a Sermon 2. fn, and fin to be duty ; as it was with thefe of whom the Lord fpeaketh, john 16. z The time cometh, when whofoever killeth you will think that he Both God fervice Tho' an erring Confcience be not fo properly to be cal- led Confcience, for it rather gives offence than edifies ; vet this Confcience, fuch as it is, putteth a man into a lirait, that he can neither do nor forbear : That is, it necel ari- ly, while it remains, involveth him in fin, whether he do or forbear ; hence it is faid of filch a Confcience, ligat, fed non obligat, it bindeth up the man, but loth not oblige : For the man that hath this erring Confcience, making him think, that fuch or fuch a thing is a neceffary H:. duty, when in the mean Time it is a fin, in following .' the impulfe of his Confcience, finneth again{" the law of God ; as filppofe it be in perfecuting, or killing the fervants of God, which he thinks good fervice : Neither, will the error of his Confcience excufe him here, becaufe he fhould have endeavoured to have it better informed for thefe that fin in the law, "hall be judged by the M1; law: And, if he forbear to do fuch a thing, he finneth a. gainff his Confcience, for, he fuppofing it to be God's mind which it di&ateth, and his Confcience being to him in place of God, he is guilty, as it what he doth were done dire &ly and immediately again"" God; for to him it was fo, and he thought fo ; and thus, through his own culpable acceffion, it layeth a necefTity of finning on him, whether he do or forbear ; yet it never ob.ligeth, nor can oblige him to go contrary to the law of God : As fup- F pofe he thinketh that fuch a minifler, who is an honeff and faithful man, Mould be depofed or excommunicated, í; it doth not oblige him to perfecute an innocent and ho- ï nett man ; and yet, if he endeavour it not, he finneth a- gain"" his Confcience, in countenancing of that perfon, which he in his mifapgehenfion judgeth to be fin : This may feem to be fomewhat {"range and parodoxial ; but it is the woful effe &, and bitter fruit of the want of light, and of a well- intormed Confcience, and it floweth not from the nature of the word of God, nor from the nature of Confcience, but from our own Cor- ruption, making no ufe, or an ill ufe of the word of God, the fuperior of the Confcience : So that there is bard..
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