3445. Continuation
That preacher or mentor was later examined, and at that time the first thing spoken of was conscience, that a true conscience does not exist apart from higher knowledge of faith, but he maintained that the human race was born into conscience, so that it would learn in that way what is true and good. But it was shown to him that people are not born into any higher knowledge, but are much viler than the brute animal, so that unless they received higher knowledge of truth and goodness through education, they would be much viler than the brute and thus scarcely be an animal. So they are entirely devoid of conscience, which is born from these things they believe to be true and good. Hence there also exist false and spurious consciences, that is, when one is distressed at deviations from things that are not true and good but which one only imagines to be true - such as heretics, idolaters, and others for petty reasons - in which there is nothing of evil.
But there is a true conscience when [one is distressed by] a deviation from things pertaining to the truth of faith. This conscience is absolutely not inborn with anyone, but first there must be higher knowledge. Then it is acquired, and finally given by the Lord in a way that one may sometimes not know how it comes about - just like a person who learns languages and other knowledge starting in early childhood, then he or she seems not to learn them, but they follow as if that had not been taught.
3445. CONTINUATION.
This preacher or preceptor was afterwards examined, and conversation was first had respecting conscience, that true conscience is not given without the knowledges of faith; but he would have it that the human race was born into the conscience of truth, that he might thence know what truth and good is; but it was shown, that man is not born into any knowledge, but is viler than the brute, and unless he received the knowledges of truth and good from education, would be much viler than the brutes, and scarce an animal; thus that he is altogether destitute of conscience, which is the product of those things that the man thinks true and good. Thus it happens that false and defiled consciences are given, as for instance when one is troubled on account of prevarications against those things that are not true and good, but which he only thinks to be true, and good, but which he only thinks to be true, like heretics, idolaters, and others acting from trifling considerations, in which there is nothing of evil; whereas conscience is true [when there is trouble or anxiety on account of transgressions or prevarications] against the things that are of the truth of faith. This kind of conscience is never born with man, but there are first knowledges, by which it is to be procured, and then at length it is [fully] given by the Lord, so that he may sometimes be ignorant of the causes [from which he acts], like a man who, having learnt languages and sciences from infancy, becomes at last as if he did not know them, but they follow as though they had never been acquired.
3445. Continuatio
Praedicator iste seu praeceptor postea examinatus, et primum tunc loquutum de conscientia, quod vera conscientia non detur absque cognitionibus fidei, sed voluit, quod nasceretur genus humanum in conscientiam, ut inde sciret quid verum et bonum, sed ostensum, quod homo non nascatur in aliquam cognitionem, sed multo vilius bruto, sic nisi ex educatione acciperet cognitiones veri et boni, foret brutis multo vilior, et sic vix animal: sic prorsus nulla conscientia, quae nascitur ex iis, quae putat homo verum et bonum; quare etiam dantur conscientiae falsae, et spuriae, nempe cum angitur pro praevaricationibus contra ea quae non vera et bona sunt, sed quae solum putat vera, sicut haeretici, idololatrae, et quidam ex minimis causis, in quibus nihil mali; sed vera conscientia cum contra ea quae sunt veritatis fidei: haec conscientia nequaquam nascitur cum homine, sed primum erunt cognitiones, sic comparatur, et tandem datur a Domino, sic ut quandoque nesciat causas, sicut homo qui ab infantia discit linguas et scientias, dein ea quasi non novit, sed sequuntur,