all these things, and declares that they are bad, displeasing to God, and worthy of
punishment. So also Conscience approves of righteousness, truth, sincerity, mercy,
kindness, purity, justice, and all other acts which men everywhere agree to term good and
well pleasing to the Most High God and deserving of reward from the treasury of His
bounty.
Hence it is evident that the True Revelation must accord with and give authority to the
voice of Conscience, since the things which Conscience declares to be evil and unjust and
displeasing to God and deserving of punishment must be condemned by that Revelation, if it
be true and be from God the Creator of mankind and the Implanter of Conscience in man's
breast. Similarly the True Revelation, because it comes from the Just Judge of all the
earth, must approve of the things approved of by Conscience. It is not possible that the
Word of God (كلام
الله) should contradict the Conscience which He has given us as our guide. On
the contrary, such a Revelation must confirm the decrees of Conscience with all the
authority of a Divine Message, lest perchance men should be led to mistake their feeble
Judgement for their Conscience, or should be drawn away to sin and destruction by the
allurements of this transitory world and the temptations of the flesh and the Devil.
III. Since Conscience, throned in man's spirit, declares that God Most High is Just and
Holy, the friend and rewarder of the good but the punisher of evildoers, therefore the
True Revelation must undoubtedly reveal Him as possessed of these very attributes. And as
Conscience urges men to the acquisition of goodness and purity, so must the True
Revelation also draw men towards this noble goal, so that they may become pure and holy in
thought, word, and deed, internally and externally, because God Most High is Holy and
loves Holiness in His creatures.
IV. Reason declares that God is one, and all the
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