A discourse of conscience wherein is set down the nature, properties, and differences thereofA discourse of conscience wherein is set downe the nature, properties, and differences thereof

Such a conscience is to be taken heed of as being most dangerous. It is like a wild beast, which so long as he lies a sleep seems very •ame and gentle, and hurts no man: but when he is roused, he then awakes and flies in a mans face, and offers to pull out his throat. And so it is the manner of dead conscience to lye still and quiet even through the course of a mans life: and hereupon a man would think (as most do) that it were a good conscience indeed: but when sickness or death approacheth, it being awaked by the hand of God, begins to stand up on his legs, and shows his fierce eyes and offers to rend out even the very throat of the soul. And heathen poets knowing this right well, have compared evil conscience to Furies pursuing men with firebrands.

Such a conscience is to be taken heede of as being most dangerous. It is like a wilde beast, which so long as hee lyes a sleepe seemes very •ame and gentle, and hurtes no man: but when he is rowzed, he then awakes and flies in a mans face, and offers to pull out his throate. And so it is the manner of dead conscience to lye still and quiet euen through the course of a mans life: and hereupon a man would thinke (as most do) that it were a good conscience indeed: but whē sicknesse or death approcheth, it beeing awaked by the hande of God, beginnes to stande up on his legges, and shewes his fierce eyes and offers to rende out euen the very throate of the soule. And heathen poets knowing this right well, haue compared euill conscience to Furies pursuing men with firebrands.

The seared conscience is that which doeth ¹not accuse for any sin; no not for great sins. It is compared by Paul, 1. Tim. 4. v. 2. to the part of a mans body which is not only bereft of sense, life, & motion by the gangrene, but also ⟨p. 153⟩