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

Fourthly, a good conscience is known by the properties of it. First, as it is peaceable, so also it is pure, not only from the guilt of sin, but ¹also from the corruption. For the blood of Christ, as it doth like a sovereign salve pacify the rage of conscience, caused by the sores of sin, so doth it draw out the corrupt matter that causeth it, cleansing these wounds, as fast as it healeth them; and as it saveth us from this body of death, as the Apostle calleth it, so doth it purge it from dead works, that we may serve the living God. And therefore if our consciences be thus purged, then are they truly pacified. But if they witness unto us that we live still in sin, and so purpose to do for the time to come, and yet testify that we are in Gods favour, and have our part in Christ and his benefits, they are evil and lying consciences, and give in false evidence, expressly contrary to the ²testimony of God, who being Truth it self, hath said, that there is no such peace to the wicked.

Fourthly, a good conscience is knowne by the properties of it. First, as it is peaceable, so also it is pure, not onely from the guilt of sinne, but ¹