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: 1606

"There is a ground or principle written in every mans heart in the world, none excepted, that there is a God."

— Perkins, William (1558-1602)

Date: 1611

The law of nature is "written in the hearts of all men"

— Sclater, William (bap. 1575, d. 1627)

Date: 1627

A sinner cannot deny his sins, "being convinced by two evidences against which there can bee no exception, the booke of the Law, & the booke of his owne Conscience, the one shall show him what he should have done, & the other what he hath done."

— Hakewill, George (bap. 1578, d. 1649)

Date: 1627

"[A]gainst the book of the Law, hee shal be able to speake nothing, his Conscience telling him that the commaundements of the Lord are pure and righteous altogether: and for the booke of Conscience, against that he cannot possibly except, it being always in his owne keeping."

— Hakewill, George (bap. 1578, d. 1649)