J1 CJ'reatifiofCorifCience. 549 " exception: &ifit be done butwfome alon~, A verie confcience is onely in partregencrate,& it is but counterfeit obedtence: and he that ts therefore in fome part remainos fiill corrupt. guiltie inone is guiltie in all. Neither mufi it feeme firange that one and As a regenerate confcience 'giues tefiimonie the fame confcience ihould both accufe &ex· ofournewe obedience; fo doth it alfo by cercufe,becaufeitdoth it not in one and the fame taine fweete motions fiirre men forward to refpect. It cxcufeth, in that it alfureth a man performcthetame. Pfai.I6·7• Myreines(that thathis prefon fiands righteous before God, is,the mindall<lconfcienceinlightned by the and that he hath an indeauour in the general! fpirit ofGod) wcch meinthe nightftafon, Efai. courfe ·ofhis life topleafe God : it accufeth 30.21. A•dtbine eamjha/lhe.re aword behind him for his particular £lips, and for the wants · thee,faying, Thu i4 the way,walk$yee init,when that be in his goodal'tions. thoJHHrnefltotheright hand, a•dwhenthouturIfany fhaU demaund why G 0 D doth not nefl to theleft.Now this word is not onely the perfectly regenerate the coufcience &caufe it voice of Pafiours & teachers in the open miondy to excufe, the anfwer is this. Goddoth nifterie, but alfo the voice of renued confciit for the preuenting ofgreatmifchiefe.When ence inwardly by many(Tecret cogitations B the Ifraelites came vnto the land of Canaan, fnibbing them that are aboutt<>fin. A Chrithe Cananites were not atthe firfi wholly diffiian man is not onely a Priefi and a prophet, placed. Why?Mofts rendreth the reafon;LeJl Exod.~3· but alfo afpirit~all king,eucn in this life: and wilde beafis come and inhabit fume parts of !9. tbe Lord in mercie.bath vouchfafed him this the land that were difpeopled, and more anhonour, that his confcience renewed within noy them then the Canaanites.In like manner him, fhall bee his folliciter to put him in minol God renues the confcienco ; butfo as it !hall ofalhis affaires and dutieswhich he is to perfiiil accufe when occafion ferueth;for the preforme toGod;yea it isthe conrroller to fee all uenring ofmanydaungerous finnes which like things kept in order in the heart, which is the wild beafis would makehauocke ofthe foule. temple and habitation ofthe holy Ghoft. Thus much of good coafcicnce: now folThe fecond office in confcience regenerate loweseuill confcience: and rhat is fo coiled Scll4.0f is toexcuft. thatis,to cleare aud defend a man partly becaufe it is defiled and corrupted by coil con.. cuen before God againfi all his enemiesboth originall Gnne, and partly becaufe it is euill, fcicn<:e. bodilyandJ,hofily. P[al.7.8. lHdgetlioH me,O thatis, troublcfome and painefull in our fenfe Lord,accor ·ng t•mynghteoujiujfo,andacr:ording and feeling:as all forrowes,calamities, &mit~mineinnocencieinme.Alain.z6.I,z. IHdgeme C feries are calledeuils. And though confcience 0 Lord,for 1haue walk! in mineinnocencie~efx. bee thus rearmed euill, yet hathit fame reProue me,O Lord,411dtrie me:exam:inemyreines fpects ofgeneral! goodne!fe, in asmuch as it & my he4rt. Thatthe confciencecan doe this, is an infirument of the execution of diuine it fpecially appeares in the coflil\ &combate Iofiice: becaufc it ferues to accufe them bemade by itagainfi the diuell, on this manner. fore God, whichare iufily to be accufed. The diuell begins and difpures thus. Thou, It hath fprcad it felfe ouer mankindeas ge0 wrerched man, art a mofl grieuous !inner: nerally as originall fin: andtherfore it is to be therefore thou arc but adamned wretch. The found in all men tbatcome of Ad.mby ordiconfcience anfwereth and faith; I know that nary generation. The propertie of it is,with Chrifi hath made:! fatisfa<'tion for my fins, all thepower it hath,to accufe andcondemne, and freed me from damnation.The diueU reand thereby to makeaman afraid of the preplyeth againe thus; Though Chriflliathfreed fence of God , and to caufc him to flie from rhee from death by his death ; yet thou arc God as from an enemy. This the Lord fignifiquite barred from heauen, becaufethou neuer ed whehe faid toAdam,Ad.mwhere artthou? G<D·>-9· diddo!t fulfill thelaw. The coafcience anfweWhenPeter faw fomolittle glimmeringofthe reth, :r know that Chrill is my righteoufi1c£fe 0 power and Maicfiie ofG 0 D in the great and )lath fulfilledthe law for me. Thirdly,the draughtoflifh, he fell on his kneos and faid to deuill replies and faith, Chdfi benefits beChrilt,Lord,goefom me,for1am 4 jioju/Jman. Luk. f.8. long not to thee,thou art but an hypocrite and Euill confcience is either deador jlirring. wante!t faith.Nowwhe aman isdriucn tothis Dead confcience is that, which though it can Dead eO~ firait, ic is neither wit, nor learning, nor fadoe nothing but accufc, yet commonly itlies (cience. uour, nor honour, that can repulfcrhis rttati- 'luiet,acculinglittle or nothing at all. on,but onely che poore confcience directed& Thecaufeswhy confcience lyethdead in all fanaified by the fpirit ofGod, which boldly me,eithermore or le£fe,aremany. I.Defectof &confiantly anfwereth, 1 k!!owthat 1belm<e. reafon or vnderfiandintn crazed braines. IJ, ' And though it be the officeofrheconfciece Violesce & firengtho affections, whichas a afterit is renued principally to cxcufe, yet cloud do ouer-call:theminde,and as agulfe of doth it alfo in part accufe. When Vauidhad water fwallowvp the iudgement and reakm: numbred the people , hu heArt fmou him, and therefore hinder the confcience from ac- >• sa.,. 24.'10. lob faith in his affliction that cufing; for when reafon cannotdoe his part a.ddidwrite bitter thingsagainfl him,•nd!1Uide then confcience doth nothing. For example; hsm /ooffef{ethejinnes ofhisy•uth, lob·13.26. The fome one in his rage behaces himfelfe like a rea on hc<eofis,becaufe the whole man& the madde man , and willingly commitsany mifAaa 2 chiefe
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