A rreati,f'e ofConfcience. provoke the Lordco his face. If it be fuch a (inne to (inne a- gainft confcience in an errour, it is much more a finne to (inne againft confcience it being in the right. Thus much of a conici. ence erring. III. Adoubting Confcience. A Doubting confcience is fuch a confcience as fo hangeth in fufpenfe that it knoweth not which way to take: it know- eth not which is the (inne and which not. If it goes thisway to work, It may be I Jhyall finne , faith confcience : if that way , It may be I fhall finne too, faith confcience. Such a man finneth which way foever he taketh. The reafon is this becaufe he doubreth. He that doubteth iscondemned if he eat, faith the A. poftle :for whatfoever is not offaith ú inne. Suppofe a man doubtethwhether it be lawful) for him to do fuch a thing, and doubteth alto whether he may lawfullyomit the doing it ; irr fuch a cafe whether he do it or not do it he finneth,becaufe both wayes he doubtech. Yet here thefe rules are very ufefull. I. Rule; When confcience doubreth on the onepart and is refolved on the other , we muff refufe the doubting part and take that wherein we are certain and lure. As for example; Whenone doubteth of' the lawfulneffe of playingat cards and dice he is fure it is no (inne nor to play, but whether he may lawfully play hedoubteth : in this cafe he is boundnot to play. So when on doubtech whether is be a finne not to call his family together every day to prayer ; Gods minifters tell him he mutt or he finneth: Idoubt of that, faith he. Do you fo ? but you are fure it is no finne to do it : Therefore you arebound to doe it becaufe you are bound to decline the doubtfull part and rake that which is certain. And fo of all other the like particulars. 2. When confcience doubtethon both fides which is the fin, andwhich not, then a man ought to do that which is moft void of offence. As for example; Say an Anabaptift amongf} us doubteth whether it bea finne in him to bring his child to Church to be baptized, or a finne to refufe; here his rule is, That that which is molt void of offence, and mot} agreeable to bro- G therly 41 ;. A doubting confci- ence.. :kom. 14. z;. Rule r. Rule 2.
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