lot e/l I reRlife fecond table. More fpccially they prefcribe whatis tobedone, and what is to be left vndone, touching aétionsboth chilli and criminal!, touchingoffi- ces andbargainesofall forts,&c.yea they conclude,inioyne, andcommand not onely fuch affaires asbe offmallerimportance; but all° things and a .. ons ofgreat waight , tending to maintaine common peace, ciuill focietie, and thevery !late dalecommonwealth. Nowe fuch laves bindefofarre forth,thatadbeittheybe emittedwithout anyapparant fcädal or contempt, yet the breachofthem is a finne before God. Take this example.. Afubic6 in this landvponpouertie,or vpon acouctous minde, againfl :he good law ofthe land,eoynes money, which afterwardbya fleight ofhis witte, is cun. ningly commie(' abroad into thehandsofmen,and is not efpied. Here is no cuident R.f ence giaen toany man, nor open contempt fhewed to the law- e uer: andyet in thisa&ion he hath finned, in that clofelyotherwifethen he ought ro have dorae,he hath hindered the goodofthecommonwealth; and robbed thefourraignePrince ofhcrright. Eccicfiaflicall lawes,are certaine neceffarieand profitable determinati- ons ofcircun;ffances oftttc commandmentsofthe firfl table.I fayherecir- cumftmrces, becaufc all do ìrinespertaining to the foundation andgood c- flateoftheChurch, as alto the whole worfhippe ofGod, arc let downe and commanded in the written wordofGod,and cannot beprefcribed and con- cluded otherwife by all the Chutches in the world. Astor the Creedes and Confef ions ofparticular Churches , they are in fitbflance Godsword, and they binde not. in confcience. by.any power the Church hath, but becaufe they arc the word ofgod. The lawes thenwhich the Church in proper (peach is Paid to make, are decrees concerning outward order and comelinesin the adminifirationof the word and Sacraments, in the meetings ofthecongregation, &c. and fuch lavesmadeaccording to the general! rules ofGodsword, (which re- quiresthat all things be done to edification,in comelines,forthe auoidingof offence )areneceffarie tobe obferued,and the word of god bindes all men to them farte forthas the keeping of them maìntaines decent order, and preneurs open offence. Yet Ifa law concerning fomeexternallriteorthing indifferent, be at fometime or vpon lotne occafion omitted; no offence gie. uen,nor contempt (hewed to Ecclefiafiicall authoritie , there is no breac h made in theconfcience: and that appetites bytheexamplebefore handled. The Apanesguided by the holy Chofi,made a decree for the auoiding of offence, neceflarieto be obferued,uamely that the gentiles fhould abfîaine from flrangled and bloode and Idolithyres: andyet Paulout ofthe cafe of fcandall andcontempt, permits the Corinthians to doe otherwife, t.Cor.S. and 9. hichhe would not haue done, ifto doe otherwife out ofthe cafeof fcandall andconcemp:,had bin fnne. Againe, lawes are either mixt or meerely penal). Mixt, arc Inch ;awes as are ofwaigl, tit. matters, and are propounded in con manding or forbid. clingrearmes: and theyaccording to thegood intention ofthe L.awgiuer, binde
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