A20762:324
A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties
A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the duties wherein it consisteth, the helps enabling & the reasons persuading unto it the impediments hindering the practise of it, and the best means to remove them whereunto are added divers prayers and a treatise of carnal security by John Douname Bachelor in Divinity and minister of Gods Word.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.
London: printed by Felix Kingstone and William Stansby for Ed, 1622
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
§. Sect. 3 The difference betwixt the peace of a good and bad conscience, as first, that the peace of the wicked proceedeth from ignorance of their estate.
§. Sect. 3 The difference betwixt the peace of a good and bad conscience, as first, that the peace of the wicked proceedeth frō ignorance of their estate.
Every conscience therefore is not good which is peaceable, but that which speaketh peace in truth; not according to our ignorant conceits, blinded with pride and self-love, or presumptuous opinions which have no sound ground, but when it is squared by the perfect and infallible rule of the holy Scriptures, whereby we may discern, whether that inward peace which we feel in us, proceeds from a good or a bad conscience. ⟨p. 74⟩For there are many things by corrupting and defiling the conscience, and making it worse, and more dead and senseless, then it is in it own nature, which make it (at least for time) quiet and peaceable. As first, ignorance of God and his will, which hood-winking the conscience, giveth the devil fit opportunity to carry it quickly whither he will, and like a thick fog, and darkness of the night, depriving us of light and sight, doth cause us to err into the by-ways of sin, whilst we think that we are in that perfect path of righteousness that leadeth to Gods Kingdom. As we see in Pauls example, who in the time of his ignorance, 1thought concupiscence to be no sin, which after he was enlightened with the knowledge of the truth, he discerned to be the root and fountain of all wickedness. And whilst his judgement was thus blinded, his conscience spoke peace unto him, testifying that he was alive and in good case, when as being truly informed, he plainly saw that he was dead, and in the high way that leadeth to hell. Such have not their peace disturbed by conscience, because, being ignorant of the way, it cannot admonish them when they go out of it, and being it self misinformed, it must needs give unto them false evidence. And though their hearts be full of sluttish corners, and even deep dungeons full of all filthiness, yet the eye of conscience doth not discern any annoyance, because it is in the dark, and is not enlightened with the knowledge of Gods truth. But especially this cometh to pass, when as ignorance is not only simple and natural, but embraced and affected, men purposely neglecting, yea, contemning and shunning the means of knowledge, because for their greater quietness, they would not have conscience to take notice of their ways.