Walther on an erring conscience (Der Lutheraner 1872)

      When I ran across this short blurb by Walther, I wanted to read it because the subject of our conscience is widely misunderstood.  And Walther, also Luther, sets us straight on how our conscience can go wrong.  It also provides the means with which we may defend ourselves against an erring conscience, in ourselves and in others.  From Der Lutheraner, volume 29 p. 174 (August 15, 1873, No. 22) [EN], underlining is Walther's emphasis:

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Fabricated conscience.

When, in 1526, the priests of the Altenburg Abbey did not want to publish their false divine service because it would be against their “conscience”, but also “they refused to prove their conscience and conduct with Scripture, or to let themselves be instructed”, but rather declared that “they did not want to engage in Scriptural disputation, but rather to remain in their established custom, as proven by the Christian Church”, Luther wrote: “In this way they bear sufficient witness against themselves that they fabricate such consciences and use them only as a pretense. For a right good conscience does and desires nothing better than that it may hear the instruction of the Scriptures and dispute its matters with the Scriptures”. (XXI, 147 [§ 3] [St. L. 21a, 837]) — What those papal priests once did, many still do even now who want to be good Lutherans. If something is against their own will, they are quick with the pious speech that it is against their conscience. But whoever says this and yet does not want to let his conscience be told by the Word of God, shows clearly enough that he is only pretending to have a conscience. But this is a great sin, because such men pass their old Adam off as God's voice. W. [Walther]”

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      I recall in my past that I was quite guilty of a "fabricated conscience" and "only pretending to have a conscience", not realizing that my unbelief was blocking the way to a good conscience — I was not listening to God's Word.