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How the Law is said to be written in the heart of man after the fall.
Which shew the worke of the Law writ∣ten in the hearts.
FIrst, let us enquire how these first Principles which are called primo-prima, are made up in the hearts of man. Secondly, how these secundo-prima principia are
deduced out of these. And thirdly, how these principia make up this which wee call Conscience: and lastly, we shall shew that man by this naturall knowledge ingraft in his heart, cannot come to the true and saving know∣ledge of God.
These first Principles are made up after this manner: The Lord hath put two faculties into the Soule, one which we call speculative in the understanding, and another which we call a practik facultie in the will, to prosecute these things which the understanding sheweth to her. God hath placed first the speculative in the un∣derstanding, that it might follow that eternall reason that is in Gods Law; for as it is the perfection of Art to imitate nature, so it is the perfection of nature to imitate this eternall reason, which is Gods Law; Then he hath placed the will into the soule of man to prosecute those things, which the understanding the speculative facultie sheweth unto it.
There are some primo-prima principia, in the specu∣lative * 1.1 faculty, and some in the practick facultie; this is a principle in the speculative facultie; Omne totum est majus sua parte, and this is the first principle in the pra∣ctike faculty, the will, Matth. 7. 12. Whatsoever yee would that men should doe to you, doe yee even so to them.
These primo-prima principia are not naturally knowne * 1.2 quoad actum perfectum, but they are in potentia propin∣qua, that is, they may be most easily knowne; for that which is actually perfect in the first degree, is alwayes knowne, and as soone as the creature existeth, so soone they are knowne; as the knowledge of an Angel is not potentiall but ever actuall: but these first principles are made up without any reasoning discourse or foraigne helpe. And as it is naturall for a stone to move downe∣ward, although it be not alwayes moving downeward, yet because it hath that weight within it selfe, and nee∣deth
no other helpe to make it move downeward, as it needeth of a foraigne helpe to cause it to ascend; there∣fore this motion is said to be naturall to it. So because * 1.3 the mind can make up these principles without any dis∣course; therefore they are sayd to be naturall to it: but when we make up a conclusion in a syllogisme, the knowledge of this conclusion is not so easily knowne to me: but we must borrow some midsts, which are more knowne to us, to make up this conclusion. These first principles are naturally knowne, but the conclu∣sion in the syllogisme is ratíonaliter knowne onely, by way of discourse. These first principles the Divines * 1.4 call rationes eternas, dignitates, immobilia principia, and the Greekes call them 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. If the judgement be sound and well disposed, then it agreeth to those first principles; but if it be corrupt it declineth them. It is not necessary that all agree in these first principles, for although some be found who deny them, yet they stand as principles to those who are of sound judge∣ments; children and mad men understand not these first principles, yet those who are of sound judgement, doe acknowledge them.
These first principles are not actually written in the * 1.5 heart of man, but potentially: the mind of man is not like a seminarie, which containeth in it diverse sorts of seedes: neyther is it like the Flintstone which hath the fire lurking within the veynes of it, and being struc∣ken upon the steele, casteth out the sparkels of fire which lurked in the veynes of it before: but it is like unto the eye, which being inlightened by the Sunne, hath that naturall facultie in it to discerne colours: So the mind frameth these principles when the objects are laid before it. * 1.6
And out of these primo-prima principia, the minde frameth, and maketh up secundo-prima principia: the
difference betwixt these primo-prima principia, and se∣cundo-prima is this: these primo-prima principia, first inbred principles are contained in the conclusions; but these secundo-prima principia, these second inbred principles, are as conclusions contained in the princi∣ples: now to cleare this by example; this is a first in∣bred principle in the mind; whatsoever yee would that men should doe to you, doe yee even so to them: this is a se∣cond imbred principle drawne from the first, yee shall not murther; this conclusion drawne from the first principle, containeth in it this first principle, whatsoever yee would men, &c. So that any man may inferre thus; I may not kill my neighbour, because I will that no man should kill me; here this principle is contained in the conclusion. There are other conclusions drawne from these secundo-prima principia, which may be cal∣led * 1.7 tertiae conclusiones, and these are not so easily made up as the first; here the conclusions are contained in the principles, and not the principles in the conclusions as before; example, honour thy father, and thy mother; this is a second principle; and this; thou shalt rise up be∣fore the hoare head, Livit. 19. 23. is a conclusion of the third sort: for this followeth not so clearely as the former conclusion, Yee shall rise up before the hoare head; therefore yee shall honour your father and your mother: but rather this wayes, yee shall honour your father and your mother; therefore yee shall rise up before the hoare head: heare the conclusion is contained in the principle and not contra.
This law written in the heart of man, maketh up this * 1.8 which we call conscience, which is an inbred light in the mind of man, teaching him to follow that which is good, and to eschew that which is evill: and it is called conscientia, quasi concludens scientia; and it hath a two∣fold * 1.9 Act; the first is to give testimony to things, whe∣ther
we have done them well or ill; if wee have done them well, then it giveth testimony for us, Rom. 9. 1. my conscience also bearing me witnesse; and if we have done evill, then it testifieth against us. Gregory Nazianzen * 1.10 used to call the conscience paedagogum animae; for as a Pedagogue waiteth upon a child, and commendeth him when he doth well, and whippeth him when he doth evill; so the conscience when a man sinneth, it stingeth him like Hornets, Deut. 7. 20. but when hee doth well, it alloweth him: and that which wee call conscience, the Syriack calleth it Tira, Rom. 2. 15. Which signifieth * 1.11 a paynted thing, for the conscience now is like a table, in which sundry things are paynted; and this sort of writing in the consciences, hath not beene unfitly com∣pared to that writing, which we write with the juice of an Onion; here the letters at the first are not legi∣ble, [Simile.] but hold the paper to the fire, and that maketh the letters legible: So these evill deeds, which sinke first into the conscience, and are not legible, yet when the conscience is put to the fire of Gods wrath, then they begin to appeare legible, and then the Lord set∣teth their sinnes in order before them, Psal. 50. 21. The se∣cond act of the conscience is to binde or loose; for even as a man, when he is bound hand and foote, he can∣not stirre out of the place; so the light which is in the conscience, bindeth the will of man, so to doe a thing; that he cannot doe any other thing unlesse he sinne a∣gainst it. Rom. 14. 23. Whatsoever is not of saith is sinne, that is, whatsoever he doth against his conscience, in that, he sinneth.
This conscience is eyther a good conscience, a bad conscience; a doubting conscience, a probable consci∣ence, or a scrupulous conscience. * 1.12
A good conscience is that, which is well informed, and concludeth rightly.
A bad conscience is that, which is wrongly informed, and concludeth falsly.
A doubtfull conscience is that, which neyther doth assent nor dissent, and therefore concludeth nothing.
A probable conscience is that, which concludeth as it thinketh, upon probable and good reasons.
And a scrupulous conscience is that, which conclu∣deth, but with some feare or doubting, which troubleth the minde. Let us take but this one example for all in the case of eating of meate: The good conscience * 1.13 saith, To the pure all things are pure, and therefore I may eate of this meate: the bad conscience of the Iew saith, Touch not, taste not, handle not; therefore I will eate none of this, because it is uncleane. The doubt∣full conscience doubteth whether hee may eate of it, Rom. 14. 23. but doth not fully conclude with the Iew, that he may not eate of it. The probable conscience is this, which upon probable grounds, concludeth to eate of it. In Corinth some doubted whether they might eate of flesh sold in the Shambles, 1 Cor. 10. because perhaps they might light upon that in the Market, whereof the other part was sacrificed to Idols; but the probable conscience concludeth to eate of it, be∣cause in the Shambles it hath no relation to the Idoll, and it knoweth, by all probability, that the rest of it was not sacrificed to Idols, but that the Priest got the rest for his portion; he seeth others who are men of a good conscience, eate of such; and upon these probable grounds he eateth of it. The scrupulous conscience is this which inclineth to eate, but with feare and greefe to his minde, when he eateth it.
The light in the conscience since the fall maketh not * 1.14 up this good conscience, but it maketh this ill consci∣ence, and it troubleth the scrupulous conscience, and this doubtfull conscience.
This bad conscience it excuseth or accuseth: it ex∣cuseth * 1.15 an unregenerat man falsly, when he heareth the curses of the Law, and blesseth himselfe in the meanetime, Deut. 29. 19. Ioh. 16. 2. Secondly, it ex∣cuseth him falsely, when he assenteth to the principles in generall; but when he commeth to the particular ap∣plication; he concludeth not rightly. When the Hus∣bandmen killed the Lord of the Vineyard, Christ asked of the Iewes, what should become of these Husband∣men? Matth. 21. 41. they answered, he will destroy these wicked men: but Luk. 20. 16. when they consider this, that the matter touched them more nearely, then they sayd God forebid. The thing which they assented to in the generall, they shune it in particular, as if they should say, we are no such men, and wee hope that God will not so deale with us. So when it accuseth for the breach of any superstitious ceremonie, as it did the superstitious Philistims; if they did but tread upon the Threshold of the Doore, where Dagon breake his necke, 1 Sam. 4. 5. So a bad conscience accuseth a man truly sometimes, as Eccles. 7. 22. for oftentimes also, thine owne heart knoweth that thou thy selfe hast cursed o∣thers.
The conscience bindeth as the Lords deputie; the * 1.16 conscience may be compared to the Kings Herauld. The Herauld intimateth to the Subjects the Kings lawes; When they are intimated, the Subjects are bound to obedience: but if the Herauld should make intimation, of that which were not the Kings Law, un∣to the Subjects; yet they are to give obedience to it, untill they know the contrary: so a man is bound to obey his conscience, that is, to doe nothing con∣trary to it, although it intimate a falsehood unto him.
How can an evill conscience binde a man to that [Quest.]
which is evill; it being Gods Deputie, and God can binde no man to doe evill?
It bindeth him not simply to doe the evill, but it bin∣deth [Answ.] him to doe nothing against it: God cannot bind a man so, but he simply bindeth him alwayes, to doe right because he cannot erre; judging that to be done which is not to be done, as the conscience doth.
When a good conscience doth bind a man, and [Quest.] when an evill conscience doth binde a man, what is the difference betweene these two sorts of binding?
A good conscience bindeth a man for ever, but a bad [Answ.] conscience bindeth not for ever, but onely so long as he taketh it to be a good conscience: he is bound to doe nothing against his conscience, albeit it be errone∣ous: but he is bound to search the truth, and then to lay aside this erroneous conscience.
So out of these principles naturally bred in the heart, * 1.17 arise all these lawes which are written in the heart; and they differ from the lawes of nations, or municipall lawes of countries. Esay 24. 5. saith, they have transgres∣sed the lawes, changed the ordinances and broken the ever∣lasting covenant: they have transgressed the Lawes, that is, the municipall Lawes of the common-wealth: they have changed the ordinances: that is, these things where∣in all nations agree; as not to doe wrong to strangers, to embassadours and such: and then he commeth to the greatest of all; they have broken the everlasting cove∣nant; * 1.18 that is, the law of nature: it is lesse to breake a municipall law, than the law of nations; or it is lesse to transgresse the law of nations, than to violate the Law of nature; for this Law is that: light which lightneth eve∣ry man, that commeth into the world, Ioh. 1. 9.
A man by this naturall knowledge, cannot be brought * 1.19 to the knowledge of his salvattion; therefore the Law must be written anew againe in his heart. It is a strange
position of Clemens Alexandrinus, who holdeth that there was alia justitia secundùm legem naturae, alia secun∣dùm legem Mosis, et alia secundùm Christum; and hee calleth these two first 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or degrees to leade to * 1.20 Christ; and as the Law led the Iewes to Christ, so did philosophy leade the Greekes; and hence he con∣cludeth, that the good men amongst the Heathen were saved, or at least had some steps to salvation.
The conclusion of this is, seeing the conscience is so [Conclusion.] obscured, and corrupted through the fall, we must la∣bour to reduce it to the first estate againe. When a compasse is out of frame, we touch the needle of the compasse with a Loadstone, that the stone may draw it right to the pole againe: So the mind must be tou∣ched with the Loadstone of the Spirit of grace, that it may come backe againe to the Lord, as to the pole.
Some principles in the speculative, and some in the practicke faculty.
How the first principles are knowne.
How the first principles are naturall to the mind.
First principles are naturally knowne, but the conclusions are knowne by discourse.
The first principles are not actually, but poten∣tially written in the minde.
A difference betweene the first inbred princi∣ples, and the second in∣bred principles.
Difference betweene the conclusions drawne from the first principles, and the conclusions drawne from the second inbred principles.
Conscience, what.
A twofold act of the conscience.
Greg. Nazain.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 conscientia a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 formavit, pin∣xit.
A difference betweene these sorts of conscience.
The light of nature since the fall maketh not up a good conscience.
When the bad consci∣ence excuseth or accu∣seth falsely.
The conscience is Gods herauld.
A difference betweene the law of nature and the lawes of nations.
A greater sinne to breake the law of na∣ture than the law of na∣tions.
Naturall light cannot bring a man to the knowledge of his owne salvation.
Strom. cap. 6. 7.