A Golden Chain

Thus much of good conscience: now follows evil conscience:¹ and that is so called partly because it is defiled and corrupted by original sin, & partly because it is evil, that is, troublesome and painful in our sense and feeling; as all sorrows, calamities, and miseries are, which for this very cause also are called evils. And though conscience be thus termed evil, yet hath it some respects of general goodness, in as much as it is an instrument of the execution of divine justice; because it serves to accuse them before God, which are justly to be accused.

Thus much of good conscience: now follows euill conscience:¹ and that is so called partly because it is defiled and corrupted by originall sinne, & partly because it is euill, that is, troublesome and painefull in our sense and feeling; as all sorrowes, calamities, and miseries are, which for this very cause also are called euills. And though conscience be thus tearmed euill, yet hath it some respects of generall goodnes, in as much as it is an instrument of the execution of diuine iustice; because it serues to accuse them before God, which are iustly to be accused.

1. 1§4. Of evil conscience.§4. Of euill conscience.

It hath spread it self over mankind as generally as original sin: & therefore it is to be found in all men that come of Adam by ordinary generation. The property of it is, with all the power it hath, to accuse and condemn; and thereby to make a man afraid of the presence of God, and to cause him to fly from God as from an enemy. This the Lord signified when he said to Adam, Adam where art thou? When Peter saw some little glimmering of the power and majesty of God in the great draught of fish, he fell on his knees and said to Christ,¹