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.

§. Sect. 6 That we must take more care to approue our wayes to God and our owne consciences, then vnto men.

The second rule is, that we chiefly labour to approoue all our workes and wayes to God and our owne consciences, rather then vnto men, the testimony whereof is much more to be esteemed then publike fame, and humane censures. For fame being but a breath of the often deceiued multitude, may also deceiue vs, by giuing a false testimony, either on the worser or better part; but our cōsciences, which are priuy euen to our secret actions, and inward intentions in doing them, will not easily bee corrup∣ted to giue in false euidence, especially in those who are sanctified and regenerate. Humane and vulgar censures are often false and friuolous, ri∣diculous and impious, applauding that which God condemneth, and con∣demning that which he commendeth; and commonly that best pleaseth the multitude, which displeaseth him. They call him honourable, not who honoureth God, and is honoured of him, who is a sonne of God, bro∣ther of Christ, and heire of heauen; but who is innobled by the vertues of his parents, or who hath bought glorious titles (as it were a slaue in the market, or as the Centurion his freedome) with a great summe. They call him rich and happy, who is poore, beggerly, naked, and vtterly destitute of the riches of Gods graces, because he hath some worldly pelfe, which euery day may be taken from him, or he from it. And hee of the world is esteemed valorous and magnanimous, who is so impotent in ruling his passions, that he cannot beare the least iniury without taking reuenge; and contrariwise he base and cowardly, who dissembleth wrongs, and ac∣cording to Christs Commandement doth readily forgiue them, leauing vengeance to God, vnto whō alone it belongeth: Though nothing is more contrary to true fortitude, or the magnanimous constancy of a sound and well-settled minde, then with euery wind of words to bee moued out of a right state; and with other mens folly to become furious and fran∣tique. But a good conscience giueth in true euidence, as witnessing with God, or that which he witnesseth, not out of a blind opinion mis-led by

passion, but according to the booke of holy Scriptures, with which this booke of conscience commonly agreeth. And therefore if wee would leade a godly life, and constantly performe those Christian duties which are pleasing vnto God, let vs lightly regard the censure of the multitude, who ordinarily outface and discountenance vertue and piety, and com∣mend and magnifie vice and wickednesse, iustifie those whom God con∣demneth, and condemne those that hee iustifieth; accounting their false praises a great dishonour, and their scornes and disgraces for innocency and piety, our praise and glory, seeing he cannot be but honourable whom God honoureth, nor want glory, whom Christ, his Saints and holy An∣gels approue and applaud. And contrariwise, let vs highly esteeme, in all our actions, the testimony of our owne conscience, which will restraine vs from secret sinnes, as well as from open and notorious, and mooue and incite vs to all Christian duties, euen in our secret closets, when there is none by to censure our actions. And as no wise man in running of a race is much moued with the speeches of the standers by, which hee assuredly knoweth to be false and friuolous, thinking euer the better of himselfe when he is cast behind all the rest of the company, because they commend his speed, or the worse when he hath outstripped them and is neere the goale, because they discommend him for his slownesse: so neither must we be lifted vp with a good conceit of our selues, when others commend vs for our swiftnesse in the spirituall race, if our owne consciences tell vs, that wee are slow and behind all the rest with whom wee contend for the Garland; nor yet deiected and discouraged when they dispraise vs: if we are priuie vnto our selues, that with all our indeuour wee striue to make our best speed.