Page:Black book of conscience, or, God's great and high court of justice in the soul (2).pdf/16

16 conſciences accuſed them, and they hid themſelves. And this conſcience is only in men and women, for brute beaſts, wanting reaſon, are not capable of conſcience, and the beaſts when they die, there is an end of them. But, it is not ſo with man, for conſcience, in man followeth the man farther than the grave. For, if men might bury their conſciences with them in their graves they might be happy notwithſtanding all their abuſes of conſcience! For man oftentimes, againſt all reaſon, enquiry, or conſcience, doth worſe than the worſt of beafts.

And this conſcience keepeth his court in the heart, and there fits upon the life or the death of the ſoul; and according as he finds every man’s work, ſo doth he paſs ſentence of condemnation or abſolution, for there is no bribing of conſcience. Conſcience will ſpeak the truth of every man’s ways before the Lord, be they good or be they evil: ‘If our hearts condemn us,’ ſaith St. Paul, ‘God is greater than our hearts.’ That is our conſcience.

And God hath given this power to conſcience, becauſe men would have no plea or excuſe before the Lord. It was not Pilate’s waſhing of his hands, and ſaying, ‘I am guiltleſs of the blood of this