Date: 1596

"Vnderstanding is that facultie in the soale whereby we vse reason: and it is the more principall part seruing to rule and order the whole man, and therefore it is placed in the soule to be as the wagginer in the waggin."

— Perkins, William (1558-1602)

Date: 1596

"The manner of consciences determination, is to set downe his iudgement either with the creature or against it: I adde this clause, because conscience is of a diuine nature, and is a thing placed by God in the middest betweene him and man, as an arbitratour to giue sentence and to pronounce eithe...

— Perkins, William (1558-1602)

Date: 1596

"Conscience giues testimonie by determining that a thing was done or it was not done."

— Perkins, William (1558-1602)

Date: 1596

"The minde thinks a thought, now conscience goes beyond the minde, and knowes what the minde thinks; so as if a man would go about to hide his sinnefull thoughts from God, his conscience as an other person within him, shall discouer all."

— Perkins, William (1558-1602)

Date: 1596

"In this respect [conscience] may fitly be compared to a notarie, or a register that hath alwaies the penne in his hand, to note and record whatsoeuer is saide or done: who also because he keepes the rolles and records of the court, can tell what hath bin said and done many hundred yeares past."

— Perkins, William (1558-1602)

Date: 1596

"[A]nd so Gods care to man is manifest in this, that when he created man and placed him in the worlde, he gaue him conscience to be his keeper to follow him alwaies at the heeles & to dogge him (as we say) & to pry into his actions & to beare witnesse of them all."

— Perkins, William (1558-1602)

Date: 1596

"Herein conscience is like to a Iudge that holdeth an assize and takes notice of inditements, and causeth the most notorious malefactour that is to hold up his hand at the barre of his iudgement."

— Perkins, William (1558-1602)

Date: 1596

"Nay it is (as it were) a little god sitting in the middle of mens hearts arraigning them in this life as they shall be arraigned for their offences at the tribunall seate of the euerliuing god in the day of iudgement."

— Perkins, William (1558-1602)

Date: 1599

"This Scripture [Proverbs 18:14] is not only worthie to be graven in steele with the pen of an Adamant, and to be written in letters of gold: but also to bee laid up and registred by the finger of Gods spirit in the tables of our hearts."

— Greenham, Richard (e. 1540s-1594)

Date: 1599

"have wee not a great advantage, that have within our selves while wee live here, a Count-booke and Inventorie of all the crimes that wee shall be accused of, either at the houre of our death, or at the Great day of Judgement"

— King James I (1566-1625)