"Because he that endeavours to keep a good Conscience and hath an honest mind, besides that he will inquire after his duty sufficiently, he will be able to tell very much of it himself: for God will assist him, and cause that his own mind shall tell him more than seven Watchmen that sit in a Tower; and if he miss, he is next to an excuse, and God is ready to pardon him: and therefore in what sect of Christianity soever any man is ingaged, if he have an honest heart and a good Conscience, though he be in darkness, he will find his way out, or grope his way within; he shall be guided, or he shall be pardon'd; God will pity him, and find some way for his remedy; and, if it be necessary, will bring him out."
— Taylor, Jeremy (bap. 1613, 1667)
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed by R. Norton for R. Royston
Date
1660, 1676
Metaphor
"Because he that endeavours to keep
a good Conscience and hath an honest mind, besides that he will inquire after his duty sufficiently, he will be able to tell very much of it himself: for God will assist him, and cause that his own mind shall tell him more than seven Watchmen that sit in a Tower; and if he miss, he is next to an excuse, and God is ready to pardon him: and therefore in what sect of Christianity soever any man is ingaged, if he have an honest heart and a good Conscience, though he be in darkness, he will find his way out, or grope his way within; he shall be guided, or he shall be pardon'd; God will pity him, and find some way for his remedy; and, if it be necessary, will bring him out."
Metaphor in Context
The multiplication also of Laws and Ceremonies of Religion does exceedingly multiply questions of practice ; and there were among the Jews, by reason of their numerous rites many more than there were at first among the Christians.
For we find the Apostles only exhorting to humility, to piety towards parents, to obedience to magistrates, to charity and justice ; and the Christians who meant well understood well, and needed no books of Conscience but the Rule, and the Commandment. But when Error crept in, Truth became difficult and hard to be understood: and when the Rituals of the Church and her laws became numerous, then Religion was hard to be practised: and when Men set up new interests,
then the laws of Conscience were so many, that as the laws of
the old Romans,
--------verba minantia fixo
Aere legebantur--------
which at first were nailed in a brass-plate upon a wall, became at last so numerous and filled so many volumes, that their very Compendium made a large digest ; so are these too many to be considered, or perfectly to be understood; and therefore either they must be cut off by simplicity and an honest heart, and contempt of the World, and our duty must look for no measures but love and the lines of the easy Commandment, or else we can have no peace and no security. But with these there is not only collateral security, but very often a direct wisdom. Because he that endeavours to keep a good Conscience and hath an honest mind, besides that he will inquire after his duty sufficiently, he will be able to tell very much of it himself: for God will assist him, and cause that his own mind shall tell him more than seven Watchmen that sit in a Tower; and if he miss, he is next to an excuse, and God is ready to pardon him: and therefore in what sect of Christianity soever any man is ingaged, if he have an honest heart and a good Conscience, though he be in darkness, he will find his way out, or grope his way within; he shall be guided, or he shall be pardon'd; God will pity him, and find some way for his remedy; and, if it be necessary, will bring him out.
(pp. xv)
--------verba minantia fixo
Aere legebantur--------
which at first were nailed in a brass-plate upon a wall, became at last so numerous and filled so many volumes, that their very Compendium made a large digest ; so are these too many to be considered, or perfectly to be understood; and therefore either they must be cut off by simplicity and an honest heart, and contempt of the World, and our duty must look for no measures but love and the lines of the easy Commandment, or else we can have no peace and no security. But with these there is not only collateral security, but very often a direct wisdom. Because he that endeavours to keep a good Conscience and hath an honest mind, besides that he will inquire after his duty sufficiently, he will be able to tell very much of it himself: for God will assist him, and cause that his own mind shall tell him more than seven Watchmen that sit in a Tower; and if he miss, he is next to an excuse, and God is ready to pardon him: and therefore in what sect of Christianity soever any man is ingaged, if he have an honest heart and a good Conscience, though he be in darkness, he will find his way out, or grope his way within; he shall be guided, or he shall be pardon'd; God will pity him, and find some way for his remedy; and, if it be necessary, will bring him out.
(pp. xv)
Categories
Provenance
Reading
Citation
Taylor, Jeremy. Ductor Dubitantium, or, The Rule of Conscience in all her General Measures Serving as a Great Instrument for the Determination of Cases of Conscience. London: Printed by R. Norton for R. Royston, 1676. <Link to EEBO>
Date of Entry
01/11/2010
