy ends are in that his Decree wee shall see after in the opening of the next point 2. From the malice of Sathan The malice of the Deuill against Gods Truth and Mans Saluation is exceeding great and out of his malice against both he endeuours nothing more then to make men sinne He goes about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom hee may deuoure But yet though all bee fish that comes to his net yet his speciall malice is against those of Gods Church and those therein that most zealously professe his Name and Truth He knowes that if he can but draw such into his nets and snares and make them fall into fowle and scandalous actions this will in a great measure dishonour God and his Gospell disgrace Religion and Godlinesse and startle such as are but looking towardes God and wonderfully harden such in their sinfull wayes that are not so forward in the zealous profession of the Gospell and therefore of all others hee hath such in his eye and vses all his power and policie to ensnare and supplant such more then a thousand others He had rather catch one fish then a thousand frogs rather fell one Cedar then a whole wood of shrubs Satan sees that the sins and scandalous offences of such will bee exceeding aduantageous to the aduancement of his kingdome and will conduce to the strengthening of his partie more then the falls of any other Therefore hee sets vpon them with all his might and malice aboue others Thou art say they of Dauid worth ten thousand of vs And if the enemy had surprized Dauid it had beene more aduantage to him then to haue surprized ten thousand other Israelites So Sathan reckons one zealous Professour of Religion if he can but entrap him worth ten thousand others for his turne Such a mans fal would more blemish the Gospell and make men more stumble at Godlinesse then if ten thousand others should do the like Therefore liues hee by the King of Syria his principle Fight neither against small nor great saue onely against the King of Israel for let the King of Israel fall and small and great fall with him His policie therefore is to aime and leuell especially at such in whose fals hee may ruine many and by whose ruines he may rayse his owne kingdome Other mens sinnes worke nothing so much for his aduantage a Numquid tam reprehensibilis ebrietas Alamanni quà m ebrietas Christiani aut tam damnabilis rapacitas Albani quam rapacitas Christiani si fallat Hunnus vel Gepida quid mirum est si peieret Francus quid noui faceret Salu. de prou lib. 4. Who wonders or staggers at it to see prophane and irreligious godlesse persons to bee vitious adulterers to be brutish drunkards to be artificiall deceiuers and defrauders It is no new thing they doe but their kinde The wonder were if they should bee or doe otherwise But when a man that professes Godlinesse and Religion shall fall into any of these fowle courses how infinitely are thousands staggered and scandalized at it How fowly is Religion and Godlinesse blurred How many are there who resolutely determine neuer to meddle with such Religion And so the Deuill hath his end hath what hee would haue Consider to this end that example 1. Cor. 5. 1. There is fornication amongst you and such fornication as is not once named amongst the Gentiles Obserue the horrible malice of Satan against the Church of God and such as are within it bee they sound or hypocriticall professours of the Gospell He labours to bring of them into fowler and more notorious offensiue euils then the very heathens themselues are guiltie of according to that Ieremy 18. 13. Aske now amongst the heathen who hath heard such things The Virgin of Israel hath done an horrible thing At that time Christians were called out from amōgst the heathen with whom they liued mingled together Now the Deuill did what in him lay to keepe those heathen from receiuing the Gospell and Christian Religion that by no meanes they might hearken to it Now to bring this about what was Satans proiect He layes about him to ensnare some one of the Christian Corinthians and to bring him into fowler fornication then was amongst the heathen This the Deuill effects and what thinke wee followed vpon it Now haue the heathen occasion to crie downe Christian Religion and to say Behold these be your Christians that talke so much of holinesse where did they euer see any of vs whom they terme heathens to commit so fowle an act of Incest as to marrie his fathers wife What are our Adulteries and fornications they so much iudge vs for to such fowle vncleannesse as this This is your Christian Religion and these bee your Saints forsooth now God blesse vs from such a Religion neuer will wee be of such a Religion How much better is it to be honest heathens nay Adulterous fornicating Pagans then Incestuous Christians And thus questionles was many a Pagan mouth opened and many an heathen heart stumbled yea many an one that before might be in some doubt of the euil condition of paganisme was by this scandal kept off from looking towards Christian Religion They liked not this Gospell and new doctrine of these Christians Such mens scandals therefore being of so great aduantage for Satans purposes and hee being so sedulous and industrious to seeke and take all aduantages for his owne turne hence it is that it cannot bee but that offences come How wel did Satan foresee what he should
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
Hypocrites What is this but to doe that which Dauid in an other case was afraide to doe Psalme 73. 15. If I say I will speake thus behold I should offend against the generation of thy children In speaking thus let men consider how they can wash their hands from that guilt Farre is such dealing from that sweete and gracious dealing of the Lords Is 65. 8. that casts not away the whole cluster for some corrupt and euill grapes farre are men from that Spirit who because now and then some one grape proues rotten and offensiue doe thereupon reiect the whole cluster and cry out vpon the rest of the grapes of the bunch as if they were like Ieremies naughty figs. Ier. 24. 2. Which could not be eaten they were so bad To stop the mouth of Iniquity in such a case let but these things be seriously and sadly considered 1. That there must bee such amongst those that powerfully and sauingly professe the Name of Christ And therefore we shall neuer finde the most holy and happy o Quantum libet enim vigilet disciplina domus meae homo sum et inter homines viuo nec mihi arrogare audeo vt domus mea melior sit quam arca Noe vbi tamen inter octo homines reprobus vnus inuentus est aut melior sit quam domus Abrahae aut melior sit quam domus Isaac aut melior sit quam cohabitatio ipsius Domini Christi in qua vndecom boni perfidem et furem Iudam tolerauerint aut melior sit postremò quam caelum vnde Angeli cociderunt Aug Epist 137. societies to haue bin so happy as to bee free from such In Noahs Arke were but eight persons yet one reprobate Cham In Abrahams family a bond-woman and her son to bee cast out in Isaacs family a profane Esau in Iacobs family an Incestuous Reuben amongst Dauids children an Incestuous Amnon a rebellious Absolom in the sacred colledge of Christes Apostles a Iudas a Theife Ioh. 12. 6. a Traytor Luk. 6. 16. a Diuell Ioh. 6. 70. Euen in headen Gods owne house and habitation were found such Angels in whom God found not stedfastnesse such Angels as kept not their first estate but left their owne habitation and became Deuills Now then looke back vpon some of these Instances and see if this kinde of reasoning bee safe In Noahs Arke there was a gracelesse Cham therefore all in the Arke were such as hee Amongst the twelue Patriarches Reuben was vncleane and Incestuous therefore all your pillers of your Ancient Church were such also Among the twelue Apostles of Christ the great professours and preachers of his Name Iudas was a thiefe a traytour a deuill therefore the whole company is a colledge of thieues traytours and deuills Amongst the Angels in heauen there were legions of Deuills therefore all of the same stampe all alike would not all men spit in that mans face that should thus reason and yet how familiar is such reasoning in too many mens mouths It is a sure thing that as p Simpliciter autem fateor charitati vestrae quomodo difficile sum expertus meliores quam qui in monasterijs profecerunt ita non sum expertus peiores quam qui in monasterijs ceciderunt Aug. Epist 137. there cannot bee found better men in the world thē amongst those in the Church professing Christs Name and Truth so neither can there be found some times worse then those that in the Church fall into heynous scandals The which since it must so be why should the filth of some particular persons miscarriages be flung in the faces of all What is this but for the q Nolite ergo propter amurcam qua oculi vestri offenduntur torcularia detestari vnde apothecae dominicae fructu olei luminosioris implentur Aug. Epist 137. lees and the dregges to loath the presses from whence Gods store-houses are filled with oyle 2. That though there bee such and that too many yet farre many more there bee of the same profession that are not such what though Christ haue one disciple that becomes a thiefe a traytor a deuill that brings scandal vpon the Preaching and profession of his Masters Name yet hath he not eleuen others holy and right godly men that liue according to their profession and doe their profession honour and credit What though one Christian Corinthian fall into the sinne of Incest yet why should the heathen Corinthians cast the disgrace of that his sinne vpon all the Christian Corinthians Are they so blind that they cannot see that there be many Corinthians Act 18. 8. and that God hath much people in that City Act. 18. 10. Who are holy gracious mortified and renowned for the power of Godlines that doe euery way make good the religion they professe what though now and then we see a starre falling from Heauen yet see wee not millions of those glorious lights of Heauen keepe their station and their lustre And why haue not men an eye as well to looke at such at the many such whose life 's suite with their holy profession as they haue an eye to looke at such at a few such as giue scandal why can they not see that r Quapropter si cōtristamur de aliquibus purgamentis consolamur tamen de pluribus ornamentis Aug. Epist 137 there are that shine as lights in the middest of a froward and a crooked generation and so shine that they bee ornaments of the Church as well as they can see such as are the disgracers and dishonourers of religion Surely because they are a froward and a crooked generation and out of that peruersnesse of Spirit for one and by one will iniuriously iudge and condemne all 3. If all such how is it that such more then all doe condemne such scandalous offenders Who so sharpe and so seuere against them for their scandals as such as professe the same truth with them Others triumph ouer them scorne and deride them but who so sadly and so sharpely reproues censures and condemnes them as doe they of the same profession Who so discountenances and discardes them once lapsed till their publique satisfactions and their vnquestioned repentance and humiliations doe in some measure wash off the blurre of their scandals Sufficient to such a man is this punishment which was inflicted of many 2. Cor. 2. 6. And sufficient was the infliction of that punishement by those many to acquit them from being all such If they had all countenanced him held fellowship and communion with him pleaded his cause and iustified his practise then had there beene some colour to haue said they had beene all such But now that the Corinthian Christians deale so seuerely with him for his offence it is cleare that they are not all such for if all such as hee then should he haue found more fauour at their hands then so And this was Augustines answer vnto and defence against the Manichees It was