on Alts z4. 16. 59 year, and for á contrary on the next ; for one fort of government in Church or slate as betf this year, and for another as belt the next ; becaule his on particular in- tereft cometh in to fide with it ; and fo he changeth his principles according to his intereff, and disputes for one thing to- day,and for the contrary the next : Thus his in.. tereft forgethand frameth principles to maintain it ; which ari_evidence that fach mens great principle is their in- ' teretf, and that they are not fwayed from a native prin- ciple of Confluence, elfe they would be riore evenly and confiant : Therefore beware to take every impulfe for the impufe of Confcience ; many men wofully abufe Confciencc by their pretentious to it, as if force weighty, nay force extraordinary bond were on their Confcience, when as in- deed inclination or atfeEtion or fume other fuck thing pufheth them on. The third )iietion is, May not even Confcience fome- times err and go. wrong ? May it not pufh to that which is evil and nful ? and lhould it then be followed ? Af. Confcience may err, or go wrong two ways, i. In re- fpe& of light, by thinking that which is wrong to be right. z. Zn refpe& of praetice, in application of the rule : And therefore it is needful to (peak a word for clearing of both ; and Firft, in the general, When we fay that men fhould walk according to their Confcience, we underftand it of a Confcience well informed, and in the exercife of duty, as knowing its mailer's will and doing it; for a wicked man may have a good Confciewce in refped of light, to tell him what he lhall do, and to challenge him when he Both wrong, tho' yet he will not obey it : Therefore, we fay, for a man to have a good Confcience, is, to have a well-informed Confcience, and doing duty accordingly.. For further clearing of this, there are ten forts of Con - ¡cienees that men ought not to be guided by.: Whereof Five fall in the major or fxrg propofition, in refpect of light ; and other Frye fall in the minor, or fecund propo- fition, in refpe& of pra &ice or application. The Five forts that fail in the major propofition, or in refpe& of Light, are thef_ ; t. An Erring Confcience, when the judgment is ins nfor!ned, and aecountctfn duty tb b fsrr,
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