(_a_) _Before an action_ takes place, Conscience throws light on the
action contemplated or proposed, tells us its moral value, and if the
Conscience judges that it is _good_, then it counsels and permits
the act. If, however, the Conscience judges that it is bad, then it
dissuades from, and forbids the act.
(_b_) _During an action_ Conscience is active, and in spite of all the
clouds of prejudice and of passion that may have risen up, it bears
testimony to the true nature of our conduct, it either encourages
us to carry it through, not to be supine about it, not to abandon it
before it is completed, and so leave it imperfectly accomplished, but
to carry it through to the end, thoroughly and completely. Or else,
Conscience does not cease from turning us aside from the prosecution of
the act which it disapproves; it acts as a drag, a check, and unless
resisted will completely arrest us in the prosecution of that which it
esteems to be bad.
(_c_) _After an action_, Conscience recompenses us by the satisfaction
we feel, the approval it accords to us for having either accomplished
what it advised, or for having abandoned that conduct which it
disapproved. So S. Paul speaks of people being "a law unto themselves,"
shewing "the work of the law written in their hearts, their Conscience
bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing, or else
excusing, one another." (Rom. ii. 14, 15.) This is the "testimony of
the Conscience," "the answer of the good Conscience" to which both S.
Paul and S. Peter appeal.
3. We have seen that Conscience instructs, judges, and rewards or
punishes; but we must consider further, that Conscience does not
control the will of man, it merely dictates to the will what is right,
and warns it as to what is wrong. It uses no constraint. Man's will
is free; Conscience clears the eyes of the mind, and shews it what
conduces to welfare, and what to destruction, but it neither impels man
irresistibly into the former course, nor holds him back forcibly from
taking the other. It shows man what is medicine and what is poison, but
it does not compel him to take one and reject the other, for the will
of man is absolutely _free_.
First Friday in Lent.
_THE NATURE OF CONSCIENCE._
(CONTINUED.)
1. Conscience, in the order of religious life, is that which the Court
of Justice is in the order of public life, a court that has been
instituted by the legislature to keep discipline and well-being in the
State, to protect the individual in his person, his property, and his
repute.
Thus Conscience takes the general laws of God and explains them in
their bearings on our own conduct, and applies them to our several
cases. Also, Conscience sees to the execution of the law--that it shall
be obeyed as well as acknowledged. Also, Conscience punishes every
infraction of the law.
In other words, Conscience is the _interpreter_ of the law of God,
it is the _judge_ sitting in judgment on us for our observance or
non-observance of the law, and it is the _executioner_ carrying out the
sentence against us. As interpreter, Conscience enlightens us as to the
requirements of God, explains to us what is obscure, and smooths the
way so that our wills, enlightened and ready to act without impediment,
may take a direction one way or other.
An act does not become _just_ or _sinful_ till the will has consented
to the advice of the Conscience as interpreter, or has turned against
it and deliberately gone contrary to what it has laid down. Every
wilful sin is therefore a determinate revolt against God.
2. But Conscience is more than interpreter, judge and executioner; it
is also our _accuser_ and the _witness_ against us.
As accuser, it pursues the guilty everywhere, into the innermost
recesses of the thoughts.
It sees clearly, it knows all the circumstances, it declares with
unhesitating voice both what is the nature of the sin, and what is the
condition of the sinner. Thus to the office of accuser it unites that
of _witness_, presenting itself ever before the accused, with unshaken
testimony. It has seen all; it has seen all as it is; and it has
forgotten none of the circumstances.
As _judge_, it is enlightened with Divine illumination that pierces
through all the mists of prejudice and clouds of passion, and nothing
escapes from its vigilance.
As judge it is also severe, not easy and indifferent, for it has not
its own law or humour to obey, but the divine law, which it interprets
and administers.
It is just, for it stands in that position that it is between God, the
Lawgiver, on one side, and man, who breaks that law, on the other. If
it be inclined to over-leniency, if it be unjust, then Conscience is
itself corrupted. But we are not now speaking of Conscience degraded,
cajoled, bribed, and dishonest, but of the true Conscience as divinely
illumined and divinely directed to judge aright. And as just and
enlightened Conscience passes its judgment, and then takes up the
office of executioner. "If," says S. Paul, "we would judge ourselves
we should not be judged." That is to say, if we suffer our Consciences
to perform their proper function here in the time of life, to pass
sentence upon us justly, and execute the sentences passed, then there
would be no second judgment for us at the last. That judgment is needed
only because so many people refuse to permit Conscience to perform its
divinely-ordained work here in this life.
Then consider Conscience as the _executioner_. It punishes man here, to
work out his amendment. But if Conscience be not suffered to perform
its divinely allotted task here, then it will do it in eternity when
the time for amendment is over. That is the worm that dies not, that
the fire that is never extinguished. Conscience is given to us as
our executioner here in order to _improve_ us, not to torture us
unprofitably. It punishes us to work in us _repentance_. These are the
two operations of Conscience as executioner.
[Illustration]
First Saturday in Lent.
_THE OBLIGATIONS OF CONSCIENCE._
1. As Conscience is a gift of God we are responsible to Him for the use
we make of it. Conscience is the moral faculty; as the eyes are organs
of the faculty of sight, the ears of the faculty of hearing, so has
Conscience the faculty of seeing and knowing and distinguishing right
from wrong. As God has given us sight and hearing we exercise these
faculties, and, what is more, cultivate them. So, as God has given us
the moral faculty, we exercise it, and cultivate it, if we desire to
fulfil the ends for which God has created us. God gives us eyes to see
our way, and not strike against walls, and fall into pits. So God has
given us Conscience to see our moral way, and not run into temptations,
and to avoid moral dangers.
2. As Conscience is that interior judgment which God has planted in us
to dictate to us what to do, and what to avoid, on special occasions,
then, to disobey the voice of Conscience is to disobey the Voice of
God. Not only so, but, as Conscience points out to us that a certain
course is one to which duty calls us, and we refuse to follow the
indication of Conscience, this is a revolt of the will against God,
and when the will, knowing what is right, deliberately chooses what is
wrong, it commits mortal sin. It was so with Adam and Eve. They knew
the Commandment of God, and wilfully went against His Commandment,
consequently they had turned away from their proper end, and turned
themselves into the camp of rebels against God.
3. When S. Paul says, "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin," he is
speaking of the eating of meats offered to idols; and he shows how
that Conscience is the rule as to whether a thing is sinful or not.
Idols are naught, so that the things offered to idols are not actually
polluted by the oblation; nevertheless, if the Conscience refuses to
admit this, and argues that, as a meat has been offered to an idol, the
partaking of it is participation in idolatry, then to eat of the meat
that has been offered brings guilt on the soul. "He that doubteth is
damned if he eat." (Rom. xiv. 23.)
4. From this we may draw a practical conclusion that it is always
well to follow Conscience, even when Conscience, ill-instructed, may
be in error; that if Conscience disapprove of a course of conduct,
and yet may not understand clearly on what grounds it utters its
disapprobation, it is safest, indeed it is right, to obey Conscience,
and not take advantage of its hesitation.
That a Conscience may be ill-taught, and therefore in error, that
a Conscience may be perverted, we shall see presently; but what
appears to be abundantly clear is that it is advisable always to obey
Conscience in all things; but then we must be careful to have the
Conscience well-instructed, clearly illuminated, so that it may not be
hesitating, confused, and liable to direct us wrongly.
5. When Conscience hesitates, and is doubtful between two courses, it
is right to seek advice from such as are experienced in the direction
of Conscience.
Moreover, the Holy Spirit must be invoked to open the eyes of the
understanding, and guide into truth. When hesitation and doubt still
remain, then the safest course to adopt is that line of conduct which
is likely to entail most trouble, likely to cost us most, least likely
to attract notice from others; also, generally, if not always, the
simplest and most natural line is the right one; but self-interest, or
a disturbed moral sense, may incline one to take another line that is
not absolutely wrong in itself, but is less right because less natural,
and simple, and direct, and common-place than the other.
[Illustration]
First Sunday in Lent.
_CAUSES OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF CONSCIENCE._
1. Conscience as given by God to man is sound, vigorous, and direct.
It sees clearly what the truth is, and distinguishes at once good from
evil.
Whatever God gives is good, and God gives this faculty of
distinguishing between good and evil to man for a purpose, essential
to man, that he may follow his course, and attain to that end for
which God made him. Therefore, God certainly gave to man, originally,
a sound, sturdy, and clear-seeing Conscience, to be the pilot of his
vessel, the driver of his chariot, the legislator of his state. That we
may,--indeed, that we _must_ acknowledge. God Himself set man in the
world to accomplish a certain work, and He furnished him adequately for
the fulfilment of the task allotted to him.
2. _But_, man's Conscience is not what it was when God first made
man; it has been debilitated, it has been vitiated by original sin.
The first sin of Adam, and the sin that has issued from that original
fault, has formed a habit of sin in the human race, that infects,
weakens, in some cases paralyzes, the Conscience. So that it no longer
sees as clearly what is right and what is wrong, as at first; it has
no longer the same unhesitating voice; nor has it the same power
of influencing the will as at first, for the will itself has become
distorted. The unsettlement of Conscience has allowed the will to
become impatient of restraint, and to incline to follow other impulses
than that of the moral faculty. The will is also inclined to evil
through the poison of sin which has passed into the nature of all
men since the fall, and though, by Baptism, the antecedent guilt of
original sin is put away, yet its deteriorating effects are not all
removed. God receives us by Baptism into a state of grace, in which
state that which has been marred by the fall can be restored; but
the fact of Baptism does not at once restore, it only sets us in a
condition in which restoration is possible.
3. There are several causes operating on our Conscience which tend to
vitiate it:--
(_a_) _Ignorance_ of the Divine Will, and of the law of God for us.
Adam had a fully-enlightened Conscience, he knew uninstructed what was
God's purpose and what was God's Will, but it is not so with us, or
is so only in a very rudimentary and inadequate manner. We have to be
_taught_ the Will of God, and to learn His Commandments.
Consequently, it is incumbent on us to strive in every way to remove
this ignorance, by reading Scripture, by receiving instruction, and by
seeking after light by prayer.
(_b_) _Prejudice_, the result of ignorance and pride, or simply of
ignorance and a warped judgment, owing to false instruction. There
can be little chance through ignorance of going wrong in the main,
broad principles of duty to our neighbours, but imperfect teaching
or erroneous teaching relative to our duties to God, may well be
the cause of our failing to perform, or performing inadequately, or
performing wrongly our duties due to Him. Hence we require a sure moral
guide to expound to us the law of God, and this God has given us in His
Church.
(_c_) _Passion_, or concupiscence, which induces the Conscience to
permit whatever flatters or gratifies the body or the mind. S. Paul
says that in his natural state, "That which I do I allow not; for
what I would that do I not; but what I hate, that do I ... to will is
present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For
the good that I would I do not, but the evil that I would not, that
I do." He is here picturing himself in his old, carnal, unregenerate
state, but under grace, it is other, there Divine help is given to
enable the will to submit to the law of God and cast out the domination
of the carnal appetites.
(_d_) _Lax public opinion_, which sets up a low moral standard, and
brings Consciences to sleep, so long as they conform to public opinion,
and make that the rule _instead of the law of God_. This is a great
means of blunting and deadening Conscience, for it sets up man as a
supreme authority in morals in the place of God, it makes the judgments
of the world override the revealed Will of God.
[Illustration]
First Monday in Lent.
_CAUSES OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF CONSCIENCE._
(CONTINUED.)
Conscience may _command_, _forbid_, _advise_, _permit_.
(_a_) Conscience, when certain as to the moral right of a course
of action, utters its peremptory command that it shall be done. We
often are satisfied with a negative obedience, and consider ourselves
discharged from all obligation to render positive obedience. For the
commandments are negative. "Thou shalt not" do this or that. So, if
we abstain from murder, theft, adultery, &c., we are satisfied that
we are fulfilling the law. But in the Gospel the negative law, or law
of prohibition, is not only greatly expanded, but it is turned into a
positive law. "Thou shalt love God with all thy heart," &c., and "Thou
shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." It is a bit of self-delusion
for anyone to suppose that he is fulfilling the law of his being if
he merely abstains from those things prohibited. We have positive
obligations laid on us, and these positive obligations the enlightened
and healthy Conscience points out to us. Not only must we abstain from
anger, but we must cultivate love. Not only must we avoid revenge, but
we must do good to them that despitefully use us and persecute us.
Not only must we avoid gluttony and drunkenness, but we must cultivate
self-denial.
(_b_) Conscience forbids the commission of those things which are
condemned by God's law. As already said, God's law has been expanded
since the first imposition of it. "Ye have heard that it was said
by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; but I say unto you, That
whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger
of the judgment. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time,
Thou shalt not commit adultery, but I say unto you, That whosoever
looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her
already in his heart.... Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by
them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform
unto the Lord thine oaths; but I say unto you, Swear not at all.... Ye
have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for
a tooth, but I say unto you, That ye resist not evil.... Ye have heard
that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine
enemy; but I say unto you, Love your enemies.... Be ye perfect even as
your Father, which is in Heaven, is perfect."
(_c_) Conscience advises when there is a choice between two ways, each
good, but one more good than the other. In that case it points to the
higher and nobler course of action, that which, perhaps, costs more to
us, is more arduous, and most painful. It does not require us, under
pain of condemnation, to take the higher course, it merely recommends
it as the superior, and shows that there is no sin incurred by choosing
that which is inferior. Thus our Lord gave certain counsels of
Perfection, but every man was to do as he thought best, in following
them or not. So also S. Paul concerning marriage, he says that the
condition is holy and unblameable, nevertheless he would advise to
remain even as himself.
(_d_) Conscience permits the choice of an inferior course when it has
advised a higher, when it has weighed all the circumstances; when it
judges that the will is not strong enough to carry out the performance
of the higher course, or that the taking of the higher course would
subject man to temptations, or involve him in difficulties beyond his
capacity of resistance or escape.
[Illustration]
First Tuesday in Lent.
_ON THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF CONSCIENCE._