National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-10-27
METROPOLITAN M. 4. CHURCH.


The pastor, Rev. DR.. Tiffany, preached
from the first cpistlo to Timothy, iii;0,
Holding the mystery OF the faith In pure
conscience" and the burden OF the discourse
was to make clear the idea that the mystery
Of the faith" could only be held by q con-
science divinely Illuminated and purified. Re-
fcrring to LIST Timothy, lilo, he spoke Of
the "falth and good conscience" therein
mentioned rs personal graces, faith being
there used for the active principle In the in.
dividual by which he apprehends the truth
which conscience indorses as truth, 1. c. ss
being In accord with his moral instincts.
But in the text the mystery of the faith"
refers TO things revealed to faith, the system
embraced, and not the personal faith en-
bracing 1t. So the good conscience Of the
one passage was the moral sense acting In Its
normal methods, approving or rejecting
things presented to Its scrutiny and judy
ment, while the pure conscience" OF the
text was one which had become pure by
spiritual processes Of cleansing. A good
conscience Is q natural endowment; pure
conscience Is spiritual gift. 1t may be diff
hcult to explain this distinction, but We may
approach II by inspecting the ordinary action
and functions Of conscience.
As commonly used, this term does not sig
nifty so much the moral sense as the moral
sense In action-the perception by II Of moral
qualities In things brought under Its scrutiny.
Conscience Is the assertion or indication Of
Judgment pronounced on moral qualities.
Back Of this assertion or indication there is the
tribunal passing decision, on which are seated
the powers that make the decision which
conscience declares, asserts, indicates. Con-
science makes ever some indication Of right
ness or wrongness, but the indication or as
sertion which IL makes Is not infalhble, since
II depends on culture and Judgment, and ID
modified by education and the elements OF
personal character. Conscience Is the indi-
wrong OF things, but our Judgment may be at
fault. The hands of clock will indicate
some hour on the dial, but the correctness Of
the hour Indicated will be controlled by the
perfection Of the works Of the clock.
BY keeping such distinctions In mind we
arc able 10 explain such phenomena as fire.
quently present themselves to us. Such rs
the action OF men, under the guidance Of con-
science, In doing things that are clearly and
Enthusiastically wrong. As when Saul thought
that he "yeriy ought" TO persecutc the early
Christians, he was impclled 10 IL by his con-
science, but the persecution was palpable
wrong His conscience indicated the result
OF his Jewish education and sectarlan bigotry.
He was honest In obeylng his conscience,
though his conscience indicated faulty
judgment. In his case, when his Judgment
had been corrected by divine Illumination,
the same faculty, conscience, Indicated that
he fought" TO take part with, Instead OF
against, the early followers Of Christ.
This statement being true II is easy for us
to comprehend why divine things, or things
spiritual, must be spiritually discerned-why
the natural conscience sufficient for the
regulation and control Of the natural life,
maj mi he adeunatp for the uppislOls lffccl-
isg spiritual llfoi Why pure conscience Is