1 treatife of Confcience. x. When they command that which though in it felfit be not (imply and abfolutely f nfull and unlawfull, yet it doth put us upon a nece(lity of finning : As for example, Ifa Magi - fcrate command angle life to all Minifcers,this thing is not in it felt limply unlawfull ( for it is lawfull to marry, and it is lawlisllnot to marry) yet this commandment is unlawfull, becaute it would put Miniflers upon a neceffity of finning : The reafon is, becaufe all have not this power. And therefore fisch a commandment as this would not bind confcience : For the confcience cannot be sound to impurity, or an apparent danger of impurity : and therefore though the thing be not limply unlawful!, yet the commandment is (imply unlawful!, and doth not bind confcience. The Apoffle maketh fisch com- mandment to argue a feared confcience in the commander : and therefore none but a feared confcience can think it is bound by it, a. Tim. 4.2, 3, 2. The commandments of Magiflrates lofe their power of binding the confcience when they command things that are unlawfull in themfelves and contrary to the word of God. In this cafe they do not bind confcience, becaufe Gods Peal ss not on them. We have an example of this in the three bleffed children; Who when the king coinmanded them to worfhip n 3.56. the Image that he had let up, they did not conceive themfelves bound in confcience to obey : they would rather fuffer tor- ment then obey it. So alto Daniel, when he was commanded not to ask any petitiolltof God for thirty dayes (pace, but onely of the king, Daniel did not conceive himfélf bound in confci- ence, nay he chofe rather to be call: into the den of Lions then nan.8.x6 obey. In this cafe the anfwer of the Apoeles is necefl`ary ; who when they were commanded not to preach any more in the name of the Lord Jefus, thus they anfwered, Whether it he right in the fight of God to obey non rather ,then God, judge ye. .3 . When mens laws and commands overthrow the libertie ofChriPcianitie, that Chriflian ]rbertiewhich Clara bath pur- éhafed for us then they lofe their power of binding the con- fcience. But here J mutt tell you of a caution ; viz. That H h 3 .. this 155
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