R M M'Cheyne 2

Take heed to thyself. Your own soul is your first and greatest care. You know a sound body alone can work with power; much more a healthy soul. Keep a clear conscience through the blood of the Lamb. Keep up close communion with God. Study likeness to Him in all things. Read the Bible for your own growth first, then for your people.

R M M'Cheyne 1

A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God. A word spoken by you when your conscience is clear, and your heart full of God's Spirit, is worth ten thousands words spoken in unbelief and sin.

Charlotte Brontë

If all the world hated you and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved of you and absolved you from guilt, you would not be without friends.

Helen Burns in Jane Eyre

C S Lewis 2

Human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and can't really get rid of it.

The Case for Christianity

Disobedience to conscience is voluntary; bad poetry, on the other hand, is usually not made on purpose.

A Preface to Paradise Lost

The heart never takes the place of the head: but it can, and should, obey it. As the king governs by his executive, so Reason in man must rule the mere appetites by means of the 'spirited element.'

The Abolition of Man

Unless Christianity is wholly false, the perception of ourselves which we have in moments of shame must be the only true one.

The Problem of Pain

C S Lewis 1

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.

The Humanitarian Theory of Punishment". "God in the Dock". Book by C. S. Lewis, 1970

Very similar is

Theocracy is the worst of all governments. If we must have a tyrant, a robber baron is far better than an inquisitor. The baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity at some point be sated; and since he dimly knows he is doing wrong he may possibly repent. But the inquisitor who mistakes his own cruelty and lust of power and fear for the voice of Heaven will torment us infinitely because he torments us with the approval of his own conscience and his better impulses appear to him as temptations.

"A Reply to Professor Haldane (1946)". "Of Other Worlds: Essays and Stories". Book by C. S. Lewis, 1966.

Thomas Goodwin 2

And the reason of this is also as evident as is the experience of it because conscience remains in part defiled in a man that is regenerate; and though we are sprinkled from an evil conscience in part, yet not wholly: so as though our persons are fully discharged from the guilt of our sins, through the sprinkling of Christ's blood, before God; yet the sprinkling of that blood upon our consciences, whereby we apprehend this, is imperfect.

And the reason is, because this very sprinkling of conscience, whereby it testifies the sprinkling of Christ's blood, and our justification thereby, is but part of the sanctification of conscience, as it is a faculty, whose office and duty is to testify and witness our estates; and therefore, as the sanctification of all other faculties is imperfect, so of conscience also herein. And hence it is that when God's Spirit forbeareth to witness with conscience the goodess of our estates, and ceaseth to embolden and encourage conscience by his presence, and the sprinkling of Christ's blood upon it against the remaining defilement, that then our consciences are as apt to fall into fears, and doubts, and self-condemnings, even as much as when be withdraws the assistance of his grace, those other faculties are to fall into any other sin. And therefore, as the law of sin in the other members may be up in arms and prevail so far as to lead us captive unto sin; so may the guilt of sin in our conscience remaining in part defiled, by the same reason prevail against us, and get the upper hand, and lead us captive to fears and doubting; and cast us into bondage.

From A child of light walking in darkness

Thomas Goodwin 1

Yes, so as even our own consciences - which are the only principle now left in us which should take part with and encourag faith, and witness to us, as the office of it is, the goodness of our estates - In this may join with the former corruptions against us, and bring in a false evidence, and pronounce a false judgment. Even conscience itself, which is ordained, as the urine of the body, to shew the estate of the whole, and therefore is accordingly called good or evil as the man's state is, this is apt in such distempers to change and turn colour, and look to a man's own view as foul as the state of a very hypocrite.

From A child of light walking in darkness