efCo 'f er:cc. 'I 13 lotne !Ike caufe, takes an oath and that againti his owne conícience: now thequeffion is, whether he bath finned or no. Anf.Hehath indeede finned ; not 1o, much becaufe hehash taken an oath, for that is the ordinance of Cod: but becaufe he hath taken anoath in a badmanner, thatis,againtl his confcience,and thereforenotin faith. Thus it is manifefá that confcience beares a great firoke in all things that are to bePaid or done. And hereby weare aduertiíèdofmany things. Phil, ifathingdone without gooddireetionofconfcience be a finne,then much more that which is done without d,reuion of Godsword is a flatte fume: for without dircTtionofGods word, confcience can glue no gooddirei.. on. And ifGod will holde that for a finne which is donewithout dire6ïìon ofhis word, then nodoubt Gods word miniíters fufficient direction for all actions whatfoeuer: fo asif a manbe but toreceiue but a model! ofbread into hismouth, it can fo farce forth dire& him , that indoing °fit, he flail be able to pleafe god. Ifthis were nottrue, mans cafe were moltmiferable. Forthen we fhould finne in manifold actions, and that without remedie. And hereby the Word, I meane nothingbut the Scriptures of the old and newTeflament, which containe in thernfclues fufficient direcîionfor all anions. As for the lawofnature,though it afloard in deede Tome dire6tion; yet is it corrupt,imperfea,vncerten: &whatfoeuer is right and good therm, is contained in the writtenword ofGod. And as for the belt vnwritcen tra- dicions,let all thePapifis in theworld anfwer ifthey can,how I may in con- fciencebe perfvvadcd that they are the wordof God. If they fay that the ancient fathers ofthe Pritnitiue Church auouch in their writings that they are Apof}olicall traditions , I anfwer againe, how (hall Iknow and be cer ten in confcience that the fathers fubieet toerrour, in Paying fo, haue not erred. Againe welearnehence , that a good intenti;n is not fufficient to make a good worke, vnlefi'e wichall confcience canglue iwdgement that God doth approoue the a6ron. This fhewes the ignorance of our people, that whenas in their dealings they mu tine upon a good meaning, then alwaics they thinke they doe well and pleafe God. Thirdly, hence rtappeares that all thingsdeuifed by man for the worfhip- of God, are flatte finnes; becaufe confciencecannot fayofthem that they pleafeGod.Efay 29.13.Mark.7.7. Laftly,welearnehere that ignorance ofGods will and word, is a dange- rous thing;and makesthe lifeofman to abound,yea to flow with aPea of offences again(+Cod. Men commonly thinke that rfthey keepe themfelues fromperiurie, biafphemie,murder,thefc,vvhoredome,all is well with them: but the truth is, that fez long as they line in ignorance, they want right and true direionof confcience out ofGods word,and therefore their bell acti- ons are Comes , euen their eating anddrinking, their fleeping and waking, their buying and fflling,cheir (peachandfience,yea their praying and fer- uin.gofGod. For they doe thcfe actions either ofet/Rome, orexample; or
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