not see what is in the heart of man It remaines therefore that there is a spirituall substance most wise most holy most mighty that sees a I things to whom conscience beares record and that is God himselfe Let Atheists barke against this as long as they will they haue that in them which will convince them of the truth of the godhead will they nill they either in life or death Secondly we learne that God doth watch ouer all men by a speciall prouidence The master of a prison is knowen by this to haue care ouer his prisoners if hee send keepers with them to watch them and to bring them home againe in time convenient and so Gods care to man is manifest in this that when he created man and placed him in the worlde he gaue him conscience to be his keeper to follow him alwaies at the heeles to dogge him as we say to pry into his actions to beare witnesse of them all Thirdly hence we may obserue Gods goodnesse and loue to man If he do any thing amisse he sets his conscience first of all to tell him of it secâ—edy if then he amende God forgives it if not then afterward conscience must openly accuse him for it at the barre of Gods iudgement before all the saints and angels in heauen The second worke of conscience is to giue iudgement of things done To giue iudgemeÌ„t is to determine that a thing is well done or ill done Herein conscience is like to a Iudge that holdeth an assize and takes notice of inditements and causeth the most notorious malefactour that is to hold up his hand at the barre of his iudgement Nay it is as it were a little god sitting in the middle of mens hearts arraigning them in this life as they shall be arraigned for their offences at the tribunall seate of the euerliuing god in the day of iudgement Wherfore the temporary iudgement that is giuen by the conscience is nothing els but a beginning or a fore-â—unner of the last iudgement Hence we are admonished to take special heed that nothing past lie heavy upon vs that we charge not our coÌ„sciences in time to come with any matter For if our conscience accuse us god will much more condemne vs saith S. Iohn 1. Ioâ— 3. 18. because he seeth all our actions more clearely and iudgeth them more seuerely then conscience can It shall be good therfore for all men to labour that they may say with Paul 2. Cor. 4. I knovv nothing by my selfe that they â—ay stand before God without blame for euer Hâ—â—st we must consider two things first the câ—â—se that makes conscience giue iudgement secondly the manner how The câ—use is the Binder of the conscience The Binder is that thing whatsoeuer which hath power authority ouer conscience to order it To bind is to vrge cause and constraine it in euery action either to accuse for sinne or to excuse for well doing or to say this may be done or it may not be done Conscience is said to be bound as it is considered a part by it selfe from the binding power of gods coÌ„mandement For then it hath liberty is not bound either to accuse or excuse but is apt to do either of them indifferently but when the binding power is set once ouer the coÌ„scieÌ„ce theÌ„ in euery actioÌ„ it must needs either accuse or excuse eueÌ„ as a man in a city or town hauing his liberty may go vp down or not go where when he will but if his body be attached by the magistrate imprisoned theÌ„ his former liberty is restrained he can go up and downe but within the prison or some other allowed place The binder of conscience is either proper or improper Proper is that thing which hath absolute and soueraigne power in it selfe to bind the conscience And that is the worde of God writteÌ„ in the books of the old new TestameÌ„â— Reason I. He which is the Lord of 〈◊〉 by his word and lawes bindes conâ—… but God is the only Lorde of conscience becâ—â—se he once created it and he alone gouerâ—… 〈◊〉 none but he knowes it Therfore his word and lawes only bind conscience properly II. 〈◊〉 which hath power to sâ—â—e or destroy the 〈◊〉 for the keeping or breaking of his lawes â—ath absolute power to bind the soul and consâ—â—ence by the same lawes but the first is true of God alone Iam. 3. 12. There is 〈◊〉 lawgiver which is able to save and destroy Isaâ— 33. 22. The Lorde is our Iudge the Lord is our lavvginer the Lorde is our King and he will save vs. Therefore the worde of God alone by an absolute and soueraigne power binds conscience Because this point is cleare of it selfe further proofe is needlesse HeÌ„ce we are taught sundry points of instruction I. Such as are ignoraÌ„t amoÌ„g us must labor to get knowledge of gods worde because it binds coÌ„science Neither wil the plea of ignoraÌ„â—e serue for excuse because whether we know gods laws or know them not they stil bind us And we are bound not only to do them but wheÌ„ we know them not we are further bound not to be ignorant of them but to seeke to know them If we had no more sinnes our ignorance were sufficient to condemne vs. II. Gods word is to be obeyed though we should offend all men yea loose all mens fauour and suffer the greatest domage that may be euen the losse of our liues And the reason is at hand because gods worde hath this prerogatiue to bridle bind restraine the conscience III. Whatsoeuer we enterâ—…se or take in hand we must first search whether God giue vs liberty in conscience and warraâ—â— to do it For if we do otherwise conscience 〈◊〉 boâ—nd presently to charge vs of sinne before god Lastly we do here see how dangerous the case is of all time-seruers that will liue as they list and be of no certen religion till differences and dissentions therein be ended and they haue the determination of a generall counsell for whether these things come to passe or no certen iâ— is that they are bound in conscience to receiue and beleeue the ancient Propheticall and Apostolicall doctrine touching the true worship of god and the way to 〈◊〉 euerlasting which is the true religion The same is to be said of all drowsie protestants and lukewarme-gospellers that use religion not with that care and conscience they ought but only then and so far forth as it serues for their turnes commonly neglecting or despising the assemblies where the word is preached and seldome frequenting the Lords table vnles it be at Easter Like silly wretches they neither see nor feele the constraining power that gods word hath in their coÌ„sciences Gods word is either Law or Gospel The law is a part of Gods word of things to be done oâ— to be left vndone And it is threefoldâ— morall iudiciall ceremoniall Morall law concernes duties of
wherein God would be worshipped Arg. 3. God hath giuen a liberty to the conscience whereby it is freed froÌ„ all lawes of his own whatsoeuer excepting such lawes doctrines as are necessary to salvation Col. 2. 10. If yee be dead with Christ ye are free froÌ„ the elemeÌ„ts of the world Gal. 5. 1. Standye in the liberty wher with Christ hath freedyou and be not againe intangled with the yoke of bondage Nowe if humane lawes made after the graunt of this libertie bind conscience property then must they either take away the foresaid libertie or diminish the same but that they cannot doe for that which is graÌ„ted by an higher authority namely God himself cannot be reuoked or repealed by the inferiour authoritie of any man It is answered that this freedome is onely from the bondage of sinne from the curse of the morall law from the ceremoniall and iudiciall lawes of Moses and not from the lawes of our superiours And I answer againe that it is absurd to thinke that God giues vs libertie in conscience from any of his owne laws and yet will haue our consciences stil to remaine in subiection to the laws oâ— sinnefull men Arg. 4. Whosoeuer bindes conscience commaunds conscience For the bonde is made by a commaÌ„dement vrging conscience to do his dutie which is to accuse or excuse for euill or well doing Now Gods laws commaund conscience in as much as they are spirituall commaunding bodie and spirit with all the thoughts will affections desires and faculties and requiring obedience of them all according to their kinde As for the laws of men they want power to commaund conscience In deede if it were possible for our gouernours by law to commaund mens thoughts and affections then also might they command coÌ„science but the first is not possible for their lawes can reach no further then to the outward man that is to bodie and goods with the speaches and deedes thereof and the ende of them all is not to maintaine spirituall peace of conscience which is betweene man and God but onely that externall and ciuill peace which is betweene man and man And it were not meete that men should commaund conscience which cannot see conscience and iudge of all her actions which appeare not outwardly and whereof there be no witnesses but God and the conscience of the doer Lastly men are no fitte commanders of conscience because they are no lords of it but God himselfe alone Argum. 5. Men in making lawes are subiect to ignorance and errour and therefore when they haue made a law as neare as possible they can agreeable to the equitie of Gods law yet can they not assure themselues and others that they haue failed in no point or circumstance Therefore it is against reason that humane laws beeing subiect to defects faults errours and manifold imperfections should truly bind conscience as Gods lawes doe which are the rule of righteousnes All gouernours in the world vpon their daily experience see and acknowledge this to be true which I say by reason that to their olde lawes they are constrained to put restrictions ampliations modifications of all kindes with new readings and interpretations saving the Bishop of Rome so falsly tearmed which perswades himselfe to haue when he is in his consistorie such an infallible assistance of the spirite that he can not possibly erre in iudgement Argum. 6. If mens lawes by inward vertue binde conscience properly as Gods lawes then our dutie is to learne studie and remember them as well as Gods laws yea ministers must be diligent to preach them as they are diligent in preaching the doctrine of the Gospell because euery one of them bindes to mortall finne as the Papists teach But that they should be taught and learned as Gods lawes it is most absurd in the iudgement of all men Papists themselues not excepted Argum. 7. Inferiour authoritie can not binde the superiours no we the courts of 〈◊〉 and their authoritie are vnder conscience For God in the heart of euery man hath â—rocted a tribunall seale and in his stead he hath plâ—â—â—d neither saint nor angell not any other creaâ—… what soeuer but conscience it selfe who therefore is the highest iudge that is or can be vnder God by whose direction also courts are kept and lawes are made Thus much of the popish opinion by which it appeares that one of the principall notes of Antichrist agrees fuly to the Pope of Rome Paul 2. Thess. 2. makes it a speciall propertie of Antichrist to exalt himselfe against or aboue all that is called God or worshipped Now what doth the Pope els when he takes vpon him authoritie to make such lawes as shall binde the conscience as properly and truly as Gods lawes and what doth he els when he ascribes to himselfe power to free mens consciences from the bond of such lawes of God as are vnchaungeable as may appeare in a canon of the councill of Trent the words are these If any shall say that thâ—se degrees of consanguinitie which be expressed in Leviticus â—â—e 〈◊〉 hinder 〈◊〉 to be made and breake it beeing made and that the Church cannot dispense with some of them or appoint that more degrees may hinder or breake â—â—â—â—age let him be accursed O sacrilegious impietie considering the lawes of affinitie and consanguinitie Lev. 18. are not ceremoniall or iudiciall lawes peculiar to the Iewes but the very laws of nature Whâ—â—â— this canon els but a publike proclamation to the world that the Pope and Church of Rome doe sit as lords or rather idols in the hearts consciences of men This will yet more fully appeare to any man if we read popish bookes of practical or Case aivinitie in which the common manner is to binde conscience where God looseth it and to loose where he bindes but a declaration of this requires long time Now I come as neare as possibly I can to set downe the true manner how mens lawes are by Diuines and may be said to binde conscience That this may be cleared two things must be handled By what meanes they binde and How farre forth Touching the meanes I set downe this rule Whole some lawes of men made of things indifferent binde conscience by vertue of the generall commaundement of God vvhich ordaineth the Magistrates authoritie so as vvho soever shall wittingly willingly with a disloyal mind either breake or omit such lavves it guiltie of sâ—â—â—e before God By whole some lawes I vnderstand such positiue constitutions as are not against the law of God and withall tend to maintaine the peaceable estate and common good of men Furthermore I adde this clause made of things indifferent to note the peculiar matter whereâ—… 〈◊〉 lawes properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things 〈◊〉 are neither 〈◊〉 commanded or forbidden by God Now such kinde of lawes haue no vertue or power in themselues to constraine conscience but they bind onely by vertue of an higher commandement Let euery soule â—e subiect to the
higher powers Rom. 13. 1. or Honour father and mother Exod. 20. which commaundements binde vs in conscience to performe obedience to the good laws of men As S. Peter saith Submit your selues to euery humane ordinance for the Lord 1. Pet. 2. 13. that is for conscience of God as he saith afterward v. 19. wherby he signifieth two thing first that God hath ordained the authority of gouernours secondly that he hath appointed in his word and thereby bound men in conscience to obay their gouernours lawfull commandements If the case fall out otherwise as commonly it doth that humane laws be not inacted of things indifferent but of things that be good in themselues that is commanded by God then are they not 〈◊〉 properly but divine lawes Mens laws intreating of things that are morally good and the parts of Gods vvorshippe are the same with Gods laws and therfore binde conscience not because they were inacted by men but because they were first made by God men beeing no more but instruments and ministers in his name to revive renew and to put in exequution such precepts and laws as prescribe the worship of God standing in the practise of true religion vertue Of this kind are all positiue lawes touching articles of faith the duties of the morall law And the man that breakes such lawes sinnes two waies first because he breaks that which is in conscience a law of God secondly because in disobaying his lawfull magistrate he disobâ—… the generall commandement of God touching magistracie But if it shall fall out that mens lawes be made of things that are cuill and forbidden by God then is there no bonde of conscience at all but contrariwise men are bound in conscience not to obay Act. 4. 19. And hereupon the three children are commended for not obaying Nabuchadnezzar when he gaue a particular commandement vnto them to fall downe and worship the golden image Dan. 3. Moreouer in that mans law binds onely by power of Gods law hence it follows that Gods law alone hath this priuiledge that the breach of it should be a sinne S. Iohn saith 1. epist. 3. Sinne it the anomie or transgressioÌ„ of the law vnderstanding Gods lawe When Dauid by adulterie and murder had offended many men that many waies he saith Psal. 51. against thee against thee haue I sinned And Augustine defined sinne to be some thing said done or desired against the law of God Some man may say if this be so belike then we may breake mens laws without sinne I answer that men in breaking humane lawes both may and doe sinne but yet not simply because they breake them but because in breaking them they doe also breake the law of God The breach of a law must be considered two waies First as it is a trespasse hinderance iniurie damage and in this respect it is committed against mens lawes secondly the breach of a law must be considered as it is sinne and so it is onely against Gods law The second point namely How farreforth mens lawes binde conscience I explane on this manner It is all that the lawes of God doe or can doe to binde conscience simply and absolutely Therefore humane laws bind not simply but so farre forth as they are agreeable to Gods word serue for the coÌ„mongood staÌ„d withgood order and hinder not the libertie of conscience The necessitie of the law ariseth of the necessitie of the good end thereof And as the end is good and profitable more or lesse so is the law it selfe necessarie more or lesse Hence it followeth that a man may doe any thing beside humane lawes and constitutions without breach of conscience For if he shall omit the doing of any law I. without hindrance of the ende and particular considerations for which the law was made II. without offence giuing as much as in him lieth III. without contempt of him that made the law he is not to be accused of sinne Example In time of warre the magistrate of a citie commands that no man shall open the gates the end is that the citie and euery member thereof may be in safetie Now it falls out that certaine citizens beeing vpon occasion without the citie are pursued by the enemie and in daunger of their lifes Herupon some man within openeth the gate to resâ—…e them The question is whether he haue sinned or no. And the truth is he hath not because he did not hinder the ende of the law but rather further it and that without scandal to men or contempt to the magistrate And this stands euen by the equitie of Gods word God made a law that the priests onely should eate of the shewbread now Dauid being no priest did vpon vrgent occasion eate of it without sinne If this be true in Gods law then it may also be true in the lawes of men that they may in some cases be omitted without sinne against God Neither must this seeme strange For as thâ—re is a keeping of a law and a breaking of the same so there is a middle or meane action betwâ—â—ne them both which is to doe thing beside the law and that without sâ—â—â—e To proceede further mens laws be either civill or ecclesiasticall Civill laws are for their substance determinations of necessarie and profitable circumstances tendâ—â—â— to â—â—hold and maintaine the commandemâ—… of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 More specially they prescribe what is to be doâ— and what is to be left vndone touching actions both civill criminal touching offices and bâ—rgines of all soâ—â—â— c. yea they conclude inioyne commaÌ„d not onely such affaires as be of smaller importaÌ„ce but also things actions of great waight tending to maintaine common peace civill societie and the very state of the common wealth Now such laws binde so farre forth that though they be omitted without any apparanâ— sâ—â—ndal or contempâ— yet the breach of them is a sinne against God Take this example A subiect in this lande vpon pouertie or vpon a couctous minde against the good law of the land coines money which after ward by a sleight of his wit is cunningly conuaied abroad into the hands of men and is not espied Here is no euident offence giuen to any man nor open contempt shewed to the lawgiuer and yet in this action he hath sinned in that closely otherwise then he ought to haue done he hath hindered the good of the common wealth and robbed the soueraigne prince of her right Ecclesâ—sticall lawes are certaine necessarie and profitable determinations of circumstances of the commaundements of the first table I say bâ—â—e 〈◊〉 because all doctrines pertaining to the foundation and good estate of the Church as also the whole worshippe of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 downe and commaâ—nded in the written word of God and cannot be prescribed and concluded otherwise by all the Churches in the world Aâ—â—or the Creedes and Confessionâ— of particular Churches they are in substance Gods word and they binde not in conscience by any power
loue partly to God partly towards our neighbour â—t is contained in the decalogue or 10. commandements it is the very law of nature written in all menâ— heartâ— for substance though not for the mâ—ner of propounding of it in the creation of man therfore it binds the consciences of all men at all times euen of blind and ignorant persons that neither knowe the most of it nor care to know it Yet here must be remembred 3. exceptions or cautions I. When two commandements of the morall law are opposite in respect of vâ—so as we can not do them both at the same time then the lesser commandement giues place to the greater doth not bind for that instant Example I. God commands one thing the magistrate commaunds the flat contrary in this case which of these two commandements must be obeyed Honour God or Honour the Magistrate the answer is that the latter must giue place to the former the former must only be obeyed Act. 4. 19. Whether it be right in the sight of God to obey you rather theâ— God judge ye II. The 4. commandement prescribes rest on the Sabbath day now it 〈◊〉 out that at the same time a whole towâ—… 〈◊〉 set on fire and the sixt commandement requires our help in sauing our neighbours life goods Now of these two coÌ„mandements which must be obeyed for both can not The answer is that the fourth commandement at this time is to giue place the sixt commandement alone binds the conscience so as then if need should require a man might labour all the day without offence to God Matt. 9. 13. I will have mercie not sacrifice And the rule must not be omitted That charity towards our neighbour is subordinate to the Loue of God therfore must giue place to it For this cause the commandement concerning Charity must giue place to the coÌ„mandement coÌ„cerning loue to god when the case so fals out that we must either offend our neighbour or God we must rather offend our neighbour then God II. Caution When God giues some particular coÌ„mandement to his people dispensing with some other coÌ„mandement of the moral law for that time it binds not For all the 10. coÌ„mandements must be coÌ„ceiued with this conditioÌ„ Except god coÌ„mand otherwise ExaÌ„ple I. The sixt commandement is Thou shalt not kill but God giues a particular commandemeÌ„t to Abraham AbrahaÌ„ offer thy sonne Isaac in sacrifice to me And this latter coÌ„mandement at that instant did bind Abraham he is therefore commended for his obedience to it II. And when God commanded the children of Israel to compasse Ierico seuen daies and therfore on the Sabbath the fourth commandement prescribing the sanctifying of rest on the Sabbath for thâ—â— instant and in that action did not bind conscience III. Caution One and the same commandement in some things binds the conscience more straitly and in doing some other things lesse 〈◊〉 6. 10. Doe good to all men but spâ—… 〈◊〉 them that be of the houshold of faith Hence it ariseth that though all sinnes be mortall and deserue eternall death yet all are not equall but some more grieuous then others Iudiciall lawes of Moses are all such as prescribe order for the execution of iustice and iudgement in the common-wealth They were specially given by God directed to the Iewes who for this very cause were bound 〈◊〉 conscience to keepe them all and if the common-wealth of the Iewes were now standing in the old estate no doubt they should continue still to bind as before But â—â—uching other nations and specially Christian common wealths in these dâ—â—es the case is otherwise Some are of opinion that the whole iudiciall law is wholly abolished and some againe runne to the other extreme holding that Iudiciall lawes binde Christians as straightly as Iewes but no doubt they are both wide and the safest course is to keepe the meane betweene both Therefore the Iudiciall lawes of Moses according to the substance and scope thereof must be distinguished in which respects they are of two sorts Some of them are lawes of particular equity some of common equity Lawes of particular equity are such as prescribe iustice according to the particular estate and condition of the Iewes common-wealth to the circumstances therof time place persons things actions Of this kind was the law 〈◊〉 brother should raisâ— vp seed to his brother and many such like none of them bind vs because they were framed and â—…pered to a particular people Iâ—…als of common equity are such as are made according to the law or instinct of nature common to all men and these in respect of their 〈…〉 nce binde the consciences not onely of the Iewes but also of the Gentiles for they were not giuen to the Iewes as they are Iewes that is a people receiued into the 〈◊〉 aboue all other nations brought from Egypt to the land of Canaan of whome the Messias according to the flesh was to co 〈…〉 but they were giuen to them as they were mortall men subiect to the order and la 〈…〉 s of nature as all other nations are Againe iudiciall la 〈…〉 so farre forth as they haue in them the generall or common equity of the lawe of nature are morall and therfore binding in conâ—… 〈◊〉 the morall law A Iudiciall law may be knowen to be a law of common equity if either of these two things be found in it First if wise men not onely among the Iewes but also in other nations haue by naturall reason and conscience iudged the same to be equall iust and necessary and withall haue testified this their iudgement by inacting lawes for their common-wealthes the same in substance with sundry of the Iudiciall lawes giuen to the Iewes and the Romanâ— Emperours among the rest haue done this most excellently as will appeare by conferring their lawes with the lawes of God Secondly a Iudiciall hath common equitie if it serue directly to explane and confirme any of the tenne precepts of the Decalogue or if is seâ—… directly to maintaine and vphold any of the three estates of the family the common-wealth the Church And whether this be so or no it will appeare if we doe but consider the matter of the lawe and the reasons or considerations vpon which the Lord was mooued to giue the fame unto the Iewes Now to make the point in hand more plaine take an example or two It is a Iudiciall law of God that murderers must be put to death now the question is whether this law for substance be the common equity of nature binding consciences of Christians or not and the answer is that without further doubting it is so For first of all this law hath bin by common consent of wise lawgiuers enacted in many countries and kingdomes beside the Iewes It was the lawe of the Egyptians and olde Grecians of Draco of Numa and of many