11.4íb 241.. Io. 17.7 what may further their defigns in externals, to what their wit and reafon carveth out to them, and to what their own light thinketh, or (as it were) overly faith is right, and prefently Prep to it, and never ask what Con- fcience, well informed from the word, faith ; this maketh many men fay and do in their hafte, that which they repent of afterward : Therefore ye thould learn to put Confcience to fpeak. Confult not with your defigns, nor with your wit and reafon only, nor mainly; but retire, and confult ferioufly with your Confcience; Commune with your heart, and be fill; f and in awe and fin not, as it is, Pfal. q.. q.. Confult not with fleth and blood, let not their advice come in betwixt God and you, and finally determine you ; but reafon with yourfelves thus, This and this our inclination faith, and this and this our over- ly light faith ; but we will put-Confcience to it, and hear what it faith : And yet 'Lis but an inferior rule, and therefore we thould not take every thing from Con fcience without ground, but hear what the fuperior rule of God's word faith. And this is a right circle where:'- in ye Ihould turn yourfelves, even to try your light, by bringing it to Confcience ; and then to try your Confci ence, by putting it to give a reafon from the word. idly, Be exceedingly aware to thwart with your light in the lead thing, and abftain from every thing that feemeth to come in tops with it ; for Confcience is a very tender thing; if we fand not in awe of Confcience, we may pro- voke God to give us up to do what we will, and to fend us, like lambs, to feed in a large place. Therefore,! fay again, beware of thwarting in the leaff thing with your light and your Confcience. 4thly, As ye would hear what Confcience faith, before ye do any thing ; fo, when ye have done it, ye fhould confider how ye carried in it, according to your light, and whether ye have had a good Confcience in fuch a thing, both as to the matter and the manner, and put your Confcience to fpeak to that, and hear what it faith concerning what is done. There would be in this much finglenefs ; For if the eye be evil, it will make the whole body full of darknefs. Hence Paul putteth a good Confcictzce and acuity together, z Cor. 1. 12.
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