I I. r rVf Treatife ofConlcience. 52.9 hcllathgiuen his law, vpou r<1e breakingor A withChrift,yee areftee(Yomtha/e,.enrsof th• keeping thereof,to faue or de£lroy, I•m+I z. world, Ga/.5. r. Standy"nthdtbert~ wherewtth IThere iJ one Law giHer that can [<Hear ~ejhoy. Chrift bathji-eedyou, andbe not agamesntangled !Therefore God alone makes !awes bwdrng wtthth<J'~"if'boNdage. Now,lthuma~clawes confcienceproperly, and nocreature c.m doe made alter the gr.mrofth!S l1beruc, bmdconthe like. Anfwer is made thatS.James fpeakes fctence of thcmfelues, then muft they either ofthe principall Law-giuer, that by bisowne take away the forefaid liberty,or diminilh the properauchoritie makes !awes, and doth in fame;but that they cannot doe:fi:>r that whiCh fuch manner faue and de£lroy that he needc is g10umted by an higher authoritie, namely, not feare robe de£lroyed of any: and that bee God himfelfe, cannot be reuokedor repealed fpeakcs not of fecondary law-giuers that arc by the infcriour ~uthoritie o~ any man. It is deputies "fGod,and make !awes in hisname. anfwered,that th1s freedom< IS onely from the Ifay againe , that this anfwer £lands not with bondageofGnne, from the curfe?ft~<; morall !the text. For $.lames fpeakes Gmply without law, from the ceremomall and mdiCJall law di£linllion,limitation,or exception: and the ofMofos,and not from the !awesof~ur fupeeffellofhis reafon isrhis. No marratall mull: B nours. And I anfweragame, that It IS abfurd 11andcrhis brother b<caufe no man mu£! bee to thinke that God giues vs libertie in confciiudgc ofthelaw : ~nd noman can be iudgeof eoce from any ?fhis ownelaw_es,and.yet ":ill the law, becaufe no mancan be a law-giuer to ~aueourconfc1cnces £l11l to remame m fub!efaue or de£lroy. Now then where bee thofe liton to the lawes of(infull men. . perfons that !hall make !awes to the foulesof Argum. 4· Whofoeuer binds confcience, men, and biude them vnto puniihmem of commands confcience. For the bond is made morrall finne; confidering that God aloneis bya commandementvrging confciencero doe the fauing a~dde£lroying Law-giuer? his dutie,which is to accufe or excufe for euill Argum. •· Hethatcan make lawes as trueor well doing. Now Gods !awes command lybinding c<>nfcience asGods !awes,can alfo confcience in as much as they are fpirituall, prefcribe rules of Gods wodhip : becaufe to commanding body and fpirit, with all the bindc the confcience, i• nothing elfe bnt to thoughts,wil,affechons,deiires,and faculties, caufe ittoexcufe for things that are we!done, & requiringobedienceofthem all, according and therefore truely pleafe God;andto accufe to their kindc. As for the !awesof men, they foriin, whereby God isdilhonoured: but no want powerto commandconfcience.Indecde ma1ean prefcribe rulesofGods worlhip; and C ifit were poiSible for our gouernours by law humanelawes, as they are humane lawes, ap.- to command mens thoughts aod affeCl:ions, point not theferuiceofGod.Efo.•9·13· Their then alfo might they command confcience: eare towards mee w.u taught by the precept if but the fir!l: i~ not pofsible, for their!awescan mm. Matth.t5 •9 Theyworjhipmeipvaine,u•- reach no furthertHen to theoutward man,that ching dofJrine which are the commandements if is,to body and goods, w.ith the !peeches and men, Papifts here make anfwer,rhat by !awes deedsther<of: and theend ofthem all, is not ofmen we mu£! voder£land fuch !awes as be to maintaine fpirituall peace of confcience , vnlawfull or vnprafirable, beingmade wirhwhich is betweene man andGod,butonly that out the authoririe ofGod, or in£linct ofhis exremall and ciuill peace which is betwcene fpirit. Itis trueindeed~!, that thefe commanman and man. And it were not meet that men dements of men were vnlawfull: but thecaufe fhould command confcience, which cannot muft be conGdered ; they were '<'nlawfull not fee confcience, and iudge of all her ><'lions, bccaufe they COmmanded that which WaSVA· which appeare not OUtWardly, an(! Wilereof lawfull & agaiolhhe will of God, but becaufe there be no witnelfes,but Go<!and the confcithings in thcmfelues lawful! were commanenceofthedoer. La£lly,menarcnotfitcomded as parts ofGods worlhip. To walh the D manders of confcience, becaufe they arc no outward partofthe cup or platter, & to walh Lords ofit, butGod himfelfe alone. hands before meat, are things in refpect ofciArgam. 5. Menin making!awes arofubiell ui!l vfe very lawful!, and yet are thefe blato ignorance and errour: and therefore when med by Chri£l,and no other reafoncan be renthey hauc madealaw(as neereas pofsibly they dred but this; that they were prefcribed not can}agreeable to the equitie ofGods law, yet as things indifferentor ciui!l, but as matters canthey nota!furethemfelaes and others, that pertaining.to Gods worlhip. It isnot again£! they haue failed in nopoint or circumfhnce. Godswordinfomepolitickeregardstomake Therefore it is againft reafon, that humane di£lintlions ofmeates,and drinkes,and times: !awesbeing fubiect to defetls,faults, errours, yet P11ul calles thefe things, de/Jrines ofdiNels, and manifold imperfections, lhould truly bind becaufe they were commanded as things confcieocc, as Gods !awes doe,which are the whereinGod lhould be worlhipped. rule of righteoufne!fe. All gouernours in the Arg~1m. ;. God.hathnow in t~enewTellaworld (by rcafonthattotheir.old !awes, they I me~lt g1uena hbert!e to thecoofctence,whereare con£lramed to put re£lntl1ons, amplificaby lt is freed from alllawes ofhis ownc whattioos,aad modifications ofall kinds,with new foeuer, excepting fuch lawes and doctrines as readings andinterpretations)vpon theirdaily l arenecelforytofalu~tion,Col,z.zo./fye bede.d experience fee&: ackoowlcdge this to be true Yy 4 which
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