'.il7 A Trearife of Confcience. CHAP· I. What Conf:imce if. • . Onfcience is~ part of ~A ken man,and not·otljerwife. the vnderfranding in all r adde,thatthe properfubieClsofconfcience reafonable creatures , are rtafonable creatures,that is, men and An.. determining of their gels.Hcrcbyconfcien<e is exduded, lirfrofall particular actions. ei· from bruit bealls: for though they haue life & thcr with them or afenfe, and in many things fome fhadowes of gainfr them. reafon,yerbecaufe they wa10t true reafon,they 1fay Confciencc isa want confcicncealfo.Secondly, from c:lod the part of~hevnderfranding,and I fhe~i: thus: creator,who beeing righteoufr1esit fdfe, neeGodin framing ofthe foule, placed m tr two deth norcanfcience, to order andgoucrne his principalfaculties,VnderftandingandWiN. Vnactions.And whereas Peter faith, t.Pet.z. 19. der!hnding is that facultie inthe foulo,wher· that men mufr endure griefe. wrongfully for by wevfereafon: and it is the more principal! conftience of Gad; his meaning is not to !hew part fcruing to rule and orderthe whole man: that God hath confcicnce,but that men are to and therefore it is placed in the foole to beas B fuffer many wrongs, becaufe their conftience the waggoner io the waggon.The will is aoobinderh them, in fo-doing toobeyGods will, rher faculde whereby wedoe will or nill any whichconfciencedirectly refpecti:th. thing, that is,choofe·or tefufe ir. With the And I fay that confcience 'is inaa reafon•hf• wil is ioyned fundry affctlions,as ioy~farrow, ~relftNrcs, that none might imagine thacfomc. loue,hattcd,&c. whereby wee imbrace or efmen by nature haue confcienco in them, fome chew that which is good or euill• .Now,cortnono at all. For as many men as there are, fer fcienccis notplaced in the affoctionsnor will, many confciences there be:andeuery parricubutin thevnder!l:anding: becaufetbe aC\~ons lar man l)ath his.owne partic~lar confcience. tbereoffrand in the vfe ofreafon. Vnderfran· The proper end ofconfcience is, todeter. ding againe bath two parts. The lirll is that mine of things done. And by this confciencc which £lands in the view and contemplation is ditlinguifhed· from all other gifts of the oftruth and[Jfh..,/,and goes no further. The minde,as intelligence, opinion,[<ienct,faith,pru- [econdis that which frands in the view anol denct, lntelli!en<e,fitnplyconceiuesa thing to conGderation ofeucry parricular aaion, to be or not to be:opinio", iudgeth a thing to bee · fearchwhetherit begoodorbadde. The firU is probable or contingent: ftiene<, iudgethw. called the Theoric•N, the fecond theprallt&a/1 C be certenand furef•ith,isa perfwafion,wher• vntkrft.mdivg. And vnder the latter is confciby we beleeue things that are not: prndence ence to bee comprehended: becaufe his prodifcemeth.what is meere to be done, whatt~· pretie is toiudge ofthegoodne{fe or badneife beleftvndone, but confciencegoes further yet of things or a6lions done. then all rhefe: for it determines er giues fs:n- ' VndrrAg•inc, I fay that Confcience is a 'part of tence ofthings done, byfaying vnto vs, This fiandmg th~tmn~eorvnderClandmg, to lbe~tharcon~ was done, this was not d01:je, this may bee, harhno fclencetsnotabarcknowledgeormdgemem done, tl;is may not be done·; this was well pmspm- ofthe vndcr!l:auding (as(b) men commonly done,this was illdone. perly,but write)but anaturall power,faculty,orcreated The things that confcience determiaes c.)f,· ~:;::~~: qualitie, from whence knowl~dge and_iudgeare amans owoe actions: his 'owne ac.'lions; lpel!of mentproccedeaseffe.fts. Th!StheScnpwrcs I fay. To be certen what another manhatn .~. diuors conlirme, lllthanhey afcnbefundneworkes (aid or done, it is commonly called knowob;eas. & a.ftionstoconfcience,as accufing, excufing, ledge: butfor amanto beceaen whathe himand .a,. comforting, terrifying: which aCtions could felfe hath done or faid, that is confcience. · bnTho notthence proccede, if confcience were no D Again,confcience meddles not with gC'nerals,. Aquin~P• more but an atl:ion or all:e ofrhe minde. Inondyit deales in particular ad-ions, and that t.q.79· deede I grant, it may be taken for a kindeof notin fomefew,butinall. ~'·l!, a&uall knowledge in themindeofman: but Themannerofconfciences determination . •;;,'';;;•• to fpeake properly~ this knowledge mnll prois to fet downe his iudgemeot either with rh: or:son cecde ofa power mthe foule, the propenie creature, or againit it : I adde this cJaufc,betbisplace whereofis torakerh~principles and conclufi~ caufc: confcience is ofadiuine narure,and is a· Antou;. ons ofthe minde andapply them , and by apI thing--placed ofGod in the middefr betweene nus.&c. plyingeirherto'accufe or excufe. Thisisrhe htmandman, as anarburatourro giuefen. gr~undofall, and rhi~ I take robe confcience. tencc, .and ro pronounce either with man or Ifttbe obiected tlut conldence cannot be a )againO: man vmo God. For otherwhiles it natorallpower, becank it m•y be loft: I anconf~nrs and Cp:akes with God againfr ;he wer,tfconfcience be lofl::,it is onely in refpect manmwhom 1t ts placed: orherwhiles aoaine ofthe vfe thereof,as reafon 1s loO: in the drun· it conlenrs with hitil, andt;oeakesf~r hi;, be- • --------X x i fore
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