The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1888-06-23


us ALL" A good conscience never
made a coward of any man. Nor
would we use the word in strictly
philosophical sense as merely ex-
pressing an attribute of being. 1t is
such, for we know full well thatmen
hear the whisper of conscience even
prior to the adoption of a definite
faith. In matters of spiritual navi-
cation the compass is fixed before
the convqss is spreap. There are
doubtless thoroughly conscientious
men, or perhaps we had better say
those who think themselves such,
who are yet unbelievers. Paul him
self said before the counsel, in speak
ing of his own condition prior to
his conversion, that during that
time he ''lived in all good con-
science before God" But rising a
step higher we may define con-
science to be the testimony or Sc
cret judgment of the soul, giving its
appreciation to actions that are good
and reproaching it with actions that
are evil. 1t is that within us which
pronounces upon the moral charac-
ter of our actions, and which pro-
nounces upon the moral character
of our actions, and which approves
or censures, justifies or condemns us
accordingly 1t has been spoken of
as the holy of holes within us-the
sacred throne where God himself is
enshrined. But no matter what de-
finition we may adopt, we find that
it is a something born in every man.
AS soon as intelligence begins and
reason dawns, it gives evidence of
its existence. If the issue of Eden's
porbation had been other than it
was, we had never had occasion to
use in speaking of this thing, con-
science, the qualifying and qualita-
tive word "good." But now that in
ward monitor may be crushed, may
be perverted, may be bribed, may
be benumbed, and then it becomes
a bad conscience, like a will-o'-the-
wisp, leading men astray. 1t is
clearly manifest then to all, that the
very first condition to the possession
of good conscience, is enlightened
intelligence. In a sense we may
say that the conscience is kind of
intelligence but sin has filled the
mind of man with darkness, and
crowded the chamber of conscience
with the mists of guilty ignorance
Since Adam and Eve were driven
out of Paradise, mans conscience
has needed guidance and instruc-
ton, in a word, light. This is evin-
ced by the fact that it may and
often does bear false testimony, and
pronounces erroneous judgment.
Ergo the man who would possess u
good conscience must use every a.
vailable means to secure the fullest
and most accurate information in
regard to all the questions which
come up for adjudication at this
moral tribunal. Two things are to
be especially guarded against viz,
ignorance and error. Ignor-
ance OF what moral law really is
and error as to its application. The
heathen mother casting her child to
the reptiles of the Ganges in ignor-
ance of the true teachings Of the law,
and yet she is guilty Paul as he
started on his murderous errand to
Damascus was following an erring
conscious, and was alike wrong !;
and so we find too many in this our
day, wishing and willing to call
themselves by that noble name,
Christian, need instruction upon
many points relating to matters of
morals. Behind the ilimsy screen Of
ignorance or error or some other
thing equally cobwebby, they seek to
excuse themselves for the every day
petty falshoods of trade, commerce,
society and politics. But it will
not do; these things are wrong and
if men do not know so, they must
be enlightened; and to whom shall
we look for the PRONUNCIATION of this
grand work of instruction, if not to
the conscientious, Christian young
men Of America 1t appears to me
that it were high time that our
young people were aroused to the
Importance of this mission which
God seems to have committed espec-
tally to them. To make Il nation in
which every man is man of good
conscience, we must begin earlier in
our instruction in ethics, pure and
simple. As has been well said, AL
most any child in our public schools
could give Socrates lessons in geol-
ogy and physics or could instruct
Paul in a thousand things of geog-
raphy and astronomy. But such