Q_Whether meus Laws bind the C01ifcience. you. Nothing is well done, rfpecia\ly of fo high· a nature as this, which is not done for God"and Heaven, and which the CrownofGlmy is not the motive to. I have purpofcly been the larger on this fubject, becaufc the times in which we live require it ~oth for the fetling of fame, and for the confuting the faife accufations of others, who would per~ fw,de the world that our dollrine is nut what it is : when through the finful practices of fome the way ot truth is evll fpokCJl of, 2 Pet. 2. 2. ' Tit 1. .A"juller rejolutio11 of the Cafes, 1. Whether tl1e Laws ofnm1 do bind the · Co11{cience : 1. Efpecial~ jmaller and Penal La1vs ? THe word [ Confcience J Ggnificth either ,.In general according to the notation of the word, The knowledge of our own matters; Confcire; The1tnowledge of our fclvcs, our duties, our flu!ts our fears, our hopes, our difeafcs, &c. 2. Or more limitedly and narrowly, The ~oTVledgt uf our[elve; and ()Hr own matter J ill relation. to Goti1 Law and Judgement : Judidum hominis de {tip{o prout [ubjici· tur jHdicio Dei, as Ameji1M defineth it. . l· Gmfcienct is taken, r. Sometime for the Ali of felf-l{nowing: 2. Sometime for the Habit: 3· Sometime for the Faculty, that is, for the Intellect it fclf, as it is a faculty of felf·knowing. In all thcfe fenfes it is taken properly. 2. And fomctimes it is ufcd ( by cu!lome) improperly , for the Perfon himfdf, that doth Confcire; or for his WiU, (another faculty ). 3 The Con[cienct may be faid to be hound, I· Subje{lively, as thefubjellum quod, or the faculty oh· liged; 2· Or Objcllivcly, as Confcire, the Act of Confcicnce, is the thing ad quod, to which we are obliged. And upon thtfe necdl'uy dininctions I thus anfw<r to the firll qudlion. P"P· 1. TheAll or the HJbit of Co>~fcience are not capable of being the fubje{l obfiLed; no more than any other.all or duty : The A{I or duty is not bound, but the manro the •ll or duty. 2· The F.~culty or }Hdgemcnt is not capable of being the Object or Materia ad quam, the thing·to which we are bound. A man is not bound to be a man , or to have an lnttlleli, but. is made fuch . 3· The Faculry of Confcimce ( that is the Intellect ) is not capab!t of being the immediate or ne.arefl fubjellum q"od, or fubject obliged. The reafon is, Becaufe the Intellect of it felf is not a frec·rrorkjng f.Jculty, but ad-eth ntceffarily ptr modum nature, further than it is under the Empire of the Will: And therefore InreUellual and Mor•l habits are by all men dillinguilhed. 4· All Legal or Moral Obligation falleth dirtctly upon the WiU·only; and fo upon the Ptrfim as a Voluntary agent : So that it is proper to fay, The 1Pill i.f bound, and The Perfon if bound. 5· Improperly and remotely it may be faid, The Intellect (or faculty ofConfcienee ) is bound, or the tongue, or hand, or foot is bound; as the Man is bound to ufe them. 6. Though it be not proptr to fay, that the Confcience is bound, it is proper to f1y, that the Man is bound w the Ail and Habit of Confcicnce, ot eo the exercife of the faculty. ' 7· Ths common meanir.g of rhe phrafc, that we are [bound in confr:ieuce J or that [ confcience i1 bowtd J is that [we ore bound to atiJing by Goo,] or -[ by aDivine obligation J and that it is [ afin agai.njt God UJ violate it]: So that Div~nes ufe here tO take-the word Con{cience in the narrower The– ological fcnl<, as rtjpe{) toGod.J Law and Judgement doth enter the definition of ir. 8. Taking Confcience in this nanower fcofc, To ask, Whubtr,mans Law as Mans do bind IH in Confti• ~~~,t~~~ enct, is all one llS ro ask} Whether Man be God. Cont1overlie ~ in m}' Lift of raFtb, :1s an eafie thing, in which. I thought we were really agreed, ~hile we feemed to d~ffer, whi.ch_ I called A piti{irl caf~, fcrue Brethreo ( ""ho fay no•hing•0111;21nft the truth ~ wh&t 1 fa1d) are oflended .u me a~ fpeak1ng to~ conhdeml)', :t~d cllling rh 2 t fo ealie which U 1 lllop 5tt~dr,joll ard fo many oth~rs d1d make a grearer matter of: I retraCt the words, 1f they be unfult– t01bic eith<r to the matter or the Readen: But :u to the matter :u~d the truth of the word!, I defire the Re:tder bur to confider how e 1 11e a caf~ Mr. P. tD2keth of ir ECd. Pot. and ho~ heinow a matter be nukcth of our foppofed diffent: And tf afrtr :tU th1s, it !h.11l appear, that the No'l.·COil/o-rMjft; do ncr ~t all cliffer from Ho~J~tr, Bil{o·: :tnd. the genculit~ of t~e Co»[ormiflJ in _rh is point, let hin} thlt_ is willing tO bt> r(1Jr&n!ed a~ odtous .1nd Intolerable ro. Rultn 2Sifl to m:~.nkJnd, for that 1n whiCh we do not dJffer, proceed to backbtte Jflt: for f:oying tb;;.t it is a pitifl! c.z{l; and pretendmg that we are agreed. 9 • And takir.g Confcience in the large or General fcnfc, to a;k whether Mam Laws bind us in Co>t· fciwcr, fubjedwely, is to ask whether they bind the Vnderjianding to know our duty to man? And the ttnour of them will Chew that : While they bind u!l to an outward Act, or from an outward Act, it is the man that they bind to or from that aU, and that is, as he is aRational Voluntary Agent : {o that a humane obligation is laid upon the Man, on the WiU, and on tbe InoeUca by humane LiWS. . 1 o. And humane Laws while they bind us 10 or frnm an outward All: , do thmby biod us as Ra· tional.jrte agems, .\nowingfyw cboofe or rt{H[t thofe aCts: No~ can ~ ~aw which is a Morallnfir~· ment any otherw\le bind the hand, foot or tongue, but by fnfi bJPdJng us to choofe or rt/•fe tt l{nowitJgl)~,
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