to be believed and practised by us in order to Salvation and which without any Additions are able to make us wise to Salvation as S. Paul assures us and are a complete Rule of Faith and Practice And that Preacher who shall offer to require his Auditors assent to any thing not delivered either in express terms or by plain consequence in the Writings of the Old or New Testament doth impudently impose upon their belief except he be able to work real Miracles for the convincing of them He takes more upon him than either the Apostles or our Saviour himself who did still appeal to the works the Supernatural works he did to attest the truth of the Doctrine he delivered I would such impudent imposers were onely to be found among the Romanists who are all so and the most impudent that ever appeared upon the stage of the World but alas they are too too common also among professed haters of Popery Thirdly And as to the sence of the more difficult places of Scripture no sober Preacher pretends to come to the knowledge thereof by the immediate illumination of the Spirit but such a one acknowledgeth he doth it in the general by the exercise of his Reason And particularly by considering the proper signification of Words and Phrases in the Original Languages by comparing Scripture with Scripture by searching into the Ancient Customs which give great light to a great number of Texts and without the knowledge of which they are not to be understood by enquiring after the judgment of those who lived nearest to the Times of the Apostles c. And after all they submit their Expositions of such Texts to the judgments of their Hearers I mean such of them as are capable of judging As for others Oportet discentes credere It becomes Learners to give credit to their Teachers And Credendum est peritis in suâ Arte. But Fourthly We do piously and by the Authority of Scripture believe that the Spirit is ready to assist us in our Reasonings and Enquiries and whatsoever particular good means we use for the understanding of Scripture when He is humbly and devoutly sought to by us and when without the least prejudice partiality ill design or sinister respect but for the best of Ends and from the pure love of Truth we make Enquiry Thus even Private Christians are assisted in the searches and enquiries which they are able to make For God hath promised that The Meek he will guide in judgment and the Meek he will teach his way Fifthly In composing also of profitable Discourses as we implore so we have the Divine Assistance but we see no ground to believe that we have it in any other manner than in other good works of what nature soever But as for the ready Faculty of Discoursing from a Pulpit and popular speaking to a Congregation we have no reason to believe it a Gift of the Spirit any more than the Lawyers strange readiness in pleading at the Bar. And a volubility of speech upon any subject whatsoever heat of Fancy and nimbleness of Wit and Invention are as much to be attributed to the Holy Spirit as such a Faculty And hence we may gather that a Preacher of the Gospel can plead no such Liberty as is wholly exempted from Restraints by Authority But one that is known to have never so good a Talent at Preaching may be forbidden the exercise of it till he hath submitted to a lawful Ordination such as was in use in the Churches of Christ for Fifteen hundred years together And when Ordained he may lawfully have bounds set him as to the places where he shall exercise his Ministry in publick and as to the times when And he may be forbidden to meddle with such Arguments as are above the reach of his Peoples Understandings or are not like to conduce to their Edification and much more to broach dangerous Doctrines that is such as are so in the judgment of his Governours And for his Disobedience and other Misdemeanours he is as liable to be suspended or totally deprived of his Ministerial Office as are any other Officers I do but touch upon and give light glances at these things because my present subject will not give me leave to discourse largely upon them which would be too great a digression from its proper business CHAP. XV. A Third False Notion of Christian Liberty viz. that which makes Liberty of Conscience a Branch of it Two things premised 1. That Conscience is not so sacred a thing as to be uncapable of being obliged by Humane Laws 2. That no man can properly be deprived of the true Liberty of his Conscience by any Power on Earth That what is contended for is more properly Liberty of Practice than of Conscience The Author's Opinion in reference to this Liberty delivered in Ten Propositions That whatsoever Liberty of this nature may be insisted on as our Right it is not Christian Liberty but Natural Liberty THirdly and Lastly I proceed to that Notion of Christian Liberty which makes Liberty of Conscience a Branch of it But before I deliver my Opinion about this weighty point which hath occasioned as great Feuds and sharp Contests as any whatsoever I shall premise two things First That Conscience is not so Sacred a thing as to be uncapable of being Obliged by Humane Laws Secondly That no man can properly be deprived of the true Liberty of his Conscience by any Power on Earth First That Conscience is not so Sacred a thing as to be uncapable of being Obliged by Humane Laws This is sufficiently clear from what is discoursed in the Thirteenth Chapter But it is said by many that God is the onely Lord of Conscience and therefore it is the highest presumption for Men to go about to bind it by their Laws It is the sole Prerogative of the Deity to search the Heart and try the Reins of the Children of men Conscience is too inward and secret a thing to fall under Mans cognizance and therefore what have any of our Fellow-Creatures to do to give Laws to our Consciences In Answer hereunto We have already seen what S. Paul's sense is about this matter that he saith We must needs be Subject or Obedient and that not only for wrath but also for Conscience sake So that the Apostle was far from thinking that the obligation of Humane Authority is founded in mere Prudence not at all in Conscience But no man in his Wits will say that the Laws of Men do oblige Conscience as the Laws of God do Those cannot do it immediately as these do but onely by virtue of the Divine Authority S. Paul saith Rom. 13. 1. Let every Soul be subject to the Higher Powers I think I shall not be over-critical in saying that is every Conscience for what follows proves the obligation of Conscience to subjection and is an Answer to the foresaid Objection against it viz. For there is no Power but
Inferences from each of the Arguments of the foregoing Sections CHAP. X. Which treats of the First Inference from the First Proposition That the most Excellent Liberty doth consist in an Intire Compliance with the Laws of Righteousness and Goodness Or in Freedom from the Dominion of Sinful Affections Namely That those are most Vnreasonable and Depraved People who complain of the Divine Laws as intolerable Intrenchments upon their Liberty Where it is shewed First That upon supposition our Liberty were restrained by the Laws of God it would nevertheless be most unreasonable to complain upon that account Secondly That the Laws which oblige Christians do not restrain their Liberty pag. 127. CHAP. XI The Second Inference viz. That such a Freedom of Will as consists in an Indifferency to good or evil is no Perfection but the Contrary pag. 135. CHAP. XII Which Treats of one Branch of the First Inference from the Argument of the Second Section That in Freedom from the Dominion of Corrupt Affections doth that Liberty Principally or rather Wholly Consist which Christ hath purchased for us Namely that several Notions of Christian Liberty which have too much prevailed are false and of dangerous Consequence The First of which is That which makes it to consist wholly or in part in Freedom from the Obligation of the Moral Law Certain Texts urged by the Antinomians in favour of it vindicated from the sence they put upon them And the extreme wildness and wickedness of it exposed in Five Particulars pag. 143. CHAP. XIII A Second False Notion of Christian Liberty viz. That which makes it to consist in Freedom from the Obligation of those Laws of Men which enjoyn or forbid indifferent things This Notion differently managed by the Defenders of it First Some extend it so far as to make it to reach to all Humane Laws the matter of which are things indifferent Secondly Others limit it to those which relate to Religion and the Worship of God The 23. Vers. of the 7. Chap. of the 1 Epist. to the Corinthians cleared from giving any Countenance to either of these Opinions The Former of them Confuted by three Arguments And the Latter by four Vnder the Second of which several Texts of Scripture which are much insisted upon in the defence thereof are taken into Consideration An unjust Reflection upon the Church of England briefly replied to And this Principle that the imposing of things indifferent in Divine Worship is no Violation of Christian Liberty proved to be no ways Serviceable to Popery by considering what the Popish Impositions are in Three Particulars pag. 164. CHAP. XIV An Answer to this Question Whether the Prescribing of Forms of Prayer for the Publick Worship of God be not an Encroachment upon Christian Liberty Wherein it is shewed that this is not a Stifling of the Spirit or Restraining the exercise of his Gift And what in Prayer is not as also what is the Gift of the Spirit Whereby is occasioned an Answer to another Question viz. Whether an Ability for Preaching be properly a Gift of the Spirit pag. 198. CHAP. XV. A Third False Notion of Christian Liberty viz. that which makes Liberty of Conscience a Branch of it Two things premised 1. That Conscience is not so sacred a thing as to be uncapable of being obliged by Humane Laws 2. That no man can properly be deprived of the true Liberty of his Conscience by any Power on Earth That what is contended for is more properly Liberty of Practice than of Conscience The Author's Opinion in reference to this Liberty delivered in Ten Propositions That whatsoever Liberty of this Nature may be insisted on as our Right it is not Christian Liberty but Natural Liberty pag. 219. CHAP. XVI The Third Inference from our Notion of Christian Liberty viz. That Popery is the greatest Enemy in the World thereunto Where it is shewed First That the Church of Rome Robs those who are subject to her of that Natural Liberty which necessarily belongs to them as they are Men viz. That which consists in the free use of their Vnderstandings in matters of Religion That She will not permit men to Examine either her Doctrines or Practices by the Holy Scriptures nor yet to receive the Holy Scriptures themselves otherwise than upon her Authority The Wickedness of this exposed in two Particulars The alledging of Scripture for it shewed to be the grossest Absurdity Their great Text 1 Tim. 3. 15. spoken to Her Tyranny over mens Minds further shewed pag. 254. CHAP. XVII Where it is shewed Secondly That Popery is as great an Enemy as can be to Christian Liberty And First To that Liberty which our Saviour hath purchased for the World in general As 1. That it tendeth as much as is possible to the Corrupting of mens Souls by subjecting them to vile Affections This shewed in the general viz. in that it is apt to beget false Notions of God and more particularly in that it brings men under the Power of the Lusts of Malice Revenge Cruelty Pride and Ambition Covetousness Uncleanness Intemperance and the greatest Injustice and Unrighteousness 2. That it no less tendeth to Disquiet mens Minds with certain troublesome Passions pag. 272. CHAP. XVIII The Third Particular discoursed on viz. That the Admirable Method our Lord hath taken to Instate us in our Christian Liberty is made lamentably Ineffectual by Popery This shewed as to each of those four Particulars that Method consists of The Second Head briefly spoken to viz. That Popery is also the greatest Enemy to that Liberty Christ purchased for the Jews in Particular A Pathetical Exhortation to a higher valuing of the Priviledges we enjoy in the Church of England concludes the Chapter pag. 299. CHAP. XIX The Fourth Inference That he onely is a true Christian that looks upon himself as obliged to be no less Watchful over his Heart and the frame and temper of his Mind than over his Life and Conversation pag. 318. CHAP. XX. The Last Inference Viz. That the most Proper and Genuine Christian Obedience is that which hath most of Liberty in it namely that which proceeds from the Principle of Love to God and Goodness pag. 322 ERRATA PAge 247. line 15. for Six read Thirty Six Page 259. line 6. after Controversie add this Parenthesis if they could be ingenuous Page 287. line 17. after opportunities for add or in order to A DISCOURSE OF Christian Liberty The Introduction THERE is nothing toward which Mankind is more naturally or vehemently affected than Freedom and Liberty there is so great a value and price set upon it that Life it self is not thought too precious to be hazarded or laid down for it And many have rather chosen to die by their Enemies hands than to be inslaved by them It was the saying of Cato Malui mori quà m uni parere I had rather die than that one man meaning Iulius Caesar should Lord it over me And he was as good as his word he laid
Evil from an Overpowering Sense of the Becomingness and Excellency of the one and the Vileness and Odiousness of the other is the very Perfection of Liberty And this is so far from being impossible to be obtained by Creatures or by our Selves that by the help of God's Grace it is in a large measure even in this life Attainable I mean such a Sense of Good and Evil as shall certainly determine us to Good and against Evil in most of the instances of each There are some immoralities and wicked Actions that they who have attained to but very mean and ordinary degrees of Goodness cannot perswade themselves so much as to endeavour to reconcile their Minds to Nay there are some that no man can easily be supposed able to consent to but an extraordinarily Depraved and Wicked Wretch let the Motives that are used to perswade him be what they will Such as Blaspheming of God Contriving the Murther of our Parents or of a most obliging Friend Torturing of innocent Babes and the like Horrid Villanies Surely then a man is capable of such a Vivid sense of the Hatefulness of Sin in general as will whilest it lasts render it impossible for him to Will deliberately to commit any known Sin whatsoever 'T is confessed that we cannot hope to get past all danger of sudden Surprizals so long as we inhabit these Bodies and remain in our present Unhappy Circumstances but I say so powerful a Sense of the Infinite Unrighteousness Disingenuity Unreasonableness Folly and Madness of opposing the Holy Will of our Great Creator and Blessed Redeemer may by the Divine Assistance be acquired even on this side Heaven as shall Determine us effectually against all Deliberate and Wilful Violations of the Divine Laws For this we have the Authority of a Great Apostle S. Iohn saith in his 1 Epist. 3. 9. Whosoever is Born of God doth not commit Sin for his Seed remaineth in him neither can he Sin because he is Born of God He here affirms not only that those who have attained to extraordinary Measures of Goodness cannot Sin that is cannot will to sin deliberately but likewise that no Regenerate or truly Good man can He cannot thus Sin because he is born of God because he is a Child of God by the inward Renewing of his Holy Spirit And because his Seed remaineth in him that is the Divine Seed Which Divine Seed I take to be the same thing with the several times mentioned Quick Powerful and Pungent Sense of the Horrid Nature and most dreadful Effects and Consequents of Wilful Sinning It is more than Morally impossible that whilest this Sense abideth in its Strength and Vigour the Good man should lapse into such Sins Have we not such a Sense of the Vileness of some Actions as to say frequently I could not for all the world find in mine heart that is in my Will to do so or so And if we had the same Sense of all Sins which it is unreasonable not to have considering them as Sins or Transgressions of the Everlasting Rules of Righteousness for considering them under that notion all sins are alike I say had we the same Sense of all Sins we should as truly say concerning each I cannot find in mine heart I cannot will to consent unto it CHAP. XII Which Treats of one Branch of the First Inference from the Argument of the Second Section That in Freedom from the Dominion of Corrupt Affections doth that Liberty Principally or rather Wholly Consist which Christ hath purchased for us Namely that several Notions of Christian Liberty which have too much prevailed are false and of dangerous Consequence The First of which is That which makes it to consist wholly or in part in Freedom from the Obligation of the Moral Law Certain Texts urged by the Antinomians in favour of it vindicated from the sence they put upon them And the extreme wildness and wickedness of it exposed in Five Particulars WE proceed now to the Inferences from the latter Argument viz. That in Freedom from the Dominion of Corrupt Affections and all the sad Consequents thereof our Christian Liberty doth Eminently consist and wholly too the Liberty which Christ hath purchased for us Gentiles And First We infer from hence that several Notions of Christian Liberty that have too much prevailed are False and of dangerous Consequence We will speak to First That which makes it to consist in Freedom from the Obligation of the Moral Law Secondly That which makes it to consist in Freedom from those Laws of Men which Enjoyn or Forbid indifferent things Thirdly That which makes Liberty of Conscience a Branch of Christian Liberty First For that Notion of Christian Liberty which makes it to consist either wholly or in part in Freedom from the Obligation of the Moral Law This is extremely Wild and Wicked as will appear from what hath been discoursed It is the Doctrine of the Antinomians and they produce in favour of it all those Texts wherein we are said to be delivered from the Law As particularly Rom. 7. 6. Now we are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we were held c. Gal. 2. 19. I through the Law am dead to the Law c. Rom. 6. 14. Ye are not under the Law but under Grace Gal. 4. 4 5. When the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to Redeem them that were under the Law c. To this it is Answered That there are indeed many Texts which Assert our being freed from the Law but the Question is What Law they mean Or rather 't is out of Question that they mean not the Moral Law For there is no need of doing more than reading throughout the forementioned Verses to satisfie us that the Apostle understood in each of them nothing less than that Law Nay we need do no more to be assured that he Abominated this Notion of Christian Liberty For whereas he saith Rom. 7. 6. Now we are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we were held it follows that we should serve in Newness of Spirit and not in the Oldness of the Letter That is That we should no longer be merely Externally Obedient but also Inwardly and Spiritually Whereas he saith Gal. 2. 19. I through the Law am dead to the Law he immediately adds this as the reason why he was so that I might live unto God Or be in all things conformed to the Rules of Righteousness and Goodness which He hath prescribed all which are comprehended in the Moral Law Again whereas he tells the Romans Chap. 6. 14. Ye are not under the Law but under Grace This comes in as a proof of what he said immediately before in the same Verse viz. Sin shall not have dominion over you Lastly In saying Gal. 4. 5. That Christ was made of a Woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law he gives this in
we find concerning Obedience to Kings and the Higher Powers S. Peter saith 1 Epist. 2. 13. Submit your selves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supreme or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him c. Again Every Soul is commanded to be Subject to the Higher Powers because there is no Power but of God the Powers that be are ordained of God Rom. 13. 1 2 c. And Ver. 5. 't is said We must needs be Subject and that not onely for Wrath but also for Conscience sake But there is not the least syllable either in these or any other places of such a limitation as might Reconcile these Injunctions with this Notion of Christian Liberty And we may be confident that if by virtue of that Liberty Christians were disobliged from Obedience to their Governours whensoever they required things indifferent though very unreasonably enjoyned yet in their own nature not Evil and no where forbidden by God to be done the Apostle would have put in this Exception in the last mentioned place The Emperor being a great Tyrant and rather a Monster than a Man that then Reigned Thirdly If Governours can oblige us to nothing but what Antecedently to their Laws we ought to do there is no formal Obedience at all due to them I am then no more bound in Conscience to obey them than those who have no power over me that are invested by God with no Authority For if such say to me Do not Kill Do not Steal Do not commit Adultery c. I shall greatly sin in not hearkening to them And whereas it will be replied that though such Injunctions of Persons not placed in Power ought to be observed yet not as theirs but as Divine Injunctions I must needs profess that I do not believe it neither to be at all my Duty to obey such Laws of our Governours under the nâ—tion of theirs My obligation to obey all the Laws of God being as strong and indispensable every whit by virtue of His immediate Authority as if they were backt and inforced by never so many and never so severe Laws of his Vicegerents Nor can any of their Laws make what God Almighty hath obliged me either to or from one iot a greater Duty or Sin than it was before For the Divine Authority hath made whatsoever it hath commanded or prohibited as great a Duty or Sin as it is capable of being made that is considered in it self It is so evident that we are not obliged to obey a Law of the Land as such which onely requires or forbids what is required or forbidden by an express Law of God that the less respect any one hath to Humane Laws in such things in doing Iustly in being Temperate and Chaste in attending upon the solemn Worship of God and the like supposing he makes Conscience of them upon the account of the Divine Laws the better Man is he and the more sincere Christian. And therefore such Laws of Men as are Enacted against what God's Law hath forbidden or do enjoyn what was before commanded by God are not made for a Righteous man as the Apostle speaks even of the Law of Moses but for such Wretches as live under no Sense of the Divine Sovereignty and would not have any regard to God's Laws were they not inforced with Men's having severe penalties annexed to them So that if I am disobliged by my Christian Liberty from Doing or Forbearing any thing in Obedience to Humane Laws but what I ought to Do or Forbear though there were no Laws of Men about it that which I now said is very easie to be believed viz. That no Formal Obedience is due to Magistrates and they have no Power to make any New Laws of their own but onely to take the best care that the Old ones viz. the Laws of God be observed And if it be so what becomes of all those Texts wherein Obedience to Governours is with such strictness required of Christians This Opinion that Rulers have no Power over us in regard of our Christian Liberty in matters of an Indifferent Nature doth make the Fifth Commandment and all those Injunctions perfectly insignificant And the Apostle might well have spared his charge to Titus To put those under his care in mind to be subject to Principalities and Powers to obey Magistrates c. Tit. 3. 1. This Monstrously wild Notion of Christian Liberty I should not have taken thus much notice of as little as I have said but that of late days Multitudes by their behaviour would make us suspect they are infected with it who yet will not professedly own it It is come to that sad pass that preaching Obedience to Authority is become as unacceptable Doctrine as can be to even many great Pretenders to Christianity although it be done never so prudently and agreeably to the express Doctrine of our Saviour and his Apostles And the Notion of Obedience for Conscience-sake seems almost lost among not a few Which is one of the great Sins for which we have too good reason to fear there 's a Heavy Scourge near us Secondly As for that Doctrine which limits our disobligation by the means of Christian Liberty from the Laws of Men that impose indifferent things to those that onely relate to Religion and the Worship of God That this is Wild too though more Sober than the other will appear by these Considerations First This Notion of Christian Liberty tends to introduce sad Disorder and Confusion into the Churches of Christ and will certainly do it if practised upon I need not go about to prove that the Order of Ecclesiastical as well as Civil Societies consisteth principally in the due Regulation of things in their own Nature Indifferent S. Paul hath enjoyned that in the Church All things be done decently and in order 1 Cor. 14. 40. But how shall they be so done if it be a Violation of our Christian Liberty to have any thing imposed upon us by our Governours for Decencies and Orders sake Particular Rules being not given us in Scripture about this matter which to be sure would have been were they not left to the Determination of the Governours of each Church upon supposition that 't is possible to give such as would well suit all Churches Calvin upon those words of S. Paul 1 Cor. 11. 2. Now I praise you Brethren that you remember me in all things and keep the Ordinances as I delivered them to you doth thus express his Sense about this matter Saith he We know that every Church is left free to appoint a Form of Polity for it self because our Lord hath prescribed nothing certain And he speaks this you see not as his own sense onely but as the sense and that undoubted too of his other Brethren of the Reformation Whose judgment were it needful we might largely produce to the same purpose But there is no need of it those very
of God the Powers that be are ordained of God whosoever therefore Resisteth the Power Resisteth the Ordinance of God c. So that all we assert is this that we are bound to obey our lawful Governours for God's sake who hath invested them with the Authority they have over us and commanded us to obey those Laws of theirs which are not contradictory to any of His. Nor do we say that Humane Authority can make more Duties or Sins than God hath made or to speak properly and strictly can make any thing to be a Duty or Sin for it can only Command or Forbid and what it Commands if lawful the Divine Authority makes it a Duty and what it Forbids if not a Duty the Divine Authority makes it a Sin Or to speak in the words of the Learned Bishop Taylor Humane Authority doth not make the action of disobedience to be a Sin It makes that the not compliance of the Subject is Disobedience but it is the Authority of God which makes Disobedience to be a Sin And what immediately follows deserves also to be transcribed in this place viz. And though no Humane Power can give or take Grace away yet we may remember that we our selves throw away God's Grace or abuse it or neglect it when we will not make use of it to the purposes of Humility Charity and Obedience all which are concerned in our Subordination to the Laws There is also this difference between the Obligations of Divine and Humane Laws viz. The Divine Laws bind our Thoughts and the Sense of our Minds they bind us not onely to obey them but to think them also Wise and Good Laws But so do not Humane Laws they oblige onely to Obedience but not to the thinking them such as ought or are fit to be imposed A man may think a Humane Law imprudent or unreasonable and be guilty of no Transgression if notwithstanding he complies with it I mean provided he keeps his thoughts to himself or does not make them publick The forementioned Worthy Prelate layeth down no sewer than Ten or Eleven differences of Divine and Humane Laws in their obligation in his Ductor Dubitantium Whether they will all hold or no or may not be reduced to a smaller number I will not take upon me to say but thither I refer the Reader And thus much may serve to be spoken to the First thing premised viz. That Conscience is not so Sacred a thing as to be uncapable of being bound by Humane Laws Secondly I premise also that no man can be deprived properly of the true Liberty of his Conscience by any Power on Earth I mean without his own consent no Mortal nor any Creature is able to invade it This will appear by considering what that is which is called Conscience Conscience is The Mind of a man considered as possessed with certain practical principles and comparing his own actions with those principles doth according as he finds them agreeing or disagreeing with them judge of himself either absolve or condemn himself So that there are three Offices of Conscience The first is That of assenting to and embracing certain practical principles as Laws for the governing a man's self The second is That of comparing ones self or actions with those Rules or Principles The third That of passing judgment of ones self accordingly Now that is properly Liberty of Conscience and that onely which relates to the execution of these three Offices But the Acts of Conscience in executing these Offices being all Internal and within a mans Soul how can its Liberty in exerting those Acts be infringed by any Humane Power What Earthly Power can make me Assent to or believe what it pleaseth Can so give Laws to my Conscience as to necessitate me to receive them for such and to think them good Laws and safe to steer my Actions by Again how can any such Power deprive me of my Liberty to compare my Actions with such Rules as I think I am obliged to be governed by And having reflected upon my self and actions and made this comparison how can any such Power abridge me of Liberty to Absolve my self if I find my actions agreeing with those Rules or to Condemn my self if I find the contrary Can make me Condemn when I ought to Acquit my self or Acquit when I see reason to Condemn my self So that the Liberty which is with so much heat contended for by some and inveighed against by others under the name of Liberty of Conscience is truly and properly Liberty of Practice not of Conscience And the great thing in contest is Whether a Liberty of doing what a man's Conscience tells him he ought to do and of forbearing what it tells him he ought to forbear be an inviolable Right and not to be invaded by Humane Authority This being the true state of the Question I shall endeavour an Answer thereunto in these following Propositions Prop. 1. That there are two Extremes about this matter to be carefully avoided First That of Asserting an unlimited Liberty of practising according to a mans Conscience Secondly That of over-great severity in Restraining this Liberty First As to the Extreme of Asserting an unlimited Liberty of practising according to a man's Conscience This will appear to be an Extreme indeed and a very wild and mad one if we consider that there is scarcely any thing so extravagant or wicked but the Consciences of some or other may urge them to it Nay it is certain that men have pretended Conscience for some of the most impious and most villanous actions in the World So the Papists have done among our selves we all know And another sort of People too whose principles though very bad were better than theirs And it is not possible for us to know that their pretences of Conscience were mâ—re pretences Nor is it hard for us to perswade our selves that through the just judgment of God for past provocations the Spirit of delusion may be permitted to have such power over some mens Consciences as that they shall call evil good and good evil put darkness for light and light for darkness and bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter for we find a Woe pronounced against such as do so Esay 5. 20. which there would not have been if there were no such men nor could be And it is said of some 2 Thess. 2. 10 11 12. that Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved God shall send them or permit to be sent them strong delusions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strength of delusion that they should believe a lie That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness Our Saviour foretold his Disciples Iohn 16. 2. that The time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God service That is the time is coming when men shall kill you out of Conscience As no doubt the Papists have done