1. Prefatory Note
PREFATORY NOTE
T he following brief discourses are taken from the 1721 folio edition of John Owen's sermons, where they were intentionally grouped together. These messages were originally delivered in church gatherings focused on prayer and mutual encouragement among believers, and they address a specific area of Christian living.
The subject at hand is casuistry—the theological study of conscience, especially how to resolve moral and spiritual questions when the right course of action is unclear. Although this field of study has fallen into disfavor in more recent times, it once held an important place in the Church.
Its decline is largely due to how it was misused by the Jesuits in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, who turned it into a tool for justifying unethical behavior. Critics came to describe casuistry as "the art of quibbling with God," and Blaise Pascal famously condemned this abuse in his Provincial Letters through sharp wit and critique.
Yet during the Reformation, Protestant theologians—while approaching the subject with very different goals—also gave considerable attention to this discipline. Mayer, a Lutheran theologian (1650–1712), cataloged a wide range of authors on casuistry across Calvinist, Lutheran, and Roman
Catholic traditions. In England, it was seriously pursued by respected church leaders. Bishop Robert Sanderson wrote Cases of Conscience and Lectures on the Obligation of Conscience. Jeremy Taylor's Ductor
Dubitantium is another widely recognized work in the field. Likewise, Richard Baxter's Christian Directory and the popular Cases of Conscience by Pike and Hayward reflect this tradition. A lesser-known Latin volume,
Therapeutica Sacra by David Dickson—a Scottish theologian in the mid1600s—also explores these themes. Several volumes of The Morning
Exercises are likewise devoted to the resolution of conscience-related questions.
Of course, casuistry has its dangers. It can lead to over-introspection or weaken moral conviction if handled poorly. Yet every faithful pastor will, at times, be called upon to help tender consciences navigate difficult spiritual questions. In the hands of the best Reformed theologians, casuistry wasn't about splitting hairs—it was about applying biblical wisdom to real-life struggles of faith and obedience. Even the apostle Paul gave careful pastoral guidance to believers dealing with conscience-related dilemmas, such as whether to eat food sacrificed to idols.
It would be unfortunate if modern suspicion toward this field kept readers from engaging with Owen's thoughtful and deeply spiritual treatment of it.
His mind was far too disciplined and Christ-centered to indulge in useless speculation or abstract moralizing. These discourses are intensely practical and rich in spiritual wisdom. They will be treasured by all who long for a
faith that is more than surface-deep, and for a Christianity that lives and breathes in the heart—not just in outward forms.
Owen's own emphasis is summed up in a profound line from one of these addresses:
"Suppose we resolve with great earnestness, diligence, and watchfulness to continue in spiritual duties and to guard our hearts—as we must. Yet, if in doing so we neglect to frequently exercise faith in Christ as the source of our life, we will still wither spiritually, no matter how diligent or disciplined we become."
—Editor