Iustitia praeueniens a preuenting Iustice to encourage to vertue and by timely punishments to keepe from greater mischiefes The second is Iustitia puniens punishing iustice to cut downe vice with extremity when the wound is growne incurable Psal 201.1 The first is mercy the second iudgement The first hath place in criminall the second in capitall offences Of the first many a one may say and that truly Periissem nisi periissem I had perished vnlesse I had perished if I had not beene punished for idlenesse drunkennesse or prophanenesse I had beene punished for theft or murder or worse impieties And of the second many a one hath said and that as truly Si periissem non periissem If I had beene punished by my parents or gouernours or magistrats for lesser faults I had not now been punished with this shamefull death for so foule and horrible a wickednesse this you may often heare if you bee present at the execution of such Malefactors So that as many a man doth suffer death for his owne offences so is many a man hanged for the negligence of his Parents or Masters or Gouernours who should by timely punishments haue preuented such danger Thankes bee to God we haue many worthy Iudges in this Kingdome who are carefull and zealous for the execution both of the one and other Iustice But the care of them is not sufficient without the helpe and assistance of others For though they be Gods yet are they not Omniscient they cannot see all offences nor know all offenders There bee many sinnes which cry for Vengeance and yet the cry of them is eyther stopped before it commeth to their Eares or else the sins themselues like painted Harlots are so guilded ouer with colours of deceit that their vgly countenances cannot bee seene and by this meanes they escape vnpunished I must now therefore turne my speech vnto you who are Assistants and Helpers in the Execution of Iustice And for such who are of a Higher Order appoynted as Iudges in priuate Sessions for punishment of lesser offences and to binde ouer the rest to the Examination and Tryall of this Greater Assises I may speake it with Ioy for the Honour and credit of this Countrey In which I am yet but a stranger I know some and I haue heard of many Honorable Worshipfull Learned and Religious Iustices whose care and Conscience is dayly published in their seuerall Circuits by their seuerall actions And I pray God yee may goe on in sincerity of soule and Conscience knowing for certaine yee shall not lose your reward when the Bookes shall bee opened and that day of Refreshing shall come Acts 3.19 Last of all for Inferiour Officers who are either to informe the Court by their Presentments according to Oath and Articles giuen in charge or else to prosecute and see Iustice executed when information and sentence is giuen I doubt not but amongst these also there are many honest religious and conscionable men who will doe their best both for preuenting and punishing Iustice But if all bee such what meaneth then this bleating of the Sheepe lowing of the Oxen voyce of King Agag which still sound in our eares as Samuel told Saul 1. Sam. 15.14 whence is there so many impieties that still lurke in Corners oftentimes daring to Out-face the Law and in spite of reprehension continue amongst vs Similitude This sheweth plaine that as there is Iustitia the free course of Iustice amongst such who are friends of Conscience and Equity so there is Iustitiam a stay and stoppe of the Current of Iustice amongst those who for feare or affection or corruption Wiliel 〈…〉 Linwood de purgatione Canonica spare to punish impiety There is a rule in the Canon Law that if a man bee Defamed apud bonos graues amongst good and graue men being presented to the Ordinary hee may be enioyned his purgation Cum Sexta manu honestorum virorum with six of his honest Neighbours and if hee faile in this be put to his Penance It it much to bee feared that if some inferiour Officers were put to this Tryall they would faile in purgation and for their Periury haue Penance enioyned them And happie were they if this might wash out the blots of their Consciences yea seuen yeares penance as was long since decreed in the Ancient Canons Canon Fabian for such kinde of Offenders But woe bee to that soule whose Conscience is spotted with that soule impurity The stay of Iustice is like the stay of a current or running streame it will on a sudden ouerflow the bankes and if it haue not passage spoyle a whole Countrey It were farre better that one rotten member should be cut off from the body then the whole body perish and much more profitable that one corrupt Officer should be seuerely punished then that Execution which is the Life of Law should be put to death I haue heard of a complaint in some Countryes remote that when the Churchwardens haue presented offenders they haue beene called to the Court and paying their Fees the Chancellors or Officials or their Deputies or Surrogates haue presently dismissed them and so the businesse ended no reformation no penance enioyned no satisfaction to the Congregation And the Constables and inferiour Officers haue complained as much of Temporall proceedings But I hope there is no such complaint can iustly be taken vp in these parts of the world Omnia venalia Romae Al things are vendible at Rome but for Bribery Periury let them not be heard of in our Land for both are abhominable and Periury aboue all is a crying wickednesse I haue read of an excellent law amongst the Turkes that If any man did sweare his tongue should bee shaued and washed in vineger If all false swearers amongst Christians had receiued this punishment wee should not heare a complaint of so many knaues of the post who are not ashamed to say one to another Lend my friend an oath this Assises and I will lend thy friend an oath the next A fearefull saying for while they lend an oath to their friend they forfeit their soules to the Deuill A watchword to the Iurymen Take heed of this all you who are called to giue in euidence or who are empannelled on any Iury either for tryal of rights or of life and death which is most dangerous let not feare nor fauour draw you from iustice but stand out boldly with courage in a rightfull cause Sinne not against your Conscience for though the Papists may tell you M. Parsons Reckon cap. 4. Sect. 11. Pag. 265. pag. 64. Bulla â—ii Quin. confirmed by Greg. 13 against Qu. Elizabeth that Aequiuocation is lawfull or the Iesuits preach that the Pope can absolue from an Oath yea the Oath of Alleageance that a Subiect may take armes against his Prince or by treason murther a Magistrate who is not of their Religion yet Christ Iesus taught no such doctrine nor his Apostles nor the ancient Fathers of the Church nor doth the Church of England approue it Deceiue not your selues therefore but informe your consciences aright and giue euidence thereafter Conclusion And to conclude all Zech. 5.2 3 4. Read at your leasures that fift Chapter of the Prophecy of Zechary the second third and fourth Verses And thinke on that fearefull curse which shall remaine in the house of the false swearer and consume it with the timber and stones thereof And remember this vision a part of which is my Text that as certainly as there is now a particular Assises wherein you are now to giue euidence or verdict and to assist in the iudgment of others so the time shall come when there shall bee a generall Assises wherein Christ Iesus that Prince of righteousnesse shall be the Iudge wherein you your selues shall bee the Prisoners for none are excepted wherein the Bookes shall bee opened the Booke of Gods prescience the Booke of euery mans particular Conscience and the Booke of Life And the Dead both small and great yea both dead and liuing euery man and euery woman that are or haue beene or shall be hereafter in the world they shall all stand before God and bee iudged of those things which are written in the Bookes according to their workes In the feare of God therefore labour earnestly to get and preserue a good Conscience in all your actions and pray with feruency for the assistance of Gods gracious Spirit and my prayer shall be the same for you all which S. Pauls once was for his Christian Thessalonians That the very God of peace will sanctifie you throughout 1 Thes 5.23 and I pray God that your whole spirit and soule and body may bee preserued blamelesse vnto that comming of our Lord Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the blessed Spirit bee ascribed all honour and power and glory all might and maiesty and dominion now and for euer AMEN Blessed are all they who remember that last great and generall Assises when those Bookes shall bee opened and endeauour to get and preserue a good a pure and a peaceable Conscience in all their thoughts words and workes The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the loue of God the Father and the sweet and comfortable fellowship of God the Holy Spirit bee with vs blesse preserue and keepe vs and euery one of his Saints and Seruants both in bodies in soules in estates and good names from all dangers and from all our enemies both spirituall and temporall the rest of this day and for euermore AMEN FINIS Gloria Trin-uni Deo
your sinnes no more Esay 43.25 But for your righteousnesse that shall bee had in euerlasting memory your workes of piety and works of pitty shall not be forgotten Mat. 6.4 Mat. 25.36 Though other men vniustly censure you it is God that seeth in secret and will reward you openly your zeale for truth and righteousnesse are in his presence Act. 10.4 your prayers and almes-deeds are gone to heauen before you your sighs and sobs and teares in secret he putteth into his bottle Psal 56.8 and all these things are noted in his Booke Reioyce therefore in the Lord alwaies and againe I say reioyce for it is for your good that the Bookes are opened And thus you haue seene the first booke the booke of Gods eternal prescience and foreknowledge 2 The Booke of Conscience opened The second followeth and this is Liber Conscientiae The Booke of euery mans particular Conscience for this also shall be opened at that last day of reckoning as the Master of the Sentences affirmes in his fourth booke and forty three Distinction Now Conscientia dicitur cum alio scientiae saith Aquinas Conscience is said to bee knowledge with another Aquinas prim parâ— Sum qu. 79. aâ—tic â—3 and well it may because God and conscience beare witnesse together Or Conscience is Cordis sâ—ientia the science or knowledg of the heart because the heart knoweth both it selfe and other things Hugo de anima liâ— 2 cap. 12. When it knoweth other things it is called science and when it knoweth it selfe it is called conscience as Hugo de anima obserues Therefore the Scripture calleth Conscience the Heart 1 Ioh. 3.20 and rightly it may in this respect because Conscience reflects vpon the Heart being enlightned by the vnderstanding and hence it is Concludens scientia a concluding science as the Schoolemen speake arguing out of principles from whence it either acquitteth or condemneth vs in all our actions I cannot stand to shew you at large the diuers opinions of the Schooles and other Diuines concerning this Booke of Conscience I will as briefly as I can giue you a touch of some few that you may the better conceiue what Conscience is Oriâ—en lib. 2. in Rom. Origen hee thought that Conscience was euery mans particular Angell a good conscience a good Angell and a bad conscience an euill Angell but this conceit was weake without proofe or approbation Some thinke this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Sparke of Conscience to be Habitus animae Relicta rationis sciâ—â—â—lia Aquinas 1. par Sum. qu. 79. artic 12. 13. A habit of the Soule to which Aquinas bendeth in the first part of his Summes Question the seuenty nine Article the twelfth But in the thirteenth Article he concludeth that it properly is rather Actus animae An acte of the Soule reflecting vpon it selfe and by application of the vnderstanding iudging what is good and what is evill Some haue deemed it to bee Res mixta A thing that 's mixt of both partly a Habit and partly an Act so Durandus and other Schoolemen Some later Diuines doe thinke it to be an office or function of the Soule set as an Arbitrator not onely to examine Humes Perkins but to giue euidence and iudge of particular actions between God and man For as that office of the soule by which a man doth thinke or imagine is called the minde and that by which a man discusseth and discerneth things conceiued is called the reason or iudgment and that wherby the things apprehended and discussed are preserued and kept is called the memory Euen so that function or office of the soule wherby a man vpon enquiry is certified that the things which hee hath done are good or euill is called Conscience And this office of Conscience the most affirm to be a diuine facultie or power in the soule working vpon it selfe by reflection For thus the Conscience by cooperation and help of other faculties in the soule produceth seuerall effects according to the seuerall subiects or actions about which it is conuersant declaring to the Soule what is the state and condition of it and by this means it is affected either with ioy or griefe with feare or boldnesse when it thinks on God the maker who knoweth the soule and Conscience as the Conscience knoweth it selfe And thus is Conscience an excellent part of the Image of God in man for as God looking into himselfe from all eternity seeth himselfe and begetteth his Sonne the expresse image of his Father euen so the Soule of man which is diuine looking vpon it selfe seeth and beholdeth it selfe with the state and condition thereof Quest But how can this be may some man demand Answ I answer Euen as in a looking-glasse a man seeth his owne face by reflection and discerneth the beauty or deformity of that the eye seeth it selfe which else it cannot So in Conscience which is the eye and glasse of the Soule the Soule beholds her selfe and sees her owne beauty or deformity together with the print or stampe of euery action which it hath committed eyther good or euill giuing euidence to God and to her selfe and iudging eyther for vs or against vs as the deed requires The seate of Conscience Some haue placed this Conscience in the Will or Heart of man some in the Memory some in the Vnderstanding which hath a two-fold operation the first Theoricall and thus the vnderstanding onely contemplates and considereth of truth and falshood but goeth no further The second Practicall and so it considereth euery particular circumstance searcheth whether it be good or euill vnder the later of these Conscience is comprehended not that conscience is a part of a part only circumscribed in the vnderstanding as a part of that for though the vnderstanding bee the Throne and Palace of Conscience where it exerciseth the principall offices yet as the soule is Tota in toto Similitude tota in qualibet parte corporis whole in the whole and whole in euery part of the body though chiefly in the head or heart so the Conscience is whole in the whole soule keeping a Court in the whole and yet exercising not euery part for the soule is indiuisible in respect of parts but euery faculty and power of it In the vnderstanding it is a Iudge discerning the actions and giuing sentence to acquire or condemne according to that Rule or Law with which it is enlightened In the memory it is a Register to witnesse what is done or what is not done In the Will and Affections an executioner to punish or reward with ioy or griefe with boldnes or terror according to the fact or feeling of it The manner of working in the ConscieÌ„ce The manner of working is by a kinde of practicall syllogisme The Maior is that Law seated in the vnderstanding The Minor brought by the memory I remember I haue done or not done according to that Law of God The conclusion followeth
and carelesse running on to wickednesse without restraint But a good Conscience is so at peace that yet it is fearefull of the least impiety lest by admitting the pleasure of sinne it should procure the displeasure of God who is so good and louing a Father in Christ Lastly a blinde or dead or carelesse Conscience though it be quiet yet it comforteth not nor can it get any true or found ioy vnto the soule Rom. 5.1 2 3 4 5 6. But a Conscience pacified with the hope of pardon and assurance of Gods fauour begets a ioy of soule which is vnutterable cherishing the heart with diuine and heauenly mirth euen in the middest of many dangers Saint Ambrose hee obserueth an euill conscience is a Bed Ambros lib. de interpellat c. 3. that when a man should sleepe it giueth him torments feares and terrors in stead of quietnesse Bern. in Vigil Natiuit serm 3. Foelix conscientia in qua luctamen timoris laetitiae reperitur c. Etsi â—imet à Iudice sperat à Saluatore c. Quia non timor sempiternus sed laetitia sempiterna 1. Sam. 24 4 5. A Conscience that is good procures the contrary not that a Conscience good is alwayes free from sense of trouble for as Saint Bernard saith happy is that Conscience in which is found the combate of feare and ioy feare when it looketh on God as a iust Iudge punishing for sinne and ioy when it beholded him as a louing Father pardoning sinne to his Children in Christ and for the merits of his death and Passion And the tender conscience which is deare in sight of God is like a Spider that sitteth within the Center of her web and if a fly but touch the out-most thread shee feeleth it instantly Iust so the child of God is touched in Conscience for the smallest sinne like Dauid but for cutting off the lappe of Sauls garment This is a Filiall Feare which is and ought to bee in all the Sonnes of God and t is the meanes for to preserue a good and quiet Conscience Quest. But how may this good conscience be obtained what must we doe to get it that so we may take care to keepe it Answ I answer A good and quiet conscience is a speciall gift of God to him therefore we must pray from whom comes euery good and perfect gift Iam. 1.17 and vse the meanes which is the readiest to procure it But before I shew what this meanes is Christ Iesus the foundation of true peace of Conscience 2. Thes 3.16 obserue this by the way There is now but one foundation vpon which this peace is builded and without which there can bee no true peace vnto the soule Adam before his fall had a good and peaceable conscience because hee was free from sinne remayning in his perfection Rom. 4.25 But now onely Christ Iesus and the merits of his death and resurrection is the meanes of peace God the Father being well pleased with vs in him Mat. 17.6 and Christ purchasing and procuring our peace by the blood of his Crosse Coloss 1.20 And this if wee apply rightly vnto our selues by a true and liuely faith we are iustified and being iustified by faith we haue peace with God Rom. 5.1 There is nothing that can make a good and peaceable conscience but the vertue of his blood Gen. 8.9 the soule like Noahs Doue can find no rest but in this Arke Though our conscience condemne vs not yet is God greater then our conscience 1. Iohn 3.20 and can easily find a cause of warre against vs if he looke not vpon vs in his Sonne It is this blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things then did the blood of Abel Heb. 12.24 It is this blood of Christ who thorow the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God that can purge our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God Heb. 9.14 It is this onely that begets a good and quiet conscience Rom. 8.1 Rom. 6.4.6 Philip. 2.12 2. Pet. 1.10 taking away sinnes guilt from vs and crucifying sinnes power in vs that we may walke in newnesse of life working out our saluation with feare and trembling and labouring to make our calling and election sure If thy conscience sting thee Numb 21.9 Christ is the brazen Serpent that can cure thee If the Law of thy conscience like Mount Sinai affright thee with terrors Exod. 10.23 worse then Egyptian darkenesse in Christ is the Gospell of light that can enlighten thine vnderstanding and lighten thy heart with ioy and gladnesse If the red Sea of thy troubled conscience hinder thy passage to escape thy enemies that follow thee and to come to the happiness before thee Christ is the way the truth Iohn 14.6 and the life by whom thou maist passe boldly through the middest of dangers to the Canaan of peace and freedome This is the good Physitian who can cure all diseases and therefore easily procure peace vnto a troubled Conscience The meanes to get and keepe this peace of Conscience 1 Tim. 1.19 First therefore to get and keepe this blessed peace of Conscience it is not to keepe merry company to driue away melancholy as some imagine but to keepe thy most holy faith and preserue the memory and application of this bloud of Iesus as a rich treasure in thy soule It is an Antidote to expell all the poyson of Satans temptations or thy owne corruptions there is no sinne thou hast committed can be more powerfull to plead against thee Orizen â—â—ulla species peceati tanta est qua non sit superior Iesus 1 Iohn 1.7 then vpon faith and repentance the merits of this bloud is to plead for thee before the throne of Gods Iustice nor any thing more effectuall to clense thee from all thy sinnes and therefore being rightly applied to free thee from conscience of iniquity and settle in thee a most sweet and blessed peace A direction to peace Bern. super Cant. Serm. 46. 1. Emundes conscientiam ab omni inquinamenâ—o c. 2 Circundare tibi flores c. 1. Meanes to procure peace 2 Cor. 13.5 1. Hinderance of peace And to direct thee further follow Saint Bernards counsell first clense thy Conscience from all kind of pollution from whatsoeuer hath or may offend thy conscience or procure the trouble of it and next gather those sweet flowers of spirituall graces of faith and good workes of all heauenly vertues to decke thy soule that it may be a pleasant temple for the good Spirit to dwell it This is the way for to enioy a good and quiet conscience Remedy 1 And for the first of these to put it in practice trie and examine thy selfe search into the secret of thy heart and if thou find that thy sinnes vnseene or vnfelt haue procured thy woe then is repentance the meanes to take away the doubt and scruple of thy Conscience for as a
old louing kindnesse towards thee keeping thee from many dangers deliuering thee from former troubles shewing thee many fauours which he hath denied to others this may perswade thee that though hee hide his face from thee for a time yet hee will not finally forsake thee for whom hee loueth once he loueth him for euer in Christ Thirdly the diligent attendance to the blessed meanes to the Word and Sacraments vsing them religiously with prayer fasting meditation and practice in thy life and conuersation Fourthly the priuate conference with the learned and religious Pastour of thy soule and other good Christians whose prayer counsell and experience may bee a comfort vnto thee in thy spirituall desertion when thou wantest the feeling of this blessed peace and ioy of conscience Lastly the often confession of thy sinnes before God and renewing of thy repentance 1 Ioh. 1.18.9 Prou. 28.13 more seriously asking pardon and forgiuenesse and in all humility desiring reconciliation in Christ Thus haue the Saints of God and thus with the blessing of God maiest thou recouer this peace A request to the conscionable Reader And here for this last point let me beg one request at thy hands it is but a little one say me not nay I desire it for the loue of God 2 Cor. 13.5 and good of thine owne conscience Once a weeke at least if not once a day shake off that dead security in which the world lyeth buried and spend one hower in examination of thy selfe in opening the booke of thy conscience in confessing thy selfe to God and humbling thy soule before him Mat. 5.4 goe into thy closet and shut the doore after thee and weepe in secret for thy owne sinnes and for the sins of others that God may bee mercifull vnto thee And if thy hard heart will not bee humbled looke backe into thy life past and call to remembrance thy old impieties yea forget not the sinnes of thy youth which Dauid prayeth God not to remember but spread them all before the Lord Psal 25.6 and aggrauate them by the seuerall circumstances that thou maist see how farre thou hast erred from the law of God which is a glasse to shew thee thy sinnes yea iudge thy selfe for them that thou maiest not bee condemned of the Lord. And when thy Conscience hath found thee guilty then remember the direfull vengeance and fearefull iudgements of God due to sinne thinke how many hells thou hast deserued if God should enter into iudgement with thee And if this will not humble thee meditate further vpon that vnspeakeable loue of God to thee in Christ how when thou wast a most vile and wicked miscreant wallowing in the gore blood of thy sinfull corruption Ezeck 16.4 5 6 defiled with the pollution of naturall and actuall transgressions when none eve pittied thee nor had compassion on thee yet Christ beholding thy misery tooke pitty on thy estate and spared not his owne life but shed his precious blood to the death yea endured the wrath of his Father and suffered vnutterable torments to procure thy peace Luc. 22.44 his Agony was a witnesse to testifie the terrour of his Soule his sweat like drops of blood trickling downe to the ground Mat. 27.29 his blessed head crowned with thornes his holy cheekes buffeted with fists his backe whipped with scourges his hands and feete nailed to the Crosse and his side pierced with a speare that the dearest blood of his most precious heart gushed out amaine yea his Passion so intolerable that he cryed out in the bitternesse of his soule My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Mat. 27.46 And consider that all this did this blessed Lambe suffer to purchase thy peace And if this will not moue thee Isaiah 5.4 5 6. adde thy owne vnthankefulnesse the abusing of those many and good graces both spirituall and temporall which God hath giuen thee the often crucifying of Christ againe by thy sinnes and grieuing the good Spirit by whom thou art sealed to the day of redemption And if thy heart bee not more hard then Adamants certainly these meditations may breake it in peeces But if all this doth not humble thee then as before thou oughtest to prepare thy selfe for this exercise by fasting and prayer so leaue not off fasting and praying and crying vnto God Ioel 2.12 13. till thy heart melt with sorrow and thy eies gush out with riuers of waters This oughtest thou to doe for thine owne sinnes and for the sinnes of the Time And thus shalt thou be marked in the time of vengeance with the marke of Gods fauour Ezekiel 9.4 and when the wicked shall perish in the common destruction thou shalt haue peace And to draw towards a conclusion of this let nothing hinder thee from this examination and humiliation of thy soule But bee sure to put it in practice whosoeuer thou art or how great soeuer thy calling or occasions bee for the greater thou art the more neede hast thou of familiar acquaintance with God of often conference with him in this kinde for thy good because God is greater then all Neglect it not therefore whether thou be old or young high or low Magistrate or Minister noble or ignoble rich or poore man or woman of what state or calling or condition soeuer thou bee especially forget it not then when thou art to draw neare vnto God in receiuing of the holy and blessed Sacrament the Communion of the body and blood of Christ for the worthy partaking whereof 1 Cor. 11.28 29 thou oughtest to prepare thy selfe as thou wouldest doe if thou wert that hower to die and to passe either to heauen or hell to eternall ioy or eternall woe Be sure at that time therefore to put in practice this examination and humiliation of thy soule that vpon thy confession and contrition thou maiest haue absolution at the hand of God or of his Minister if thou finde it needefull to procure thy peace Passe it not ouer sleightly but presse it to the full till the good Spirit make thee to cry Abba father with confidence in Christ Iesus Rom. 8.15 16. and witnesse to thy spirit that thou art the child of God for by this the league of peace between thy God and conscience shall bee renewed and preserued And Conscience thus made quiet is as a Castle of defence or wall of brasse vnto the Saints 1 Cor. 1.12 This made S. Paul speake boldly and in middest of miseries reioyce in this the testimony of his conscience Augustinus lib. cont Secundin Manichaeum Sentiasde Augustino quicquid libet sola in oculis dei conscientia non accuset This was a comfort vnto good S. Augustine accused by Secundinus that he had forsaken Paganisme and followed Christ for hope of temporall preferment I care not saith the Father what other men doe say because my conscience cleareth mee Lastly this moued the holy Martyres most willingly to vndergoe such cruell