1240. There are spirits who constitute these provinces and who appear almost directly above the middle of the head, at a medium distance. It is their nature to stir up and slip into a person qualms of conscience, so to speak, in any matters where some doubt occurs regarding something they think ought to be done, and thus would be a sin [to leave undone].
They do this in very many instances, and thereby burden the conscience in matters which should not burden them. There are a lot like this in the world, called the "conscientious," but what true conscience is, they do not very well know, for everything that comes along they make a matter of conscience.
For example, if someone travels to foreign countries and spends his money on very expensive articles, then they would burden his conscience with this single objection, that by doing this he deprives his country of his wealth, which ought, however, to remain within it. They do the same in numerous other cases. And once such a scruple has been raised as a premise, supporting arguments to weigh down upon this false conscience are never lacking.
True conscience, opposed to this reasoning, says that if he did not spend the money, the conscience would really be burdened, as all would admit if they knew [the facts]; likewise, if the conscientious doubt is raised about someone spending money for the most useful purposes, yet in doing so depriving the heirs of it, to [whose interests], seen from a legal standpoint, the person must be dedicated. And there are countless similar cases.
People who were of this nature during their life, in the other life make up that province. When they are present, they constantly weigh down the conscience with qualms of this kind, even to the point of causing grief. And because they only take into consideration the factors that support their objections, they regard causes of the greatest usefulness, which ought to outweigh them, as nothing.
1240. There are spirits who constitute these provinces, and they appear almost directly above the middle of the head, at a middle distance. These spirits raise scruples of conscience as it were, and insinuate them into man with regard to matters about which something doubtful occurs which they suppose to be a duty, and so [charge him with] sin in many things; thus they burden the conscience with matters with which it should not be burdened. There are many such in the world, and they are called the "conscientious", for what a true conscience is they do not know, but make everything that happens a matter of conscience. Thus, for example, if someone travels to a foreign country and there spends his money on things of great value, they can then burden his conscience by this scruple alone, that he is thus depriving his country of his wealth, which nevertheless ought to remain there. So in very many other instances. When such a scruple has been assumed as a proposition, confirmations and further burdenings are never lacking to this quasi conscience. When there is a true conscience it is opposed to those reasonings; for if that person did not spend his money, his conscience would most certainly be burdened as all would confess, if they knew [the circumstances]. So in like manner it might be called into conscientious doubt whether one may spend money on matters of very great utility, since the heirs, who as it appears according to law ought to be protected, are thereby deprived of it, besides innumerable like cases. Those who are such during their life, in the other life constitute that province, and when they are present they continually burden the conscience with such scruples, even to the extent of causing pain; and because they only consider things which strengthen their scruples, they esteem matters of the greatest usefulness which ought to out-weigh them as nothing.
1240. Sunt qui has provincias constituunt, et apparent supra medium caput directe feree ad mediam distantiam, qui 1
tales sunt, quod scrupulos quasi conscientiae movent, et insinuant homini, in rebus, in quibus aliquid dubii offenditur, quod putant esse debitum, et sic peccatum, in permultis, et sic gravant conscientiam, in iis, in quibus non gravandi sunt, quorum similes plures sunt in mundo, et vocantur conscientiosi, nam quid vera conscientia, non ita sciunt, sed in omni, quod obvenit, ponunt conscientiam, sicut exempli causa, si quis in exteras regiones proficiscitur, et opes suas impendit rebus magni pretii, tunc gravare possunt conscientiam et solo isto scrupulo, quod patria sic opibus ejus privetur, quae tamen ibi remanere debent; sic in perplurimis aliis, nam posito tali scrupulo ut thesi, nunquam desunt confirrantia et sic gravantia, quasi conscientiam, cum vera conscientia sit, ratiociniis istis opposita, quod si non impenderet, gravatur omnino conscientia, sicut omnes, si nossent, confiterentur; similiter, si in dubium conscientiae vocetur, quod opes sic impendat rebus maximae utilitatis, et tamen sic priventur haeredes iis, quibus {a} secundum legem, ut apparet, devinctus erit; praeter innumera similia; qui tales in vita sunt, ii in altera vita provinciam istam constituunt, et continue, dum adsunt, conscientiam similium gravant, et quidem usque ad dolorem; et quia expendunt modo affirmantia sui scrupuli 2
, nihili aestimant utilitates summas, quod eae praeponderent.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has distantiam; qui
2. The Manuscript has scrupili