they will choose that field of controversy, which gives the greatest scope for manoeuvring, to prevent as much as may be, the poffibility of their being pushed as it were into a corner, from whence there might be no escape. In defending their cause, therefore, knowing that much is to be faid, which is not to be controverted; they take care to confine themselves to thofe generalities, to which their opponent cannot object; whilft their mode of attack confists, for the most part, in driving their adversary into extremes, by a studious aggravation of his conclufions, for the purpose of establishing a ground-work for popular declamation and abuse.

By this mode of managing controversy, the exact point in which truth lies, is continually kept out of fight; for men, whose object it is, in the handling certain fubjects, not so much to convince, as to confound, will studiously steer clear of those precise limits, which ought to constitute the boundary for all rational argument on the occafion. To the subjects here immediately in view the foregoing obfervations may not be deemed wholly inapplicable.

Upon the first of them, it has been imagined, that, provided men follow the direction of their own confciences, they are juftified in whatever mode of con

duct they may adopt; which (as the term confcience is now too generally understood) is in other words to fay, that because men are perfuaded a thing is right, therefore it cannot be wrong. Upon this principle, it matters not what a man's profeffion is, provided he be fincere in it; confequently the fincere martyr for the faith, and the fincere perfecutor of it, ftand upon the fame footing.

But though a conduct, in oppofition to the dictate of conscience, carry with it its own condemnation, (for in fuch a cafe a man pronounces fentence upon himself;) it by no means follows, that a conduct in conformity to it will, on that account, fecure to itself an acquittal. For this would be to make private opinion the standard of right and wrong, instead of the law of GOD; an idea which has, on different occafions, led to an infinity of mischief.

Though the plea of confcience, therefore, confidered as the private judgment of the party upon the legality or illegality of his own conduct, might be a good one in the mouth of a heathen, who might have no furer guide to follow; yet it cannot be admitted in that of a Christian, but in proportion as it is conformable to the rule by which it will be judged But, as preparatory to our forming a correct idea upon

1

this fubject, it is neceffary that we know what conScience properly is; for of the number that make ufe of the word, nineteen in twenty, perhaps, may be ignorant of its true meaning.

By confcience, then, is to be understood, not that knowledge, opinion, or perfuafion, which a man may poffefs upon any given subject; but that knowledge, opinion, or perfuafion, which is reflected inward upon his mind from fome reafon, law, or rule, from without, which is the proper standard of judgment in the case in queftion. Confcience, therefore, as its compound title denotes is, comparative knowledge; it is the judgment which a man paffes on his own actions compared with fome law. Remove all law, and you take away all confcience. For where there is no law, there can be no tranfgreffion; and where there is no tranfgreffion, there can be no judgment, because there is no criminal. Without a law fuperior to confcience, therefore, there can be no fuch thing as confcience at all: for confcience is a private, perfonal principle, which must neceffarily be fubmitted to fome law of GOD, real or fuppofed, as its ultimate rule.

"When we speak of confcience in our actions, (fays Archbishop SHARP) we have refpect to fome law or rule, by which thofe actions are to be directed and

governed, and by their agreeableness or difagreeablenefs with which, they become morally good or evil.* The law of the Chriftian, in religious matters, is the revealed will of GOD; and what, upon proper authority, is deducible from it. The confcience of a Christian, confequently, is that teftimony which the mind bears to the conduct, when compared with that i revealed will.

It is in fact the application of the general Christian law to a particular instance of practice. Hence it is, that confcience, as the vicegerent of God, carries a divine authority with it, because it has a divine word. or precept to fupport it. But if no fuch word or precept is to be produced, it may, indeed, be ftrong opinion or perfuafion, but it is not confcience. no greater mischief has been done in the world, than from the want of a proper distinction having been made between confcience and mere confidence of opinion, or perfuafion.

And

In temporal matters, fhould a man plead confcience, or it fhould rather be called private perfuafion, against the determination of an exifting law, he would be told, that he was not at liberty to make a rule for

* See "Difcourfe concerning Confcience" by Archbishop SHARP, in London Cafes, No. 8.

himself different from that which the fociety, of which he was a member, had made for him; and upon which it was his duty to procure information. Were the cafe otherwise, the very end of fociety would be fruftrated. For let it be confidered, what must be the consequence of the admiffion of that principle, upon which the modern plea of confcience is too commonly founded; namely, that the private perfuafion of the party, furnishes a juftification for his public conduct.

The Quaker, for instance, confiders the payment of tithe to be unlawful. He therefore refifts the demand, upon the hacknied plea of confcience. But, as it has been already obferved, nothing can be a rule of confcience, in religious matters, but fome law of GOD, real or fuppofed. The plain law of GOD calls upon the Quaker, in common with all other members of a civilized community, to " fubmit himself to every ordinance of man for the LORD's fake;" and the legiflature of his country has made the payment of tithe legal. Nothing, then, can justify an oppofition to the legislature, in this cafe, but a firm conviction in the mind of the party, that the law enacted is in direct contradiction to fome law of God, natural or revealed.