The text discusses the concept of guilt and innocence, particularly in the context of conscience and judgment. It argues that sin affects the faculties of the soul but does not completely remove one's awareness or conscience. It also notes the importance of distinguishing between conscience, will, and judgment in the study of human figures.
The Images of Man, etc.
It often shows guilt or innocence. Yes, a criminal will find great reason for innocence, or even find himself free from blame in his conscience concerning a grave crime, and thus deem himself unpunishable, or at least complain to the Superior and under Judge, because he has had to live according to a law with a conscience that has not faithfully been able to make him aware of good or evil or what he did; where does that lead? It is commonly said; All the faculties of the soul are corrupted by sin. And therefore also the conscience; We answer; sin has not taken away the essence of the conscience that consists in an awareness with our mind; Otherwise, there would be no conscience at all. And since the soul can be understood as little without awareness as without thinking, it follows at least that the conscience has retained its full essence and properties. For although the judgment and the will can err, and sometimes err without in any way preventing the judgment, therefore there is no judgment, and the will is not a will; however, one cannot say that of the conscience, because the wandering of the conscience would completely take away the conscience, and make it no longer an awareness. Therefore we must consider it of a different nature than the will and judgment. Our work is not to stray too far outside the scope of figure studies in pointing out how easily the disputes and teachings given to us in the writings of the holy authors about the conscience can be explained.
Examine how far the faculties of the soul are corrupted.
Translation Notes:
"Mensch-kunde" is translated as "figure studies."