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AMaT/e
of
Go
.njcience.
the molt powerful
means
under
God
to
quicken
a
man
up
to
re-
pentance
and obedience
;
and
therefore they
are
in
a
miferable'
cafe
that
want
this
great
help.
But
what
are the
caufes
why
mens confciences be fo
evil
and
unfaithful
?
The
caules
hereof
are
chiefly
thefe four
:
r.
Ignorance
is
one
caufe
why
a
mans
confcience
is
unfaith-
ful, when
we
do-
not
labour
to
have
confcience
throúghly
it
lightned
and
informed.
Who
are
more
carelefle and
negligent
of
their
duties
both
to God
and man
?
who
can
with more
freedome
lye,
[teal,
covet,
Grille,
&c,
then thofe
that
are
igno-
rant
of
the Law
of
God
?
they know
not that
they
do
fo
much
hurt
to
their own
fouls
as
they
do.
An
ignorant
mind hath
al-
wayes
an evill
confcience.
It
is
impoffible confcience
fhould
be
faithful where
it
is
not
illightned
:
and
hence it
cometh
to
paffe
that
confcience
is
fo
negligent
and
unfaithful,
becaufe
we
have been
fo
careleffe
of
informing
it.
Thy
confcience
muff
needs
be
talent
as
long
as
thou
art
ignorant. Ignorance
is
fo
on
put
to
filence.
A
fecond
caufe
is,
often
(lighting
of
confcience.
It
may
be
confcience
fpeaketh
not or
but coldly and remiffely,
becaufe
when it hath advifed, and counfelled, and
admonifhed
,
thou
haft negle
&ed
it and
dif
regarded
it
from
time
to
time. Though
it
judge
and counfel,
yet thou wilt
not
liften
:
Like
CafJ"andra
the prophetteffe,whough her predictions were true
and
certain,
yet
were they never believed
:
fo
though
con
fcience
fpeaketh
true, yet
men
follow it
not
;
and
therefore it becometh
filent
when
iris
not regarded,
but
all its
counfel, and
advife,
and
per
-
fwafions
flighted and neglected.
Hence,I
iay,it
cometh
to
paffe
that
for want
of
imployment it
is
(.till
and
falleth
afleep,
till
the
time come
that
it
mull
be
awaked.
3. The
third
caufe
is
that
violence
that
is
often
offered
unto
it.
Many
times when
confcience
perfwadeth
to
any
good
duty,
or
diffwadeth from
any evil
courfè, men
will
do
ag;4lnft
it and
.
withfland
it
violently,
and
put
off
the
wholeforne
advice
of
it:
hence
it cometh
to
paffe,
that
confcience
having
fo
many
inju-
ries
15.