158 d treatífe of Con_ f'cience. M ttb 17 tribute though bee needed not to have done it : The children, faith he, arefree ; neverthelef e, left he Ihould offend c he Ma- giflrate, he did pay it. J will put an example of another na- ture; In a private wrong, though wee are not exprelly bound to it, yet rather then fcandaloufly to contend, confcience Both bind us to yeeld. Needed 4braham to have condifcended fò farte unto Lot as to let him take his choice before him ? N o ra- ther then fcandal of Religion should ariiè, ye may reale that he did it. Thus J have briefly made it manifell how farce the commands of the Magistrate do not bind confcience, and how farce they do. Obj.:. .dnfw. Obj. 2. 1lnfrr. Ct Pet. Z. i Cibi 3 Objet/lions. i. But it may be obje&ed ; Confcience bath onely relation to God. J anfwer, It is true, as the fupreme and abfolute binder of confcience : but it bath a relation alló unto men in the fecond place, inalinuch as God putteth upon men filch terms as con- fcience bath relation to, ADIs 24.16. Herein l alwayes endea- voured my felt, to have always: a clear conference kith towards God and towards meni M ark ; Conscience hath relation to both : For though it have its main relation to Goal and his word, yet in him it hath no relation unto men. 2. P gain it may be replied ; The Magillrares do not under- take., nor can they, to meddle with mens invilible l'pirits fo' they are not able to fee whether the fpirlt ofman be obedient er no : and therefore how do their laws bind us in confcience. The Magistrate onely looketh at the body : mens thoughts and affe&ions and conl iences arc naked onely to God. It is true, the M agiPcrate Both not undertake but only to bind the outward man : nevertheleffe the confcience of the fubjedi feeleth it Pelf to be bound to obedience under pain of finning againfî God, who giveth this generali precept, Submit your felves to every ordinance of )bran for the Lords fake, to the King, "e. The conscience feeleth this, and fo it co neth to be bound. 3. Again it may be replied; The confcience is bound but onely
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