12 Cafes of Confcience. I.Booke. Conclulioo ,Ram. 14.z3. Whatfomeru notLo[ A (a;th,that is,what(oeuer man dorh,whereofbc nerh, thatwecornetotbe ~ellionsofConfctence. is notcerraincJyper(IVadcd in iudgcment and ThefeQueUions may becfirly diuided,ac. confcienceour ofGod !I' word, that the thing cording to thematter or fubiea:ofthe,••hich maybcdonc,itisfn. Morcplainelyl aching is man. Now as man is confidcred diuers may bee faid, r:ot to bee doue offaith rhree waies, that isto fay , eitherapart by himfelfe, 1.Dubiun· waies. Firll,when it IS done with doubtirfg, oras he llandsin relation to another, and is a teconfc1and vnre[olued confciencc,as in tbofe rhararc member of a focietie: (o the Que!fions of entia. weak in knowledge. Of which fort wcre(omc Confcienccarc to be dillingu!OJed ;fomccO· in the Prim1tinc Church , who norwithfiancerning man fimply conlideredby himfelfe: ding they beard of the doClrine ofChriflian fame again, as he fiand~t in relat16 to :.tnother. l1ber.ric; yet they were ofopinion, rharafrcr Man Oandcth in a two-fold relatiOn: to Cbrifisarcenfion, there.wasa difference robe God, or to man. As hce fia.nds ltirelarion to 1 made ofmeates,and thereupon tbought,they God,be beorestbe name ofaChrtftian, that might nor care offame kindc: ofmcares. Supis, a member ofChrill, or a fonneofGod, pofcnow, rhat thefe P"fons (by accident) B whofe dutieis to knowc and to"·or01ipGod, fhould hauc beencdrawn rocarc (wines Hen,, accordrng to hzswiiJ rcuealcd in his word.As wluch rhemfdues had holden a thing forbidhe Hands in relation to man ,hee j., a p.a1 tofa den: rhefe men vpon rhis very fat\: had !inbodie, and a member ofCome (ocictic. Now ned,becaufc that wh1ch they did wasvpon an thc:~elliom thatconccrne him ,as a memvnrefolued confc1ence. So fmh the Apollle, bcr ot afodetlc, areofthree forts, according Rom.14..z 3· Heth~t doubrcth, iscOdemncd, to three dillmet kinds offodcries, For euery zfileeare, bcc:1u(c heecarzrh notof faith. Se- ·man Js either a member ofa Famlly,or ofthe J.Err.1ntc. condly,whena thing isdoncvpon an erromChurch,or ofthe Common-wealth. And anous con(cicnce,ir is not offairh,andthcrcfore (werably,Comc~.caions concernemanasa itlsa finne. Thusrhe Malfe-priefl finnerh in member ofa famiJy: fomc,as he is a member fayingMalfc, though he thinkein hisconfciofthe church;[ome,as he is a member ofthe cnce ,the thmg hecdoth, 1s the ordinance of common-wealth. God. And thus Hcretlkes doe die Heretlkes, ln a word therefore , all Qt!cfiions touch1bough when they die, they be fully perfwaing man, may bee reJuccd to rluce generall Jcd their opinions be the truth.Agame,mthe heads. The firfl whcreofis, concern1ng man fame manner, Put the cafe a man 01ould bee c limply confidercd ashe is a man. The lecOd, ofopinion, that fOrnication, or theft, w('re rnuch1ng man as he !lands in rdatiO to God. rhingsarbiua.rieand ind1fferenr,and hereup.. Thethird,conc~rning man as he is a member on his confcience lhould reil him, bee mighr ofone ofthe threefocicries; that is, either o take opportunitle,and commir either ohhefc the Family,oroftheChurch,orofthe Corn· linnes: whether is this aCbon 1n rhe partle n10n-wealch. I rhus pcrl\vadcd,a Gnne,or no? I anfwer, the (}}'eflions ofthe fir[! fort, c6cerning man ~;afe isplainc,thar the fad is doncvpon an er. roniouscon(cicnce, and therefore mull: bee a ;mply conlidcredm lum(elfe, ash<eis Iione in chc doer. For rhc error ofthe iudge· man,are efpecially three. ment c;~:nnot rake away the nature of that Thcfirft, What~ manmufl doc,thathce which isfimply eu!ll.S1nncis finne,andfo remaycome into rhcfauour ofGod,& be faued? mainerh, notwithflanding any contrary perThefccond, How heemaybccalfuredin fwafionoftbe confc;ience. Thereafon is,b~.' ' confcienccofhis ownefali.Jation? caufe though rheconfcience erreth, & is mifThctlmd,How hce may recouer himfclfe, informed,yetit bindeth lOf.1rre fonh,asthat when hcc is diarclfed or fallen i Of thelein ifa man iudgea rh1ag ro bee euiii ,ezthcr Hm- D order. ply,or in fiHne refped,(though faiOy)>ndyer afrerward dorh 1t, hec! harh finned &off'ended CHAP. V. 1hc M•ieUie ofGod,as much as in hunlieth. OftheJir/1 ;,ainequrjJian t~11~ , ;.Repug. Thirdly, when a thing isdonewitharepugchi~tgmnn. I mnte. ning,or gain.tayingconfcience,rbough vpon J. Qt!dlion, error and fair!: 1udgemeotofrhe confcience,it )sin rhedoera fin. :Thus an Anabaptifi, that What mufl a man doe , that ho]derh itvnlawfull tofweare, (inneth, ifhee .ra:knh an oarh :.np.r in (wearing limply, for he mqycome into qods fa . that IS GoJs ord)nance,bur bccaufe he fwear.s uour,and he faued. againO theperf\vafionof hiscon(cience. (.HAP. 1111. fOr anfwcr to this Qtjdlion,(ome Groiids Ofth• difii•[/imof'Ca(u. mufl he laid downebeforc hand, Thcfirfl I ... is this; That wcemufl confiJera.nd rernem.. rHus much tbuching the Preambles,or ber, how,and by what meancs,God br1ngs a~ 1 Grounds ofthisdoc.9:rinc. Nowirremai. ny man tofaluation. For looke how God fa. uetii
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