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THE

RULE OF CONSCIENCE.

BOOK I.-Continued.

OF CONSCIENCE, THE KINDS OF IT, AND THE GENERAL RULES OF CONDUCTING THEM.

CHAPTER III.

OF THE CONFIDENT, OR ERRONEOUS CONSCIENCE.

RULE I.

An erroneous Conscience commands us to do what we ought to omit; or to omit what we ought to do, or to do it otherwise than we should.

In this, there is no other difficulty but in the last clause. For when our blessed Lord had propounded an instance of perfection, he that not only obeys the counsel, but thinks it to be a commandment, and necessary to be done in all times and persons, enters into an error at the gate of zeal, and at the same place lets out the excellence of his love. Christ hath recommended renunciation of the world, spiritual castration for the kingdom of God, dying for our enemies, &c. He that in zeal, with charity and prudence, follows these advices, will find his reward swell high; but he whose zealous desire to grow towards perfection, shall so determine his practice, as that, by degrees, he shall think these counsels individually necessary, hath abused his conscience, laid a snare for others, put fetters upon Christian liberty, and is passed into that state of doing it, that though he entered

VOL. XII.

B

first by love, he is gone beyond it, and changed it into fear, and scruple, and superstition: he is at last got so far that he would not do it at all, if he durst do otherwise; and he dares not, because his love was zealous, and his zeal was imprudent, and his imprudence was a furious snare, and the passion of a mighty folly.

But an erroneous conscience is generally abused by two manners of proceeding. 1. By a true application of a false proposition, thus:

Whatsoever is done against my conscience is a sin :

But to allow of magistrates is against my conscience: Therefore, it is certainly a sin that they be allowed. The first proposition is not true, unless it be understood of him only, against whose conscience it is done, and then it is always true, either absolutely, or relatively, originally, or accidentally. But if it be intended to conclude, that because it is against my conscience to allow them, therefore it is simply unlawful, or unlawful to every one else, this is a paralogism, and makes an erring conscience. Or, secondly, the conscience is abused, and made erroneous by a false application of a true proposition.

Whatsoever is forbidden by God is a sin:
But every oath is forbidden by God:

Therefore, every oath is a sin.

a

Every thing here is true but the conclusion. The second proposition is true, but not universally. For St. James saying, "Swear not at all," forbids all kinds of oaths materially: that is, in that sense in which any is forbidden, in the same all are forbidden. Without just authority and occasion, it is not lawful to swear by God; therefore, without such authority, neither is it lawful to swear by a creature. So that his words mean thus; except in such a case, not at all,”—that is, not with any kind of oath; for unless that case occurs to warrant it, this or that oath is criminal as well as any that is, it is no excuse in common talk to say, 'it was but a slight oath ;' for you must not swear at all.

:

The Causes of Error are,

66 swear

1. Ignorance, either of right or fact. For no other division

a James, v.

of ignorance can concern the relation of an erring conscience. For, although a man is otherwise concerned in ignorance, if it be vincible, otherwise if it be invincible, yet his will is concerned in that directly, and his conscience but collaterally and indirectly.

2. Fear, whether it be pusillanimous or superstitious, that is, whether it begin upon religion, or upon natural imbecility, they alike abuse the conscience. Ignorance makes it erroneous, but takes not away its confidence, but oftentimes increases it fear makes it erroneous too; and though it begins in doubting, it ends in a silly choice, which grows to as much confidence as it can, so much as to establish the

error.

3. To this usually is reduced a morose humility and abjection of mind, which, because it looks pitifully and simply, some men in charity think it laudable: so Antcnius particularly; and it is the same that St. Gregory recommends, "Bonarum quippe mentium est, ibi etiam aliquo modo culpas suas agnoscere, ubi culpa non est; -It is the sign of a good mind to accuse themselves of a fault when there is none." Which, if it relates to the present affairs, is dangerous and illusive. For if the question be in a case of conscience, and the conscience be determined upon its proper grounds innocently and right, there to acknowledge a fault in the conscience or determination, is to make the rule itself crooked, to introduce eternal scruples and irresolution, to disturb our own peace, and a device to snatch at a reward by thrusting it from us, and to think to please God by telling of a lie. But if the saying relates to all the whole action in all its conjugation of circumstances and appendages, then it may consist with humility and prudence both, to suspect a fault where there is none; to fear lest we have erred by excess of degrees in passion, or by remissness and slackness of action, or by obliquity of inten tion, or intertexture of some undecency, or weariness, or sensuality, or complacency, and fantastic deliciousness, or something secret, and we know not what: but even in this case, we may best follow St. Paul's expedient and manner of expression, "Nihil mihi conscius sum,-I am guilty of

b Part. 1. decret. dist. 6. c. 4.

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