Observations Divine and Moral, Chapter 47
CAP. XLVII. Of Conscience.
EVerie mans conscience is, as it were, a second God within him, both to judg of his actions within, and without him, and also of his person, and personall state, and whether in▪ it he be accepted of God, or not. And surely, a great good work of God it is, that he hath created, and set such an overseer as this conscience is, in the soul of man, by which, if he doe any thing amisse, Perkins.he is checked in secret, that so by repentance he may finde mercy at Gods hands. And how good is it, sayth one, that this worm should be felt, whilst it may be killed; and gnaw for a Bernard.time, that it may be choaked for ever? As, on the contrary, if a man do the thing which good is, the conscience gives1 Iohn. 3. testimonie of Gods acceptance, and therewith boldnes before him: making him chearfull even in the sorrows of the Seneca.world, quiet in its turmoyl, and happy in all extremitie of torments, and withall satisfying him with the testimony from within himself, against mens unjust accusations. This Conscience makes a man eyther a conquerer over the whole world, or Politian.a craven; and ready, specially in danger, and being wakened, to thrust his head in a hole.
But now the comforts are not greater in having this good conscience, then are the dangers in mistaking it. Many do craftily pretend it without cause, merely for their credits before men, whose hearts condemn them before God: and whom God who is greater, will condemn much1 Iohn. 3. more. Many more are securely presumptuous; and being ready to beleev that, which they wish true, are bold upon their good conscience so deemed; not because they know, and try themselvs, and their wayes before the Lord, by his word, as they ought; but because they know not, nor will know, and examine them. And this is the vulgar conscience of ignorant persons, that are free from those grosser sins, which the light of nature condemns: and of some others also not without understanding, being of bold spirits, and stout hearts, and which will not easily be in fault, eyther before the world, or God himself. There are besides these, whose consciences are benummed; and seared with 1 Tim. 4.an h…at iron; who by practising at first, and continuing after in sins against their naturall conscience, have obteyned from the Lord this miserable priveledg, and seal of their condemnation, that their mindes should be voyd of understanding, and hearts of sense, and feeling even of heynous sins, in time. Better (sayd the godly martyr) sit in the stocks Philpo….of this world, then of an ill, or accusing conscience: And yet better a conscience accusing, if not desperately; then benummed, and without feeling. The dead flesh must be eaten out of the wound, and sorenes come before soundnes: so must a benummed conscience become accusing, before it can become excusing aright.
The larger conscience the better, if rightly informed. To know that to be lawfull for me, which indeed is lawfull, is the perfection of understanding, and strength of fayth: Rom. 14.as, on the other side, to be ignorant of it, is to be weak both in knowledg, and fayth. But we must here put a difference between the conscience it self, and the use of it: for the largest use of conscience is not alwayes best, though the judgment be. Some things are so commaunded, as they absolutely bynde conscience, as to love God and our neighbour, &c. Some things again are so commanded in the generall, as for example, the obedience of the Magistrate, keeping peace with all men, and the like, as yet they have this particular exception. If we can without sinning on our parts: for we must not do evill that we may do good. But yet in these cases we are to be as large, as we can, and to go as far, as possibly we can see it lawfull, in conscience of the commandement of God. Other things are in their kinde indifferent, and such as we perform for our profit, pleasure, credit, or other worldly commoditie. In these we are to use lesse liberrie of conscience, and to take heed that we give not the divell advantage, by some blast of temptation, or other, to blow us into the ditch, if we go to near the side of it. And in observing this difference, we have a conscionable use of our conscience.
It is a great question, whether an erroneous conscience be to be followed, or no: and as ill resolved by many affirmatively, after much dispute. Not to follow it is evill, and to do, or leav undone that wherein the man so doing, or not doing, condemns himself; and therein hath God also condemning him: To follow it, is for the blinde to follow the blinde (the blinde person his blinde conscience) into the ditch; and to have God condemning him in his word, though he justifie himself. Besides then the violation of the conscience, which is alwayes evill, and a bypath on the left hand; and the following it in evill, as a by-path on the right (which is sometimes worse, then the former, as in sins against the light of nature;) there is a third, and midle way, safe and good; and that is, the informing of the conscience better by Gods word, and following it accordingly; unto which also every person is bound, for the duties of his generall, and speciall calling. It is the first dutie of a man to inform his conscience aright; and then to follow the direction which it gives.
A good conscience is as the ship, in which fayth sayleth to heaven: and which they that put away, make shipwrack 1 Tim. 1.of fayth. We must therefore first get a good conscience by the sprinkling of the heart with the blood of Christ fromHeb. 10. the guilt of sin; and with his spirit from the filth thereof: and having got it, must keep the same with all care, and tendernes, specially by eschewing presumptuous sins, Psal. 25.in which is much transgression; and by which the conscience is wasted, and consumed, as iron by the rust. We offend too much, alasse, through ignorance, and infirmitie: let us not ad to provoke the Lord by sinns against conscience: in which we sin against a double voyce of God, first speaking in his law, and secondly, in our own hearts. Where this is, no marvayl though the voyce of fayth, and witnes of Gods spirit cease: and that the conscience so violated excuse not, but accuse.