Ane treatise of conscience Quhairin divers secreits concerning that subiect, are discovered, as may appeare, in the table following.

CHAP. III.

Of a gude Conscience, and the diuers kinds thairof.

THe Conscience of man may bee cal∣lit gude and vpricht, thre manner of wayis; First, quhen hee eschewis that quhilk is euill of it self, ather vpon knaw∣ledge, or vpon a suir perswasion that the thing is euil quhilk he eschewis. Second∣ly, quhen he followis that quhilk is gude and richteous of it selfe, ather knowing assuredly, or being certainlie perswadit in his hairt, that the thing is gude and richteous quhilk he dois. Thridly, quhen he ather dois, or leiffis the thing vndone that is indifferent of it selfe, that is to say, neither gude nor euill; and that vpoun

knawledge, or vpon a suir perswasioun that the selfe same thing is indifferent quhilk hee dois, or leiffiis vndone. But quhair man, ather eschewis that quhilke is euill, or indifferent of it self: ather else follow is that quhilk is richteous, or in∣different, vpon ignorance, or vpon acci∣dent: Thair can be na testimony of a gud Conscience thair: For that quhilk is done vpon ignorance, is opponit vnto that quhilk is done vpon knawledge, quhair∣upon Conscience mon proceide. In sik sort, that to mak the testimonie of manis Conscience, gude, baith the deede quhilk he dois mon be gude of it selfe, or at the leist indifferent, & the doer thairof mon ather knaw perfytlie, or haif a suir per∣swasion in his hart that the thing is gude or at leist, indifferent quhilk he dois. The difference quhilk I make betwixt knaw∣ledge, and a suir perswasion, is this: that knawledg is groundit vpon a suir autho∣ritie, and warrand▪ out of the worde of God: and that suir perswasion, is onely a constant opinioun consauit in manis

hairt, that a thing is sa, or not sa, without ony certaine warrand: Bot foralsmeikle, as mans Conscience can nather beir wit∣nes with him, nor aganis him, but accor∣ding to mans awin knawledge and vnder standing: hee suld beware that he lippin not ouer meikle in the testimonie of his awin Conscience: For albeit, al that man dois aganis his awin Conscience be sinn: Neuertheles, all that is done according to Conscience, is not gude and without sinne: In respect that mans Conscience, will oftymes certefie him, that the deede quhilk he dois, is gude of it selfe, quhen it is euil: And be the contrair, that the deed quhilk he hes done is euil of it self, quhen it is gude and richteous. As for example the Iewis quhen thay crucify it our Savi∣our Iesus Christ, were perswadit in their Conscience, that thay had not crucified the Sonne of God; and ʒit thay were dis∣saifit: Sicklyk, na doubt but some of the Papists are certefy it be thair awin Con∣science, that thay do wel in making thair supplications vnto the sauls of the saints

departit; and ʒit thay are dissauit be thair Conscience. Heirfoir, seing the testemo∣nie of mans Conscience, is oftymes dissa∣uabill and fals: In the thingis, quhairby the doing, or not doing of thame, may follow sin; hee aucht to haif his warrand out of the word of God, and not to con∣fide in the testimony of his Conscience. Notwithstanding, in thingis indifferent; as to marrie, or leif vnmarried: to weare costly apparell on the Sabboth day, or not to weare it: to vse, or not to vse mo∣derate exercitioun of the bodie; or til eat meat with weschen or vnweschin hands: In doing of thir and siklike thingis, a suir perswasion of thame, that thay ar things indifferent, is sufficient to saif man from sinne, without ony farther warrant: But hee that doubtis whether hee haif done weill or euill in following, or eschewing ony thing, albeit the thing be indifferent of it self, ʒit he sinnis: becaus hee hes na testimonie nor assurance of his Consci∣ence for that quhilk he dois, quhilk every man aucht to haif in all his actions.

As concerning the nature and quali∣ties of a gude Conscience; It wilbe peace∣abill, it will sometimes haue remorse, & sometimes it wil be woundit & troublit. Mans Conscience may be callit peacea∣bill, twa manner of wayis: The ane is, quhen his Conscience giffis him rest, and accusis him not, but allowis and appre∣vis all that hee dois, as weill done. This kind of peace is not onely proper to the gude Conscience, and weill doer, but also to the euill Conscience and euil doer: For he that committis wickitnes ather vpon ignorance, or vpon a perswasion that he dois well; or hee that hes the hart harde∣ned, and is not mouit nor troublit with the euill quhilk hee dois; that man (I say) will haif sum tyme peace of Conscience for a time: although in the end, the accu∣sation and torment of his Conscience wil be horrible and great. In consideration whereof, it wald bee diligently marked, that mans Conscience. dois not alwaies accuse, nor trouble him, sa sone as the sin and wickitnes is committit: Na, na, he wil

haue inward peace of minde for a time, his Conscience will flatter him, the eies of his minde wil be blindit, and his hart will be shut vp: during the quhilke tyme his Conscience will be peaceabill, he will haif inward rest of the minde, and lief in careles securitie: Bot quhen the lord be∣gins to chop, to appeall the Conscience, & to open the eies of the hairt, that man may see the vglines of his awin sin: Then begins the Conscience to accuse, to con∣demne, and to torment man with terribil prickis, with fearfull terrors, and intolle∣rable paine. Thairfoir, quhen this kinde of peace proceidis from knawledge, that is, quhen man hes asuir warrand of the word of God for that quhilk he dois, then is it gude, and the Conscience vpricht: But quhair it lacketh that warrand of Gods worde, it is dangerous, & not to be lipnit in: For as I haif said, the wickit mans Con∣science will flatter him, and beare him false witnesse, quhairby he wil haif peace and rest for a time. The vther kinde of peace is, quhen after greate trouble of

the spreit and Conscience, through the sicht of mans sinne▪ and of the wrath of God aganis sinne; man obtainis inward peace and rest of his Conscience, by ap∣prehending mercy throgh Iesus Christ, and by the assurance quhilk the spreit of God giues to the spreit of man, that his sinnes ar forgiuen him. This is the true peace of Conscience, and is onely proper to the chosen children of God.

Mairouer, the gude Conscience will remord and bite: that is to say, it will oft∣times call to remembrance the sinnes, quhilk man hes committit, and will ac∣cuse, and prick him with an inward pain thairfoir: This remorse and byting, is al∣so a quality that is common, baith to the gude and euill Conscience: Bot the diffe∣rence betwixt the remorse of the godly and of the wickit, is notable and greate: For that remorse quhilk the godly hath, bringis a godly dolour with it for the sin committit, makes man to seik the reme∣die of the inward prick and paine quhilk he hes, even to humble himself befoir his

God by earnest repentance, and fervent praier, quhairby hee findes releefe and comfort: But the wickit man, albeit hee haue the remorse and paine of his Con∣science: Neverthelesse, hee is not mouit with ony godly sorrowe, neither seiks he the remedie for the paine, nor ressauis ony releif or comfort from aboue. Heir∣fore I mon say, that the remorse and by∣ting, is the qualitie of a gude Conscience: I say not, that the deede is gude, quhilk makis man to haue remorse of Consci∣ence, for that is sinne: But I say, that to haue remorse of Conscience for the sinne, it is gude, and is proper to the children of God: For, without remorse thair can be no repentance: And seeing that the fragilitie of mans nature is so great, that he can not abstaine from sinne so long as he is in this life, ʒe the maist just & vp∣richt man fallis oftymes euery day; and the estait of a true Christians life, is but a continual falling and arrysing: It is maist necessary that the Conscience of man be exercisit with a frequent remorse: For as

I haue saide, without it, repentance can not be, & it makes man to seik the reme∣die, and to finde releif and heauenly con∣solatioun.

Finally, the gude Conscience will be sometime wounded, and troubled: and whereby? euen by the commemoration and consideration of the sinnes quhilke man hes committed: Ʒe not onely the conscience, but also the spreit and saull, and all the functions thairof, and the hail estait of the richteous man, by the sicht of sinn will be sair vexit and troublit. But meikill mair the spreit and saull of the wickit man, through the sicht of sin will be tormentit, considdering that the same turnis in the end, to his vtter confusion: Quhairas the trouble of the richteous saull salbe turned into glaidnes, and re∣dound to aeternall saluation: But of this trouble of the spreit and Conscience, wee sall heirefter intreat mair at large.