A Free Disputation against Pretended Liberty of Conscience

p. 1CHAP. I. Of Conscience and its nature.

And herein doe I exercise my selfe to have 〈…〉 a Conscience void of offence toward God, and toward man

THis is a part of Pauls Apologie which hee brings out before Festur the Governour, he dare bring out his conscience before his accusers; the subject of this part is conscience, In which we have, 1. the subject, Conscience. 2. The qualitie of it, Free of offence. 2. The int◊◊◊nesse and perfection of it, in the first, Table, as a religious man toward God; as one of a sound conversation, in the duties of the second, Table, toward man. 3. And that not a◊starts, when 〈…〉 good blood of godlinesse came on him; but 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, Alwayes, at all times. 4. This was not a conscience to lie beside him is the wretches Gold, which for many yeares feeth neither s◊nne nor winde; but it is a Conscience walking in the streets, and fraction. Herein, that is, in this religion and hope of the restriction, do 〈…〉 or exercise my selfe, this field doe 1 plow. 5. There is considerable Grammer in the object of this exercise, I labour to have, to be a Lord, a Master, and anowner of a good conscience; a conscience is one thing, and to have a conscience another thing, often the conscience hath the 〈…〉 and Lords it over him, or p. 2rather Tyrannizeth over the Judas, and the man hath not the conscience. And these five doe 〈…〉 the 〈…〉, the length and breadth of a good conscience.

Therefore of conscience; 2. of the good Conscience.

Of conscience, [The name, Con ••• ence.] a little of the Name; 2. Of the thing. The Habrewes expresse the name by the name of heart. 〈…〉 which I grant does signifie the minde, understanding, will, and by a figure it noteth the heart, 2 Sam. 24. 10. And Davids heart smote him. Salomon saith to Shimei, 1 King. 2. 44. Thou knowest all the evill that thy heart (thy conscience) is privie to.

p. 2Conscience is but knowledge with a witnesse: its observed, that 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, Conscience, a Word used about 32. times in the New Testament, is but once by the Translators in the Old Testament, Eccles. 10. 20. Hence it noteth that a Man hath a fellow, or (to speake so) a College-observer with him, and that is God who knoweth first, and perfectly the wayes and thoughts of a man, and his conscience is an under-witnesse, and an observer with God, but a dimme and blind beholder in comparison of God. 2. It is a knowledge not as large as that of the whole understanding facultie, but restricted, and in order onely to the mans actions, words, thoughts, the condition or state hee is 〈…〉, in Christ, or not in Christ. It so signifieth practicall knowledge that there is a Verbe Nifhal that signifieth to have a heart, [Conscience the practical knowledge.] or 〈…〉 be practically wise, Joh 11. 12. Vaine man 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 would have a heart, or be hearted and wise; and Cont. 4. 9. Thou hast taken away my heart, or, unheartned me, my sister, my 〈…〉. 2. The heart goeth also for a word that signifieth a picture, Jo◊ 38. 36. Who hath given understanding to the heart, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 〈…〉 signifieth curious ingtaving, wittily devised by the understanding, and it noteth an excellent picture, pleasant to see, from root that signifieth to behold, and to paint; for all the inventions, pictures, ingraven works in the soule is in the conscience. Sinners draw on their conscience and, heart many faire fancies, pictures, and ingraven peeces of devised pleasures. They use the word 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 spirit for the Conscience also. Psalm. 34. 18. The Lord saveth the broken in spirit. Prov. 18. 4. A wounded spirit who can beare it? For the word spirit in that language signifieth p. 3the whole soule 〈…〉 and the whole strength, marrow, courage, and 〈…〉 of the foule, Jo◊ 6. 8 Josh. 5. 1. There was no more Spirit in them, because Conscience is all, it is the good or best, or the evill or worst in the man, does he keepe conscience, all is safe; doth hee lose conscienes, all is gone: it is the spirits, the rose, the onely precious thing of the soule, the body is clay and ◊are, the conscience is the gold of the man.

p. 3Now touching Conscience. I propose these, 1. Its nature. 2. Its object. 3. Its office. 4. The kinds of Conscience; And 5. the adjuncts of it, the libertie of Conscience, and that much controverted prerogative to be free in opinions, and in religions, from bands that men can lay on it.

Conscience is considered by Divines as a principle of our acting in order to what the Lord commandeth us in she law and the Gospel; and it commeth here to be considered, in a three-fold consideration. 1. As Conscience is in its abstract nature; yet as it is in man only, I speak nothing of the conscience of Angels, and Devils. 2. As the Conscience is good or bad; for the conscience in Adam, before the fall was in a great perfection, and the Glorified spirits carrie a good conscience up to heaven with them, as the damned take to hell a peace of hell within them, an evill conscience, yet their was neither in Adam, not can there be in the Glorified, an evill conscience, nor any such accidentall acts of Conscience, as to accuse, smite, tormen◊.

3. Conscience is considered as acting well or ill, it hath influence on the affections, to cause a feast of joy, to stirre vp to faith, hope, sadnesse &c.

Touching the nature of Conscience. [Conscience a power, not an act or habit.] It seemeth to me to be a power of the practicall vnderstanding according to which the man is oblidged and directed to give judgment of himselfe, that is of his state and condition, and of all his actions, inclinations, thoughts, and words. …