A Guide to Godliness, Book 1 · Chapter 12
CAP. XII.
Of Conſcience in generall, the nature, properties, and effects of it.
§. Sect. 1 That the nature of Conſcience may partly bee knowne by the name.
THe laſt ground of a godly life, is a good conſcience, without which it is impoſſible to pleaſe God, or to performe any duty acceptable in his ſight. In ſpeaking whereof, wee will firſt generally ſhew the nature of conſcience, & then more particularly intreat of a good conſcience. The nature of conſcience may bee partly knowne by the name, which ſignifieth to know together, or with another: for as the minde, vnderſtanding the nature of things, is ſayd to know them: ſo when another ioyneth with it in this knowledge, they are ſayd to know together. Now there is no creature that can ioyne with man in the knowledge, that is ſecret in his minde, according to that of the Apoſtle; No man knoweth the things of a man, but the 1. Cor. 2. 11.Spirit of a man that is in him. Whereof it is, that humane lawes take no notice of the thoughts of the heart, either to reward or puniſh them; but it is only the Lord that ſearcheth the heart and reynes, who knoweth and taketh notice together with our mindes, of all the ſecrets which are knowne vntounto it. Whereby the nature of conſcience in part appeareth, namely, that it is ſuch a faculty in the ſoule, as taketh notice of all our actions, and beareth witneſſe of them before Gods Iudgement ſeate, eyther with vsus, when they approue them as good; or againſt vsus, when as they condemne them as euill. So that the conſcience is a certayne diuine power, which is placed by God in the ſoule of man, as a third party indifferent betweene him and vsus, ſomtime ſpeaking for vsus, and ſometime againſt vsus, as the equity of the cauſe requireth. It is Gods Monitour, which he hath ſet ouer vsus, to take notice of all wee doe, that hee may either reward our well-doing, or puniſh that which is done amiſſe. And becauſe ſimple knowledge might ſee and conceale what it ſeeth and knoweth, God to this ſcience hath added conſcience, which being placed in vsus on the behalfe of the great King of heauen and earth, will not let any thing lie hid and ſmothered, but giueth vnpartiall witnes of whatſoeuer is done before his Tribunall, eyther excuſing vsus when wee doe well, or accuſing vsus, when we hauehave ſinned againſt him: Not that the Lord needed any ſuch witneſſe or Monitour to informe him of our actions; for he ſeeth and knoweth all things paſt, preſent, and to come, with one perfect and ſimple act; but becauſe he would in the adminiſtration of his iuſtice, proceede in a legal manner, that wee hereby might be conuicted of the vprightneſſe of his iudgements, hauing in our ſelues a witneſſe that iuſtifieth and approueth them.
§. Sect. 2 What conſcience is, being generally conſidered.
But that we may yet more clearely diſcerne the nature of conſcience, what it is, we will thus define it. Conſcience is a faculty, or power placed by God in the ſoule of man, which reflecteth the vnderſtanding vponupon it ſelfe, cauſing it to apply its generall and contemplatiue knowledge of truth and falſhood, good and euill, to practicall vſe, for the ayming and determining of all our particular actions, according to the generall rules of reaſon, either with vsus or againſt vsus. It is a faculty, and not a naturall habit which may bee got and loſt: for howſoeuer the operations of it may be hindred and deadded for a time, by carnall ſecurity, hardneſſe of heart, and the violence of our luſts and paſſion: euen as reaſon it ſelfe cannot exerciſe its functions in the time of ſleepe or drunkenneſſe; that it neuer vtterly fayleth; but when it is awakened by affliction, it ſheweth it ſelfe in the actions of accuſing, condemning, and terrifying, as in former times. Neither is it a bare art of vnderſtanding, as ſome would hauehave it, but a diſtinct faculty & working power, which in it own vertue produceth diuers So the Apoſtle Paul ſpeaketh, Rom. 2. 15. foreign. that is, their reaſonings, the meane while, accuſing, or elſe excuſing one another.actions. For when the vnderſtanding, in the Theſy and Theory, by way of generall contemplation, approueth of any action, as good, or condemneth it as euill, the conſcience applyeth it in the Hypotheſy vntounto a mans owne particular actions, and by vertue of thoſe generall notions in the vnderſtanding, determineth of them, either with or againſt vsus, that they are good or euill. And this it doth (as the ſchooles ſpeake) in a practicall Syllogiſme, in which the reaſon or contemplatiue vnderſtanding (ſo called, becauſe it is exerciſed in contemplation, and in ſeeking out the principles of all knowledge, & is in reſpect of this office, named alſo by Diuines, foreign, becauſe it is the keeper and conſeruer of thoſe notions implanted in vsus, concerning good things to be imbraced, and euill things to be ſhunned of vsus) this contemplatiue vnderſtanding (I ſay) doth in this Syllogiſme offer vntounto vsus the Maior or Propoſition. The conſcience which they call foreign, becauſe (as I hauehave ſhewed) it knoweth not to it ſelfe alone, but with God, maketh the Minor or aſſumption, and the facultie of iudgement determining of the fact, inferreth the concluſion: As for foreign.example. The vnderſtanding ſuggeſteth this Propoſition; Hee that ſerueth God, who is the ſupreme cauſe and chiefe Good, performeth a good dutie. The conſcience aſſumeth, But thou haſt ſerued God, the ſupreme cauſe and chiefe goodneſſe; and ſo the iudgement inferreth; therefore thou haſt performed a good duty. Againe, on the other ſide; the vnderſtanding ſaith, Whoſoeuer will worſhip God truly, muſt worſhip him according to his reuealed will, and not according to his owne inuentions; the conſcience aſſumeth, But thou haſt not worſhipped him according to his reuealed will, but according to thine owne inuentions; whereupon the iudgement inferreth, Therefore thou haſt not worſhipped God truly. Or thus; Whoſoeuer breaketh the Law, is accurſed, ſaith the vnderſtanding; But thou (ſaith the conſcience) haſt broken the Law: therefore, ſaith the iudgement, thou art accurſed.
§. Sect. 3 Of the diuers offices of conſcience.
Now this facultie of conſcience performeth diuers offices, in reſpect of the diuers parts, wherein it exerciſeth its power and vertue. For in the vnderſtanding, before our actions are atchieued, it playeth the part of a friend, or gentle Monitour, telling what is to be done or left vndone, with the penaltie or reward which will follow our commiſſion or omiſſion. After the deed is done, it becommeth a Iudge, approouing or diſallowing the action, and either abſoluing or condemning vsus, for the doing or not doing of it. In the memory, it performeth the office of a Notary Conſcientia eſt Codex in quo quotidiana peccata conſcribuntur, Chryſ. in Pſal. 50. Rom. 2. 15. 1. Cor. 1. 12.and Regiſter, in ſetting downe and keeping vponupon Record, what wee hauehave done, good or euill; and alſo of a witneſſe, giuing euidence, either with or againſt vsus, according to the nature of our fact, accuſing vsus when wee hauehave done ill, and excuſing vsus when we hauehave done well. In the will and affections, it is the deputie of Gods Spirit, to ſuggeſt and inioyne vsus good duties; and when they are done, to reward vsus by comforting, cheriſhing, and repleniſhing our hearts with ioy; and when we hauehave done ill, eſpecially by committing ſinnes which are haynous and againſt conſcience, it executeth the office of a Iaylour or tormentor, filling the heart with ſhame and ſorrow, with feare and terrour, with finall deſperation, helliſh perturbation, and intolerable tortures, that no racke nor gallowes, no hot pincers or ſcalding lead may be compared with them, as we ſee in the example of Cain, who out of a deſpairing conſcience, crieth out, that his puniſhment Gen. 4. 13.was greater then he could beare; and of Iudas, who, to eaſe his torment, which the gnawing worme of conſcience cauſed, hanged himſelf. And with this office of conſcience the Heathens were acquainted, which gaue occaſion to that fiction of helliſh furies, which endleſly haunted and tormented thoſe who had committed haynous ſinnes againſt the light of nature. The which alſo appeareth by their writings, wherein are many notable ſayings to this purpoſe. What doth it profit, ſaith Seneca, to hide Senec. Epiſt. 43.a mans ſelfe, and to auoide the eyes and eares of men? A good conſcience calleth in the multitude, and an ill is ſollicitous and fearefull euen in ſolitude. If the things thou doeſt be honeſt, care not though all men know them; if diſhoneſt, what skilleth it though no man know them, ſeeing thou knoweſt them thy ſelfe? O miſerable man that thou art, if thou deſpiſeſt ſuch a witneſſe! And againe, It is the greateſt ſecuritie to doe no Epiſt. 105.man wrong. They that cannot abſtaine from it, doe leade a life full of confuſion & perturbation, ſo much fearing as they hauehave hurt. Neither are they at any time quiet. After they hauehave done miſchiefe, they feare, they are troubled. Conſcience ſuffereth them not to intend any other things, but eueryevery hand while to reuiew themſelues. He ſuffereth puniſhment that expecteth it, and he expecteth that hath deſerued it. It is poſſible, by ſome meanes, to be ſafe with an ill conſcience, but neuer ſecure. For he thinketh he may be taken with the manner, though yet he be not. In ſleepe he is troubled, and being awake, as oft as he nameth any mans wickedneſſe, he thinketh of his owne. It neuer ſeemeth enough blotted out, neuer ſufficiently couered. A guiltie conſcience hath ſometime the hap to be hid, but neuer Exemplo quodcunque malo committitur, ipſi diſplicet authori, &c. Iuuen. Satyr. 13. Plut. Apoph.aſſurance. So the Satyriſt; Whatſoeuer crime is committed by euill example, it firſt diſpleaſeth the author. This is the firſt puniſhment, that no man guilty can be abſolued, himſelfe being Iudge, although by the fauour of the corrupted Iudge he be acquitted. In which regard Cato was wont to ſay, that eueryevery man ought to feare and reſpect himſelfe moſt when he doth any euill, becauſe, though he may ſhun others, yet from himſelfe he cannot flee.
§. Sect. 4 That conſcience hath all its power and authority from God onelyonly.
Now this power of conſcience in iudging, witneſſing, binding, and puniſhing, it hath onelyonly from God which is the Lord of it, and hath ſeated it in man as his Viceroy and Deputie, to rule him in all his wayes; and, if he will not obey, to be his Notary, to keepe vponupon record all his faults, his Witneſſe to giuegive teſtimony againſt him, and his Executioner to torment him, when in the Court of conſcience hee is condemned. Neither hath any creature power ouer conſcience, either to binde it, or ſet it at liberty, but God only; nor hath the conſcience it ſelfe any authority to execute theſe offices, till it hauehave a Commiſſion ingroſſed and ſealed from God, which is either the Law of nature, written in the heart in our firſt creation, or the diuine Oracles of God, contained in the bookes of the Old and New Teſtament. And if without theſe, conſcience doth any thing againſt vsus, either by vniuſt iudging, or falſe accuſing, we may reuoke it all by a Writ of errour, and make our appeale from this falſe iudgement in the Court of conſcience, to our ſupreme Lord, to bee iudged by him according to his Law. For howſoeuer in the creation, conſcience was an vpright Iudge and true witneſſe, yet after the fall, the vnderſtanding being darkened with ignorance, and the iudgement corrupted, doe offer vntounto the conſcience falſe rules and Principles, and ſo cauſe it to giuegive wrong euidence and erroneous iudgement, iuſtifying when it ſhould condemne, and condemning when it ſhould iuſtifie, excuſing thoſe whom it ſhould accuſe, and accuſing them whom the Law of God excuſeth and abſolueth. The which commeth to paſſe, becauſe the light of nature is through the fall almoſt extinguiſhed, and the booke of the Law written, according to which, conſcience ſhould iudge and teſtifie, is not vnderſtood and knowne, or becauſe it is blinded by luſts and paſſions, or being corrupted, hath the mouth ſtopped with the bribes of worldly vanities, or finally is become ſeared and ſenſeleſſe with cuſtomable ſinning and habituall wickedneſſe.