Quefiions,andCafes of Conscience Chap.43 fore fin is cöminitted toprevent it : but it feldome Both it till the fin be com- mitted , when God is dishonoured, and when guilt is contra&ed, and then alfo it acteth , not fo much under God to bring about true peace, by repentance,.and faith, as the Devil; iníirument, to bring to defpair,andfo from one fin to fall into a greater ; as we fee in Judas. Secondly; it difcoversits pollutions by flavifh and tormenting fears whichdo accompany it : So that whereasthe proper workof confcience is by Scripture- light to direct to Christ for healing , nowon the contrary chefwounds do fe- ller, and corrode more : the confcienceby feelingguilt runs into moreguilt: So Adam when he had finned, Was afraid of God, and ran to hide himfelf: Now this reproaches the goodneffe and mercy dfGod, that we fhould have :fuch hard thoughts of him : theyoppofe his grace and mercy whichhe intends to exalt in the pardon of fin. Thirdly, this troubled confcience difcovers the pollution of it by the prone- neffe, and readinefs in it-to receive all the impreffions , and impulfes of the De- vil ; who endeavours to heighten the trouble : So that whereas before he tempt- ed the fecure to prefumption, now he tempts the troubled confcience todefpair, reprefenting God as fo fevere that he never pardons fuch tranfgreffions , &c. Thus he wrought upon thetroubled confcience of Cain and 3udas. Fourthly, its polluted by that ignorance, and incapacity in knowing what is our trtieChrillian liberty purchafed by ChrifLindeed the true do&rineof Chriflian liberty was one of the greatest mercies brought to the Church in the firft reforma- tion :but the notion ofChriflian libertymay loon be abufedto profanefs:And con- fcience fmitten for fin, is many times prone to ftretch its obligations beyond the due line: they judge fuch to be fins as are none ; they make dutieswhere God hath not required : This is a fcrupulous confcience fo called , becaufe as little Clones in the fhooe hindersour- going,10 doth the fcrupulous confcience much annoy our Chriflian walking : and is when one Dog barks, he fets all the Dogs in theTown a barking , fo one fcruple begets another in. infinitum, which makes a man very unferviceable , and nis life very uncomfor- table. Again, from the blindneifeof a troubled confcience cometh alfo the fad, and great doubtingsupon the heart, whereby the foul is difira&ed, and divided : pul- led this way , and haled that way.,Rom.i4.r4,&c. Paul fpeaking at large about a doubtingconfcience,fhews that itsa damnable thing to do any thingdoubtin lywhether it be a fin or not. A doubting confcience is more then fcrupulous; for a man maygo again!} a fcrupulous confcience, becaufe the confcience is refolved for the main , that a man may do fuch a thing lawfully , only he bath force fears, and jealoufies moving him to the contrary : But a doubting confci- ence is when arguments arenot clear, buta man Bands as it were at the endof twowayes, andknows not what to do. Now if the confcience werewell inform- ed byGods Word, it would not be fubje& to fuçhdiftra&ing doubts, but through natural blindnefs its oftenat a {land. Laflly,'it becomes from a fcrupulous doubting confcience, a perplexed con- fcience fo enfnared'that what way fo ever it takes , he cannot but finne. As Paul thought himfelf bound to perfecute the Chriftians , if he did it , it was plaine that he finned , ifhe did it not, be thought he finned. Indeed the Cafuijts fay, non data:-cafe; perplexes there cannot be any cafe wherein there is aneceffi- ry offinning, becaufe a man is bound to remove the error upon his confcience, yet the ignorance and blindnelíe ofman brings him; often into that perplexed efiate. Fifthly, there is aproneneffe in fuch a confcience to ufe all unlawful meanes, and toapply falfe Remedies for the removal of this trouble, Sixthly, there is anopenand dire&oppófition CO what is the true evangelical
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