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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69129	Conscience with the power and cases thereof Devided into V. bookes. Written by the godly and learned, William Ames, Doctor, and Professor of Divinity, in the famous University of Franeker in Friesland. Translated out of Latine into English, for more publique benefit.; De conscientia. Et ejus jure, vel casibus. English.	Ames, William, 1576-1633.	1639 (1639)	STC 552; ESTC S114737	107,148	176

scruples Conscience it selfe is made more strong and setled CHAP. VII Of the attention of Conscience to its Facts HItherto we have spoken of that Synteresis or Proposition whence Conscience telleth what is Law Now followes the second part of the judgement whereby a mans conscience beares witnesse of his fact according to that Law By reason of this act Conscience is named a witnesse and in the common Proverbe a thousand witnesses It is likewise called a Booke Revel 20. 12. because it is left written in mans minde at it were in a register what he hath done and with what intent and at length is read and spoken of by Conscience The Assumption of that practicall Syllogisme wherein Conscience consists is nothing else but the recognizing or considering of our action or estate as it hath respect to that Law which Conscience giveth For the better understanding of the nature hereof some things must bee made cleare concerning the action which is recognized and some things concerning the recognizing itselfe The action is either agreeable to that which Conscience teacheth or is contrary to it The dictate of Conscience whereunto an action is to be conformed doth sometime goe before and accompany the action and sometimes follow it Against the dictate of Conscience that goeth before or accompanieth the action we haue an example in those of whom the Apostle speakes Rom. 1. 32. Who knowing the Iudgement of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death not onely doe the same but haue pleasure in them that doe them Wee haue an example of an action committed against the judgement of Conscience following the fact in those Iewes which put Christ to death through ignorance Acts 3. 17. 1 Cor. 2. 8. yet being afterwards better taught they judged far otherwaies of their fact then when they did commit it Acts 3. 37. Quest. From hence ariseth a hard question how a man can do any thing against the dictate of Conscience which goeth before or accompanieth his action the Question ariseth thus The Will as it seemes to many cannot will or nill any thing unlesse Reason haue first iudged it to bee willed or nilled neither can it choose but follow the last practicall judgement and doe that which Reason doth dictate to be done and by consequent the Will cannot moue against the determination of Conscience Answ. For the unfolding of this matter these conclusions are to be laid downe It is so cleare that no man can question it 1. That many both may doe and doe against Conscience as it is an habite or Summary of Principles and in so doing they doe in some sense goe against Conscience 2. Against Conscience as it is an act all those doe who do any thing against that Iudgement which they had actually and yet haue virtually or in the principle though actually they judge not as they haue done formerly 3. The Will cannot will desire choose or follow after any thing without a speculatiue apprehension of it because the object of the will is knowne Good No man was ever knowne to desire what hee no waies knew 4. A bare and simple apprehension of the object without any practicall judgement that forthwith it must be prosequuted or avoided may be sufficient to draw forth the Act of the Will This appeareth sufficiently in Mad men Infants and in every undeliberate motion of the Will The reason of this is because a Good apprehended or knowne hath all those Conditions which are required to the Object of the Will The Will is as able about its Object as the sensitiue appetite is about its But Sense is stirred up at the apprehension of its object as the Eye at sight of Colours the Eare at Sounds c. 5 The Will can at pleasure suspend its act about that which is apprehended and judged to be good without any foregoing act of judgement that it should doe so for if to suspend an act and to leaue of acting an act of judgement bee necessarily required then to suspend that judgement another judgement is requisite and to suspend that another and so in infinitum 6 The Will can turn away the understanding frō the consideration of any object which at present it apprehendeth and judgeth to be good to the consideration that it hath formerly apprehended and judged to be so By reason of this commanding power the Will is the first cause of unadvisednesse and blame-worthy error in the Vnderstanding When the Will doth first begin to draw away the understanding from that which it hath judged to be good it doth it by its owne inclination without any judgement that it should doe so otherwise these two judgements should bee together namely this ought to be followed and this ought not which were absurd 7 The Will can moue it selfe towards an object that is apprehended and iudged good for profit or pleasure in some respect though reason iudge that it is not lawfull but sinfull The reason is 1. Because whatsoever good the understanding propoundeth to the will in this life it propoundeth it with a kind of indifferency of Iudgement as not having any necessary connexion with the universall good Vpon which the will is naturally set and determined Hence it is that freedome or liberty in an action is said to bee radically in the iudgement and reason 2 Though the will bee determined by the understanding in regard of the specification or kinde of thing to be willed because it willeth nothing but that which the understanding hath first apprehended yet in regard of excercise or act of willing it mooveth both it selfe and the understanding with the rest of the faculties And hence it is that liberty is in the will formally which should not be true if it were necessarily determined by the understanding 3 If the iudgement being right the will could not but will aright then before the first sinne of Angels and men which was in the Will there must necessarily bee an error in the Vnderstanding and if so then the punishment of sinne should be before the first sinne for all Practicall error in the Vnderstanding is either sinne or the punishment of it 4. If the Will doe necessarily follow the judgement of the understanding then there should in proper speaking be no sinne of malice distinct from those sinnes which are committed through ignorance or passion But it is manifest that this kind of sinne is found in Devils likewise in some men 5. If the Will doe necessarily follow the Vnderstanding then in Regeneration the will it selfe neede not bee internally renewed grace for the inlightening of the Vnderstanding would be sufficient But this is repugnant to Faith and godlinesse 8 Though the Will doth not alwaies follow the Iudgement yet doth it ever follow that command whereto it is subject and that agreeth oftentimes with Iudgement But this command though as touching the direction it doth belong to the understanding yet as touching the power and efficacy it belongeth

best unfolded then can easily be vnderstood by one that liues privately in an Academicall profession And indeede if such things were handled in the meetings of Preachers according to the variety of Cases that fall out and the more remarkeable decisions set downe in writing the children of Israel should not neede to goe downe to the Philistims that is our Sutdents to Popish Authors to sharpen every man his Share his Mattocke or his Axe or his weeding Hooke as it fell out in the extreame necessity of Gods people 1 Sam. 13. 20. Furthermore if such as are addicted to the Ministry were first instructed in these things and were seriously tried in them at the Examination before they were ordained one might well hope to haue as well Preachers as Churches more according to Gods heart and Christs then now we haue The Papists haue laboured much this way to instruct their Confessors and in a great deale of earth and dirt of Superstitions they haue some veines of Silver out of which I suppose I haue drawne some things that are not to be despised But they are without the life of this Doctrine and death is in their pot The thing it selfe requires that by others other things bee taught and the same things after another manner I haue gone about to performe this in part and others I make no question will indeavour it I follow here the same methode that I did in my Marrow of Divinity Of the second part whereof the three last of these Bookes are a full Exposition which perhaps those did expect that desired importunatly as it were by dayly reproaches that the publishing of this Treatise might bee hastened But to make an end at length of my Preface I will conclude many things in few words and that in the words of G. Parisiensis Concerning these things many things we haue not written for unskilfulnes many for other necessary businesse many for dulnesse many through feare of being tedious many more because of our sinnes which most of all hinder both us and others in such things We doubt not but we are subject to the danger of slanderous Backbiters But by doing what we may we have given some fit occasion unto wise men and we haue set foorth not a dry sandy ground of fruitlesse Disputations but a most profitable and healthfull place for Wits to exercise themselues in W. AMES OF CONSCIENCE AND THE CASES THEREOF The First Booke CHAP. I. The definition of Conscience THe Conscience of man for I doe not intend to treat of the Conscience of Angels Is a mans judgement of himselfe according to the judgement of God of him Esai 5. 3. Iudge I pray you betweene me and my vineyard 1 Cor. 11. 31. If we would judge our selues wee should not be judged c. 1 I call Conscience Iudgement First to shew that it belongs to the Understanding not to the Will The very name of Conscience sheweth it to bee so But this proveth it because all those actions which in the Scriptures are attributed to mans Conscience doe properly belong to the reasonable power or faculty though the Will by some act or inclination can both command the Vnderstanding to judge and also follow that judgement This inclination by some is called Conscience by others a part of Conscience but not rightly 2 Conscience being referred to judgement it is distinguished from the bare apprehension of truth For Conscience doth alwaies suppose an assent that is firme and setled 3 By the definition of Conscience it appeareth that Conscience is not a contemplatiue judgement whereby truth is simply discerned from falsehood but a practicall judgement by which that which a man knoweth is particularly applyed to that which is either good or evill to him to the end that it may be a rule within him to direct his will Seeing that this name of judgement is sometimes taken for a power and faculty sometimes for an habit sometimes for an act this question ariseth to which of all these Conscience is properly 4 The most graue Divine William Perkins who onely of our Countreymen hath set foorth a peculiar Treatise of Conscience doth place it among Faculties and he doth so define it as he putteth for the generall nature of it a part of the Understanding that is to say as he explaines himselfe A naturall power or facultie He giues this reason of his opinion namely because the act of Accusing Comforting Terrifying c. cannot bee ascribed to the Conscience if it selfe were an act Put this reason is weake because in the Scriptures such kindes of effects are attributed to the thoughts themselues which undoubtedly are acts Rom. 2. 15. Their thoughts Accusing one another or Excusing The reason is because things done are the effects not onely of the Mover but also of the motiō it selfe Besides Master Perkins maketh Conscience Vnderstanding Opinion Knowledge Faith and Prudence to be of one kind or sort but none would define these so as that they should be taken for distinct faculties of the soule 5 Some of the Schoolemen will have Conscience to be an habit as Scotus Bonaventure Durand Which though it might be granted of some part or of the principles of Conscience yet it cannot be granted simply of all that which is signified by the name of Conscience for the onely office of an Habite as it is an Habit is Inclinare ad prompte agendum to make one doe a thing readily but Conscience hath other operations which belong properly to it as to Accuse Comfort c. 6 By Iudgement therefore in the definition of Conscience I understand most properly with the best Schoolemen an act of practicall judgement proceeding from the Vnderstanding by the power or meanes of a habit 7 The acts of judgement are either a simple apprehension or a discourse Whence it may be asked to which of these belongs Conscience It belongs to judgement discoursing because it cannot doe its act of Accusing Excusing Comforting unlesse it be through the meanes of some third argument whose force appeareth onely in a Syllogisme by that which is deduced and concluded out of it 8 The force and nature of Conscience therfore is contained in such a Syllogisme He that liues in sinne shall dye I liue in sinne Therefore I shall dye Or thus Whosoever beleeues in Christ shall not dye but liue I beleeue in Christ Therefore I shall not dye but liue 9 Conscience in regard of the Proposition is called a Light and a Law in regard of the Assumption and conclusion a Witnesse but in regard of the assumption it is most fitly termed an Index or a Booke and in regard of the conclusion most properly a Iudge 10 That which doth dictate or giue the proposition is called Synteresis by the Schoolemen Synderesis The assumption especially and peculiarly is called Syneidësis the conclusion is the Krisis or Iudgement 11 There be many other Syllogismes which belong to Conscience as either they doe

glorious A SVMMARY COLLECTION OF THE FORmer Treatise according as it was set foorth in a publike Disputation to encourage and stirre up to the study of Practicall Divinity DIVINE POSITIONS concerning Conscience 1 KNowledge puffeth up Loue edifieth But greatest conscience ought to be made of edifying the Conscience 1 Cor. 8. 1. 10. 2 Conscience is a mans judgement of himselfe according to Gods judgement of him Isai. 5. 3. 3 There is a certaine inclination of the will whereby it can naturally both stirre up the understanding to this kinde of judgement and also follow it This inclination by some is named Conscience by others a part of Conscience but not truely For neither the name of Conscience nor the acts thereof which are mentioned in the Scriptures import any other power or faculty then the understanding Rom. 2. 15. 4 Yet every of understanding is not Conscience but onely those which make up such a Practicall judgement as was before handled in the second Position 5 By Iudgement is most properly meant the act of judging and not the habit or faculty onely Rom. 2. 15. 6 The whole nature of Conscience is contained in no other judgement but what is Dianoëticall or Discursiue because Accusing Excusing Comforting and such like acts of Conscience cannot be but by some middle or third argument whose strength appeares in a Syllogisme onely by the consequence Rom. 6. 11. The word translated Reckon your selfe signifies Reason out 7 The Major of that Syllogisme wherein the whole judgement of Conscience is layd open treateth alwaies of the Law the Minor of the fact and state and the Conclusion of the relation that ariseth from our fact or state by reason of that Law which is either guilt or spirituall Ioy. For example He that liveth in sinne shall dye I liue in sinne Therefore I shall dye Or thus Whosoever beleeveth in Christ shall not dye But I beleeue in Christ Therefore I shall not dye but liue Rom. 8. 13. 33. 34. 1 Ioh. 3. 19. 20. 8 Conscience in regard of the Major is called a Law in regard of the Minor and Conclusion a Witnesse but in regard of the Minor most properly an Iudex or Booke and in regard of the Conclusion most properly a Iudge Rom. 2. 14. 15. Reu. 20. 12. 1 Ioh. 5. 10. 9 The Major is given by the Synteresis which the Schoolemen call Synderesis the Minor is peculiarly called Syneidesis or Conscience the Conclusion is the Krisis it selfe or Iudgement 10 Synteresis is properly an intellectual habit whereby we giue our consent to the principles of morall actions It differeth not therefore from the Law of nature which is naturally written in the hearts of all men but in respect onely 11 Though therefore Conscience may be hindred from working for a while yet can it not bee fully extinguished or lost No man is so desperatly wicked as to bee without a Conscience altogether No not the Libertines who place their deadly perfection in putting out the Conscience of sinne 12 To this part of Conscience Synteresis being largely taken belong all Practicall truthes whereof wee are perswaded whether they be drawn out of naturall principles by consequence or communicated by Divine revelation 13 Hence ariseth the distinction of a naturall and an inlightened Conscience The Scripture sometimes doth appeale to this as Rom. 6. 3. sometimes to that as 1 Cor. 6. 9. and 11. 14. 14 Hence the adaequate or full rule of Conscience is the revealed will of God which both declares and prescribes mans duty 15 Conscience therefore is properly subject to Gods will and authority alone Iam. 4. 12. Neither can it be subject to any creature without Idolatry 16 Hence also it is that though men be bound in Conscience before God to obey and keep the iust Lawes of men after a just manner Rom. 13. 5. Yet those Lawes of men as they are mens Lawes doe not bind the Conscience 17 Conscience so bindeth man in al those things which it judgeth are his duty by the will of God that he cannot be free from it by the authority of any creature Act. 4. 19. In this respect it is that he that knoweth Gods will is said to be debtor Rom. 1. 14. a servant Rō 6. 16. bound Act. 20. 22. constrained 2 Cor. 5. 14. to haue necessity laid upon him 1 cor 9. 16. so that he cannot do otherwaies Act. 3. 20 18 The power of Conscience is so great that it maketh an action which in its owne nature is indifferent to be either good or bad and that which in its owne nature is good to be evill although it cannot make that become good which is evill in its owne nature 19 Yet no action is better or worse for that Conscience that one hath after he hath done it 20 An erroneous Conscience bindeth alwaies so far that he that doth against the judgement thereof sinneth For formally and by interpretation hee doth it against Gods will 21 If the error of Conscience about the action that is the object or matter about which the action is bee not sinnefull the Conscience erring binds as much as if it did not erre 22 Conscience through errour judging that to be lawfull or necessary which is unlawfull doth so farre binde as that a man sinnes who doth contrary to it and sinnes also if he doe according to the direction of it 23 Yet this necessity of sinning wherein some are intangled is not contrary to the equity of Gods Law 1. Because the sinne is not the same on both handes on the one hand a mans sinnes in doing what is unlawfull and on the other in doing it unlawfully viz. without or against Conscience 2. Because it is not an absolute necessity but upon supposition onely viz. if they keepe still such a Conscience which they ought to lay downe Ephes. 4. 22. 3. Because it doth not flow from the nature of the Law of God but both is contracted and continued by mans sinne For no man is thus intangled but by his owne fault 24 Conscience judging that to be unlawfull which is lawfull bindeth to refraine from that lawfull thing Rom. 14. 14. 15. He likewise that judgeth that to be necessary which is but lawfull is bound to the doing of it because a man may abstaine from lawfull things and may also constantly practise them without sinning 25 Nothing may bee done whereof the Conscience doubts Rom. 14. 23. 26 In doubtfull cases the surest part is to bee chosen now that is the surest part in doing which its sure there is no sinne 27 It is lawfull and the best sometimes to doe against some scruple of Conscience 28 The reviewing of our actions or estate as it respects the Law which Conscience dictates maketh up the minor of that practicall Syllogisme which the Conscience maketh It is called in Scripture a beholding of the mind Psal. 119. 15. Vnderstanding Psal. 50. 22. A casting up ones waies Psal. 119. 59. A laying of the heart Hag. 1.