Faith is a free act of the will, not a forced act. We must appeal to the conscience, not compel it by violence. You can force people to be baptised, but you cannot force them to believe.
Alcuin
20260110
Edward Leigh
Converting Grace reneweth a man's conscience:
1. Whereas it is naturally cauterized, 1 Tim. 4. 2. it puts feeling and apprehen∣sion into us, this is the first work of Grace converting upon the soul when it begins to be tender, Ac 24. 16. and is not able to endure those heavy burdens of sin, which before; though mountains, it never felt, is also now active that was silent, Dan 9. 8; Ezr 9. 6.
2. Whereas naturally it is self-flattering, it will accuse when it ought, naturally. It stirreth in a false way, promising heaven and salvation when there is no such matter, Dt 29. 19. David's heart soon smote him, and Ps 51 he acknowledged his sin and bewailed it; and again, I and my house have sinned. Conscience speaketh the truth. Thus often thou hast prophaned the Sabbath, abused thyself and that in all the aggravations, this makes the godly lie so low in their humiliation.
3. The erroneousness of it is taken away. The mischief of an erroneous consci∣ence is seen in Popery and other heresies, how they make conscience of worshipping that which is an idol, if they should eat meat on a fasting-day, not adore the sacrament, how much would their hearts be wounded; this erroneous conscience brought in all the superstition in the world but the godly obtain a sound judgment, conscience is to be a guide.
4. The partial working of it about some works but not others, is taken away, as Herod. Ps 50. Those that abhorred idols did yet commit sacrilege; they neglect the duties of one of the tables, as the civil man's conscience is very defective, he will not be drunk, unjust, yet regards not his duty to God, is ignorant, seldom prayeth in his family, the hypocritical Jews and Pharisees would have sacrifice but not mercy.
20251125
Edward Thurlow
Did you ever expect a corporation to have a conscience, when it has no soul to be damned, and no body to be kicked?
(Edward, First Baron Thurlow 1731-1806)
20251104
Nathanael Vincent 03
The true cause why stupid sinners say there is no such thing as conscience, is this, Conscience does accurse, and reproach, and disquiet them, and they first wishing there were no such thing, employ their corrupt reason to argue against it.
William Fenner 02
The Lord engraved conscience in man when he created him at first. True it is, since the fall of man conscience is miserably corrupted; but man can never put it off: Conscience continueth forever in every man whether he be in earth or heaven or hell.
Nathanael Vincent 02
This conscience, when awakened, will deal plainly with the greatest .... Conscience is not to be escaped; we can no more fly from conscience than we can run away from ourselves.
Nathanael Vincent 01
This thing, called conscience, is in everyone; there is no man without it. You may as well suppose a man without an understanding as without a conscience; and without a power to know anything, as without a power to reflect upon himself. Every reasonable soul, being capable both of sin and grace, is endued with a power of reflecting upon itself, that sin may be condemned and grace may be approved. All are called upon to “consider their ways” (Haggai 1:5, 7), but to take our own ways into consideration is the work of conscience; conscience therefore is in all.
(Heaven Upon Earth)
Pete Townshend
But my dreams they aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
(From Behind Blue Eyes)
20250917
John Milton
Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties.
Areopagitica
Martin Luther King Jr
There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.
A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches
Salvian of Marseille
What rich man, to repeat my former question, save only a few, is not stained by every sort of evil deed? And when I except a few, would that I might include many more in the exception! for then the innocence of the majority might be the salvation of all. I am speaking about none now save the man who recognizes that my words apply to him. If what I say lies outside his conscience my charge will do him no discredit. If, on the other hand, his heart admits the truth of my words, he should realize that it is not my tongue that is accusing him but his own conscience.
On the Government of God Book 4
20250827
Richard Sibbes 4
... Holy St Paul laboured to keep a good conscience in all things.
Herein I exercise myself, to have a good conscience towards God and men, etc Acts 24:16.
It is easy for him to desire to be dissolved, that hath his conscience sprinkled with the blood of Christ, Heb 10:22, free from a purpose of living in any sin. But where there is a stained, defiled, polluted conscience, there cannot be this desire; for the heart of man, naturally, as the prophet saith, casts up mire and dirt Isa 57:20. It casts up fears, and objections, and murmurings, and repinings. Oh, beloved, we think not what mischief sin will do us, when we suffer it to seize upon our consciences; when it is once written there with the claw of a diamond, and with a pen of iron, Jer 17:1, who shall get it out? Nothing but great repentance and faith, applying the blood of Christ. It is no easy matter to get it off there, and to get the conscience at peace again; and when conscience is not appeased, there will be all clamours within. It will fear to appear before the judgment-seat. A guilty conscience trembles at the mention of death. Therefore I wonder how men that live in swearing in looseness, in filthiness, in debauchery of life, that labour to satisfy their lusts and corruptions, I wonder how they can think of death without trembling, considering that they are under the guilt of so many sins. Oh, beloved, the exercising of the heart to keep a clear conscience, can only breed this desire in us to depart, and to be with Christ. You have a company of wretched persons, proud enough in their own conceits, and censorious. Nothing can please them, whose whole life is acted by Satan joining with the lusts of their flesh, and they do nothing but put stings into death every day, and arm death against themselves, which when once it appears, their conscience, which is a hell within them, is wakened, and where are they? They can stay here no longer; they must appear before the dreadful Judge; and then where are all their pleasures and contentments, for which they neglected heaven and happiness, peace of conscience, and all? Oh, therefore let us walk holily with our God, and maintain inward peace all we can, if we desire to depart hence with comfort.
Christ is best
20250826
John Leland
Does a man upon entering into social compact surrender his conscience to that society to be controlled by the laws thereof, or can he in justice assist in making laws to bind his children’s consciences before they are born? I judge not, for the following reasons:
1. Every man must give an account of himself to God, and therefore every man ought to be at liberty to serve God in that way that he can best reconcile it to his conscience. If government can answer for individuals at the day of judgment, let men be controlled by it in religious matters; otherwise let men be free. ...
John Clarke 2
I Testify that no such believer, or Servant of Christ Jesus hath any liberty, much less Authority, from his Lord, to smite his fellow servant, nor yet with outward force, or arme of flesh, to constrain, or restrain his Conscience, no nor yet his outward man for Conscience sake, or worship of his God, where injury is not offered to the person, name or estate of others, every man being such as shall appear before the judgment seat of Christ, and must give an account of himself to God, and therefore ought to be fully persuaded in his own mind, for what he undertakes, because he that doubteth is damned if he eat, and so also if he act, because he doth not eat or act in Faith, and what is not of Faith is Sin.
1689 Baptist Confession
God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in any thing contrary to his word, or not contained in it. So that to believe such doctrines, or obey such commands out of conscience, is to betray true liberty of conscience; and the requiring of an implicit faith, an absolute and blind obedience, is to destroy liberty of conscience and reason also.
John Clarke 1
.. There is yet besides this, another administration of Christ's power on Earth, which compared with this, may be truly termed heavenly and spiritual, it being that which suiteth with, and principally is exercised about the spiritual, or hidden part of man, to wit, his spirit, mind and conscience, which is indeed the most natural Lord and commander of the outward, it and all things belonging thereunto being but naturally subject and readily obedient, from which very consideration it is, that it is more safe, and also more honourable, for the powers on earth to have one thousand souls to be subject to them for love and conscience sake, than to have ten thousand times ten thousand bodies seemingly subject, for wrath sake, and for fear of revenge; this spirit and great commander in man, is such a sparkling beam, from the Father of lights and spirits, that it cannot be lorded over, commanded or forced, either by men, devils or angels, but only leaving its first station, wherein it came so neer to the light and glory of God, it is now caused to possess death and darkness, and by that means is in a capacity by men and devils to be deceived ....
From Ille News (from New England) 1652
John Spilsbury
I do believe the resurrection of the dead, that all shall rise and come to judgment, and every one give account of himself to God, and receive according to the things done in their bodies, whether they be good or bad; therefore no conscience ought to be forced in the matters of Religion, because no man can bear out another in his account to God, if in case he should cause him to sin.
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