their lamps of Reason not lying as the others in the damp and darkness of the fall, but brought forth and new-lighted at the Scripture, and Sun of Righteousness shining therein as in its orb. Conscience in a Believer is, as St.Bernard hath it, Purum Religionis speculum, a pure glass of Religion: And as another, Major pars clavium, the greatest key in the Church; such an excellent Witness may well speak in this Point. In David it speaks thus, O Lord, I have walked in my integrity, Psal. 26.1. that is, in the exercise of Faith, Love, Obedience, and other Graces, which as so many Pearls make up Sincerity. In Hezekiah it speaks much after the same manner, ⟨p. 406⟩Remember, O Lord, how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, Isa. 38.3. And it is the more to be noted, because Conscience saith so in a way of appeal even to God himself; and by a right [Greek or Hebrew], holds up the truth of its Graces to so pure a Sun. This is such a Testimony as St. Paul joys and glories in, 2 Cor. 1.12. Est quidam modus in Conscientia gloriandi, ut noveris fidem tuam esse sinceram, spem tuam certam, caritatem tuam sine simulation, saith St: Austin; There is a kind of glorying in conscience, when thou knowest thy Faith sound, Hope certain, and Love undissembled. A Man that repents, believes and loves, may by the pulse of Conscience, know that he doth so. True, saith Bellarmine, he may know that he doth them, but not that he doth them sicut oportet, as he ought to do them. Unto which I answer; Conscience according to its Light and Line of Principles can bear Witness to Integrity; natural Conscience to natural Integrity, and renewed Conscience to gracious Integrity. An instance of the former we have in Abimelech, whose Conscience told him, That he meant not to take away another mans Wise, Gen. 20.5. and of the latter in St. Paul, whose Conscience told him, That his Conversation was in simplicity and godly sincerity, 2 Cor. 1.12. Conscience, which Witnesses Integrity, must look beyond the mere matter of Acts into the modus; for therein, Integrity,especially such as is gracious, consists more than in the Acts themselves. Unless ⟨p. 407⟩a man know that he repents, believes, and loves sicut oportet, he cannot know his own Sincerity;
their lamps of Reason not lying as the others in the damp and darkness of the fall, but brought forth and newlighted at the Scripture, and Sun of Righteousness shining therein as in its orb. Conscience in a Believer is, as St.Bernard hath it, Purum Religionis speculum, a pure glass of Religion: And as another, Major pars clavium, the greatest key in the Church; such an excellent Witness may well speak in this Point. In David it speaks thus, O Lord, I have walked in my integrity, Psal. 26.1. that is, in the exercise of Faith, Love, Obedience, and other Graces, which as so many Pearls make up Sincerity. In Hezekiah it speaks much after the same manner, ⟨p. 406⟩Remember, O Lord, how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, Isa. 38.3. And it is the more to be noted, because Conscience saith so in a way of appeal even to God himself; and by a right 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, holds up the truth of its Graces to so pure a Sun. This is such a Testimony as St. Paul joys and glories in, 2 Cor. 1.12. Est quidam modus in Conscientia gloriandi, ut noveris fidem tuam esse sinceram, spem tuam certam, caritatem tuam sine simulatione, saith St: Austin; There is a kind of glorying in conscience, when thou knowest thy Faith sound, Hope certain, and Love undissembled. A Man that repents, believes and loves, may by the pulse of Conscience, know that he doth so. True, saith Bellarmine, he may know that he doth them, but not that he doth them sicut oportet, as he ought to do them. Unto which I answer; Conscience according to its Light and Line of Principles can bear Witness to Integrity; natural Conscience to natural Integrity, and renewed Conscience to gracious Integrity. An instance of the former we have in Abimelech, whose Conscience told him, That he meant not to take away another mans Wise, Gen. 20.5. and of the latter in St. Paul, whose Conscience told him, That his Conversation was in simplicity and godly sincerity, 2 Cor. 1.12. Conscience, which Witnesses Integrity, must look beyond the meer matter of Acts into the modus; for therein, Integrity,especially such as is gracious, consists more than in the Acts themselves. Unless ⟨p. 407⟩a man know that he repents, believes, and loves sicut oportet, he cannot know his own Sincerity;
