Conscience is the root of all true courage if a man would be brave let him obey his conscience.

Clarke links bravery to moral integrity rather than temperament or physical fearlessness. “Conscience” here functions as an inner moral compass: when a person acts in accordance with what they believe is right, they gain a steadiness that can withstand danger, social pressure, or personal loss. The quote also implies that cowardice often stems less from lack of strength than from divided motives—knowing the right course but shrinking from its costs. In Clarke’s liberal Christian moral vision, courage is therefore not an exceptional heroic trait but a practical outcome of ethical obedience: to be brave, align action with conviction.