Fourthly, The conscience naturally is defiled, Because of the ease and security it hath, though if it were awakened, and could do its duty, it would not let thee have any rest day or night. And this is one of the main particulars wherein original sin discovers it self in the conscience; all life, all spiritual tenderness and apprehension is taken away, that whereas conscience is especially seen in the reflex acts of the soul. To know our knowledge, to judge the actions of the mind and the heart, yea and to judge those judgments; now we can no more do these things then very beasts do, and by reason of this there is a great calmness and quietness upon the soul. Dives, who had his soul, Take its ease, found no gripes of conscience: And thus it is the condition of all men, whereas conscience would or should pierce them through, and be like so many thorns, not in the side only, but all over the body; now it is fallen asleep, and the man is at rest in his sins, though he be on the borders of hell. Thou mayest call this a good conscience, and bless thy self, because it doth not trouble thee, it doth not accuse thee, whereas indeed it's a senseless conscience, like a dead member that will feel no pain, if it were on the contrary, then it would be a good conscience, if it did accuse, bear witness and condemn thee, then it would be a good conscience; for this is a Rule in Casuistical Divinity, Conscience may be molestè mala, and yet honestè bona; and then on the other side, it may be peccatè bona, and yet honestè mala, Conscience in respect of its troubling and condemning may be evil, and yet in respect of its sanctification good, being awakened by Gods Spirit; and on the other side, it may be good, as sometimes we call it, that is quiet, not terrifying, yet in its constitution, be dead and unregenerate: Do not then flatter thy self, that good conscience thou boastest of, is a bad and evil one, a dead, a senseless one: Can that be good, which is not enlightened, is not regenerated? Oh how much better were thy conscience, if it did smite thee, terrify thee, make thee eat with trembling, and drink with trembling! This accusing conscience is far better, and more preparatory to true peace, then that quiet secure conscience of thine; so that thou art indeed to mourn over thy conscience, as being dead within thee.
Fourthly, The conscience naturally is defiled, Because of the ease and security it hath, though if it were awakened, and could do its duty, it would not let thee have any rest day or night. And this is one of the main particulars wherein original sinne discovers it self in the conscience; all life, all spiritual tendernesse and apprehension is taken away, that whereas conscience is especially seen in the reflex acts of the soul. To know our knowledge, to judge the actions of the mind and the heart, yea and to judge those judgments; now we can no more do these things then very beasts do, and by reason of this there is a great calmnesse and quietnesse upon the soul. Dives, who had his soul, Take its ease, found no gripes of conscience: And thus it is the condition of all men, whereas conscience would or should pierce them thorow, and be like so many thorns, not in the side only, but all over the body; now it is fallen asleep, and the man is at rest in his sins, though he be on the borders of hell. Thou mayest call this a good conscience, and blesse thy self, because it doth not trouble thee, it doth not accuse thee, whereas indeed it's a senslesse conscience, like a dead member that will feel no pain, if it were on the contrary, then it would be a good conscience, if it did accuse, bear witnesse and condemn thee, then it would be a good conscience; for this is a Rule in Casuistical Divinity, Conscience may be molestè mala, and yet honestè bona; and then on the other side, it may be peccatè bona, and yet honestè mala, Conscience in respect of its troubling and condemning may be evil, and yet in respect of its sanctification good, being awakened by Gods Spirit; and on the other side, it may be good, as sometimes we call it, that is quiet, not terrifying, yet in its constitution, be dead and unregenerate: Do not then flatter thy self, that good conscience thou boastest of, is a bad and evil one, a dead, a senslesse one: Can that be good, which is not inlightned, is not regenerated? Oh how much better were thy conscience, if it did smite thee, terrifie thee, make thee eat with trembling, and drink with trembling! This accusing conscience is farre better, and more preparatory to true peace, then that quiet secure conscience of thine; so that thou art indeed to mourn over thy conscience, as being dead within thee.
