Balm from Gilead to Recover Conscience, Part 1
The first part.
For the Nature of it. Things that are neerest, and most neerely concerne vsus, are commonly farthest off our knowledge and respect. As God, that is in vsus and neere vntounto vsus; our owne faces and visages are hardliest knowne, hardliest remembred. Som fooles doubt whether there be such a thing in them, yea or no. Origen thought it a Spirit or Genius, associated to our soules, to guide and tutour them: but this is like some of his other conceits. The carnal Atheist thinks it a melancholy humour of the body, and so thinkes all the checks thereof to be effects of Humour. The Schoole men somewhat acuter, thought it, some, an habite, some, an act of the soule. The latter Diuines, a faculty of the intellectuall part: but the trueth is, it's no such In-mate, no such Guest of the soule, but an in-bred faculty of it: A noble and diuine power, plante… of God in the soule, working vponupon it selfe by reflection: …Or thus. The soule of a man recoyling vponupon it selfe.
A facultie I call it, because it produceth acts,Hugo & Bern…us. and is not got & lost as habits are, but is inseperable from the soule, immoueable from the subiect, as neither acts nor habits are, which is Thomas his chiefe reason to proue Conscience an act, quia deponi potest; the cleane contrarie whereof is true, though indeede one might thinke some had laid aside and lost their Conscience.
A noble faculty I call it, because so admirably strange in the reciprocall working of it. The eye of man sees not it selfe but by the helpe of a looking-glasse: neither hath any creature in this world this priuiledge and property besides the soule of man. I giuegive it roome, and place it in the whole soule, and thrust it not, as some hauehave done, like a Spider, into some corner of it, as if it were a part of a part; whereas the operation and power of it is circumscribed in no narrower bounds then the soule it selfe, and therefore the Hebrewes more aptly call it foreign Heart or Soule, and the Grecians foreign. If our heart condemne vsus, 1 Ioh. 3. 20.
It hath indeed the vnderstanding for the Throne and Pallace thereof, where it is chiefly resident, whereby it exerciseth the principall functions, from whence commonly it hath it name Conscience; as the Emperour of Russia from Mosco his chiefe Citie: and looke how the soule it selfe is chiefly seated in the head, and there performeth the chiefe actions of Reason, Discourse and Sence, yet is in all and eueryevery part of the body, and in them performeth, baser and meaner offices of Nourishment and Motion: right so the Conscience keepeth a compleat Court in the whole Soule, commonly called Forum Conscienciae.
In the Vnderstanding part it is a Iudge, determining and prescribing, absoluing & condemning de iure. In the memory, it is a Register, a Recorder, and witnesse, testifying de Facto. In the Will and Affections, a Iayler and Executioner, punishing and rewarding. Say wee not in common vse of Speech, which is the Emperour of Words, My Conscience tels mee I did or did not such a thing, which is an Action of the Memory? My Conscience bids mee doe, or forbids me to doe this or this, which is but an Action of the Will: It smites mee, it checkes mee, it comforts, or it torments mee: what are these but Actions of the Affections recoyling vponupon the Soule? But if any list to contend about these subtilties, Conscience tells them, it hath no such custome. Conscience falsely so called, delighteth to languish about Questions not tending to Edification; Let vsus rather turne our eyes, to behold and wonder at the Diuine royalties and endowments of it, it being in man the principall part of GODS Image, and that by which Man resembleth most the Autarchie and selfe-sufficiencie of GOD, which I graunt is proper to his Infinitenesse, to be content and compleat within it selfe: but vnderunder him, and with his leaue and louelove, this Facultie makes man selfe-sufficient and independant of other Creatures; like vntounto those selfe-mouing Engins, which hauehave their Principle of Motion within themselues. Thus, Adam when hee was alone, was not yet alone & desolate, but might conuerse with this his Conscience, as well as with a thousand Companions and Acquaintances.
Secondly, God hath giuen it more force and power to worke vponupon men, then all other Agents whatsoeuer: It being internall and domesticall, hath the aduantage of all Forraigne and Outward. Man in this respect being like to the Earth, immoueable of all the windes, though at once they should blow from all the points of the Compasse, yet easily shaken by a vapour from within: whence it is that the Approofes and Reproofes of it, are so powerfull and terrible, the one chearing more then any Cordiall, the other gnawing more then any Chest-worme; tormenting worse then hot Pincers, boyling Caldrons, Rackes, Strappadoes, or what other the cruelty of Tyrants hath inuented. If one had Angels daily ascending and descending, as Iacob had to comfort him, it were not so comfortable, or if langold or coupled to Diuels, no more terrible.
Thirdly, it being indiuiduall and inseperable, there is no putting of it to flight, or flying from it:Lyp…. Pol. Ne… fugere, nec fugare poteris. It was bred and borne with vsus, it will liue and die with vsus. Agues a man may shake off, Tyrants and ill Masters a man may flye from: but this saith (as Ruth to Naomi,) I will goe with thee whether so euer thou goest. It hath more immediate deputation and authoritie from GOD (of whom all principalities and powers receiue theirs) then Angels, Kings, Magistrates, Father, Mother, or any other Superiour. It's onelyonly inferiour to GOD: It is a certaine middle thing betweene GOD and Man, and hath the dignitie of Earles and Nobles, that are Comites Regum. And so Paul is bolde, Romanes 9. to call his Conscience a Co-witnesse with GOD; whence it hath the Name Conscience, there being no other Creature with whom it can beare witnesse: none knowing what is in Man, saue God, and the Spirit, or Conscience which is man; which makes Paul ioyne them in one Appeale, Romanes 9. It's his Spie and Intelligencer in our bosomes and Bed-chambers; a most exact Notarie of what euer wee thinke or doe: It's his Lieutenant, and vnderunder him the principall Commaunder, and chiefe Controler of Mans life, yea, eueryevery mans GOD in that sense that Moses was Aarons. It's the surest Prognostication and Prae-indgement of GODS last Iudgement,Praei…dicium extremi Iudicij. Tertul. and best Almanacke within a Mans owne breast, foretelling him what will become of him at that day.
Wonderfull is the Greatnesse and Soueraigntie of it: Oh men therefore, and oh Consciences, know your selues, and in this sence louelove, respect, and reuerence your selues more then all other Creatures, Friends and Acquaintance: If they could speake, they would say to mans Conscience, as the people to Dauid, a thousand of vsus are not equall to thee in worth. It fares with Conscience as with simple Constables; Many an Officer, if hee knew his place, would stand more vponupon it, and take more vponupon him then hee doth. The Husband-man were happy, if he knew his happinesse: The Horse were strong, if he knew his strength. Conscience, if it knew power and authoritie, would not suffer it selfe, so to be silenced, abused, snibbed, and kept vnderunder, being vnderunder GOD, the Lord Controuler of the Soule, and Super visour of our life.