4 treatife ofCon,fcience, out them, then they are made Idolatrous, and lofe their virtue ofbinding the confcience. But all fuch commands of things that are indifferent, which are commandedwithout refpe& to make them idolatrous, they may be obeyed. This is our fecond concluuion. 3. Concbsfion. 3. Thole laws and commandments. of Magiftrates which want the authority of Gods law toconfirm them ( and there- fore bind not the confeience) ought not to be difobeyed for all that with fcandall or contempt and by unreverent fighting or defpiGng the Magifirate or his laws. Fie mua be acknowled- geda Magifirate under God for all that : r Tim. 2. I, z. J exhort thatfupplicationbe made for Kings and thole that are in authority. Fie ípeaketh there ofheathen Kings ; yet hee caltech them Kings, and faith theyhave authority ; and wee ought to pray for theirs : and therefore howmuch more when Kings and Magillrates fubfcribe toChriaian religion ? Nay, though they command that which is utterly unlawfitll, wee mull not rife up againíl them : for if we do, we rilë up againít God. We muff obey them one way or other, either a6tivefy or patvely : When they command that which is lawfull for us to do, we mull obey them by doing : when they command that which isunlawfull for us to do, and threaten punifhment, then wee cannot a&ivelyobey themby doing, becaufe they command a- gainßGod ; yet wemull pafïively obey by fufpering and fub- mictingto their penalties,becaufe theLord bath given them au- thority over us. This is our thirdconcluhon. 4. Conclufon. 4. Thofe laws ofMagiilrates which by Gods law do not bind confcience, do yet in matter of fcandall bind us toobedi- ence. Ifthe Magiflrate fhall command any thing beyond his power to command yet not unlatArfull for us todo, though fucha command do not bind toobedience in cafe of confcience, yet in cafe of scandal itdoth. Thus Chri!l was content to pay tribute.
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