Treatise of Conscience Wherein Divers Secrets are Discovered, Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
How the word Conscience, is diversly taken: and of the divers sortes of Consciences.
VVE haif declared heirtofoir, that Conscience, is a function or office of the saull, euen a knawledge, or suir perswasioun, quhilke man hes with himselfe, that the thing is ather gude or euill quhilk he dois, quhilk he hes done, or is of intentioun to do: As the significatioun and pith of the word it self doth import: For the latine word, Conscientia, (from the quhilk the worde, Conscience cummis) is composed of the Preposition, cnm, quhilk signify is in our language, with, & Scientia, quhilk signifies Science, or Knawledge; as gif wee wald say, the knawledg quhilk man hes inwartly with himselfe, of all his actiounis, wordis, and cogitations: Bot to mak the sound of the word mair agreeable, the Prepositioun cum, is changit into con, be a litle mutation of the letters: quhilk is a thing very frequent in the composition of wordes in the Latine tongue. This is the proper signification and originall of the worde Conscience. Neverthelesse, the Conscience of man, is not onelyonly taken for the knawledg, and suir perswasion quhilk he hes with himself, as a function and office of the saull: But also, is oftymes taken for the saull it selfe: as may appeare be the phrases, and figuratiue kind of speaking, quhilke men are accustomit to vse. As quhen wee say, a peaceable Conscience, a remording or a byting Conscience, a wounded Conscience, a sensles Conscience and without feeling, a troubled, afflicted, and tormented Conscience. It is euident, that these Epitheits and titles, are not sa proper to Conscience, (quhilke is but a knawledg, & ane office of the saul) as thay ar to the saul it self: Thairfoir, to the effect that every thing may hauehave the awin proper & maist conuenient name, I wald rather say, that through the testimonie of mans Conscience, that is, by the inward knawledge of that quhilk he hes done, ather gude or euill, the saull is made peaceabill, is made to haif remors, is woundit or tormentit: Nor, to attribute sik styllis vntounto the Conscience. Bot forasmeikle, as the former kind of speich is commonly vsit in the scriptures, and that the offices of the spirit are oftymes taken, by a borrow it kinde of speich, for the sprit it selfe: I will also attribute thir titles and stylis, baith to the Conscience, and to the Saul indifferently, as thay are commonly vsit: For I esteme it salbe very easie, be that difference quhilk we haif already made, to vnderstand quhat may be properly spoken of the saull quhilk is a substance; and of the Conscience quhilk is na substance, but onelyonly a function or work of the saull wrocht in man.
Our cheife deuision then of Conscience, salbe this: quhen the deide quhilk man hes done is gude of it selfe, his knoledge is also gude, & heir arrysis a gude and vpricht Conscience. One the vther pairt, quhen the deide done is euill, the knawledge and Conscience is likewise euill: In sik sort, that of the gude and righteous deide, proceidis the gude and vpricht Conscience: and of the wickit and euill deid, proceidis the corruptit and euill Conscience: And vnderunder thir twa sortis of Consciences, gude, and euill, all the rest of the sortis are comprehendit: To wit, a peaceable Conscience, a remording or a biting Conscience, a cauterized or a sensles Conscience, a wounded Conscience, and a troublit or tormentit Conscience: Of the quhilkis speces and kindes, wee are particularlie to intreate: And first of a gude Conscience, and the diuerse kindes thairof.