Ob[trvat. Object. Sol, VB RS.IZ • An Expojition, with Notes .There u one Lawgiver,] But you will fay, We can name many others, Lycurgus,Za/eucm,Solon ,&c. many who bad alfo poteft~~.- , tem vittt & necu,power of life and death,and many now that make and difpenfe Laws; how is this fentence true? I anfwer, Grotim fuppofeth the Apofile intendeth Chrifl by this expreffion in bppo6rion to MD{es, as arguing againfi thofe that would continue the u[e of the Ceremonies, and obferve difference between days and meatsl&c. Now faith he, we in the Chrifiian Church have but one Lflwgiver, Chriff, and not Mo(u; thefe mull not be yoked and coupled together : But this is too argute, and offereth too much force to the Context. More probably then he meaneth, 1, That there isbut one.~~b[olute ahdfupreamLawgiver,whofeWill is the Rule of Jnfiice; others are direded by an external Rule, and prudent Con– fiderations of EqNiry and Safety,- and therein they are but as Gods Dtputies and Snbfiicmes, ·either in Church or Commonwealth : 2 (hron. 19. 6. Ye judg notjDr mAn, butfor the Lorf:l; the Lord u '"'ithyou in the matter of!udgment. -2· In fpiritual thil'lgs, none elfe can give Laws to the Confcience ; in external policy die Laws and Edids of men are to be obferved : But he fpeaketh of the in~ ternal Government of the Confcience, where God alone )'udgeth by the Word ; for he fp~aketh ag3infi tho(e that in indifferent things· would fee up their own will as aRule of fin or duty. Ob– ferve, That GodIllone cangive Laws to the Confcience: SoJfai. 33• 22.The LrJrd is our {udg,the Lord uour Lawgiver, theLord uour King,he Willfove m. Take them in a fpiritaal fence,and che words are exdufive; God,and no other; Onr only [Hdg, our onf]La:wgi– :ver,&c.God only knoweth the Confcience,aod therefore God only mufi judg ir,and give Laws to it : God only can punilh the Confci– ~nce for fin, and therefore he only can make a fin : ·ris tbe priviledg ofhis Word to convert the Soul, Pfal.19. · There may be an ObjeCliom framed againfi this Dochine out of Rom. i 3·). where •cis faid, Wherefore ye muft befubject, not only for Wrath,bHt f()r Confciencefak.! : So that mens Commands feem to oblige the Confcience. · ~ I anfwer, They do in a fort, but not in that order and manner that-Gods do. 1. Not direct!)' and immediatelj;but by the inter– vention of Gods Command ; as a Chnfiian isbound eo perform all Civil Duties upon Re~t[ons of Religion: We are bound in Confcience
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