This distinction however, has not been clearly seen and so there has been much confusion both outside the Church and within it. Many suppose that a Christian is identical with a righteous man, who has no vice, as we say, and does no harm, and so long as he is respectable it does not matter if {he is gloomy, mean, sour or cold. i There is actually a-type of Chureti manship that reinforces pride. But according to the New Testament a man who is merely righteous is in a position of real need and even peril.
It is not enough for a Christian to be on good terms with his conscience. Conscience is an important factor of course: it is the making of a righteous man, but it certainly is not the secret of a Christian. The moral authority for a Christian is not conscience but Christ.
Let us look more closely at the claim and at the limits of conscience. Again and again in history it has proved to be a source of tremendous moral strength. Let me remind you of two of the most famous instances. In all Greek and Roman wars no enemy was found more stalwart in defence than the Jew. In the great oratorio Judas Maccabeus Handel has celebrated one of the most heroic episode of history. "Arm, arm ye brave, a noble cause demands your zeal.' That was the spirit. It was a heroism based on conscience—the valour of the right-cons man.
Another notable display of conscience, and more interesting to us was made by the pioneers of New England 300 years ago. The spirit of adventure was strong in those days, but the voyage of the Mayflower showed a power-of endurance beyond al] others because it was sustained by conscience.
Men who make a conscience of what they do are often criticized, but the criticism counts for little when it comes from those who are lacking the insight, feeling and judgment by the exercise of which life grows rich in spiritual values,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.