all the Angels in heaven should come and bear witnesse their witnesse is not so uncontrollable as conscience is There is no appealing from the witnesse of conscience we must be tried by it If conscience do accuse and condemn us the Lord onely is greater then our conscience 1. John 3.20 and will give judgement with it when it doth its office And if our conscience do not and commend us and applaud us when we are naught and call us good men and good women when we are nothing so but this will tell us plainly how vile and sinfull we are and if we say we are good when we are not it will tell us plainly we lie 1. John 2.4 He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandments is a liar Mark though he say it yet his conscience giveth him the lie It is faithfull again in excusing It beareth witnesse of every good dutie we perform and of whatsoever good is in us Though all Jobs friends spake evil of him and God himself by his outward judgements seemed to condemn him for a wicked man yet still his conscience like a faithfull witnesse did not forsake him nay it offered to reason with God himself Job 13.3 I would reason with God I know I shall be justified and I will never forsake mine innocency till I die Still his conscience stood for him and excused him Thus on both sides conscience is a faithfull and sincere witnesse it will not be corrupted to speak otherwise then it knoweth the matter is 4. It is most privy to what it doth witnesse It is more privy to what we have done then all the world It can say more for us or against us then all the world Thou knowest all the wickednesse that thy heart is privy unto saith Solomon to Shimei 1. Kings 2.44 The use of all this is Vse Seeing conscience is so supreme so impartiall so faithfull so privy we should take heed â—ow we do any thing that might give â—t advantage against us If we were to â—ppear before an earthly judge to anâ—wer for our behaviour and should have a companion present continually with us marking every thing in us telâ—ing us of every fault and witnessing it â—gainst us unto the judge how carefull would we be of doing any thing that might give him advantage against us Lo we have conscience as a continuall watch-man espying out all our wayes â—etting down what-ever we do amisse â—hecking us for it for the present and one day accusing us before God and â—etting all things in order before our faces Oh how should we then labour it two years after Gen. 41.9 I remember my faults this day saith his conscience Adonibezek had forgot his cruelty but his conscience brought it to his mind As I have done so God hath requited me Judg. 1.7 saith his conscience 2. Conscience beareth witnesse of what we intend and purpose to do whether against God or man It will testifie every purpose and project of the heart though it be never acted though it die in the heart and never come to light Men little think of this Tush saith one I never did such a thing though I once intended it or had some thoughts about it Mark those very thoughts will conscience bring forth and testifie what they were Heare the Apostle Rom. 2.16 in that day God shall judge the secrets of men c. The most hidden things conscience shall bring to light and Christ shall judge them 3. Conscience beareth witnesse of the bent and frame of our hearts what we affect most and love most and rejoyce and delight in most and desire most and grieve for most what our affections runne upon most whether upon God or the world whether upon heaven or the things of this life Conscience bare witnesse to David Psal 119.77 that his delight was in the law of the Lord that God was his portion that Gods statutes were his counsellers Conscience bare witnesse to the false teachers in Christs time that they affected vain-glory and the prayse of men more then the prayse of God Conscience bare witnesse to Demas that notwithstanding his fair profession his heart was set upon the world Conscience bare witnesse to Jehu that for all his seeming zeal his heart was not upright But it may be objected Obj. 1. Jer. 17.9 How can this be The heart is deceitfull above all things who can know it Who can know it That is Answ Who else can know it but a man himself None under God can know the heart of man but a mans own conscience the spirit of man that is in him I confesse a man may be ignorant of some secret and particular deceit in his heart but who knoweth not the generall standing of God small and so we are deceived noâ— seeing the radicall power of this love of God which in regard of its vertue is stronger then the other As a fool if he should feel hot water would conclude that there is no cold at all in it whereas there is radicall cold in that water such as will expell all that heat in a little space Or else this ariseth from anguish of spirit which so disturbeth the mind that it cannot see its own condition nor be capable of the comforts belonging unto it as it was with the Israelites Exod. 6.9 otherwise doubtlesse we may know our own hearts and when our conscience beareth witnesse its witnesse is right Vse 1 I. Use of reproof to those who stand out against the witnesse of their conscience and like hard-hearted felons plead still Not guiltie though never so much evidence come against them though conscience oft tell them this they have done thus they do such they are Oh stop not your eares against conscience stand not out against it but believe its testimony and make use of it to repent of the evil it accuâ—â—â—h of while mercy may be had before â—od himself cometh and joyneth with conscience to condemne for ever Vse 2 II. It serveth for singular encouragement to all to abound in good works Conscience will bear witnesse of them all to our unspeakable comfort in the time of afflictions yea at death and judgement Job felt it a sweet thing to have conscience give in testimony of his integrity and uprightnesse When his friends proved miserable comforters and God himself seemed to write bitter â—hings against him yet his conscience witnessed that he had been eyes to the â—lind and feet to the lame he had fed â—he hungry and clothed the naked and comforted the fatherlesse There is not â— good thing that ever we do but conscience will afford us the sweetnesse and comfort of it in our troubles Isai 38.3 Rememâ—er O Lord saith Hezekiah that I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart We have spoken of consciences single bearing witnesse Now followeth its now onely of those who drown their consciences in their cups and fear
true and certain â—â—t were they never believed so though â—â—nscience speaketh true yet men folâ—â—w it not and therefore it becometh â—ent when it is not regarded but all 〈◊〉 counsel and advise and perswasions â—â—ghted and neglected Hence I say it â—â—meth to passe that for want of imâ—loyment it is still and falleth asleep till the time come that it must be awaked 3. The third cause is that violence that is often offered unto it Many times when conscience perswadeth to any good duty or disswadeth from any eviâ— course men will do against it and withstand it violently put off the wholesome advise of it hence it cometh to passe that conscience having so many injuries offered unto it beginneth to provide for its own ease and so either it is silent and saith nothing or else iâ— soon answered and rebuked as it was with Moses When Pharaoh would never hearken unto Moses but still fell to excuses and at last to deny all he would not let Israel go notwithstanding all that Moses could urge but said to Moses Exod. 10.29 Get thee from me take heed to thy self see my face no more Moses then answered Thou hast spoken well I will seâ— thy face no more So it is with conscience When men have been obstinate and have refused to heare it and woulâ— have it speak no more Thou hast welâ— spoken saith conscience henceforth I will trouble you no more but let you alone to take your course I will advise you no more or if I do I will not be any more imporâ—unate 4. A fourth cause is that men do wilfully stop the mouth of conscience â—f it beginneth to speak presently they â—usie themselves about other things or if that will not do they runne into companie and there spend their time that the howlings of conscience may not be heard and if still it be loud they strike up the drumme and ring all â—â—e bells that the voice of it may be â—â—terly drowned and so conscience at last is content to stand by to heare and see say nothing By this means many â—â—mes it falleth out that those who â—ave had very turbulent and clamouâ—us consciences not suffering them 〈◊〉 be quiet have at last tamed them â—â—d put them quite to silence or if â—â—ey do speak it is so coldly and reâ—issely that they care not whether they â— obeyed or no. Oh these are damnaâ—e and devilish devises Whoever ye â—e that do thus ye are in a dangerous estate and ye carry the brands of hell and damnation upon you If ever you desire to avoyd this dangerous estate then shun the cause Labour to have your conscience throughly illightned and informed by the word of God that it may reade you your duty A friend that knoweth but little can give but little counsel Again give heed evermore to the counsel of conscience You know Achitophel took it ill that his counsel was not followed therefore he made away himself in displeasure So conscience will take it very ill if its counsel be not followed it will strangle it self and smother it self you shall hear no more of it Especially take heed you do not reject conscience nor offer violence to it If you do you will make it unfaithfull and remisse and then you lose the best means under heaven of your good Then deadnesse of spirit succeedeth and hardnesse of heart taketh place and you deprive your souls of all possibility of cure As long as a sick man hath any possibility of cure he is still under hope but if ever he lost that he is gone Conscience is the possibilitie of the soul to amendment and therefore if you dull conscience and make conscience remisse and unfaithfull you take the ready way to deprive your selves of all possibility of rising again Consider these things and have a care of your consciences And thus we have handled the office of conscience about things to be done and omitted with its adjuncts affections and properties in that behalf I â—ome now to consider the office of conscience about things already done or omitted together with the affections of conscience in the discharge of that office The office of conscience about things already done or omitted THis hath foure parts 1. To approve 2. To absolve 3. To â—islike 4. To condemne according â—o the good or evil of our actions or â—omissions The judgement is not onely of the things what they are but whither they tend and what they will â—roduce I. An approving conscience FIrst when that which is done is good conscience approveth it as Paul saith This is our rejoycing the testimony of our conscience 2. Cor. 1.12 When he had lived uprightly and sincerely his conscience approved of it so when he had great sorrow and heavinesse for his brethren his conscience approved it Rom. 9.1 my conscience bearing me witnesse saith he So at his latter end we may see how his conscience approved the whole course of his life 2. Tim. 4.7 8. I have finished my course I have kept the faith c. there is consciences approbation of him from henceforth saith he is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse there is consciences judgement concerning the issue of it Conscience so approveth every particular good action done by a faithfull man that by it he may gather a testimony of the uprightnesse of his heart as Hezekiah Remember Lord that I have walked uprightly before thee 1. John 3.14 Hereby we know that we are translated from death to life because we love the brethren Mark Love to Gods children is a sufficient testimony not onely of our uprightnesse in that particular act but also of the simplicity of our hearts in the generall and that we are translated from death to life So when good old Simeon had now even finished his dayes see what an approbation his conscience gave of him Luke 2.29 Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word His conscience here gave a threefold blessed approbaâ—â—on of him 1. That he had been Gods â—â—ithfull servant thy servant 2. That he had walked in the wayes of true peace and comfort depart in peace 3. That the promise of Gods word was his in particular according to thy word II. An absolving conscience THe second part of the office of conscience is to absolve and acquit â—hus Samuel pleading his innocency â—d his conscience testifying for him â—hose ox have I taken 1. Sam. 12.3 or whom have I deâ—auded and his conscience absolved â—m as clear and free from those sins Thus also Job If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherlesse when I saw my help in the gate If I rejoyced because my wealth is great If I have not given my bread to the hungry or if I have rejoyces at the misery of mine enemie then let iâ— be thus and thus to me His consciencâ— absolved him as clear of those sinnes Nay the conscience of a child of God doth
peace also If we know once that God loveth us then we may set our hearts at rest As long as we doubt of his love our conscience can never have true peace And therefore if we would maintein true peace of conscience let us labour to be assured of Gods love Answ 3 Thirdly We must use the exercise of faith in applying the bloud of Christ we must labour to purge and cleanse our consciences with it If we find that we have sinned we must runne presently to the bloud of Christ to wash away our sinne We must not let the wound fester or exulcerate but presently get it healed As there is a fountain of sinne â—n us so there is a fountain of mercie â—n Christ Zech. 13.1 set open for Judah and Jerusalem and for every poore soul to wash â—n As we sinne dayly so he justifieth dayly and we must dayly go to him for â—t As every day we runne into new debts so the Lords prayer teacheth us every day to beg forgivenesse We must every day eye the brazen serpent Justification is an ever-running fountain and therefore we cannot look to have all the water at once A fountain ever runneth anew so justification ever floweth anew and we must go to it Christ is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec O let us sue out every day a dayly pardon of course Let us not sleep one night without a new pardon Better sleep in a house full of adders and venemous beasts then sleep in one sin O then be sure with the day to clear the sinnes of the day Then shall our conscience have true peace Object But how if I have relapsed what shall I do then Sol. I answer Every man that falleth doth not fall on all foure as we use to say he doth not fall quite There be degrees of falling As in a sick man though he be ill yet he is not by and by dead some life remaineth still which will look out towards health again so there is so much life in justification as to recover thee again Be constant therefore in this course Ever go to Christ ever wash in this fountain ever bring thy soul hither to be cleansed and then thy conscience ever shall have peace Answ 4 Fourthly If we would maintein our peace then let us labour to be constant in obedience to Jesus Christ Whosoever keepeth his word in him verily is the word of God perfected and hereby know we that we are in him 1. John 2.5 Mark Hereby our conscience may tell us that we are right and speak peace to us if we keep his word II. Question How the peace of our conscience doth depend upon our care and our obedience The reason why I raise this question is this Because as our justification is onely in Christ so our peace is onely in him how then doth the peace of our conscience depend on obedience The place of scripture that occasioneth the doubt is 1. Pet. 3.21 The answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ It is by Christ how dependeth it then on our obedience Answ 1. A good conscience doth not depend upon our obedience as the principall cause of it but upon justification which we have by Christ if we be in him Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Ye see then that our peace is grounded upon our justification as the principall cause of it If we should seek for peace from our works and obedience alas they are sinfull and defective there is no peace to be found in them Our conscience would be troubled at our best duties at our weaknesse in prayer our frailties in hearing our slips in every holy service There is nothing we do but our conscience might find fault with it and pick a hole in it and therefore we had need to flie unto Christ for true peace No wonder then that Papists have not true peace but professedly say that every man must doubt and no man can be sure of his salvation They must needs doubt indeed who trust to their own works which can never bring true peace The conscience must ever be quarrelling and finding of fault and be without peace if we trust to the best works So that this is the first answer All true peace dependeth upon justification by faith in Christ as the principall cause Secondly We answer That our peace dependeth upon our obedience in this sort that we can have no peace except we be given to obedience Those men that can sinne and yet be at peace were never justified in their lives A child of God when he sinneth as for example if he should be tempted to lie or to omit a good dutie which he knoweth he is bound to perform yet this would much trouble his conscience his soul would be ashamed his heart perplexed he would not know how to look the Lord in the face I have sinned what shall I do unto hee O thou preserver of men When David had sinned against God Psal 38.6 I am troubled saith he and I go mourning all the day long And therefore peace of conscience doth depend thus farre on obedience as that a man cannot have peace â—nlesse he be obedient and take heed of sinne and labour in all things to be upâ—ight before God Now if you ask me But how doth our peace depend upon our obedience I answer Dub. Sol. It dependeth upon obedience as the removing cause It removeth that which would hinder our peace Sinne would interrupt our peace now obedience removeth sinne To this purpose the Apostle speaketh 1. John 3.18 19. My little children let us not love in word and in tongue but in deed and in truth For hereby we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before God Hereby we shall assure our consciences that we are in him if we take heed of hypocrisie If we love in truth and be obedient in truth we shall thereby remove all our doubts and our fears our troubles and perplexities of conscience So that peace doth depend on obedience as the removing cause It removeth that which otherwise would hinder peace This is the first Again our peace of conscience dependeth upon our obedience as the witnessing cause of it Obedience is one of the witnesses of true peace it witnesseth that we have peace with God 2. Cor. 1.12 This is our rejoycing even the testimonie of our conscience that in simplicitie and godly sinceritie we have had our conversation in the world See here it is the witnessing cause of it Paul had peace of conscience his conscience was able to make him rejoyce How Because it gave testimony that his conversation was godly and simple and gracious Though we be in Christ yet we can have no peace unlesse holy obedience doth witnesse the same Obedience is not the cause of the peace of our consciences before God
How miserable is their case who want the peace of conscience in the time of distresse When troubles and afflictions are without then how grievous is it to want peace and comfort within When Gods mortall arrows are in your bodies then to have the arrow of his wrath sticking in your souls this will adde sorrow to sorrow and make your estate much more uncomfortable and unsupportable Beloved peace of conscience is good at all times but it is most precious when calamities fall on us Then to have the peace of a good conscience that may bring us good news from heaven that all is well within all peace there this is such peace as all the world cannot give nor sell nor buy Never more need of the peace of conscience then now M. M. As one said of the books of faith There be abundance of books written of faith buy them all up saith he ye will need every one of them ere long So may I say of whatever may forward the peace of conscience Buy it purchase it get it as much peace as you can possible ye will have need of it all ere long Take heed of troubling your consciences or clogging them with guilt lest the Lord cast you off and lest ye be hardned and so ye perish from the right way Do not think thus O we are believers and have no need of such threatnings He who is certain of his salvation knoweth assuredly he should be damned if he should go on in sinne without repentance This If is true enough Ezek. 18.26 If the righteous forsake his righteousnesse all his former righteousnesse shall be forgotten And Wo is me saith Paul 1. Cor. 9.16 if I preach not the gospel In the state of innocencie there was use of threatnings so is there now in the state of grace The Lord threatned Adam in innocencie If thou eat thereof thou shalt die the death Job was awed by threatnings not to lift up his hand against the fatherlesse for saith he Job 31.23 destruction from God was a terrour to me My flesh saith David trembleth for fear of thee Psal 119.120 and I am afraid of thy judgements Let us have grace saith the Apostle Heb. 12.28 whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Why for our God is a consuming fire For be it that Gods children that is all believers shall never fall finally away yet this threatning is one of Christs instruments whereby he keepeth them from falling and they also may tast of much bitternesse if they grow indulgent to their corruptions O therefore take heed of this curse that your consciences may not dog you with the guilt of sinne and the apprehension of Gods wrath You will never be able to bear it much lesse in the time of affliction O it is good being in a drie house when a great tempest is up and it is safe being in a good harbour when a storm beateth hard A good conscience is good at all times but O how sweet then When Jonah fell into affliction the want of peace in his conscience made him look upon his affliction as upon hell as though he had been in the belly of hell They who follow lying vanities forsake their own mercies saith he Mark his conscience dogged him with his fleeing from God and forsaking his own mercies Ye see he was miserably distressed by it till the Lord did deliver him Be charie then of conscience and get it purged that it may speak peace to you in trouble 4 Questions NOw I have declared unto you What a troubled conscience is What is the cause of it and wherein it consisteth How many degrees there be of it How the troubled conscience of the godly differeth from the troubled conscience of the wicked the miserie of a troubled conscience and What a deal of mischief it doth one especially in affliction now I should leave this point but that there be sundrie questions to be answered about it I. Suppose a man be rid of this trouble and have peace of conscience how shall he maintein it and keep out troubles from it II. Whether and how the peace of our conscience dependeth upon our care and obedience III. What manner of obedience it is that peace of conscience doth depend on IV. If a man have no peace but onely a burdened conscience what must such a man do to be freed from it and to attein true peace I. Question How a man may keep peace of conscience I begin with the first Suppose a man have peace of conscience what must he do to keep and maintein it I answer First We must labour to prevent troubles of conscience by taking heed that we do nothing contrarie to conscience We must not be drawn by friendship or credit or the love of any lust to do that which conscience forbiddeth Nothing should be so dear unto us as the peace of conscience nothing for the love of it should make us do ought against our conscience How miserable are those comforts delights satisfactions which we get to our selves in such courses as our own hearts do condemn However they seem comforts for a while and contentments for a while and delights for a while yet at last it will appear that miserable comforts are they all Nothing that we get in any evil way will chear and comfort us in a time of need What said Francis Spira at the time of his death when seeing his wife and children about him and thinking on the goods and estate which he had got for them by denying the truth which he had before mainteined against the Romish errours he cried out in the horrour of his conscience How terrible is the sight of these unto me However before they had been comforts to him yet now he could not endure the sight of them O thought he I recanted for your sake I yielded to superstition and it was long of you Therefore he abhorred now the sight of them Wretched is he that alloweth himself in any course which his conscience findeth fault with It is a good rule the Apostle giveth Rom. 14.22 Blessed is he that condemneth not himself in that which he alloweth that is Blessed is he that hath not a condemning conscience that alloweth not himself in any course wherein his conscience doth condemne him So that if we have peace of conscience and desire to maintein it let us never allow our selves in any course that our conscience may condemne us in That is the first answer Answ 2 Secondly If we will maintein our peace we must labour to have our hearts grounded in the assurance of the love of God alas it will fail us else and leave us in trouble and perplexitie in time of greatest need Observe how the Apostle joyneth love and peace together 2. Cor. 13.11 The God of love and peace be with you If he be the God of love to us it is sure enough he will be the God of
but it is the cause of our perceiving the same We know we have peace by reason of our obedience 1. John 2.29 We know that every one that doeth righteousnesse is born of God We know we are passed from death to life 1. John 3.14 1. John 4.13 because we love the brethren Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us by the spirit that he hath given us Mark we come to know it by obedience and by the fruits of obedience Take away obedience we can never know peace They that walk by this rule Gal. 6.16 peace shall be upon them and upon the Israel of God saith the Apostle Thirdly our peace of conscience dependeth on our obedience as the confirming cause Christ confirmeth our peace to us by making us walk close to him and obedient unto him Paul sheweth how it preserveth peace as a shoe preserveth the foot ye know if we should walk without shoes barefoot our feet would be in danger of pricking and hurting So doth obedience to the Gospel preserve our peace Stand Ephes 6.15 saith the Apostle having your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace Mark he compareth it to a shoe which he would have us shod with and then it will be the Gospel of peace to us and our peace shall be in safety Fourthly our peace dependeth upon our obedience not onely as a signe of true peace nor onely as a guard to it but as a thing pleasing to God without the which we displease God For though God be pleased with his children alwayes in Christ yet he is not pleased that any in Christ should be disobedient to him 1. Thess 4.1 Ye have received of â—â— how ye ought to walk and to please God saith the Apostle When Gods children walk in obedience that is pleasing unto God So that peace of conscience doth greatly depend on obedience For otherwise conscience will be troubled O I do not please God This is displeasing unto God and This doth provoke God Not as though there were any such perfection in our obedience that can satisfie any tittle of Gods law but because when our persons are pleasing to God in Jesus Christ then our obedience to God is pleasing too in Jesus Christ and conscience will say it Thus much shall suffice for answer to the second question III. Question What manner of obedience it is that peace of conscience dependeth upon The reason of this question is this Because it should seem there is no such obedience in this life as any peace of conscience should depend on Doth not James say In many things we sinne all Doth not our Saviour say When ye have done all that ye can say We are unprofitable servants If our conscience can still say that we are unprofitable and that we do sinne in every thing that we do yea in many things in all the duties we go about if our consciences can say thus How can any peace depend upon obedience What obedience do you mean that peace of conscience dependeth upon I answer 1. Absolute perfection in obedience is not required unto evangelicall peace For if it were no man could have peace no not Paul nor Abraham nor any of the holiest of Gods children and therefore absolute perfection is not required If we say we have not sinned we make Christ a liar and his word is not in us 1. John 1.10 Our conscience can still say we have sinned and it can still say our obedience is imperfect A halting leg can never go perfectly A Jacob is called he that halteth and every godly soul halteth Though he do not halt between two as wicked people do yet he halteth in following after God What purblind eye can see perfectly or thick eare heare perfectly He that hath these imperfections of body can neither go nor see nor heare perfectly So the best of Gods children have imperfections of heart and spirit and mind their faith is imperfect their love is imperfect and therefore their obedience must needs be imperfect But absolute perfection is not required to true peace of conscience and therefore this doth not hinder it 2. Though absolute perfection be not required to peace yet such obedience is required as may be acceptable to God So saith the Apostle 2. Cor. 5.9 We labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him Such obedience we must shew as may be accepted of him or we cannot have true peace If our endevours be not acceptable our conscience will quickly heare of it and tell us so If we pray coldly or heare unprofitably or live loosely if we do not do that which is acceptable to God our consciences will soon complain Nay though we do do the duties if we do not do them in an acceptable manner conscience will have matter against us still 3. This acceptablenesse of obedience lieth in this when our obedience is sincere universall and totall and proceeding from the spirit of Christ Jesus dwelling in us The Apostle giveth it this phrase When we walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8.4 That is our fulfilling the law when Christ hath fulfilled the law for us and maketh us sincerely to walk by it not after the flesh but after the Spirit when we do not favour our selves in one lust nor suffer our selves in any beloved sinne but whatever it be that is evil our conscience can say we truly do hate it and labour to avoid it whatever it be that is commanded us be it never so contrary to our nature yet our conscience can say we sincerely set our selves to do it So walking not after the flesh but after the Spirit this is sincerity of obedience and this is required unto peace 4. This sincerity of obedience maketh us to bewail our very infirmities and to be humbled for them not onely to be humbled for greater sinnes but also to be humbled for our infirmities If we be not soundly humbled for our very infirmities also they will hinder the peace of our conscience We can have no peace except our conscience can witnesse that our infirmities do humble us and drive us to Christ and cause us to sue out a pardon If conscience have not a pardon sealed for infirâ—ities also it will not be at peace Christ bare our very infirmities Matth. 8.17 therefore we must be humbled for them Matth. 8.17 and go to him for pardon of them too or conscience will not be at peace Thus I have answered also this third question IV. Question How if a man have a burdened and troubled conscience what must he do to be freed from it The reason of this question is this Because men are ignorant about it When men are troubled in conscience and burdened a little that way presently they daub all with peace and go a wrong way to work This course the Lord doth complain of in the false prophets who preached too much peace