Ch.43. about the conffiU,andcombate between the f efh,and fpirit may belye himfelf , but Confcience cannot dbe fo. Quell, Howmanifold i; the witnefs of Confcience ? Anfw. Twofold : Either toaccufe, or to excufe, Rom. z. t 5. To accufe for evill, to excufe by freeing from evil) unjullly laid to ones charge : the Con- fciaue accufed, foh. 8. g. St. Paula's excufed, A1. 23. I. Hence follows trouble, or peace to a mans foul, as c 2VE stth. z7.4. Rom. 5.1. cell. What ù mood Confcience ? Anfw, That Confcience is faid to be good, when it obeyeth fuch light, and di- re&ion, as it doth think, and take tobe true and found light, and dire&ion, Ail. 23. I. Quefl. How many things concurre to make up a good Confcience ? Rnfw. Firfl, thematter whereupon it worketh, which is a conformity in the l2 whole man to the whole will ofGod : Gods will made known to man, is mans rule , whereunto all his thoughts ,, words and a&ions ought to be con- formed. Secondly, The proper a&of it , where this matter is to be found , the Conference will beare witnefs , and give a true teflimonie there- unto. Thirdly,The Confequence followinb thereupon, which is peace, and quietnefs to the foul. Such a good Confciencewasperfe& inmans innocency : but by his fall it was clean loll, and became an evill confcience. For Gen.6.5. Quell. How doth an ev illCnfcieezce»oilc in theproper workjhereof? Anfm. Sometimes in deft& : Sometimes in an excefs. I. In the defe&when it iuffers a man to run into all evill , and doth neither check, nor trouble him for the fame. Called a feared confcience, I Tim. e. a. In the excels, when it doth fo out of meafure trouble him, as it takes away all hope ofpardon, and hinders found and crue repentance : yea, and makes his life a burden to himfelf: So'3odaa's, Match.27. 3,4, 5. Hence, Ifni. 57. 20, 2I. Quell. What muff concurre to the renovation of Confcience, and making it coed ? Anfw. Fill}, Faith inLord Jefus Chrifl, whereby the Confcience is purged, andpurified fromthe naturali defilement which it had, Heb, 9.14. Hencewe are exhorted, fhb. to. 22. to draw near with a pure heart, crc, Secondly, A fan&ified work of the Spirit, whereby the heart is alienated from fin , and made watchful' a«ainll is : and withall it is put on to conform it felfto theholyWill ofGod : wîichconformity being true, and entire , without hypocrifie, moveth the Confcience to bear witnefs thereunto, Rom.g,1. 2 Cor. LIZ. This is ailed pureConfcience, I Tim.3.g. 2 Tim,I.3. and a Confcience void ofoffence, A&. 24.56. Quell. What then/Invmans fall is countedagoadConfeience f Anfie. Fiat, That which giveth a true teflimony of a mans Faith in Chrill, for the pardon of his fins, and reconciliation with God, hieb, Io. 22. Secondly, Which bears witnefs to hisconformity in the whole man to the holywill OfGod in all manner of duties toGod and man, Aft.24.i6. particular. fy, and fpecially in thofe duties which belong to his particular calling, whereof he is togive an efpeciall account, Matt.25.2I. Thirdly , That which worketh peace, and quiet in the foul , Rom. S. I: aCor. I. 12. Dr. douseofi Heb.l3.4.4d1it3 What other definitions may hegiven ofConfcience ? Anfm., 411 `` f bw-}l - I el. I 2, IL 3.
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