to the Reader. ix ately judge the confcience, nor know they the ferret motions thereof; and finally, becaufe he can only inflid fpiritual punifhment on the finning confcience. All the laws and commands of men, in whatever capacity, are only obligatory of the confcience mediately, indire&ly, and confequentially, viz. in fo far as they are confiftent, compliant and agreeable with the laws and commands of the abfolutely fupreme Lawgiver, or not repugnant thereunto : For certainly he hath not given a difpenfation to any power on earth, civil or ecclefiaftick, to counter- mand his commands, or to enjoin obedience to commands contrary to, or inconfiftent with, his own ; whofe com- mands are immediately and inviolably binding of the confciences of fuperiors and magifrates, tho' the greateft Monarchs on earth, as well as of inferiors and fubje&s, all without exception being inferiors and fubje &s to him : Yet fuch laws of men as do either preis or declare the commands and law of God, and make for the confervation and obfervation thereof, ob- lige in confcience ; becaufe fuch laws, as they are fuch, participate of the nature and force of the divine law ; and becaufe the law of God doth direly and immedi- ately command fubje &ion to the fuperior powers : Therefore, even in reference to their unjuft Iaws, and fuch as are repugnant to, or incrnfiffent with, the divine laws, fubje &s are obliged in confcience not to refufe obedience to them out of any contempt of lawful autho- rity (let be to difclaim and renounce the fame, as fome poor feduced and deluded perfons do in thefe days, either out of ignorance, or humour, or mifguided zeal, to the great reproach of religion) nor to admit of any thing that may have in it the leaft appearance of offence, and fcandal that way ; becaufe the contempt of lawful authority, and the fcandal of others, are in themfelves fins againft the law of God : Yet Rill, as no mere human laws do dire&ly, immediately and of themfelves (as I faid) bind the confcience ; fo neither hath God given a power to any of the fuperior powers on earth to enjoin obedience to commands that are crois to his own in-: jun&ïons, which all are obliged indifpenfibly to obey. And therefore it is not only firange, but even flupen, dinnc
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=