596 An Expofitson upon Chap. 14. not to be aecufed of his heart. Let all opt faith,for to the ftrongonly is faith men !hive for this happy condition, af afcribed, verf. 22. but not without; ter the examples of lob, chap. 27.6. and confcience, i Cor. S. and r Cor. lo. 29. of Patt1,2 Cur.l.I2. therefore faith and confcience are not T t .D.4. What is the fecoadRule which be- all alone. I expound it therefore both longs to the weak? of that fpecial faith which is the know - S t L. He that doubts is damned if ledge of our liberty, but chiefly ofd he eat, becaufe he eats not of faith, Chriftian faith, or the faith of Chrift, that is, not beleeving fo in his heart, as without which neither our perfons nor ! he fhewes in a&. The rule more at a &ions pleafe God, Heb. 1 t. 6. This large is thus much : that fuch a one is is the faith which is grounded upon the guilty of fin, hurts his confcience,and word, and giveth certain dire&ion both offends God, which either eats or doth what ',we are to,beleeve and do : the any thing elfe with a wavering doubt- works then of all Infidels and natural} fulneffe, and not being well perfwaded, men are finfull, though glorious for (hew, and good for fubftance ; becau1e they come not from faith, and whatfo- ever comes of free will h good morally,. but not fpiritually.Alfo this ad s onilh- eth all Chriftians as they will keep find out of their works, to undertake all things by the levell of the word; be fure it be written and found there, and . then have trill} and affiance of acceptati- on by Chrift, do it that God may be pleafed and honoured. Wicked men (faithChryfofIome) d6light in that which themfelves invent, but the faithful' mealtime all by the word, whether they think, fpeak, or do. They thew them- (elves to be but hick-fcorners and ca- villers,which to overthrow this whol- fome do&rine of governing our whole Chriftian courfe, and every ftep of our way to heaven, %by the word of Faith, do molt childifhly alledge, that then for the toking up of a chip or a ftraw, &c. we mull have our warrant from the Scripture, which we fay is our miftreffe to teach us Religion and all manners, both faith and life, 2 Tim. 3.15, i 6. Any whether they do well or ill, pleafe God, or difpleafe him. A Chriftian which will pleafe God, and keep his con fcience pure and unfpotted, mull be able to difcern of that which he doth, whether it be lawful' or unlawful', ac- cording to that which is written before, Let every man be perfwaded in his own minde : to do a thing which is good, and yet do it doubtingly, (the minde being toffed to and fro with di- vers reafons) doth pollute the atlion to him that Both it,and makes it to be fin, lacking right rule,and end : for it is nei- ther governed by knowledge of the word,nor done to Gods glory. Let men therefore learn to refolve of their deeds before they a& it,and enterprifenothing fo long as ones confcience and minde is doubtfull, what he may do : for fo long our deeds cannot be referred to Gods praife , and this very thing is enough to make it finfull ; for it is fin whatfoever nsiflcth or miflaketh of the due end., T i M. What is the third rule ? He mean- S I t.. That it is fin whatfoever is thing that is of fàlvation to be belee- an ndoob. not of faith, where the word [faith] ved, as an Article of Faith, or pra &ifed ec d ÿ r cannot be interpreted of confcience, for as a fervice of God, or done as a duty of minde,e °- this interpretation is again fl the begin- God, to men, or to our }elves, we are to ceived ° i ningof the 23.frerfe, for if their faith have our warrant, either from the ex- of the truth were all one with confcience the mea- reffe word, or Tome neceffary de- EOod. , P by Y Calvin. ning then (houldbe, have a confcience duaion and confequence from it: for in thy confcience, which is abfurd. Se- it teacheth all truth and godline(fe, it condly,wicked men and Infidels have a couvið all errour in Religion, it confcience, but no faith ; allo hereticks reproveth all vice,it inftruEeth in every faith is no faith,yet they want not con- vertuous way. fcience. Thirdly, weak ones eat with- The wales of the young man '(to whom
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