A treatife of Conícience, onely by vvaI of religion. If.). make confcience of a thing, then J make a nItter of religion of it : but what religion is there in the commandments of Magìftrates ? Suppofe the Magd}rate commandeth us to get our armour in read ineflé, to mend our high - wayes, to moderate expenfes at nuptials, or the like ; dick are civillthings and not religious, and therefore how can they bind conlcience ?.Wemake confcience only of religion and the worfhip of God. Such laws do not bind confcience under the name of re- ligion but under the name of crvill dilcipline. And again, though they do not bind confcienceper fe and immediately, yet they do per aliad and as fubjoyncd to an higher law. For though the breach of fuch laws be onely a civil fault in it fell, yet in another refpe& it may be a morali finne, if the powers that are ordained of God be negle&ed and difobeyed. And therefore though the confcience do not regard civil laws as they are civil ; neitherdo we make confcience of them as they are civil 1 yet as they are made by the Minifler of God, and backed by his authoritie which the Lord bath fet on them, fo they do take hold of confcience ; and not to perform them is contrarieto juftice and charitie and the profit and fafetie of the Coaunon- wealth, and fo abnne. Pies. I . This confuteth the Anabaptifls , who denie that any T}fe /... obedience is to be given to the fecular power. Ye fee here that the laws of Magifirates have Gods foal upon them ; and there- fore we mutt yield obedience unto them : for they bind in con - fcience. Again, this confuteth the Papifts, who teach that their Popes laws and commandments are of fupreme authoritie, and require equall fubmrflion of fpirit with Gods laws : and alfo that the omiffion of them is death and damnation. Our do &- tine and religion goeth between both : For we teach that Gods authoritie is fupreme, and that he onely can make laws under pain of death and damnation ; and that the authoritie of Magilltates is fecondarie, and fecondarie obedience is to be I i given .- v_ -+ i5q A
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