---------------------~=---~~------------------ \ , \535 .il.YreatifeojCoi{cience. . Confti. ~eared confd.. encc. chicfe without any controlment of_confci- A rierh him to comic finseu~n again!hhe light I ence:butwhcncholert~do_wn, hcbegmstobe ofnatur~& commonfenfe: bypratHfeoffuch \ albamed and troubled mh1mfclfe,n'?t alwa1es fins the hght ofnature is cxtinguilbed: &then by-grace, bur eu~nby the force of lu_s natural! commerh the reprobate minde, which iudgerh con(c1ence '· wh1ch when affcd;10n IS calmed euill good, & good enill:afterthis follows the begtns to fbrre , as appearcth 1t1 the_example \l;aredconftimce,inwhich thercis nofeeling or I of Cam. ur. Ignorance ofGods wdland errcmorfe: &after thiscomes an exceedinggr«- ro"rs in iudgement, caufe the confcience to be dines toall maner offin, Eph+ 19 •Rom 1 •2 8 quiet,when it '?ughtto accufe. This we finde Here itmay be demanded, howmen~ con: by expenence m the dearh ofobfimate herefctencestball accufe them in theday ofindgetickes, which filfferfor tbdr damnablcopinimcnt, ifthey be thus bcnummcd and feared in ons withoutchecke ofconfcicnce. . this lifc•.Anfw.It is faid.Rtu ~o.u .thatat the Dead confcience hath two degrees. The lafi iudgement all fhall bee broaght before fi~fi is the ilumbering or the benummed can. Chrifr,& that thebooksthenfhallbe opened: fctencc; the focond IS the feared confctence. among thefe bookes no doubt confcience is The benumm<d_6fcienteisthat, whichdoth B one. Wherefore ti()Jgh adeadconfciencein not accufe a man for any finne , vnldfeit bee this life~easadofed orfealed booke(becaufe gneuous orcaplt~ll ; and not alv:ates forrhat 1t ~oth c1therhtle ornothing accufe,)yetafter but onely m the_umc.af fame gneuous fickethts l!fe,tt!h~lbeas.• booke laid open bccaufe nelfe or calamme. lo{<phs brethren were n<>t God fballmltghten tt,and fo frirre it vp byhis much troubled in confcience for their villanie mighty power,thatitlhal be able to reucale& in felling their brother, till afterward when difcoueralrhefinsthatamaneuercontmittcd. they wereafflilled with famine and difire{fed Stirringconfcitnce, is that whichdath fenfiin Egypt, Gen.42. ~1. Thisis the confcience olyeitheraccufe or excufe. And it hath foute that commonly reignes in the hearts ofdroudifferences. lie Protefiants, ofall carnall and luke-warme The lirfi, which accufeth _a ~an for doing gofpellcrs, and affuchas arecommonly teareutli.ThiS mufi needs be aneutl cofcience. Bemcd ciuilhonefi men,whofe apparant integricaufe to accufe is not a properrie that belongs ue wil notfree them from guilrie confciences. to it by creation, but adefea: that followeth Such a confdence is to bee taken heede of, after the fall. And if the confcieflce which as bedng mofi daugeroos, It is like awilde truly accufeth a manfor his!ins, were agood beafi, which fa long'llshe lies a ileepe feemes c confcience, then the worfi man thatis, mi~ht very came and gentle, and hum no man : but haue a good confcience ; which cannot be. when bee isroufed, he then awakes and flies When the acculiuion ofthe confcience is inro amansface,& offersto pulaut his throat. more forcible andviolent, itis called a wo""- And fo iris the manner ofa dead confcience; dedor tro•bld<onfcmzc<: which though of it to lie £\ill and quiet euen through the courfe felfett be not good norany grace ofGod; yet of a mans life: and hereupon aman would bytf.egoodnclfeofGoditfcructhoftentobe thinke (as mofi doe) that it werea good conan occafion or preparati6 tograce;asa~eedle, fciencc indeede: bur when fickenclfe or death that drawcsthe thread into rbccloath,isfome approcheth, it beeing awaked by the hand of meaees whereby the cloarh is fewed togithcr. God, beginnes to fiafld vpon his legges, and The fccond,isthatwhichac:cufcthfordoing lbeweshis fierce eies,& otfersto rendouteuen well. And it is to bee found in them that ate the very throat ofthe foule.And heathe Poets giuen to idolatry and fuperfiition. As inthe knowing this right wcl, haue copared euil_c6C~urchofR~me:inwh~ch~bccaufc_mens confciece to Furicspurfumg men wtth fire-brads. fctences are mfnared& mtagled w1th hulllane Thefear.dconflience is that, which doth not traditions, many are trooblcd for doingthat accufe for any finse;no n~t for great finnes. It D ~hich is good init felfe, oratthel~afr a~ing is compared byPaul.x.T•m·4·•·tothe part ot tndtfferent.Asforexample:let a pnefiomttto a mans bodie which is not onely bereft of !aymalfe&tofayhiscanonicalhonres,hiscofenfe,life,_&motionby thegangrene, but alfo fc~en_ce will accufe him therforc:though theo· is-bLtrnt wtth a feanng yron:& therefore mufi mtttmg ofthe canomcall hoores & oftheidoneedes bee vtterly pafi all feeling. latours malfe,be indeed~y 6ods ~ordno fin. Thiskind ofconfcience is not in all men,but The third, is the confctcnce whtcb cxcuferh in fuch perfons as arc become obfrinate he_r~- fordoi_ngthat whichis c~ill. This alfoistobe tickes and notonous malefallours. And tt IS found m them that are gtuen to Idolatry and not in the by nature, but by an increafcofthe fuperfiiti6. And there is~ particular example corruption ofnature; & that by certaine fieps hereof,loh.r 6.,.Te4thtt~we Jh•lcom<,that who and degrees. For naturally euery man bath in 1/o~u~ killeth y~s,w•lithmkfthllt h< doth _Godgo~d him blindnelfe of minde and obflinacie or \forule~. Such IS the confrtenco of Pop1fh tratfrowardnes ofheart,yet !~,as with the blindtoursinthefe da!es, thatare neuer. touchedat nc!Te and ignorance ofminde,are ioyned fame aH,th?ugh they mrendandenterpnfe hornble remnantes ofthe light ofnature, fhewing vs vdlames,and b~putto death therefore, what is good andeuill. Now the heart ofman !hefourrh 1 _ts that whlC~ excufeth fo~well beeing exceedingly obfiinate & peruerfe,cardomg fame ttmcs, and m fame parucular aa:ions Srirrin$ con(ciccc
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