of Suppliants written amongst the alwes of Heralds they adiorned vnto them many Princes and people in amitie friendshippe But peraduenture some will aunswere that the french Catholiques did not breake any law of armes in vsing pollicie against their enmmies for saint Augustine in hys questions vpon Iosua sayth When warre is iust lawfull he swerueth not from iustice that pursueth his enimies either by strength or pollicy And euen so Antigonus when one asked him howe he shoulde deale with hys enimies answered Eyther with fraude or dinte of sworde eyther openly or secretly And Virgil. Dolus an virtus quis in hoste requirat Saint Hierome alleageth that verse as seculer but liketh very well therof so farre forth as no fayth troth geuē be byolate But I thinke the word Dolus in the verse to be taken of honest and lawfull pollicies in war And that all subtill cauilátions fraudes and periuries are excepted For the word no doubt signifieth Prudens Stratagema The king of Denmarck vsing fraud and periury agaynst his subiectes is much discommended for that when hee coulde not bring in by maine might certaine pernicious outlawes and pirates hée brought it to passe by pollicy for he pretending open war agaynst forreyn enimies sommoned his men os war to come and serue him and among the rest sent also vnto those theeues both graunting them pardon for all theire offences committed agaynst him and also promised them for their seruice large and liberall wages And when they were commen he straight way put them to death Such pollicyes hauing periury anexed vnto them ought to be detested of al good men and chiefly of Princes whome verity and constancy in words of promises haue alwayes singulerly commended The french Stratagemes are not much vnlike the danish dealings sauing the their pertury was more heynous in Fraunce for that the aduerse part were already come in and had layd down their arniour and weapon and had on their part giuen out infallible and euident signes of their loue and fidelity to their Prince The cruell deede of Peter Arrogon is much detested who slew eyght thousande french men in Cicil for that they had surprised that I le in his abscnce and yet he excercised his cruelty vpon forreyners and straungers but these vpon their own nation and nere kinsnien They seemed to haue set before their eyes the dissimulation of Antonius Cōmodus whose maners they haue exactly expressed For when he was wearyed with filthy pleasures where 〈◊〉 he was exceedingly geuen lest he mighte séem◠to spend tune in dooing nothing hee deuysed with him selfe how he might murder the Nobles of his Empire especially he caused one Iulianus to be slayn suddenly and horribly in his bedde and yet in the sight of men he woulde kisse and embrace him calling him his sweete hart and welbeloued father Or hapely they looked nerer home and bchelde the pollicies of some of their Auncestors We reade of Charles the vy king of Fraunce that after long and greeuous troubles in that country he entered into league and affinity with the duke of Burgondy and promised most constantly to bury all auncient quarrels and grudges ther vpon they both receiued at the priestes handes the host consecrated as the manner was in those dayes in confyrmation of their othes and promyses yet notwithstanding when as the sayd king hadde inuited the duke to come to Montrell pretending to entertayne him most frendely and to exhibit vnto him spectacles and triumphes he suffered the duke to be murdered vppon the bridge there as they werein communication together Some may aunswere that how these men kept their fayth they wil not examin but by these doinges there followed tranquility and quietnesse vnto those Regions and country I answere let it be so accounted for y presēt time but if we cōsider the consequence of such truce breakings immayne cruelties we shall finde in the ende vtter subuersion to haue ensewed greate houses and families therefore Surely all good men imbrace that saying There is nothing profitable vnlesse it be also honest And therefore Aristides did openly in the audience of the people reiecte the polliticke counsell of Themistocles concerning the burning of the Lacedemonians Nauy because being profitable it was not thoughte honest Furius Camillus receiued not the children of the Lords of Phalice betrayed to him by their Schoolemaster but stripped him naked and deliuered him to be whipped home wyth roddes by the same Chyldren Kingly vertues in times past haue bene reported to be these Iustice gentlenesse and clemencie but crueltie and outrage haue bene misliked Scipio hath in all ages bene praysed who was wonte to say that he had rather saue one citezen then sley a thousand enimies which sentence the Emperour Antonius surnamed Pius did often repeate Contrariwise it was a shamefull byworde vsed against yong Tiberius to be called Clay tempered with bloud It is no sufficient allegation to say that kings haue absolute power of lyfe and death ouer their subiectes There cannot be alleaged anye greater authoritie then that the Dictators hadde at Rome in whome was the soueraigne power of peace and warre and of lyfe and death and that without appeale Yet might they not execute a Citisen hys cause vnheard and without condemnation by order of law Onely murderers and théeues doe take awaye mens lyues without order of law without hearing the partie pleade his cause and to speake for hymselfe but what neede many wordes It is cléerer then the noone day that cruelty periurie and filthie adulterie are the verie proper noates and badges of Papistes in these our dayes It is much to be lamented that the noble and famous Nacion of Fraūce shold learn of Pope and Turck vnto whom they linck themselues in legue to care for no promise fayth or oth and I pray God in the ende they be not scourged by Antichrist whom they trust and distrust God with whome whiles they seeke to concerue peace and concorde they cānot chuse but be at discord and open warre with god The old Poets doe feine that the proud Giauntes waged battaile agaynste heauen whereby they ment vndoubtedly those that despise laws and breake their oaths most blasphemously abusing Gods name And those that easily commit such offences the Deuel doth wholy possesse their harts by litle and litle and bréedeth in thē a deadly hatred against God wherby they ronne into foule and heynous facts and so at the laste fall into tragicall paynes both in this world and in the world to come Which the Poets ment also to expresse in Iupiter his conquests ouer the sayd Giauntes called Philegians who were caried quick to Hel with a floud sent out by Neptune of whom Uirgil writeth thus Phlegiasque miserrimus omnes Admonet et magna testater voce per vmbras Discite insticiā moniti et nō temnere diuos How gréeuously and odiously men doe prophane Gods
know sayth he that my redeemer liueth and that I shall rise agayne at the last day and shal be compassed agayn wish my skinne and shall see god in my flesh Ioseph that Godly and chaste young man being chayned in she stockes what solace had hee in the déepe dungeon but his sincere mind and vnspotted Conscience And euen so it was with Eliazarus with Paule and with all the Apostles in their distresse for Eliazarus sayth O lord I am piteously tormented in my body but I willingly suffer all these thinges for thy names sake Paule being certified by Agabus of the afflictions which he should suffer at Ierusalem I â—â— he am ready not only to be bound but also to suffer death for the name of the Lord Iesus The Apostles likewise being scorged for preaching the Gospel Went away with Ioy that they were found worthy to beare infamy for the name of the Lord Iesus The principal cause of these thinges was doubtlesse a good conscience which writeth sorrowe into ioy calamity to felicity and to conclude death into lyfe it selfe OF THE EVELL AND CORrupt Conscience AS THERE IS IN GOD that supreme and nigh maiest is of God a wisedome descerning betwene good euil things and also a will wishing goodnesse with a deuine delectation pleasure contrariwise nylling that which is naught and with great indignation and anger reiecting and punishing the same Euen so hath he created the lyfe of man that there shoulde be certaine lawes as it were notices or admonitions of the mind commaunding thinges honest and forbidding the contrary besides these he hath appointed magistrats that they should defend the good and punishe the euill And to this ende were thinges thus ordered and disposed in the creation that men might learne that there is both a God being a wise and iust Iudge and there withall that manne should knowe and perceyde himselfe to be the ymage of God whome he ought to imitate and followe For God is neyther knowne of heauen nor of earth of plants neyther yet of beastes although they obey him in theire kinde but Aungelles and men onely hath he so created that he might he obeyed knowne worshipped of them and that they being fashioned lyke vnto God might not pyne away and dye wyth impietie and vexation of minde but hauing their hartes agréeable to right reason and iudgement might reioyce in good actions as well before as after the facte But in this corrupt and wounded nature mans hart burneth as it were wyth flames méere contrary to right iudgement and at the first trembleth not to runne into mischiefe Nowe for that it concerneth Gods iustice to punishe and route out obstinate and rebellious natures therefore hath he conioyned the dolor and anguishe of the Conscience following wicked and mischeuous deedes that might as it were an hangman punishe and execute offenders And although this sorrowe he somewhat dull nowe and then in persons yet at the last God doth so kindle it in the wicked that they tremble and quake and are oppressed as it were with the noyse of the thunder as it is sayde in the Psalme In thy anger thou shalt vexe and trouble them Whereof Plato wryteth excellently in this wise When an euill man draweth towarde his ende he is sodainely striken with a foure and care of such thinges as he once thought not of before and those talke of Deuils of Hell and of paynes which the wicked suffer there where of he made a scoffe and stale iest doe then miserablye encoumber his minde wherby he faleth into an examination of his former life And recording his vile and filthy actes hee is quyet neyther waking not sleeping often times he sturteth in his sleepe as it were a fearefull childe out of his dreame and so lyuing awhyle he droupeth away in euill hope Sophocles wryteth that Oedipus beyng olde and blynde was ledde to Athens by his daughter Antigona Who dying there was buried in the Temple of Erinnyus By the which fable he signifieth the vnquiet Conscience at the hower of death of all such as haue ledde an vnhonest lyfe For Erinnyus by interpretatioÌ„ are nothing else then contentious perturbations of the minde by reason of an euill Conscience which alwayes wayte vpon vnhonest actes and déeds And they are sayd to be mindestill for that condigne punishment for sinfull actes are neuer forgotten whiche although they be for a time prolonged yet this is the very property and effect of Eriunius that when mischiefe and payne is least looked for then it falleth moste gréeuously Thus much I thought good to note touching the occasions of doloures and gréefe in the euell conscience now lette vs consider the difinition of the same An euell Conscience is a heauy and vexing motion of the hart conioyned with perfect knowlege of a detestable fact For assuredly furies doe alwayes pursue and chase the wicked not with burning torches and fire brandes as inter Iudes and playes sette out but with horâ—â—res of Conscience and anguish of minde wayting alwayes vpon mischieuous men euen as the shade we foloweth the body not suffering them to beeath and as it were to pause one â—â—â—iuente from trembling and feare And for this cause onely Seneca commendeth that saying of the â—pienre The gilty man may happily hide himselfe sometime but he hath no assured confidence to escape Whiche thinges as they are true so are they confirmed with Histories throughâ—ute all tymes and ages Tacitus reporteth that Tiberius vexâ—d with such tormentâ—a 〈◊〉 vnto the Senatâ— in this wise What should I write vnto you my Lordes or how should I write or rather what shoulde I not wryte I at this instant All the Gods of heauen at ons rather distroy the then to pine awaye dayly thus as I doe Such plagues and tormentes had Tiberiâ—s inwardly by his monstrous â—dings Neyther is that â—odnâ— the purpose which a certayne man vtâ—ered If the wicket of Titaunts minds might be vnlocked â—â—midsi shoÌ„ld 〈◊〉 see their mangled woundâ— for as it fareth with the body by reason of â— stripes and blowes euen so it the minde at â—oil resite and torne with cruelty filthy lust fâ—â—udo malice and such like For 〈◊〉 Tiberius had â—o wante of anyâ— worldly thinges â—â— that might serue to solace and comford 〈◊〉 afflicted mind yet was he hot able by any of meanes to ease or consâ—ate the tormentes â—â— and paynes of his Conscience Suetonitis wryteth of Caligula who seemed neyther to care for God nor man yet at the least roumbling and glauneing of thundering and lightning he would winke and couer hys face when with greater terror heauen and earth seemed both to shake to burne with fâ—â—e he woulde runne into corners and hyde himselfe The same Author also noteth home Nero after he had murdered his naturall mother was so greeuouslye veâ—ed in conscience that he could not be coÌ„forted neyther with ioyfull showâ—es and acclamations of the
their foule facts and detestable deedes done in their lyfe And to shutte vp this matter whereas â—ayth is the vnely Instrument whereby man obteyneth iustification and immortalitie which can not be liuely in anye man hauing a guplly conscience hereby we may cafely gather how detcstable and horrible a mischiefe that is Therefore whosoeuer séeketh saluation by faith it standeth them vpon to brydle their affonions and concopiscences and to commyt nothing against the commaundements of god For he that transgresseth his conscience accusing hym howe can he perswade himselfe that God will be mercyfull vnto him The faythfull in déede nowe and then stumble and stagger it cannot be denied but oute of all doubt a true and lyuely fayth hath no fellowship with the workes of darkenesse Moreouer seing that death in it selfe of all terrible thinges is most terrible it must néedes be much more horrible in those who through the accusation of their owne conscience looke for a spéedie passage into hell tormentes For nathelesse doath it selfe is not so terrible as the â—ugsome opinioÌ„ therof for euen thereafter as the conscience is good or badde so doth shee wyllingly embrace or dreadfully eschewe the same The godly receyue death wyllingly and gladly which they knowe to be sent vnto theÌ„ from God as a delyuerance and passage out of the miseries of this troublesome worlde into the porte of eternall rest but the wicked declyne the same as the perillous rocks and sandes where they must needes make shypwracke of eternall lyfe Therefore it was truely and comfortably uttered by a certaine writte We haue no cause to feare any thing in death if our life haue not committed any thing procuring cause of feare For it is not possible that he should dye impenitently that hath lyued well That a pure Conscience is to be respected in all humane actions wherewith a man may content hymselfe WHERE AS there are manye thinges notably written by Cicero which argue his great wisedome and knowledge yet amongest them all hath he left no saying more excellent and deuine then that in his booke intituled Of olde age to wyt That a conscience of a lyfe well spent and a remembrance of many good deedes is a thing most comfortable Which worthie and memorable sentence is not onely agréeable with the secret iudgement of anye good man but is also consonant to the opinions of auncient Sages and good Deuines who with one mouth doe wich their voyces confirme the same And it is worthy to be obserued that Tully maketh not a common person to vtter that senteÌ„cc but Cato surnamed that Sensor a vcric graue and wise father Whose vprightnesse in cyuill RegimcÌ„t long experience in worldly affayres worthie vertues and singuler wisedome all the Romayne hystories doc at large proposse and expresse Cato without al controucrsie spake so of his owne experience contenting himselfe with that inwarde testimonie when he susteyncd the checkes of his superiors the enuye of hys equalles and the obloque of his inferiors an vnthankfull rewarde for that hys vigelant and fatherly care for the prosperous and happie estate of his Citizens and countrie men And it were to be wished that all men whether they liue priuately or publikely woulde in all their doinges set that paterne before their eyes wherein they beholding themselues daylie as it were in a cléere glasse might euidently sée what â—eutefieth or blemisheth their vocation or condition of lyfe And that these things may be the better considered it shall not be amisse perticulerly to open vnfolde the duetyes of some functions in the common weale whereby men maye passe from the partes to the whole and by a fewe to vnderstande what is conuenient for all Thou art called to be a Iudge or chosen an Arbyter to composse controuersies sée that therein thou doe nothing against law and conscience respecting any person Let neyther threttes neyther flatterie draw thée one heare breadth from vprightnesse RemeÌ„ber in that matter thou ought neyther to haue friend nor enimie Coosen nor straunger For all these thinges ought to be set a side in iudgement Yeelde nothing to fauour nor consanguinitie nothing to hatred or displeasure nothing to hope or feare which things commonly stricke men starke blinde in iudgement to be short suffer not anye affection to be of thy counsayle but consider the lawe and moderate the same if it be extréeme with a good conscience So did good Aristides who appointed a daies man betwéene two men wherof the one to the ende he might drawe him into displeasure with his aduersarie produced many impertinent thinges as that his aduersarie had also much accused Aristides Well sayth the Arbiter omyt at thys tyme these matters and alleage onely those thinges wherein he hath abused thee Cato also as Valerius reporteth sitting in iudgement vpon a wicked and infamous Senator receyuing Pompeius Magnus his letters commendatorie in the behalfe of the malefactor would not suffer theÌ„ to be opened The good Iusticer would rather folow his owne internal iudgement then obteyn thankes of that mightie man teaching by his example that a Iudge ought not by any request rewarde or fauour to be led from the true execution of Iustice Those that are called in anye state to be of the priuie counsayle ought to direct all their consultations to the helth and wealth of their countriemen And albeit he sée before his eyes present daunger with floudes of enuy and malyce together with false rumoures vniust suspitions of his doinges yet let him not follow vayne fame which neyther profiteth the euill neyther hurteth the good but the iudgemente of his conscience as it were a guide and Lodesman in all his actioÌ„s Neyther would I haue any man to mistake me as though I ment that we should altogether neglect what the worlde thinketh and speaketh of vs which minde ought to be farre from a christian for we ought not onely to avoyde euell but to be far from all suspicions of euell but I saye principally and chiefly our Conscience is to be respectted Yet we sée the contrary in these dayes to vsuall that saying euery where verified Multi famam pauci conscientiaÌ„ verent verentur Many teÌ„der their owne fame and credite but very few theire Conscience So Callicratides a Captayne of the Lacedemonians hauing greater respect of his priuate glory then of hys Conscience in preseruing of his Nauy receiued a great ouerthrowe of the enemy Cleombrotus also fearing enuy onely encountered rashly with Epaminondas and became almoste an vtter ruine to the Laredemonians Richard plantaginate duke of yorck because he would not séeme to be inclosed and kept in his Castle of Sandale by a woman and resting only vpon his credite and fame hee hauing not aboue fiue thousand men rashly ioyned battayle with the Quéene hauing xviij M. good souldyers contrary to counsayle wisedome and al pollicy and so rashly ronne into his destruction Q. Fabius Maximus after warde of his dooinges
in the night time hée spoyled the fieldes and when the league was aleaged he aunswered that he had not broken the same which extended only to the day and not to the night The like we may reade in Plutarch of Cleomenes in Strabo of y Such practises are red euen of Popish Prelates who with fraudulent interpretations of their othes haue sucked the bloud of those that reposed all fayth in their promises and coÌ„mitted their liues vnto their protection At what time Lewis king of Fraunce beséegeÌ„d Adelbartus an Exle in the Castle of Bamberge which by meanes of the commodius cituacion and good furniture of Artillery could by no meanes be gotten whâ— he saw the lions skinne would not auayle he put vppon a Woulues skinne leauing manhoode practising subtilty The king then sent a Bishop vnto the Earle to moue him to come to some Parle with the King giuing him his faith that he would reduce him safe and sound into his Castle againe The Earle was soone perswaded and aduentured to goe with the bishop And wheÌ„ they had not passed many paces out of the Castle gate Were it not good said the Prelate for vs to eate a morsel of meate before we go vnto the king with a good will quod the Earle and so retourned vnto the Castle to duiner agayn After meate they arose and came to the King who immediately caused the Earle to be appreheÌ„ded and executed Now when the Earle saw he must néedes dye he complayned of breach of fayth and trothe vnto whom the Bishop made this aunswere That he performed his promise in that hée brought him safe and sound into his Casile to eate meat and for that hee renewed not his promise afterward he could not hée charged with violating of his oth The recorder of this matter putteth down his own iudgement of the deede in this wise Let other men iudge of this Prelate what they list as though it were done for the peace and quietnesse of the whole Lande But for my own part I thus thinck that no Christian ought once to conceaue any suche thought especially in so great a matter of life and death The ende of this Prelate was fearefull straunge afterward when the Elements most terribly seemed with fyre to burne and with noyse to be confounded together the mighty God strack him with his Thunderbolt and so hée miserably dyed who soeuer examineth his own Conscience and secret iudgement shall soone sée that such fleightes procéede of an vnhonest and malicious pollicy méere contrary to nature beeing most shamefull and vile for any liberall man but once to thincke vpon much lesse to put the same in any execution For Nature her selfe desireth thinges that bée right and iust and despiseth the contrary neyther will she hermit commodity without honesty to haue any place with her So Iosua kept the league and truce taken with the Sabonites notwithstanding their fraud and circumuention neither would hée by any meanes breake his fayth and trouth giuen vnto them Albeit there is some diuersity of iudgement among the learned whether Iosua did wel or not in sparing those people both whome God commannded him to destroy and also of whome hée was circumuented and deceiued in making of the league For hée séemed not to hée bounde by anye Religion to kéepe that fayth which he gaue deceyued with their Guile that vnto Gods enemies These things séeme somedeale hard to be discussed First of all Iosua could not be ignoraunt that all those people that dwelled in the Land of Promise ought by Gods commaundement vtterly to be routed out But that the Gabaonites did inhabit any part of that land he wist not Therfore albeit in some respect for ignoraunce Iosua might séeme to pretend excuse for that the Gabaonites comming with their olde shoes and torne Garments abused him feyning them selues to be people that came from far yet he cannot auoyd blame both for his ouermuch security and credulity and also for his negligence in that according to the manner he inquired not at Gods mouth what was conuenieÌ„t for him to doe There be some that goe about to lose this knot after this maner That Iosua did both execute Gods commaundement and also that he well performed his promise For whiles he suffereth them to liue he offereth the better and in that he maketh them seruill men he executeth the first for Vlpian in the Digests compareth perpetuall seruitude with death S. Ambrose sayth Iosua asked not the Lords will by meane of to moch credulty which commonly al playn and good natures haue in them hée addeth this fine and golden sentence So holy and reuerend was fayth in those dayes that collusion and fraude was rarely sounde amongste men This is then the cause why Iosua tooke peace and truce with the Cabaonites Now that he killed them not deprehending their Euile but brought them in seruitude was because he woulde not breake his worde bound with an oth lesse in blaming other mens vnfaythfulnesse hée should séeme to incurre the same fault himselfe Hée saued their liues therefore but â—ee made them slaues his sentence conteyned mercy but she long punishment had in it seuerity and thus far S. Ambrose Others write hereof in this wise Wée gather that god accepted and ratified Iosua his oth giuen to the Gabaonites not in y he liked fraud and Guile but that their study desire and submission pleased him For first God promised Iosua to be with him in reskewing and defending of the Citie Gabaon Secondly when Saule had caused certaine of these Gabaonyttes to be murdered contrarie to this promise of Iosua made vnto their auncestors God was angrle and sent a famine among the Israelites which continued by the space of three yeres neyther coulde his wrath be mitigated vntyll such tyme as seauen of Saules sonnes or neerest kinsmen were hanged It is credible that Gods speciall pleasure was to haue the Gabaonyttes preserued And it is lykely that Iosua being a Prophete vnderstoode so much Mine owne iudgement is this That whereas the chiefe cause whye the Lord God would haue the inhabitants of that country destroyed was leste they might afterward draw the Israelites from the true worshipping of the lyuing God as Moses declareth in Deutero Num. 22. These Gabaonyttes whom the second booke of kings accounteth among the Amdrits were both humble and lowly and also willing to imbrace the Religion of the Hebrewes moued there vnto with the fame of Gods great miracles and wunders which he shewed in defending and preseruing the Israelites in Egipt in the wildernes and about Iordayn for so them selues confessed Iosua therefore spared their liues but tooke from them their liberty whereby he supposed all occasions of auerting the Israelites from the liuing God to be remooued away and so hée imbasing them and weakning them with seruitude kept him selfe pure froÌ„ the spot of infamous periury and wicked Atheisme wherewithall the Godlesse
he persecuted the Church of Christ and cast his seruaunts into bondes had a Will obedient to Reason wandring in great darcknes And yet that Apostle afterward confesseth that albeit he did that ignorauntly through vnbeliefe yet that hee gréeuously offended God albeit through repentaunce he afterward obteyned Gods mercy For God doth easily and soone forgiue simply ignorance repenting the fault and where mallice and wilfull will wanteth the faulte is reputed lesse in Gods sight I will not haue any man mistake me as though I thought that any kinde of ignoraunce should eyther excuse a man or be accounted tollerable in Gods sight For without doubt all kinds of ignoraunce are blame worthy Else the law in Moyses shold seeme to bee in vayne appoynting a sacrifice to be offered vnto God for ignorance Nu. 15. but my meaning is that ignorantia facti as they terme it wanting negligence and security may seeme to haue some probable excuse And touching Paules error it had a show of probability and likelihoode It was written by Moyses that if any Prophete did arise teaching thinges contrary to the lawe he should out of hand be stoned to death that Iesus was such a one Paule herd by the reports almost of all men and that hee was for that cause by the Priests Scribes Pharisies Seniours and by consent of all the people apprehended accused founde gylty condemned and finally crucified for he neuer herd nor sawe personally Christ neyther any of his Apostles teaching or worcking of myracles Paules error therefore did arise as wel in respect of the matter as of the person Wherein his minde and Reason drowned in ignoraunce haddâ— an agréeable wil whereby as hee offended yet that came not to passe by wilfull ignoraunce but by a zealous study of the law couered with simplicity as him selfe to Timothy witnesseth The scolasticall diuines doe also moue another question whether the Conscience bindeth That is whether a man ought to doe al thinges that his Conscience mooueth him vnto Moreouer if it happen Conscience and the superiour maiestrate to prescribe things mere coÌ„trary they ask which of them a man ought to obey and followe Wherein this is commonly theire iudgement that the Conscience is alwayes to be moderated and directed by Gods word wherevnto if it bee agreeable and consouant yet it bindeth a man no more then it was before bound by the eternall word of god And therefore such Conscience is alwayes to be followed and obeyed But if it doe prescribe any thing meere contrary vnto the same word then it is to be corrected and amended For if the least Scruple remaine in the minde whether a man doe according to the mocion of his Conscience or against it bee sinneth gréeuously For in dooing the one a man sinneth agaynste Gods law and in dooing the otheÌ„r thou also offendest For although the deede in it selfe be good in Gods sight yet man doth it doubtingly whether it be good or no which doubt and staggaring of the mind is offensiue condemneth a man Hereof the Apostle pronounceth him blessed that doth not coÌ„demn himselfe in that he aloweth Ro. 14. In which sentence he telleth vs y sâ—ée may not dee any thing which leaueth behind it a doubt or remorse of Conscience for hée that doubteth and yet goeth through wyth the matter doe most playnely centrinne God. And moreouer whiles that hée doth a good thing doubting with in him selfe whether it be so or nay he giueth iuste occasion for all men to iudge that hée would also not stick to doe mischiefe if eccasion serur So it commeth to passe that the thing which is not euell in it selfe is yet by doubting euel to him shat doth it and his own Conscience accusing him will pronounce sentence agaynst him For this cause it is rightly said that if Reason erring and deceiued doeth prescribe and appoynt any thing as Gods hestes and yet not so in déede that then if the Will doe neglectt Reasons commaundement it is as great an offeÌ„ce as if a man should withstand the commaundement of God. And touching that other question whiche encombreth many men whether we ought to follow our Conscience or the magistrate commaunding thinges contrary in which question if master For had at large put down that which hee briefly and finely touched and shadowed as it were in his preface before his titles of common places or if mayster Mullins would vouchsafe to commit that to writing which hee discoursed herein profoundly and learnedly at Paules Crosse then I should not want any thing that might serue to the full dissolucion of this question my opinion is thys If the Prince or magistrate doe command any thing repuguaunt to Gods Lawe our Consciences witnessing the same then let vs remember that the Apostles and other the faythfull seruauntes of Christ in the primatiue church would rather abide painfull imprisonment and susteine most sorrowfull death then in any one iotte obey their wicked ordinances The blessed martir and Bishop Policarpus aunswered the Romayne Proconsull Wee are taught to obey princes and Potentates in those thinges that be not contrary to sincere Religion And Chrisostome sayd diuinely to Gaynas It is not lawfull for the Emperour being the defendour of true Godlines to attempte any thing against the same The Prince or other supreme Magistrate is appoynted the kéeper of both the tables but he may not precéede to decrée any thing withoute the compasse of the Scripture For Will worshippinges are not acceptable to God because they are not agréeable to his eternall wil neyther can they assure mens Conscience that they are accepted of god Wherefore such authority was not geuen to Moyses himselfe that he might of himselfe deuise and ordeâ—â— Religion but God did expresly and perticulerly by name appoynt these thinges which he would haue proposed to his people to be kept of them Neyther did be instrua Moyses in a moment but taking him vp into the mountaine vnto him by the space of fourty dayes gaue him instructions and afterward lest any simple or doubt should remayne he solemnely authorised his ministery by miracles and wonders in the eyes of all the Israelites Neither had the Apostles power at their pleasure to fashion and forme what Religion they would but Christ firste taughte them by mouth and afterwardes added sacraments of true Religion and confirmed the same with signes and wonders and finally gaue them commission to teach and preach those thinges which they had heard seene and receaued of him And so both the Testaments haue bene geuen not by humaine but by diuine tradition and power confirmed moreouer with many nighty signes and wonders For it is the pleasure of almighty God that his ministers shall certeynly knowe his wil which cannot bée if men might in any resped inuent new religions Which the Ethnicks in elder time knew right well for Numa Pompilius setting by a religion perswaded the people of Rome that in the