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and in full force in the mind. In this perception of duty is 

 involved the obligation of fulfilling it, which is accompanied 

 by complacency on obedience, and by a sense of condemnation 

 and remorse on disobedience. This is not an acquired but a 

 primary faculty of our nature, and remains in active operation 

 in all but the most degraded. 



The force of this testimony to our responsibility is some- 

 times sought to be evaded by reference to the diverse decisions 

 of conscience in different persons. It should, however, be 

 remembered that this diversity in detail as to practice may, in 

 all cases, be traced to previous error as to our relations to 

 others. Thus, the ruler who has adopted the now-exploded 

 notion that he has an unlimited right, by divine donation, to 

 command his subjects after his own pleasure, and that any 

 resistance of his authority is fighting against God, will feel 

 little or no compunction in robbing or oppressing them. But 

 although such falsehood, when. taught in and from infancy, or 

 accepted from common and popular opinion, may, to a great 

 extent, pervert the judgment and dim the perception of duty, 

 yet it remains a question whether any human being can plainly 

 invade the right of others without compunction. And it is 

 certain that no man of ordinary mental capacity could adopt 

 principles and rules of action palpably in violation of the rights 

 of others without self-condemnation. 



It must also be remembered that we cannot learn the 

 decision of another man's conscience by his actions. Selfish- 

 ness, avarice, pride, and all other evil dispositions and passions 

 contend against the pure, benevolent, and just decisions of 

 conscience. We can only be directly certified concerning its 

 operation by our own experience, and thence we learn that, 

 although its decision may sometimes be silenced by the 

 clamour of passion, and at others may be set aside by the 

 fallacies of a proud or a grovelling selfishness, yet the whip 

 and the sting never fail to fall and to pierce when the voice 

 of the inward judge is disregarded. The great broad facts 

 with respect to the operation of conscience are these, it 

 perceives obligation and duty, it requires obedience to its 

 dictates, and does not fail to bless or curse as they are 

 regarded or contemned. 



It is also especially worthy of consideration that the verdict 

 and judgment of conscience are primarily in the name of, and 

 are ultimately directed to, the great Author of our being, and 

 our present Ruler. For although, in most of the cases on 

 which the judgment of conscience is recorded, the action has 

 respect immediately to our fellow-creatures, yet the judgment 

 proceeds on the assumption that, independent of and above 

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