treattf'e of C'onfcience. b 113 Thus much {hall fuffice for anfwer to the fecund que- ftion: lII. Queftion ; What manner of obedience it is that peace of eanfcience dependeth upon? The reaton of this queftion is this ; Becaufe it fhoulA Teem there is no fuch obedience in this life as any peace of confcience fhould depend on. Doth not James fay, In many things we finne all? Doth not ourSaviour fay, When ye have done all thaj ye can fay, We arc unprofitable fervants ? gout confcience Rill fay mat we arc unprofitable, and that we do finne in every thing that we do, yea in many things, in all the duties we go about ; it our confciences can fay thus, How can any peace depend upon obedience ? What obedience do you mean that peace of contèicncedcpendeth upon? J anfwer, r. Abfolur.e perfe6tion in obedience is not -re- quired unto evangelical) peace. For if it were, no man could have peace ; no not Paul nor Abraham, nor any of the holieft of Gods children : and therefore rblblute perfe &ion is not re- quired. I f we fay we have not finned, we mak Chri fl a liar, and his word is not in uas, t. John r. to. Our confcience can Pull ray we have finned ; and it can Rill fay our obedience's imperfect : A halting leg can never go per ehaly. ; Jacobb h is called he that halteth; and every b y gh he do not halt between two, as wicked people do, yet he halteth in following after God. What purblind eye can fee perfe6tly ? or thick care beam perfectly ? He that bath there imperfe6tions of body can neither go nor fee nor heare perfe &ly ; So the belt of Gods children have imperfedtwns of heart and fpiritand mind : their faith is imperfeét, there love is impede& ; and there- fore their obedience mutt needs be imperfe &. But abfolute per - fe &ion is not required to true peace of confcience ; and there- fore this cloth not hinder it. Second. Though abiblute perfe &ion be not required to peace, yet tuck obedience is required as may be acceptable to God. So faith th e Apoftle, We labour that whe Z. 9 tber prefent er abfent we may be accepted of him. Such obedi- ence we muft Chew as may be accepted of him, or we cannot C c z
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