70 I; 2 , 2. A wholefome Caveat all the doubts about this matter. I. What prudence flinuld be ufed in making lawes ? 2. How farre thofe hu- nune lawes and Town-orders bind confcience ? But I caanot attend thefe : only fix things I would here fay. 1. The will and Law of God only hath Supreme ab- folute and fovereign power to bind confcience (i. e. to urge it or eolith-ant either to excufe for doing well, or to accufe for fin ; for confcience is at liberty without this) this is a truth urged by all orthodox Proteflant Divines a- gainft the Papifis; fo that no law can immediately bind confcience but Gods. i. Becaufe he only is Lord of confcience ; becaufe he made it, and governs it, andonly knows it ; and hence he only is fit to prefcribe rules for it. 2. Becaufe he onlycan fave or defiroy the foul ; bath only power tomake 'awes for the foul to bind confcience. James 4.12. There iS one Law-giver, who is able to Jaye or diffry. Ifa. 33. a a. for the lawwhich fo binds con, fcience to a duty that the breach of it is a fin, and that a- gainft God we know that the leaft fin of it felt defiroyes the foul, binds it over todeath, but none have power to defiroy it but the Lord himtelf. 3. Becaufe the Law is fufficient to guide the whole man, in its whole courfe, in all the aÌions or occafions it meddles with, or takes in hand, even in civill as well as in Religious matters. Prov. 2. 9. wifdom teacheth every rodpath. Pfal. t i 9. it. I have bid thy word, that IMight notfin. whatever one doth without a rule from the word, is not of faith. Hence the word defcends to the runft petty occafions of our lives, it teacheth men how to look, Ffai. 131. i. how to fpeak, Mat. i2. 36. it de- *ends to the plaiting of the hair, i Pet. 3. 5. moving of the leer, Ifa. 3. 16. and what is of Chrillian liberty bath its freedome from the word : a man mull give an.accourir at the JaIl day of every flirting of heart, thoughts, mo- tives, and fecret words; and iffo, then it milli be accor- ding to the rule of the word : and hence the word only bath abtotute power to bind Mailers, Servants, and Prin- ces, how they govern, and people how they fubjett ; and this me Lord !lath done to make men take counfell from him, and walk in fear before him, and approve them- felves to him, 6Pecially Townfmen in their places not to confult without God. 2. All good Laws and Orders inaaed in anyplace by men,
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