Good Conscience, Treatise · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
Conſcience deſcribed:
THe maine ſubiect of this proteſtation, and the ayme of this following diſcourſe being concerning a good conſcience, for the more orderly handling thereof, conſider theſe ſpecialls.
1. What Conſcience is.
2. What a good Conſcience is.
3. How a good conſcience may bee gotten and kept. The meanes of it.
4. How a good conſcience may bee knowne. The markes of it.
5. The motiues to get and keepe a good conſcience.
1. What conſcience is: It may be thus deſcribed. Conſcience is a power and faculty of the ſoule taking knowledge, and bearing witneſſe of all a mans thoughts, words & actions, & accordingly excuſing or accuſing, abſoluing or condemning, comforting or tormenting the ſame. I know there be other definitions giuen by others more ſuccinct, and neat, but I rather chuſe this, though it may bee not altogether ſo formall to the rules of Art. The rules of …oue and profit many times may make bold to diſpence with rules of Art. So I may be profitable, I care the leſſe to bee artificiall. It may ſuffice that this deſcription is anſwerable to that Auditory for whoſe ſake it was firſt intended. A plaine familiar deſcription agrees well enough with ſuch a people. For the better conceiuing of it let it be taken in pieces, and eueryevery parcell viewed ſeuerally.
It is a faculty, or power of the ſoule. It is therefore called the Heart, 1. Iohn. 3. 20. If our heart condemne vsus. Eccl. 7. 22. Thine owne heart knowes that thou thy ſelfe likewiſe haſt curſed others, that is thine own conſcience knowes. It is alſo called the ſpirit of man, 1. Cor. 2. 11. For what man knowes the things of a man, ſaue the ſpirit of man which is in him. And Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit it ſelfe beares witneſſe with our ſpirit, that is, with our cōſcience. Not that conſcience is a ſpirit diſtinct from the ſubſtance of the ſoule, as Origen miſtooke, but becauſe it is a faculty of the ſoule, therefore the name that is oft giuen to the ſoule, is giuen to it. If it bee asked in what part of the ſoule this faculty is placed, wee muſt know that Conſcience is not confined to any one part of the ſoule: It is not in the vnderſtanding alone, not in the memory, will, or affections alone, but it hath place in all the parts of the ſoule, & according to the ſeuerall parts thereof hath ſeuerall Offices, or Acts.
Taking knowledge: Eccle. 7. 22. Thine owne heart knowes. Conſcience is placed in the ſoule as Gods ſpy, & mans ſuperiour and ouerſeer, an inſeperable companion that is with a man at all times, and in all places; ſo that there is not a thought, word, or worke that it knowes not, and takes not notice of. So that that which Dauid ſpeakes of God himſelfe, Pſal. 139. 3. 4. Thou compaſſeſt my heart, & my lying downe, and art acquainted with all my wayes, for there is not a word in my tongue but loe thou knoweſt it altogether. Whither ſhall I goe from thy ſpirit! If I aſcend vp to heauen, &c. The ſame may bee alſo ſaid of conſcience, Gods deputy; it is acquainted with all our waies, not a motion in the minde, not a ſyllable in the mouth, to which it is not priuy: yea it is thus inſeperably preſent with vsus not only to ſee, but alſo to ſet downe, to regiſter, & to put downe vponupon Record all our thoughts, words, and workes. ConſcienceNam quocun que me verto vitia mea me ſ… quuntur, vbicū que vado conſcientia mea menon deſerit, ſe praeſens adſiſtit & quicquid facio ſcribit. Idcirco quanquam humana ſubterfugiā iudicia, iudicium propriae conſc. fugere non vale…. Et ſi hominiꝰ celo qucd egi, mihi tamē (qui noui malū quod geſsi) celare nequeo. Ber. de Inter. Dom. c. 31. is Gods Notary, and there is nothing paſſes vsus in our whole life good or ill, which cōſcience notes not down with an indeleble character, which nothing can raze out but Chriſts blood. Conſcience doth in this kinde as Iob wiſhes in another, Iob 19. 23. 24. Oh that my words were now written, Oh that they were printed in a booke, That they were grauen with an iron pen, and laid in the rocke for euer. Conſcience prints and writes ſo ſurely, ſo indelebly, yea it writes mens ſins as Iudah his ſin was, with a pen of Iron, with the poynt of a diamond, and they are grauen vponupon the Table of their hearts, Ierem. 17. 1. Conſcience doth in our pilgrimage as trauellers in their iourney, it keepes a Diary, or a iournall of eueryevery thing that paſſes in our whole courſe, it keepes a booke in which it hath a mans whole life pend. In regard of this office conſcience is placed in the memory, & is the Regiſter and Recorder of the ſoule.
And bearing witneſſe. This wee finde Rom. 2. 15. their conſcience alſo bearing witneſſe. Rom. 9. 1. My conſcience alſo bearing me witneſſe. 2. Cor. 1. 12. The teſtimony of our conſcience. And this the end of the former office of the conſcience. For therefore is it exact & punctuall in ſetting downe the particulars of a mans whole life, that it may bee a faithfull witneſſe either for him, or againſt him. For a faithfull witnes cannot lye. Pro. 14. 5. This office it is ready to doe at all times of tryall, affliction, andPeccat… mea celare non poſſum quoniā quocū que vado conſc. mea mecum eſt ſecum portans quod in ea poſui ſiue bonum ſiue malū; ſeruat vino, reſtituet defuncto de poſitum quod ſeruandum a… cepit. Ber. medit. de vot. c. 13. moſt of all at the laſt day, the day of iudgement; when it ſhall be more ſolemnly called in to giuegive in euidence, Rom. 2. 15. 16. Their conſcience bearing witneſſe, &c. In the day when God ſhall iudge ſecrets of men. At that day it ſhal eſpecially witnes either for or againſt a man; if our life and actions hauehave been good, it will then doe like the true witneſſe, Pro. 14. 25. A true witneſſe deliuers ſoules. If wicked & vngodly, it wil deale with it as Iob complaines God did with him Iob. 10. 17. Thou reneweſt thy witneſſes againſt me. It will teſtifie according to eueryevery mans deeds. And this teſtimony of conſcience is without all exception, for in the mouth of two or three witneſſes eueryevery word ſhall ſtand, and conſcience (as our common ſaying is) is a thouſand witneſſes: for it is an ey-witneſſe of all our actions, yea a pen-witneſſe, bringing teſtimony from the authentique Records & Regiſters of the Court of Conſcience. Concerning this teſtifying office of conſcience that place is worth the noting, Iſa. 59. 12. For our tranſgreſsions are multiplyed before thee, and our ſinnes teſtifie againſt vsus, for our tranſgreſsions are with vsus, and as for our iniquities we know them. By which place wee may know the meaning of the word Conſcience. Conſcience is a knowledge together. How together? Firſt, a knowledge together with another perſon, namely with God, when God and a mans heart know a thing, there is Conſcience, knowledge together. Rom. 9. 1. My Conſcience (foreign) Co-witneſſing, witneſſing together. How together? God knowes it & witneſſes, & my conſcience together with him knows, & witneſſes. Secōdly, a knowledge ioyned together with another knowledge; for there is a double act of the vnderſtanding. Firſt, that whereby wee thinke or know a thing. Secondly, there is a reflecting act of the ſoule whereby wee thinke what we thinke, and know what we know, and this is the action of the Conſcience; and this ioyning of this ſecond knowledge to the firſt, giues it the name of Conſcience. As here in this place, As for our iniquities we know them, that is, wee know that wee hauehave had euill thoughts, & our knowledge tels vsus, and witneſſes to vsus that we hauehave done ſo. This agrees with Bernards definition, that Conſcientia eſt cordis ſcientia; Conſcience is the knowledge of the heart, namely paſſiuely. It is the knowing of what the heart knowes: which others in better tearmes hauehave expreſſed thus, Conſcience is the recoyling of the ſoule vponupon it ſelfe. Sutable to that of the Apoſtle. 1. Cor. 4. 4. I know nothing but my ſelfe. As if hee had ſaid, I know not any thing that I know againſt my ſelfe, my Conſcience doth not witneſſe againſt me. And this ſecond office of Conſcience in bearing witneſſe is alſo in the memory.
And accordingly accuſing or excuſing, abſoluing or condemning] Theſe acts of Conſcience we finde. Rom. 2. 15. Their thoughts accuſing or excuſing one another. Rom. 14. 22. Happy is he that condemneth not himſelfe in that which he allowes. The ground of theſe Acts is this, conſcience, before actions are to be done, determines of their lawfulnes, and vnlawfulneſſe; iudges of them whether they be good or euill. And if it iudge them good, it inuites, ſtirres vp, vrges, & bindes to the doing of them. Rom. 13. 5. Yee muſt be ſubiect for Conſcience ſake, that is, becauſe conſcience determines it to be good, & vrges, and binds thereunto. Hence that phraſe in common ſpeech, my conſcience vrgeth me to it, or he was vrged in conſcience to do it, and I am bound in conſcience to doe it. Certainely if it iudge and determine actions to be euill and vnlawfull, then it binds from them. So much that ſpeech implyes, 1 Cor. 10. 27. Eate, asking no queſtion for Conſcience ſake. So that Conſcience hath a power to binde to, and to binde from.
Now then when a man in his particular actions doth follow the Preſcriptions, Dictates, Iniunctions, Prohibitions, & Determinations of conſcience, and hearkens to the incitements thereof, then cōſcience excuſes him, acquits and abſolues him. But if in his actions he goe againſt any of theſe, then conſcience accuſes him of offence, and condemnes him for that offence. The accuſation of conſcience hath reſpect vntounto a mans guilt, the condemnation of it vntounto a mans puniſhment. Accuſation is an act of Conſcience paſſing ſentence vponupon a mans action, as when conſcience tels him. This was ill done, this action was ſinfull. Condemnation is an act of conſcience, paſſing ſentence not only vponupon a mans action, but vponupon a mans perſon, as when it tels him, Thou deſerueſt Gods wrath for this ſin. Conſcience in accuſing ſhewes what is the quality; in condemning what is the deſert of a mans action. And theſe actions of Conſcience are in the mind, and vnderſtanding part of the ſoule. The act of Conſcience in the memory determines de facto, and tels vsus what wee hauehave done, or not done. The act of Conſcience in the vnderſtanding determines de iure, and tells vsus whether we hauehave done well or ill, and ſo accordingly either excuſes or accuſes, acquits or condemnes.
Comforting or tormenting the ſame] theſe be the laſt acts of conſcience following the former. If Conſcience determining, preſcribing, and inciting to good, be hearkened vntounto, then it excuſes, acquits, and thereupon followes comfort, ioy, hope, 2 Cor. 11. 2. This is our reioycing, the teſtimony of our conſcience. Contrarily if the dictates of conſcience be not regarded, it accuſes and cōdemnes, & then torments with feare, griefe, deſpaire, and violent perturbations, in all which is that Worme. Mar. 9. 44. And theſe actions of the Conſcience are in the will, and in the affections. And thus according to the diuers parts of the ſoule, the acts and office of Conſcience are diuers. In theSic ſic in do mo propria & a propria fam… lia habeo accuſatores teſtes, iudices, & tortores Accuſat me conſcien▪ teſtis eſt memoria, volūtas carcer, timor tortor, ablectamē tum tormē tum. Ber. med. de vot. c. 13. memory it hath the office of a Notary, Regiſter, and witneſſe. In the vnderſtanding it hath the office of a Iudge, and an Accuſer, of a Felix and a Tertullus. In the affections either of a Comforter, or a Tormenter.
The ſumme of all may be thus knit vp. Cōſcience containes three things:
1. Knowledge practicall.
2. Applicatiō of that knowledge to our particular eſtates, and actions.
3. Thoſe affections which ariſe thereupon.
Now the ſpeciall worke of Conſcience conſiſts in the ſecond, in the applying our knowledge to our eſtates and actions. Now in this application it lookes on things paſt, or preſent, ſimply as things, and ſo it witneſſes of them to be done, or not done, Eccleſ. 7.Super nos etiam poſuit ad cuſtodiendum ſi deliquiſſent qui accuſarent, qui teſtificarē tur qui iudicarent, qui puniret: conſc. quippe eſt accuſatrix, memoria teſtis, ratio Iudex, timor carnifex. Ber. hom de villi. iniq. 22. Or elſe it lookes at the good or euill of things paſt, preſent, & to come. If thngs paſt, or preſent, ſeeme good it excuſes; if euill it accuſes, and bites, Rom. 2. 15. If things to bee done ſeeme good, it excites, vrges, and bindes to the doing thereof. If euill, it vrges, and bindes there from. Now according to theſe ſeuerall acts there follow in vsus diuers affections, ioy, hope, feare, grief, and the like. The whole proceſſe of the worke of Conſcience falls within the frame of a practicall Syllogiſme, as for example.
EueryEvery one that ſinnes in betraying innocentConſciētia Syntereſis eſt, qua victi voluptatib. vel furore ipſa que interdum rationis decepti ſimilitudine nos peccare ſentimus. Hieronym in Eccl. cap. 1. blood is worthy of Gods wrath.
But I (ſaith Iudas) hauehave ſinned in betraying innocent blood, therefore I am worthy of Gods wrath.
Here the Maior is knowledge practicall, the rule and law by which Conſcience keepes her Court. This is Syntereſis.
The Minor that is Syneidefis, the properSyntereſis eſt promptuarium princip…orū ſeu regularum practicarum: eius officiū eſt regulas legis diuinae proferre, & cōſcien ſubminiſtrare vt illarum ope poſsit cenſorem agere de propriis actionib. Alſted. Theol. Caſ. cap. 2. worke of conſcience applying that knowledge, and generall rule for a mans particular eſtate, or action. Here Conſcience witneſſes concerning the fact, iudges of the quallity of it, and accordingly accuſes or excuſes.
The Concluſion is the ſentence of Conſcience abſoluing or condemning, and accordingly cheering or ſtinging, comforting or tormenting a man.