150 I d treatif'e ®f Confcience, law, 4-1z. fcience : There is one Law-giver, who is able toPave or to de- fgroy : who art then that jsdgeft another ? that is, There is but one fupreme Law-giver to bind the confciences ofmen, and that is God. And the reafon is given, Becaufe it is God onely who is able to fave and to detlroy. As ifhe had laid, God on- :ly bath power over life anddeath, either to fave a man for e- ver, or dellroy a man for ever, and to judge a man according to all that he bath done : and therefore he onely can make laws to bind the confciences ofmen. 2 Now the fecondarie or relative bond of confcience is, whenothers who have authoritie fromGod to bind confcience to this or that. J call thisa relative bond, becaule it is onely in relation to the authoritie of God. For though men cannot challenge any doings or omillions contrarie to their law tobe linnes, yet if they have authoritie from God to command any thing, then they become beams and parts of Gods law, and do by virtue of that bind a mans confcience. Thic relativebondofcon',cience is two-fold, Firf1, other men may bind our confciences ; as Magiflrates, and Mailers, and Parents, who though they cannot bind confcience as they are ' men, yet when they have authoritie fromGod, their commands have Gods feals upon them, and do bind, J fay, in relation to Gods law , which biddeth us obey them ; Rom. 13. 5. re mu0 needs be fnb]ec -, not enely for wrath but alfofor confcience fake. The Apotalc there fpeaketh of Magifkrates ; and he telleth us that their laws bind our confciences in relation to Gods, and therefore we muff be fubjea unto them for confci- cnc.c fake. Thus others may bind our confciences. Secondly, w e our fèlves may bind our own confciences ; and that is by vows lAhich we make unto God, or by our promifés which we lawfully make unto men. The' vows which we freely make unto God, there bind confCienceto keep them : Num. 30. 4. the vow of a woman is `called the bond wherewith (he bath bound her foul. Mark ; fhe bindeth her foul and her confci- ence with ii. So thé promifès which we lawfully make unto men, thefe all() bind confcience : For thoughbefore we promife it
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