William Perkins on three points of the conscience's duty to give testimony.

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Regi Addictissimus

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The proper actions or duties of conscience are twofold: to give testimony or to give judgment (Rom. 2:15)


To Give Testimony

Conscience gives testimony by determining that a thing was done or not done. “Their conscience also bearing witness” (Rom. 2:15). “Our rejoicing is the testimony of our conscience” (2 Cor. 1:12). Here we must consider three things: (1) of what things conscience bears witness; (2) in what manner; [and] (3) how long.

Point 1 For the first, conscience bears witness of our thoughts, our affections, [and] our outward actions. That it bears witness of our secret thoughts appears by the solemn protestation which at some time men use: “In my conscience, I never thought it.” Whereby they signify that they think something, or they think it not, and that their consciences can tell what they think. Neither must this seem strange. For there are two actions of the understanding: the one is simple, which barely conceives or thinks this or that; [and] the other is a reflecting or doubling of the former, whereby a man conceives and thinks with himself what he thinks. And this action properly pertains to the conscience. The mind thinks a thought, now conscience goes beyond the mind, and knows what the mind thinks; so as if a man would go about to hide his sinful thoughts from God, his conscience, as another person within him, shall discover all. By means of this second action, conscience may bear witness even of thoughts, and from hence also it seems to borrow its name, because conscience is a science (or knowledge) joined with another knowledge, for by it I conceive and know what I know.
Again, conscience bears witness what the wills and affections of men are in every matter. “I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart: for I could wish myself to be separate from Christ for my brethren” (Rom. 9:1–3). Lastly, it witnesses what are men’s actions. “Oftentimes also thine heart knoweth (that is, conscience witnesses) that thou likewise hast cursed others” (Eccl. 7:24).

Point 2 The manner that conscience uses in giving testimony stands in two things. First, it observes and takes notice of all things that we do. Second, it does inwardly and secretly within4 the heart tell us of them all. In this respect it may fitly be compared to a notary (or a register) who has always the pen in his hand to note and record whatsoever is said or done, who also, because he keeps the rolls and records of the court, can tell what has been said and done many hundreds [of] years past.

Point 3 Touching the third point: how long conscience bears witness. It does continually, not for a minute, or a day, or a month, or a year, but forever. When a man dies, conscience dies not. When the body is rotting in the grave, conscience lives and is safe and sound. And when we shall rise again, conscience shall come with us to the bar of God’s judgment, either to accuse or excuse us before God. “Their conscience bearing witness at the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ” (Rom. 2:15–16).

The Use By this first duty of conscience, we are to learn three things. The first [is] that there is a God. And we may be led to the sight of this even by very reason. For conscience bears witness of what? Of your particular doings. But against whom or with whom does it give testimony? You may feel in your heart that it does it either with you or against you. And to whom is it a witness? To men or angels? That cannot be, for they cannot hear the voice of conscience; they cannot receive conscience’s testimony; nay, they cannot see what is in the heart of man. It remains, therefore, that there is a spiritual substance, most wise, most holy, most mighty, who sees all things, to whom conscience bears record, and that is God Himself. Let atheists bark against this as long as they will. They have that in them that will convince them of the truth of the Godhead, will they, nill they, either in life or death.

Second, we learn that God does watch over all men by a special providence. The master of a prison is known by this to have care over his prisoners: if he sends keepers with them to watch them and to bring them home again in convenient time. And so, God’s care to man is manifest in this: that when He created man and placed him in the world, He gave him conscience to be his keeper, to follow him always at his heels, and to dog him (as we say), and to pry into his actions, and to bear witness of them all.

Third, hence we may observe God’s goodness and love to man. If he does anything amiss, God sets his conscience first of all to tell him of it secretly. If then he amends, God forgives it. If not, then afterward, conscience must openly accuse him for it at the bar of God’s judgment before all the saints and angels in heaven.


William Perkins (2020). A Discourse of Conscience. The Works of William Perkins (Vol. 8). Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books. Pg. 10-12

http://bit.ly/PerkinsVol8

 
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