§. Sect. 5 That a good conscience keepeth it selfe cleere before God and men.
Secondly, it is the propertie of a good conscience, with all care and circumspection to keepe it selfe cleere both before God and men; before
A guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties wherein it consisteth, the helpes inabling & the reasons parswading vnto it ye impediments hindering ye practise of it, and the best meanes to remoue them whereunto are added diuers prayers and a treatise of carnall securitie by Iohn Douname Batcheler in Diuinitie and minister of Gods Word.
About this Item
- Title
- A guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties wherein it consisteth, the helpes inabling & the reasons parswading vnto it ye impediments hindering ye practise of it, and the best meanes to remoue them whereunto are added diuers prayers and a treatise of carnall securitie by Iohn Douname Batcheler in Diuinitie and minister of Gods Word.
- Author
- Downame, John, d. 1652.
- Publication
- Printed at London :: By Felix Kingstone [and William Stansby] for Ed: Weuer & W: Bladen at the north dore of Pauls,
- [1622]
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- Subject terms
- Christian life -- Early works to 1800.
- Cite this Item
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"A guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties wherein it consisteth, the helpes inabling & the reasons parswading vnto it ye impediments hindering ye practise of it, and the best meanes to remoue them whereunto are added diuers prayers and a treatise of carnall securitie by Iohn Douname Batcheler in Diuinitie and minister of Gods Word." In the digital collection Early English Books Online 2. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A20762.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 21, 2024.
Pages
Page 83
God, from faultinesse and sinne; before men, from offensiuenesse and all appearance of euill. According to the example of the Apostle, Who herein exercised himselfe, to haue alwayes his conscience voide of offence, towards God and towards men. So that a good conscience thinketh it not sufficient, to haue Gods approbation with contempt of mans, when as they will law∣fully stand together: for it is an offence in our neighbours, when they giue false testimony of vs, and an offence to them, when we make them to stum∣ble by our euill example, drawing them on to the practice of that euill, the appearance whereof they see in vs; from both which, Christian charity should restraine vs. Yea it is hurtfull also vnto our selues in losing our good name, which is to be pteferred before riches; and though we keepe this precious oyntment for our inward comfort, yet we lose the benefit of that beauty, which it outwardly causeth, and the sweete odour of it, at least so farre foorth as wee haue it reflected vpon vs by others commendation. Much lesse doth it rest contented with mans approbation, when it is disal∣lowed of God: for when they can say no euill of vs, nor we by our selues, yet are we not thereby iustified, seeing it is the Lord that iudgeth vs, who is grea∣ter then our hearts; and therefore as it desireth mans approbation, so only thus farre foorth as it will stand with Gods allowance, according to the example of the Apostle, who commended himselfe to euery mans conscience, in the sight of God. And if we thus doe, then haue we a sure signe of a good conscience: but if when we giue iust offence, we iustifie our selues by plea∣ding a good conscience, and so say and thinke, that we doe not care what men say or conceiue of our actions; or if (like hypocrites) we approue our selues and our consciences to men, by a faire shew in our outward behaui∣our, and neglecting the Iudgement of God, nourish in our hearts secret corruptions, we discouer a bad conscience, and both sinne against God, our neighbours, and our selues.
Notes
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Act. 24. 16.
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Conscientia ne∣cessaria est tibi: fama proximo tuo. Qui fidens con∣scientiae suae, neg∣ligit famam su∣am, crudelis est. Aug. ad fratr. in Eremo. Serm. 52. Pro. 22. 1. Eccles. 7. 1. Duo sunt tibi ne∣cessaria, conscien∣tia & fama: conscientia prop∣ter Deum, fama propter proxi∣mum. Ambros. 1. Cor. 4. 3, 4.
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2. Cor. 4. 2.