1. The various causes enumerated have been the occasion of Consciences
becoming very various in quality. Of these varieties there are the
following:
(_a_) The Direct, or Sound Conscience.
(_b_) The False Conscience.
(_c_) The Scrupulous Conscience.
(_d_) The Relaxed Conscience.
(_e_) The Doubtful Conscience.
2. In the first place let us consider that vigorous and healthy
Conscience which we call a Direct Conscience.
Now God intended all Consciences to be direct, and the object of all
moral instruction is to bring crooked Consciences right, and to bring
ignorant Consciences to a knowledge of what is right.
The direct, sound Conscience is that which we should aim all our lives
to obtain. And as it is the interior manifestation of the Will of God,
and an obligation is laid on us to obey it, we must observe what it
commands, abstain from what it forbids, and respect what it counsels.
We must (_a_) use our utmost endeavour to learn our duties aright,
both towards God, our neighbours, and ourselves. We owe to God the
obligations of love, reverence, worship, and obedience. Our duties to
our neighbours are tolerably plain--the State enforces most of them.
We must respect the persons, the property, and the good name of our
neighbours. Our duties to ourselves are to educate and develop all
those faculties, physical, mental, and spiritual, God has put in us, to
keep our bodies in temperance, soberness, and chastity; to cultivate
our reason and our intelligence--the reason so as to be able to form
just judgments, and the intelligence so as to be able and eager to
acquire knowledge; to nourish and discipline our souls so that our
spiritual faculties may be alive to divine things, able to pray, to
meditate on God, and be conscious of His Everpresence.
(_b_) We must endeavour to bring under our self-love, which is disposed
to confuse and lead astray the Conscience by advising such things as
are convenient and flattering to self, and making them appear right,
or, at all events, admissible.
(_c_) We must seek to be serious in determining our conduct, to avoid
all waywardness and caprice, remembering that for whatever we do we
shall have to give account.
3. We must now consider what are the _means_ whereby we may obtain a
Direct or sound Conscience. These are many, but a few of those that are
principal and fundamental must suffice.
(_a_) _The study of God's Word_, especially of the words of our Saviour
Jesus Christ, and of His Apostles. Nothing is more calculated to give a
healthy and straightforward Conscience than this.
(_b_) _Experience._ We must bring our intelligence to bear on our acts;
Conscience was never meant to be blind instinct, but a bright, fresh,
enlightened faculty, assisted at every step by the intelligence, and
the intelligence will work on the facts of experience, and shew us
where we have been doing what is right, and where we have been going
wrong.
(_c_) _Hold to first principles._ Self-love is very much disposed to
lead us into a maze of lines of conduct, and to encourage us to adopt
that most easy, most flattering, most profitable to take. It brings up
side duties, and exaggerates them to obscure broad principles. As a man
when travelling, on coming to cross lanes, ascends a height to get a
clear idea as to the main line, the direction in which he is going, so
must we ever go up to the broad first principles to obtain a general
survey, and follow the direction thus indicated.
[Illustration]
Second Wednesday in Lent.
_THE FALSE CONSCIENCE._
1. That Conscience may be perverted so that it allows those things
that are wrong, and forbids those things that are right, is, alas,
very true. S. Paul speaks of this. "Unto them that are defiled and
unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and Conscience is
defiled. They profess that they know God, but in works they deny Him,
being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."
(Titus i. 15, 16.) And again, he speaks of those whose Consciences are
seared with a hot iron (1 Tim. iv. 2); and again, in the Epistle to the
Hebrews, he speaks of evil Consciences. Now an evil Conscience can only
be such an one as--originally good and sound--has been turned about so
as to be bad and diseased, allowing such things as it should condemn,
and condemning such things as it should allow.
2. Now a False Conscience may be either _invincibly_ wrong, or
_vincibly_ wrong, that is to say, incurably bad, or curable.
It does not by any means follow that he who follows his Conscience,
invincibly false, commits sin. Not only does he not commit sin, but he
is probably doing what is the best for his spiritual condition under
the circumstances.
For instance, take a man who has been born and brought up in Dissent,
into whose mind has been inground the maxim that he must fight against
the Church. So long as he does resist the Church by fair means he is
not sinning, the Devil cannot count on him as fighting in his army
against the Kingdom of God, as an enrolled soldier of evil. That he
is not. He is doing right, according to his lights. _But_, supposing
he has recourse to illegitimate means of defaming and undermining the
Church, such as spreading scandalous stories against its members or
ministers, _knowing them to be false_, then his resistance to Christ's
kingdom becomes sinful. Prejudice, the result of a false education,
has become so enrooted that his error is invincible, except by some
supernatural illumination. It was so with Saul. He fought against the
Church, but he did it from a right motive. As soon as God miraculously
converted him to a knowledge of the truth, then he became an Apostle
under that Gospel which he had formerly resisted.
3. Now let us consider the case of a Conscience in a condition of
_vincible_ error. As a vincible condition of error is one from which
nearly any man may free himself if he takes the pains, he sins if he
follows a false Conscience, without making any effort to set it right.
The error being voluntary does not excuse the act. Through indolence,
or indifference, or prejudice, he does not attempt to give himself a
direct and sound Conscience, and he sins in following his Conscience
when he commits something wrong, or omits something right, _not_
because he is following his Conscience, but because he has made no
endeavour to educate his Conscience to discriminate rightly.
As this is the case, we see how important it is for us to avoid
_narrowness_, and to cultivate broad and liberal views. Narrowness is
ignorance, and it petrifies the Conscience into a perverted direction.
Everyone is morally bound to endeavour to the utmost of his power and
opportunities to lay aside error, and to rectify his Conscience. This
he can do by examining every question presented to him in all its
aspects, for till he has so done, he cannot be sure that his view is
the right one.
Again, he must pray for guidance. The Holy Spirit is given to the
Church to guide all the members of Christ into truth. Lastly, he must
submit his opinion to that of the holy, undivided Church, which is the
pillar and ground of the truth.
4. It sometimes happens that in spite of efforts made to attain to a
right Conscience, it remains in the same distorted and false condition
as before. Either the mental faculties are insufficient to rectify it,
the judgment is cramped, and habit or prejudice has obtained too strong
a hold to be overcome. In such a case the Conscience is invincibly
wrong, but nevertheless, its promptings must be obeyed. God, Who sees
all things, and is full of mercy, will make allowances, only _not_ for
disobeying the mandate of Conscience.
[Illustration]
Second Thursday in Lent.
_THE SCRUPULOUS CONSCIENCE._
1. The Scrupulous Conscience is a niggling Conscience that vexes itself
about inconsiderable matters, and magnifies trifles into things of
importance.
The Scrupulous Conscience is that which has no sense of proportion.
In a large number of cases it is vastly particular over matters of
indifference, and supremely indifferent about matters of importance. It
is a Conscience that never goes back to first principles.
This was the sort of Conscience possessed by the Scribes and Pharisees,
who tithed mint, and anise, and cummin, and passed over the weightier
matters of the law. (Matt. xxiii. 23.) By Scrupulous Conscience is not
meant a tender Conscience, but an itchy one. It is one that is ever
suffering from vain apprehension, and regards things harmless and licit
as though they were forbidden.
A sound and direct Conscience is necessarily a tender one. It sees what
is right and what is wrong, all in due proportion; and shrinks from
what is evil as from a serpent, and also is never at rest if it does
not fulfil those obligations which it sees are enjoined. A Scrupulous
Conscience is one that sees everything topsy-turvy, it magnifies
trifles, and passes by without seeing them the more plain and obvious
duties. It is influenced, not by its _knowledge_, but by its _fears_,
and this allows it to strain at gnats and swallow camels.
The Scrupulous Conscience often causes quite as much scandal as the
erroneous Conscience, for people see it making much of small matters,
and are led to despise or disregard Conscience as an unreliable guide.
2. That a Scrupulous Conscience may be brought to a right perception
of the relative proportions of duties, it must, or at all events, it
is most advisable that it should be put under directions by a wise
Confessor, who will labour to give it robustness, will strive to drag
it out of its confusion, and set it well aloft, where it may be able
to survey the whole map of the county of duty, and orientate itself
accordingly.
A right Conscience is also a tender one, but the converse is by no
means true, that a tender Conscience is always a right one.
3. A Scrupulous Conscience is often a companion to extraordinary
self-conceit. To bring it into healthy condition, and remove its
distortion of view, humility must be very resolutely practised. Even
where there is not self-conceit, there is generally self-centredness,
the mind is for ever turned in on self, and occupies itself with
probing all its tender places, and fretting it into sores. The best, if
not the only remedy for this is the forcible disengagement of the mind
from the consideration of self, and rough, resolute, and protracted
labour for others.
Consciences are sometimes scrupulous about the misdeeds, real or
imaginary, of others, and inert in judging of their own condition.
Cruel acts of injustice are done under the plea of obedience to
Conscience--this is due to the undue scrupulosity of the Conscience
which considers _only itself_; on the other hand, great lack of
charity, courtesy, and consideration for the feelings of others is
shewn by a Scrupulous Conscience, which concerning itself with _others
only_, disregards the broad principles of right action as relates to
itself.
4. In directing a Scrupulous Conscience aright, care must be taken,
not only to give that Conscience a clear and healthy view of the
comparative proportions of duties, and the comparative sinfulness of
things forbidden, and to bid it distinguish between those things that
are duties, and those which are optional; those things that are sins,
and those which are harmless; but also, it must be bidden to take into
consideration its responsibilities to other persons as well as to
itself, so that under the plea of following Conscience some gross piece
of injustice or rudeness may not be committed.
[Illustration]
Second Friday in Lent.
_THE RELAXED CONSCIENCE._
1. The Relaxed Conscience is that sluggish and careless Conscience
which allows itself to be ruled or influenced in its determinations by
the voice of public opinion, or by the supposed interests of the person
present or future.
In the matter of religion idolatry is mortally sinful, for it is the
making by man of a religion for himself instead of accepting one from
God. A man is as truly an idolater when he fashions for himself a
sect, as when he makes a graven image. No man has any right to invent
doctrines, and establish a ministry of himself. Such religion is _from
below_, whereas the divine religion is a revelation _from above_.
Precisely so is it with regard to morality. No man must seek for the
moral sanction in the voice of public opinion, or in anything _below_.
He must seek it _above_, in the revealed Will of God.
Thus a Relaxed Conscience, that is governed by the public voice, by the
press, by private personal interest, dethrones God from His place as
Lawgiver, and sets up public opinion or personal interest in His room.
It does not seek its sanction in Heaven, but on earth.
As men make to themselves gods to worship, and sects and doctrines, so
do men make to themselves laws of ethics. He who worships and believes
in such gods and such doctrines as suit him is an idolater, or a
heretic, and he who obeys only such moral laws as suit him is every
whit as much in sin.
2. Now very few persons making any profession of religion deliberately
relax their Consciences, and submit them to the earth-born law of right
and wrong. They far more commonly allow it unconsciously to modify
their views of right and wrong to suit their own convenience. They take
God's Commandments, and pare and shape till they have fitted them to
their low ideas, and accommodated them to their practice.
This is not done all at once, and openly, but is a gradual process
which, unless guarded against, will deaden the Conscience till its
voice is no longer heard proclaiming any other law than the commonplace
maxims of mundane morality. This relaxed Conscience, being in error,
more or less voluntarily permitted, can no longer serve as a guide
to conduct. On the slightest motives it is ready to permit what is
not really allowed by God's law, and to regard mortal sins as venial
offences.
3. The Scrupulous Conscience exaggerated trifles; made mountains out of
molehills. The Relaxed Conscience minimises great things, and reduces
mountains to molehills.
4. There is but a sole _remedy_ for a Relaxed Conscience, and that is
to replace God on His throne as Supreme Lawgiver, and to bow down to
and worship Him alone. Instead of our taking His law, and trimming
it to fit public opinion and self-interest, we must make His Will
paramount, and test everything by that. Every act must be brought to,
and tried by the measure of the Sanctuary, and what falls short must
be rejected. In such a matter there can be no compromise between God
and mammon; God must reign, not supreme only, but _alone_, as the
Lawgiver, to Whom Conscience looks up, and Conscience must answer His
voice, and not the voice of the world, and turn to that for direction.
No man can serve two masters; either he will hate the one and love
the other, or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.
Observe this injunction of Christ. He speaks of _masters_ giving orders
to their servants, and of obedience to command in the servants. The
Conscience is servant; it _must_ obey God or the world; it cannot serve
both. In the effort to serve both it becomes relaxed and useless.
[Illustration]
Second Saturday in Lent.
_THE DOUBTFUL CONSCIENCE._
1. The Doubtful or perplexed Conscience is that Conscience which
cannot form a resolve. It suspends judgment on the right or wrong of
an action, either because it thinks that as much is to be said on
one side as on the other, or else it suspends judgment through lack
of illumination, it does not see what it ought to do. Or again, it
suspends judgment because it is not sure of the existence, or the
obligation of a law commanding or forbidding some action.
This is the condition spoken of by S. James. "He that wavereth is like
a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed. Let not that man
think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double-minded man
is unstable in all his ways."
The right Conscience is certain. It sees clearly and judges decidedly.
So does the false Conscience see and judge, though falsely. But this
Conscience is paralyzed in judgment, it sees so many reasons on one
side and so many on the other, that it falls into despair, and does
nothing because of timorousness, lest it should judge awrong.
2. The Conscience can hardly be doubtful about the main laws of God.
It is in their application to man's action that uncertainty lies. And
it is inevitable that some uncertainty should exist, for man is put in
several relations, and has duties in each that sometimes conflict. He
is a member of the State, the Church, the family, and the social body
to which he belongs. He has duties to those above him and to those
below him, and it cannot be that these duties should always lie in
parallel lines. He must sometimes exercise his judgment, and decide
which among several duties he will observe and which pretermit.
3. Conscience should never be suffered to remain in suspense, and in
suspense be left unacted upon, for Conscience is given us to spur us to
action, not to excuse us from acting, and so sanction inertness. Unless
Conscience be acted upon, it becomes debilitated.
We must act. We will now see how in doubtful cases one ought to act.
4. An opinion presents itself before our minds to be adjudged on. The
intelligence, in face of two contradictory courses of conduct, has to
determine which is right and is to be followed, and which is wrong and
has to be avoided.
(_a_) An opinion may be _slightly probable_, when it is founded on
motives that are insufficient to determine the assent of a prudent man.
(_b_) An opinion may be _probable_, when the motives impelling towards
it are strong, but there is a slight probability in favour of the
contrary opinion.
(_c_) An opinion may be _certain_, when all reasonable doubt is
excluded, through the contrary opinion being altogether improbable.
When the opinion is certain, then it must be accepted and followed.
When, however, it is only probable, or slightly probable, then the
judgment must be called in to pronounce on the _probable consequences_.
Hitherto we have considered the eye as turned to God as the sole author
of law; but in such cases as there is no certainty, only probability,
the Conscience is assisted by _prudence_, which is the action of the
reason judging of the probable consequences of an act.
When the moral sanction is certain, prudence is not called in to alter
the conduct essentially, only that it may order it so as to be carried
out advisably; but when an opinion is probable, and not certain, then
the eye of the reason may be, and ought to be, directed to the future
consequences, and the judgment formed, not only on the antecedent
probabilities, but also on the probable consequences, good or evil. As
prudence can only judge future probabilities, it may not countermand
what has certain sanction. Very often the consideration of probable
consequences assist us in determining the right or wrong of an act,
which antecedently is not certain.
[Illustration]
Second Sunday in Lent.
_ON PRUDENCE._
1. God wills not only that we should consider His law as the rule of
our conduct, but also that we should exercise Prudence in the obedience
we render to His law.
Prudence is a faculty given to man by God, a scintillation of His
foreknowledge whereby man is able, in a measure, to look into the
future, and it is a useful handmaid to judgment.
Prudence is called in (_a_) for the determining of a line of conduct,
and (_b_) for determining the manner in which a determined line of
conduct shall be carried out. When our Lord exhorts, "Be ye wise as
serpents, and harmless as doves," He exhorts to Prudence. "Whatsoever
thou takest in hand, remember the end." (Eccles. vii. 36.)
In the first place, Prudence is called in for determining a line of
conduct. When the moral sanction is indubitable then it can alter
nothing; all it can do is to advise and direct as to the carrying out
of what is determined on so as not to jar against the rights of others.
But when there is only probability on our side, then Prudence is
invoked to say what the consequences that will result from such an
action are likely to be, good or bad; and so may exercise a very
valuable function in advising or dissuading.
Prudence looks to the near future, and to the remote future. It
considers what are likely to be the consequences in this world,
and whether the course of conduct will receive the sanction of the
all-seeing, all-just Judge at the Last Day. "The wisdom of the
prudent," said Solomon, "is to understand his way." That is, as
Conscience looks back to God for its justification, so does Prudence
look forward to the course taken in obedience to the dictates of
Conscience, and smoothes it.
Prudence is generally a moderator in the execution of duty. That
execution might be harsh, and hurtful, but Prudence wisely softens and
simplifies, abates prejudice, and commends the course of Conscience to
the approval of others.
2. We will now consider some practical rules for conduct in such cases
as the Conscience does not give a certain decision, but sees that
different opinions may be probable, more or less, and is in hesitation
which to follow.
(_a_) One good rule is to follow that course which is most natural;
what is strained and has the semblance of being excentric is probably
one flattering to self-esteem, and had better be avoided.
(_b_) Another good rule is to follow that course which is safest, in
which there is least likelihood of disturbing others, injuring or
annoying them. Also, which is least riskful to ourselves, in health,
substance, or reputation.
3. It must not be forgotten that it is quite possible so to carry out
a _right_ purpose as to do _wrong_ in the execution. Having decided on
what is right, foresight and judgment are required to determine _in
what manner_ and _at what time_ it is to be carried out. Prudence
often shews us that the same result may be attained by the exercise of
patience as by an impulsive and precipitous execution, and that the act
performed cautiously and judiciously will do good, whereas if done at
once in a headlong manner it may effect mischief. Also it shews that
there are more ways in which the same thing may be done, and that there
is a right way and a wrong way, a way that is advisable, and a way that
is mischievous and to be dissuaded from. We are warned not to do evil
that good may come, but people forget that a considerable amount of
evil is done by those who do good in a wrong manner.
4. Prudence is but another name for _wisdom_, and wisdom is one of the
gifts of the Holy Spirit. By understanding we see God's law, by wisdom
we know how to carry it out.
[Illustration]
Second Monday in Lent.
_ON FORTITUDE._
1. We have seen that Conscience, enlightened by Divine Revelation and
assisted by Understanding, obtains a clear knowledge of God's Will, and
its application to the several conditions in which man is placed in his
course through life.
We have seen how that it is not sufficient for man to _know what_ is to
be done, he must also _know how_ it is to be done, and this is where
Prudence is needed.
But Prudence is not enough. Prudence may be so timorous as to dissuade
from action altogether, and may neutralise the effect of the promptings
of Conscience. Prudence sees dangers, and it may magnify dangers. "The
slothful man," says Solomon, "saith, There is a lion in the way, a lion
is in the streets," and so does not go abroad. Now Prudence counsels
a man not to go out of doors when there actually _is_ a lion there,
but Timidity keeps him at home _on the chance_ of a lion being there.
It is the function of Prudence to foresee dangers, take account of
obstructions and difficulties, and if Prudence stood alone it might
induce to inertness, and spiritual sluggishness.
2. Therefore God gives us a supplementary counter-balancing grace,
which is that _Fortitude_, or courage, to carry us with resolute, bold
hearts through the fulfilment of duty. When we know well our duty, then
we prudently consider which is the best way of executing it, and then
fortitude steps in to nerve us to the full and exact completion of our
duty.
Many an one, having seen the right way, invokes all his fortitude
to assist him in the carrying out of what is right, regardless of
the advice of Prudence, and many an one, when Prudence indicates
difficulties, and advises delay, falls into neglect. Each is necessary,
and each is equally necessary.
3. Fortitude is a gift of God; it is an attribute of the Holy Ghost,
the Spirit, not only of Counsel, but also of Strength.
We need Divine strength to _undertake_, strength to _carry through_,
strength to _bear the consequences_ of doing what is right.
(_a_) _In the first place_, having obtained a clear sight of what is
God's Will, and also having prudently considered what is the best
way of fulfilling it, we require strength to brace our resolution
to undertake the task set us, that is to say, to make up our minds
strenuously to do that which God commands, and to do it in the way most
advisable.
(_b_) _In the second place_, we require strength to persevere and not
to become discouraged, and leave off imperfectly done that which we see
it is our duty to do. It is often better not to begin, than to leave
off what has been undertaken unaccomplished.
(_c_) _In the third place_, we require strength to endure the
consequences of our act. If we have done that which is right, we cannot
be sure that it will not entail on us loss, ridicule, disappointment.
But we must then invoke the aid of the Divine gift of Fortitude to
strengthen us to endure cheerfully such consequences as come of what
we have done, putting all our trust in God, and leaving all further
care to God.
4. It must not be supposed that the Divine gift of Fortitude is one
and the same thing as human _obstinacy_. Many men are obstinate in
carrying out their resolutions, and in carrying them out in their own
way. They have strong wills. But the Divine grace is different; it is
allied to humility, and human obstinacy is tied up with self-conceit.
It is therefore not difficult to distinguish the one from the other. A
lowly spirit may be strong in the Lord to fulfil resolutely the Will
of God, but an obstinate spirit is a self-opinionated one that follows
not God's Will, but its own. We must be careful in examining our own
selves, and seeing if there is strong resolution in us, if it is strong
in the right way, and with the right sort of strength.
[Illustration]
Second Tuesday in Lent.
_ON SIN._