Secondly, it is the property of a good conscience, with all care and circumspection to keep it self clear both before God and men; before ⟨p. 83⟩God, from faultiness and sin; before men, from offensiveness and all appearance of evil. According to the example of the Apostle, Who herein 1exercised himself, to have always his conscience void of offence, towards God and towards men. So that a good conscience thinketh it not sufficient, to 2have Gods approbation with contempt of mans, when as they will lawfully stand together: for it is an offence in our neighbours, when they give false testimony of us, and an offence to them, when we make them to stumble by our evil example, drawing them on to the practice of that evil, the appearance whereof they see in us; from both which, Christian charity should restrain us. Yea it is hurtful also unto our selves in losing our good name, which is to be preferred before riches; and though we keep this precious ointment for our inward comfort, yet we lose the benefit of that beauty, which it outwardly causeth, and the sweet odour of it, at least so far forth as we have it reflected upon us by others commendation. Much less doth it rest contented with mans approbation, when it is disallowed of God: for when they can say no evil of us, nor we by our selves, yet are we not thereby justified, seeing it is the Lord that judgeth us, who is greater then our hearts; and therefore as it desireth mans approbation, so only thus far forth as it will stand with Gods allowance, according to the example of the Apostle, who commended himself to every mans conscience, in 3the sight of God. And if we thus do, then have we a sure sign of a good conscience: but if when we give just offence, we justify our selves by pleading a good conscience, and so say and think, that we do not care what men say or conceive of our actions; or if (like hypocrites) we approve our selves and our consciences to men, by a fair show in our outward behaviour, and neglecting the Judgement of God, nourish in our hearts secret corruptions, we discover a bad conscience, and both sin against God, our neighbours, and our selves.
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 ⟨p. 83⟩God, from faultinesse and sinne; before men, from offensiuenesse and all appearance of euill. According to the example of the Apostle, Who herein 1exercised himselfe, to haue alwayes his conscience voide of offence, towards God and towards men. So that a good conscience thinketh it not sufficient, to 2haue Gods approbation with contempt of mans, when as they will lawfully 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 stumble 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 disallowed 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 greater 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 3the 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 pleading 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 behauiour, 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.
- 1Act. 24. 16.
- 2Conscientia necessaria est tibi: fama proximo tuo. Qui fidens conscientiae suae, negligit famam suam, crudelis est. Aug. ad fratr. in Eremo. Serm. 52. Pro. 22. 1. Eccles. 7. 1. Duo sunt tibi necessaria, conscientia & fama: conscientia propter Deum, fama propter proximum. Ambros. 1. Cor. 4. 3, 4.
- 32. Cor. 4. 2.
