~.Booke. _ Cafer of Con/cience. tois life the {heamcs ot corruptions mhnne A rn rwo refpetls. F1dl, bccaufc when a man 11 mnumber ,noyfomc in quallt!Ci.' hainous in knowcs or rhinkci any thing, by meanesof degrees,dagerous 111 effeCts. For~rom thence Confctence, hee knowcs whac be knowesand doe flowe aH rhe differencesofhnncsbefore thmkes. Secondly,becaufe by'1r,m:mknowcs nameJ,with their feuerall branches ,and infirhatthing ofhimfdfe, which God alfo knows nire many more, thatcannot bee rehcarfcd. ofh1m.Man bath z.witne!Tes ofh1s thoughts, Thu mufl mooue vs humbly to fuc vnto Obd,and his owne con[cience; .God IS the God,andearneflly eo mtreat him, towafh vs fir!! and clnefefl;& Confcience is the fccond, rhrounhly from ourwickednelfc , and clcnfe {ubordtnatevnto God,bearing wirnelfe vnro vs (ro~J our tinncs: yea to purge and to rmfe God, either wuh the man, or againfi him. rhefountainetltereof, our vncleaneand pol~ Therefore it is nothing eife but apart ofthe lured hearts. And when by Gods mewe in voderf!andlllg, whereby a man knowes what Chrifl,apprehcndcd by faith,our hearts fhall herhinkes, what hecwdlcs and defires,asalfo Ad.,~.g. bepurified, then to fcrwatc_h and w~~douer 111 what manner heknowetb,rhinkcrh,orwllProu,p l · them, and to kcope them w11h all diligence. lerh, either good or euill. vVhereunto this Secondly it reachcth vs, that mifcrable mormull be added,rhar as con{cience knowes our rail man, is not guiltieofone or more linnes, thoughrs,wtllcs,&adions,fo lr tdl:Hics thereburofmanyand {undry corruptions, both of B ofvnro God,either with vs,or againfl vs. heart and lite. whocanvnderfland hu jAUifl i Inthefecondplacc, Thenarnrallcondirifaith Dauid, Pf•L 19.12. Now the allowance on or properrieof euery mans con{cience is offinne being deathby Gods ordinance, and rhis;rhat 1n regard ofaurhoritie andpower,it God beeing iul!iceit{elfc; anfwerably ro the IS placed in the middle bcrwee"e man and number ofour olfences,mufl we needes be liGod,{oasit is vnder God, &yet aboue man. able to many pumfhmenrs, yea to death it And this narurall condllion harh two parrs: felfe,borh ofthe body, andotthe{oule. ThiS the firfliS, the fubieCiion of confcience ro beeing our wofull eflarc, little caufe is there God, and his word, Conceming which Cubrhatany man lhould tbinke bimlcltc to be m ieCiion we haue rhisrule:That God alone by good cafe,or profume ofGops mcrcic, in rehis word dorb oncly b;ndc·rhe con(cicnce,by gard of the (mall number ofhis finncs: And caufing it in euery aCiion ctther to excufe for nmch Idle cau{e bath bee, faiOy to imagine well do~ng,oraccufe for !Inne. And this God with the Popifh foir, that hecan mcntthefadothproperiJ.For firfl,he isthe oncly Lord of uour ofGod by any work~done by him, athe con{Cience, which cr('a!cd it,and gouerns boucrhat which theLawrcquircch; confide· ir. z. Againe,he istheoncJyLaw·glUer,that ringtbaririS impolliblefornimrokno~>eci· C hathpowerrofaue or deflroythe foule, for rher the number, or the nature, orrhe meathe keeping and breakingofhisLawcs, lam. {ureofhisfinnes. Laflly,theconlidcrarionot 4.u. ;. And further, mans con{cience is rhispoinr,mufl be a barre to keepe vs in, d1at known to none,befides him{<ife,bur to God: webeootcoofecure ot prefumptuous otour WhAtrmm k._,ow~thtb~ things vfRman,[AHetlu owuecllate: for as much asweJcarnC"oUtol fPiriroj a man whichil i!J himll. Cor. z. J 1. ihe word ofGod, tharin refpeCiofrhe multiAnd it is God oncly thargiues liberric to rhe rudeofourconuptions ,th1sour life is fUll of con(cience,inregard ofhis owneJawes.Vpor, nJUchcu1IJand manydifficulnes, that we haue rhJS lt followcth, tbar nornansccmmaundc· whole armies ofenemies to encounterwithmentor law can ofitfelfe, and by itownefoall,noronely our of vs in the world abroad, ueraigne power bindeconfcience, bur qorhit but wahin vs, lurkmgeuen inourowne flc01. oncly by the authoricic and vertue of rhe And vpon rhis cunflderation, rhat we fl10uld written wor_d of God, or fome parr thereof. be at conrinnalldefiancewirh them, vlingall And therefore ,ifit bee allcadged, that{ubieholy meaoesro getthcviCiorie ouerrhem,by D Clion is due to the Magiflrare tor confcie~>ce the daily exerciles of innocarion and repen- {ake,Rom,IJ. s. the Anflver is at hand; that ranee,and by acontinual practiCeof new obe· fubJcClion is mdeede tobee performed roci~ dient:e vmo all rhe !awes & commandemCrs tull aurhoricie ordainedbyGod, and obediofGod, according to the meafurc of grace encealfotothe Lawes of the Magiflratefor receiued.And {o much ofthcthitcl Ground. feareofwrath, and for auoyding ofpunifl 1• CHAP. III. 0 J rheji1bi<llion••dP""" of (cnfcitnce. - THe fourth and lafl Ground, is touching the fubie[/ion and power of Confcience. V\lherein wee are to remember rwo things; what Con{cicnce is 1 and what isrhe natural! condition ofit in euery man. For the firfl;rhc name of Confcience will giue l•ght to the thing it {elfe. For it fignifieth a knowledge, ioynedwitha knmvledgc;and it is fo rearmed mcnt, bur not for confcier.ce of the faidau– rhoriueor !awes properly and dircCIIy, but for confcu:ncc of Gods commaundemenr, whichappointeth both MagiGracie ,and the aurhoritlc thereof, This is it that bindes the! confcience immediately; that by verrue ofa {uperiour Law, whereby 11 flandeth inforce, namely,the Law of God. Thcfecond part ·ofthe naturall cQOdition ofconfcience,is the powerwhich it hath ouer man, to accufe or excufe him in refpeCI of thingsdone.And this is plaine by Saint Pauls ConclUfion,
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