IV.1 A doubting Conscience is that which with trouble and anxiety suspends aits judgment, not knowing which way to determine. Doubtfulness of Conscience is that ambiguity of mind which consists in a standing (or rather in a wavering) balance, neither assenting nor dissentingb. To speak strictly, a doubting cConscience is no Conscience, but only improperly, as a dead man may be said to be a man. Conscience is a judgment of something done, or to be done: but now where there's no assent, there's no judgmentc, but a privation of judgment; and therefore so fat as it may be called a Conscience, it is an evil Conscience, at best troublesomely devil, and therefore ought to be deposed. Some term the acting upon a doubting Conscience to be an acting besides eConscience; for they cannot be said to act according to Conscience, because 'tis properly none, but equivocally; nor do they act against Conscience, because Conscience permits them to act thus and no otherwise: those act with or against Conscience, where the judgment of Conscience is determined, to say this is lawful or unlawful, and he acts besides Conscience, who remains fluctuating and doubting, whether such a thing be lawful or unlawful, and yet doth, or omits it. Now the Apostle tells us,f Whatsoever is not of faith is sin. By faith there we must understand that persuasion and security of mind, whereby we believe and determine, that such a thing pleaseth, or displeaseth God, is lawful or forbidden; 'tis not spoken of justifyingg faith, as if men sinned in eating or not eating, because their sins were, or were not pardoned; In short, in all duties that belong to practise we must be unweariedly diligent to perceive the truth, that doubtfulness may be driven away, for the more certain knowledge we have of those things we do, the more confident we may be in the doing of them, and the more joyful afterwards. What therefore is the cause of doubting that it may be banished?
IV.1 A doubting Conscience is that which with trouble and anxiety suspends aits judgment, not knowing which way to determine. Doubtfulness of Conscience is that ambiguity of mind which consists in a standing (or rather in a wavering) ballance, neither assenting nor dissentingb. To speak strictly, a doubting cConscience is no Conscience, but onely improperly, as a dead man may be said to be a man. Conscience is a judgment of something done, or to be done: but now where there's no assent, there's no judgmentc, but a privation of judgment; and therefore so fat as it may be called a Conscience, it is an evil Conscience, at best troublesomly devil, and therefore ought to be deposed. Some term the acting upon a doubting Conscience to be an acting besides eConscience; for they cannot be said to act according to Conscience, because 'tis properly none, but aequivocally; nor do they act against Conscience, because Conscience permits them to act thus and no otherwise: those act with or against Conscience, where the judgment of Conscience is determined, to say this is lawful or unlawful, and he acts besides Conscience, who remaines fluctuating and doubting, whether such a thing be lawful or unlawful, and yet doth, or omits it. Now the Apostle tells us,f Whatsoever is not of faith is sin. By faith there we must understand that perswasion and security of mind, whereby we believe and determine, that such a thing pleaseth, or displeaseth God, is lawful or forbidden; 'tis not spoken of justifyingg faith, as if men sinned in eating or not eating, because their sins were, or were not pardoned; In short, in all duties that belong to practise we must be unweariedly diligent to perceive the truth, that doubtfulness may be drivenh away, for the more certain knowledge we have of those things we do, the more confident we may be in the doing of them, and the more joyfull afterwards. What therefore is the cause of doubting that it may be banished?
- 1The doubting Conscience.
- aBrochm. T. 1. c. 3. q. 3. p. 7.
- bConscientia dubia, strictè, negativè magisque propriè, nil est aliud, quam ambiguita•. sive suspentio animi censtituti in aqu librio, &c. Bress. l. 4. c. 1. p. 350.
- cBess. ibid. §. 5. V•x dubia conscientiae addita sit dimin•ens seu alienans, haud aliter quamens rationis en• d citur, &c. Voetius pt. 3. p. 828.B ess. ibid. §. 5. V•x dubia conscientiae addita sit dimin•ens seu alienans, haud aliter quamens rationis en• d citur, &c. Voetius pt. 3. p. 828.
- cBess. ibid. §. 5. V•x dubia conscientiae addita sit dimin•ens seu alienans, haud aliter quamens rationis en• d citur, &c. Voetius pt. 3. p. 828.B ess. ibid. §. 5. V•x dubia conscientiae addita sit dimin•ens seu alienans, haud aliter quamens rationis en• d citur, &c. Voetius pt. 3. p. 828.
- d—Si non malitia turpi, saltem tristi. Voet. ibid
- ePraeter conscientiam.— Konig. de cons. vide p. 13, 14.
- fRom. 14.23.
- gMinus [Greek or Hebrew] qui fidem istam explicant de fide justificante, & salvifica, &c. Konig. ibid.Minus 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 qui fidem istam explicant de fide justificante, & salvifica, &c. Konig. ibid.
