Full Text for What is Conscience? (Text)

. Your intellect, your conception of what is right and wrong, governs the action or judgment of conscience. See the importance of instilling in the heart of the child the correct conception of right and wrong as coming from the highest authority. For if the intellect does not give the right directions or the conect information, the conscience will be warped in its judgement of the act. The judge has not the right law-book, and hence his findings are not correct. Dr. Stoeckhardt comments on Rom. 2, 15: "Dieses [Gewissen] erscheint, da von einem avftfla(!TVeS'" die Rede ist, als etwas, was zu 678 What Is Conscience? del' Aussage des inneron Gesotzes hinzukommt, dieselbe begleitet. Doch ist dies doppelte Zeugnis verschiedener Art. Das Gewissen ist eben nicht identisch mit dem N aturgesetz. Das N aturgesetz ist Norm, Forderung, Forderung Gottes, bezeugt dcm Menschen in genere, was gut und boese ist, schreibt ihm vor, was er tun und lassen solI. Das Gewissen hingegen fordert nicht, sondern beurteilt die konkreten cin- zelnen Handlungen des Menschen, sagt dem Menschen, ob das, was er jetzt tun will odeI' tut odeI' getan hat, recht odeI' unrecht ist oder war. Und da urteilt es eben nach jener dem Menscheninnern eingepraegien Norm; es ist nicht an sich QueUe del' Erkenntnis des Boesen und Guten, sondern schoepft sein Urteil aus der natuerlichen Gesetzeserkenn tnis." A conscience rendering the wrong verdict has been called a con- scientia el'ronea, an erring conscience, ein irrendes Gewissen. It tells the person that the wrong thing is right and should be performed or that the right thing is wrong and should not be performed. Strictly speaking, conscience in its functions does not err; hence the "erring conscience" is a misnomer; it is not conscience which errs, but the directions given it are at fault, and that always has disastrous moral results. The heathen is told and instructed to pray to the idol; his conscience seconds these instructions. If he heedS' conscience, he sins against the .First Oommandment; if he violates his conscience, he has what we term an evil conscience, breaks down his character, and is unhappy. J~uther at Worms: "Es ist wedel' sichel' noch geraten, etwas wider das Gewissen zn tun." And when speaking to the Ohristian, Luther warns: "Wider das Gewissen tun ist ebensoviel als wider den Glauben tun und schwer suendigen." (St. L., XII, 21.) 'Ve again see the supreme importance of having the right doctrine, of having the intellect instructed correctly. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable, in the first place and above all, for doctrine. But even the conscience of a well-indoctrinated Lutheran is not bcyond the possibility of erring. He should daily look into the divine Law for guidance and on special occasions make special inquiry. We regulate our watch by some reliable timepiece. We Lutherans inform or instruct our intellect, by which in turn our conscience is guided, by means of the Bible, which, we insist, is the infallible truth, the supreme standard. The Romanists turn for standardizing their conscience to the Pope, alias the Ohurch, as being superior to the Bible. Modernists and all rationalists appeal to reason as the supreme court and the guide for their conscience. Many make popular opinion their guide as to what is right or wrong. We agree with what Luther said: "Unser Gewissen kann nur dann getrost und sichel' sein, wenn es sich auf Gottes ·Wort gruendet." (St. L., III, 1470.) What Is Conscience? 679 We should cultivate a sensitive conscience. Dogmaticians speak of a conscientia probabilis. Hollaz: "Contra conscientiam probabilem peccat, qui viam tutiorem negligit." Dr. Pieper, in his Christl. Dog- matik, extends this to things material, management of congregational affairs, etc. To be careless as to what is right and wrong is to sin in that respect. When it is doubtful to us whether a thing is right or wrong (con- scientia dubia) , we should be "fully persuaded in our own mind," Rom. 14,5. "He that doubteth is dammed if he eat, because he eateth not of faith; for whatsoever is not of faith is sin," v.23. Fides, qtwe creditur, must be the guide for our own conscience. Oonscience is not "the voice of God in man" in the sense of always approving what is right and disapproving what is wrong. St. Paul declares he had, also before his conversion, served God "with pure conscience," i!" HaiJaei[: t1V"Et~~(1EIJ 2 Tim. 1, 3. See also Acts 22, 3. 4. Ohrist predicted to His disciples: "The time cometh that whosoever ki11eth you will think that he doeth God service," John Hi, 2. It is related of Huss that, when he was being martyred on the pyre, he said to the peasant who added his fagot, "0 sancta simplicitasJ" In such cases the erring (perverted) conscience, as in the case of many fanatics to-day, functions according to some false norm, - erroneous doctrines or principles, traditions, man-made laws, wrong environments, - such false norm arrogating to itself the authority belonging alone to God and His Word. The only way to rectify a mistaken conscience is not ridicule or the advice to disregard it, but proper tutoring, based on Holy Writ. The Bible also speaks of a weak conscience in reference to adi- aphom. 1 Oar. 8, 7: "There is not in every man that knowledge; for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled." We who have the better knowledge should not be inconsiderate, in word or walk, of those weak in conscience; for St. Paul says in the same chapter, v. 12: "When ye sin so against the brethren and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.» Often it is our Ohristian duty to conform our wall{ and actions to the brother's weak conscience. Says the same apostle, Rom. 14, 19: "Let us therefore follow after the things that make for peace and things wherewith one may edify another. For meat destroy not the work of God." V. 21: "For it is good neither to eat nor to drink wine nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth or is offended or is made weak." Should our conscience be governed by another man's conscience? No, only by God's Word. St. Paul asks: "Why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience~" 1 001'. 10, 29. Offense may be taken, not given J • and at times it may be our duty to show that our conscience 680 What Is Conscience? is bound only by Scripture and not by the eccentricities of others. On the other hand, for a person to ignore the earnest warnings of his pastor or those of experienced church leaders with the flippant remark that he will not have his liberty judged by another man's conscience usually means that he does not want God's Word to interfere with his liberty either. It is not to be overlooked that conscience assumes authority, "the thoughts ... accusing or else excusing one another." When accusing and not commending, this may become intolerable. We are reminded of the Oonscience Fund ill Washington. The Law of God, natural and revealed, demands punishment, and conscience drives this home, reiterates it. And an evil conscience makes cowards. "The wicked flee when no man pursueth," Provo 28. Luther: "Wenn unser Gewissen schuldig und erschrocken iat, fuerchten wir uns auch vol' einer Brat- wurst und VOl' den en, die unsere Frcunde sind und uns alles Gute goennen." (St. L., II, 1598.) Moses describes the troubled conscience very vividly: "Thy life shall hang in doubt before thee, and thou shalt fear day and night and shalt have none assurance of thy life. In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! . .. And at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see," Deut. 28, 66. 67. Luther comments on this passage: "Ich habe noch Imine Stelle gesehen, welche den Jammer eines boesen Gewissens klarer aus- spraeche mit so passenden und geeigneten Worten und Ausspruechen. Denn so steht das TIerz, welches Gott beleidigt, das heisst, welches gequaelt wird durch das Bewusstsein del' Suende." (St. L., III, 1604.) In view of the dire results of evil actions, conscience is valuable as a dange?" signal. Beware! Beware when an evil action is con- templated! So .Joseph: "How ean I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" When the warning is heeded and the temptation van- quished, how comforting the reaction! Oonscience then commends.- God has promised grace and blessing to all that keep His command- ments. And to this conscience also bears witness. It will assure us that "godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come," 1 Tim. 4, 8. There is a sense of divine favor and of the presence of the Holy Spirit coming over us when we have abode by the Law of God in the face of temptation. "Virtue is its own reward," men say. However, never forget that, since conscience may give the wrong verdict, its plaudits may tend to establish a man all the more in his evil ways. Oonscience may become dormant. Its voice of protest against particular sins persisted in gradually dies down. Constant intercourse with the profane may even lead to profanity, without conscience' voice at last being heard. The moral sense is blunted-abgestumpft. What Is Conscience? 681 This holds not only with individuals, but also with us as a nation. Divorces procured on all kinds of pretenses hardly excite comment. We are told of having as a nation the worst record for murders, for gangster, burglar, and racketeer activities, etc.; but the most we do is editorially to "view with alarm" and let it go at that. Even members of the churches become indifferent because the public conscience has ceased to react against these violations of the Moral Law; sermons against these and kindred evils they come to regard merely as gestures of propriety. St. Paul says of the Gentiles of his day, Eph. 4, 18. 19 : "Having their understanding darkened ... because of the blindness of their heart, ... being past feeling" (an'lJ.Y'I,,6u,), having lost- morally - the sense of pain. The persistent violating of their con- science by sinning has made it callous, insensible to moral pain. If you peruse the whole passage carefully, the conviction will gather strength that in cases such as described a conscience rendered imper- vious to any and all appeals of the Gospel may be indicative of the sin against the Holy Ghost - a most terrible judgment of God. Do not trifle with the voice of your conscience! Low morals nationally, as time goes on, may no longer be "viewed with alarm" or "deplored," but considered conventional and modern, while such pastors and papers as uphold the Bible views are decried as outmoded. History tells us that some heathen nations reached such a low moral stage that even the most repulsive lewdness was practised not only in secret, but in their sanctuaries. In consequence of human depravity conscience may even be made to sanction and commend this. Often the sinner who has lulled his conscience to sleep with great trouble does not want it roused, and many an excuse for not coming to hear the searching Word of God may be found to center in this fact. At times it takes the form of wanting to postpone action. When Paul "reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and Judgment to come," Felix trembled (conscience was awalmned) and answered: "Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee," Acts 24, 24 f. The voice of conscience can be drowned out,uebedoent (as our conversation is by noisy subway trains or street traffic) by the din and turmoil of dissipation, the mad clamor of passion, the loud clatter of ambitious pursuits, or by the cares of the world, the love of money, etc. But even the conscience of a whole nation may again be roused, as by the prophets of old. (Vide Jonah in Nineveh.) And the individual's dormant conscience may perhaps suddenly be shaken out of its sleep. Joseph's brothers had in the course of many years neaTly forgotten what their conscience told them about their dastardly deed at the time; but when in Egypt their conscience was shaken out of its lethargy "and they said one to another, Weare verily guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soul when 682 What Is Conscience? he besought us and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us," Gen. 42, 21. Alas, if this awakening comes too late, or if, when awaking, man permits the stern voice of conscience to drive him to despair through the wiles of the devil! A deterrent example is that of Judas. The Law should be preached in its searching severity in order that tho conscience of the sinner may be fully aroused and that he may then seek healing peace in the Gospel, which gives that peace with the holy God which the world can neither give nor take away. Hoenecke: "Durch den Glauben allein wird das bocse Gewissen ein gutes." (Dogmatilc, II, 363.) Trying to obtain this peace with God for the conscience by the works of the Law is futile. Luther: "Darum ist ein jeglich Gesetz dem Gewissen Ullmoeglich zu tragen. Das Gewissen, das darunter liegt, ist so muede und elend, will immer an den Werken hangen, kann keine Ruhe haben; je mehr es tut, je mueder es wird. Ja, es drueckt es wohl ein einig Werk, dass. ihm die Welt zu enge wird, treibt immer und sagt: 'Tu, tu, tu!' hoert nicht auf zu treiben, bis dass wir sehen durch Gottes Gnade, dass es dieses nicht tut, es muss die Gnade tun, sonst ist es nimmer getan. So wird das Herz zu- frieden, keck und kuehn auf Gott, und fallen die Werke ab, machen nicht mehr Ulll'uhe," (St. L., VIII, 1007.) A government should secure to each citizen the right to worship and live according to the dictates of his conscience. We call this religious liberty. The decree of Darius prohibiting Daniel from pray- ing' to his God was tyrannical. Naturally the exercise of this freedom of conscience has its restrictions, or limitations, in a commonwealth. Our practise of religious liberty should not trespass or infringe on the rights of others (Sunday laws). There is such a thing as a supersensitive conscience as to adi- aphora, often guided by self-conceived standards of morals. This should be corrected by way of applying the norm of God's Word. Our conscience never can be supersensit1~ve or too particular in heeding the instructions of Holy Writ. In fact, in that regard we should cultivate a conscience which reacts most readily to the sermons heard or the Scriptures read. The pastor meets with peTVerted consciences on every side be- cause of irreligious environments in which children are reared and the misleading private and public eX3mples of men or women. Hence, when urging people to attend services, we should appeal to their conscience and duty when dealing with those confirmed in our Church; but "rank outsiders" seldom have compunctions of con- science on that score, and we should be thankful if we are able to bring them into contact with the Gospel by some ulterior reason; for sometimes, as Goldsmith says in his Deserted ViZZa.ge, "fools who came to scoff remained to pray." ~ie fitc9lid)en mOtgnnge in ~eutfc9!anb, rut~etifc9 gefe~en. 683 To make the statement, There is really such a thing as con- science, seems ridiculously superflous. But in some modern books on psychology and mental science as well as by many present-day teachers of these subjects it is seriously contended that conscience, if at all recognizable, has been evolved, as an emotion, by the super- stitious religious training brought to bear on the human mind through the ages. The danger to immature minds in reading such literature or imbibing such views in the classroom is apparent; for the advice to disregard the voice of conscience suits natural tendencies, as it gives free rein to loose morals of every description. Parents, teachers, pastors, editors, have the weighty responsi- bility - among others - of molding the conscience of those coming under their influence, of making them happy for time and eternity. The Word of God must be the only guide, or one will create a warped conscience; one may fall into the serious error of pronouncing things sinful which are not, thus burdening the conscience, or of not desig- nating things sinful which the Bible condemns, which causes people to live in sins against God without being reproved by their con- science. If you control a man's conscience, you dominate him absolutely and completely. This sovereignty should be accorded only to God's Word. But we see at a glance the secret of the Oatholic priest's power over his parishioners in auricular confession, where he lords it over the consciences. Unburdening the conscience, as is done in private confession to the pastor, is a great relief. It is assumed by some that David's con- science was dormant after he had sinned against Bethsheba and Uriah, until Nathan spoke to him. It seems more probable that the man whose conscience (heart) smote him "because he had cut off Saul's skirt" and "after he had numbered the people" would have felt much uneasiness upon having fallen into such gross sins. Be- cause of court flattery and the devil's wiles he was kept from reliev- ing his pent-up emotions; but when Nathan confronted him, his prompt confession: "I have sinned against the Lord," sounds like a sigh of relief. Yonkers, N. Y. A. W.MEYER. t;!lie fitdjIidjen ~(Jtgiinge in t;!lentfdjlllnb, lutijetifdj gefe~en+ IDlit 9tedjt mitt man ben !Botgangen, bie ba§ 9teidj @otte§ un~ mit±eThar Iietiiljten, eine nodj gtotete j8ebeutung au als ben !Botgiingen bet msertgefdjidjie. ~atum luetben aIIe tuuen Euiljeranet b'e§ 2ru§~ IanM bOt aIIem fragen: msie ftefjt e§ mit bet fitdjHdjen @:niltJictrung im neuen beutfdjen @5taaie ~ ~m bergangenen @5ommet uub SJerIif± unb audj nodj im msiniet (1933-34) ltJUtien hie ~eutfdjlanb feinb~