,5® 1 í4 treatife of Confcience, Lon. ç. r a fcience : There is one Law- giver, who ie able to fave or to de- ffroy : who art then that jndgel another ? that is, There ,is but one fupreme Law -giver to bind the confciences of men, and that is God. And the reafon is given, Becaufe it is God onely who is able to fave and to defiroy. As if he had Paid, God on- ly bath power over life and death, either to fave a man for e- ver, or detlroy 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 of men. 2. Now the fecondarie or .relative bond of eonfcience is, when others who have authoritie from God to bind conference to this or that. J call this a relative bond, becaufe it is onely in relation to the' authoritie of God. For though men cannot challenge any doings or omifüonscontrarie to their law to be 6nnes, yet if they have authoritie from' God to command any thing, then they become beams and parts of Gods law, and do by vireve of that bind a mans confeience. This relative bondcif eonfcience is two-fold. Firff, other men may bind our confiences; asMagif {rates, and Matters, and Parents, whothough they cannot bind confcience as they are men, yet when they have authoritie from God, theit commands'' have Gods Peals upon them, and do bind, J fay, in relation.te Gods law , which biddeth us obey them ; Rom. r ;. T. Ye muP needs 6e fubfeel, net only for wrath but Alfo forconfeience fake. The Apol4le there fpeaketh of Magiftrates ; and he tenon us that their laws bind our confciences in relation to Gods, and thereforewe. mutt be fubje& unto them for confci epee fake. Thus others may bind our confciences. Secondly, wn e our félves m?y hind our own confciences ; and that is by vows which w-e make unto God, or by our promifes which we lawfully make unto men. The vows which we freely make unto God, thefe bind eonfcience to keep them : Num. ;o.'4. the vow of a woman is called the bond Wherewith fhe bath' bound her foul. Mark ; f ac bindeth her foul and her conici ence with ii. So the proinilés, which we lawfully make unto men, there "allo bind con fcience :For though before we promife it
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