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tie

tife

of

Cenfcie

ce.

If

men

corrrriand

us

ag3iní}

the

word

of

God,

we

know

their

authcritie

is

the

ordinance

of

God

;

and

therefore

if

they go

beyond

that,

they do

not bind

us in

cosifcience.

If

God

had

not bound

us

in

conteience

to him,

others

might

ha'e

taken

it

ill if

we

fhould

not obey

them

:

but

now what

caute have

others

to think

ill

of

us

?

What

folly

were it

in us

to

fcek

to

plcaafe

men and

to

diipleafe

God

?

If

we

were at libcrtie,

then

we

might chooic

whom

we

would

obey

:

but

tow

we

are

bound unto

God,

and muff

be

obedient

unto

God,

whatever

j

men

command to

the contrarie, let

us

do

it

therefore

with chear-

fulneife. By

this we

Chew

our

fubmitTion

to

God

;

by this

we

fatisfic confcience

,

which being

bound unto

God

cloth

con-

tinually

urge us

to

obey

him.

Why

fhould

we

omit part

of

the

exaónefle

of

our

obedience

which

the

word

of

God

loth

?

require

?

We

have more

to

do

then ever we

(hall

be able

to

perform

:

we fhould

therefore

be

carefull

to do

all

chat

we

may.

By

our

obedience

to

God

in

this kind

we convince the

conscience

of

others

of

our

uprightneffe

towards

God

:

Though

through

the over

-

ruling

dominion

of

their lufts

8c

pafflons

they

rage

at

us, and

their

mouths

(peak evil

of

us, yet

we may have

an

evidence in their confciences

within which may

teftifie for

us

:

their

confciences

will

whifper

Nvith

them, Surely

they

do

well

to

pleafe

God

rather

then

mess

:

their

confciences"

will

be

on

onr

tide,

though their actions and tongues

be

againft us.

We

have

a

notable

example

of

this

Aas

4.

i ç,

ad.

When

the

pliers

of

the

Jews

had

threatned

the Apoffles, and had

reviled

them

With

many bitter words, and had bidden them

,o

a(de

for

a

while, then they concluded among themfelves,

Surely

an

evident

fgne

is

done

br

them,

,tnd

we cannot

deny

it

So

that

their' eontctences

acquitted them

for

good men.

So

when the wicked of this

world

have

token

evil

of

the

wages

of

the

'righteous, and blafphenied

the

holy name

after which

they are

named

:

yet when they

are

alone, and

their

confci

-.

ences

at

counfel

within

therntelves,

thin

they conclude,

In-

deed

.they

do'

sell.

Thus

their

confciences

_ive

a

good

evi"

dente

of

us;

°and'accule

them

for

not

doing

the

like.'

And

Ii2

thus