d treatise of Conf ciertce. j 13 S freak ofa good Confeience, a confcience renewed, but renew- ed iarperfèótly, having yet fundry defe6ts and imperfeótions. The imperfè ions of it ate, 1. Imperfe6tion of knowledge. It doth not yet foundly and clearly underhand what is Iawtull and what is ure, and what is by Chriftian liberty indifferent. Paul faith, i know and am perfmaded by the Lord 3efaoi, that there is nothing unclean of it felf ; but to him that efteensetb any thing to bee unclean, to him it is unclean. He fpeaketh of things that are indifferent : The Apoftle had knowledge : but there were others who did not know this ; O7 may net eat this meat ; 1 may not play at Bowles, or life any it her recreation : , J(lionld fnase if I should, &c. This is one weakneffe in this kind of confcience, weak - nelhe of knowledge. 2. The second imperfe &ion is to be grieved where it needeth not bee grieved : As when it feeth other doe that which it felt through miftake doth judge to be evil, it is apt to be grieved and troubled to fee it ; If thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkeff thou not charitably. It may be thou thinkeft it lawful' to cat Tisch meat ; but he táinketh otherwilç, and fo is grieved to fee thee eat. This is another imperfe&ion in this confcience, to be grieved and offended without jufl cause. 3. A third iuiperfedion is in judgement : It is apt to judge and condemne another mans liberty, i Cor. ro. 29. Why is my liberty dodged of another! mane confeience ? He fpeaketh of a weake confcience. It rr apt to be judging and condemning my liberty faith he ; but why fo f This is a fault and an imperfecti- on indeed ; O _Inch an one finneth, he doeth fo and fa : yet it may be the thing is not unlawful! but a weak confcience is apt fo to judge it, and to condetnne him that doeth it. Let not him that eateth defpi fe him that eateth not : And let not him that eateth net judge him that eateth, Rom. r 4. ;. 4. A fourth imperfe&tion is this : A weak confcience is apt to be milled. So the Apostle intimateth ; TA" heed left by any meaner thie liberty ofyours become a humbling-block unto them that are wake : for if any man fee thee who haft knowledge fit F f at Ren.i4. 14. Koai.r4. r í'
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=