Conscience

CONSCIENCE, is the Testimony or secret Judgment of the Soul, which gives its approbation to Actions that it thinks good, or reproaches itself with those which it believes to be evil. It is a Consequence of the light of Nature, which judges of the good or ill tendency of our Actions. Est Prov. xii. 18.qui promittit & quasi Gladio pungitur conscientiæ, says the Wiseman. There are People who engage themselves too easily, and have no sooner promised than they are touched with remorse for doing so: Such was Herod, who promised Salome the Daughter of Herodias all that she should ask, and had very soon the Mortification to hear, that she desired the Head Mat. xiv. 6, &c.of John the Baptist. A troubled Conscience, an evil Conscience, presumes always that some misfortune must follow. Semper præsumit sæva perturbata conscientia.Sap. xvii. 10. S. Paul says, that they who are without the written Law, have their Conscience, which gives them an inward Testimony of the Good and Evil performed Rom. ii. 15.by them. He requires Christians to be submissive to secular Powers, not only for fear, but also for conscience sake: Non solum propter iram sed etiam propter conscientiam. In another place, he permits the faithful to go and eat at the houses of the Gentiles, if they are invited thither, and to partake of every thing which is served up at their Tables, without making particular inquiries out of any scrupulosity of Conscience; asking no questions for Conscience sake. But if any one says to them, this has been sacrificed to Idols, do not eat of it, says he, for his sake who gave you this Information; and likewise lest you wound not your own, but another’s Conscience: Conscientiam autem dico, non tuam sed alterius. If he who gives you this notice is a Christian, and notwithstanding the Information so given you forbear not to eat; he will condemn you in his heart, or will eat of it after your example against his own Conscience, and so the guilt of his Sin will be imputed to you. If he is an Heathen, who thus advertises you, and he sees you eat of it, he will conceive a contempt for you and your Religion.

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