734 Chap.s'ie Ax Expofttion upon the Bookof J o a. Varf.36. Note. While our owns booke ofconfcience kath nothing butgood in it, or while the booke of cur owns conleience isfor us, we need not feare, nor much care who writebeokr againfl ne. Let our Adverfaries write books as large as they will, while we doe well; let them fay their worft while we doe good. It hath been the diftemper of moll times, and 'cis of theft to write books ofcontention,& publifh ftrife;we may fayof many (as it was laid 'Alt 41(14, ds ofTome old Philafophers)They f eake or pen whole cart lode, of re- Pae hooch. preach andflander.What is the fence againft all this ? nothing but ILuctan; a good confcience, he that can fay his confcience writes nothing but good, and finds the records ofthat fayre for him, may take courage and comfort,whenmen charge nothingbut filth and dirt uponhim. Paulhad enough to fay for him=eife, véhen handing before the Conncd he could fay (Afllz3. t.) Men and brethren, 1 have lived in all good confcience beforeGcd, untiil chit day. And though as Toone as he had fayd fo, Ataxia( commanded ro (mite him on the mouth,yet he was wet enough, becaufe his confcience did not fsnite him. He tells us alto (2G'.r: i .) that thoughhe and others with him , had been prefïed above meafure, in fo much ( faith he, y. 8, g. ) that we de/ tiredeven oflife, and had thefen- tenceofdeath in our ;elver : yet ( z2. ) our rejoycing it thin , the toflimonycf our cenfcience. A good confcience is an impregnable fort, It fares not the feirceft battery of evil! tongues, orpens. Thirdly, Obferve. It is a convincing argument, thataman kath agood confcience anda goodcaufe, when he is roißing to be tryed, and to have the wog' laid to his charge. He that isguilty catcher!) at any thing for a covering, and de; fires to fhadow himfelfe that he may efcape unfeene ; faine bee would keepe his aâions and his wayes fayrely mantled over ; He that is honed makesno coverings ofwhat he path done,nor doth he feare the difcoveries which any man can make ofthem. He that is gold cares not to be guilded,nor is he unwilling to be try- ed. Hefaith (as lob in the text ) M: defîre it that the Almighty would anfwer me, and that mine adverfary had writtenabooke. Vert 3 6.
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