other shall do, and out of tenderness to itself exercise all manner of cruelty towards other men: I say that this extravagant presumption should take or claim any warrant from conscience, is worthy of the anger and indignation of all Christians, and of a general combination to reclaim and bind up this unruly, destroying, ravenous underminer and devourer of souls. The apostle, when he prescribed this light to walk by, in the dark times of infidelity, ignorance, and persecution, knew well enough how unlimited the fancy, and pride, and convertures of the heart of man were; and therefore he takes all possible care to establish the power and jurisdiction of kings and magistrates, and obedience to laws under the obligation of conscience, and required subjection to all those, not only for wrath (for fear of punishment) but for conscience sake: and the same apostle thought it a very necessary prescription to Timothy, that he should keep his diocese to the "holding faith and a good conscience, which some having put away, concerning faith had made shipwreck;" that is, some men, by departing from the rules of conscience, by the suggestions of faith and religion, they made shipwreck of that faith and religion which they meant to advance. Conscience is the best bit and bridle to restrain the licence and excess which faith itself may introduce and give countenance to: Conscience can

never lead us into any unwarrantable and unjust action; but that it is not enough, he whose con. science does not check and restrain him from entering into actions contrary to God's commandments, may reasonably conclude that he hath no conscience, but that he lies under temptation which cannot prevail without laying the conscience waste, and rooting out all that God hath planted there; and a man may as reasonably pretend to commit adultery out of conscience, as to rebel or resist lawful authority by the obligation of conscience; and they who think themselves qualified for the latter by that impulsion, can never find reason to subdue a strong temptation to the other. Conscience may very reasonably restrain and hinder a man form doing that which would be consistent enough with conscience to be done; nay, it may oblige him to suffer and undergo punishment, rather than to do that which might be lawful for him. It is not necessary, though it were to be wished, that every man's conscience should be so sharpsighted, as to discern the inside of every doubt that shall arise; it may be too hard for me, when another man may be as much too hard for it, and then I ought not to do what he lawfully and justly may do; but this is only the restrictive negative power of conscience, the affirmative power hath not that force. Conscience can never oblige a

man to do, or excuse him for doing, what is evil in itself, as treason, murder, or rebellion, under what specious pretences soever, which want of understanding and want of honesty suggest where there is want of conscience; and it is a very hard thing to assert, that any thing can proceed from the conscience of that man who is void of knowledge, since there is some science necessary to be supposed, where there is a pretence to conscience.

He who obstinately refuses, upon the obligation of conscience, to do what the law under which he lives, and to which he owes subjection and obedience, requires him positively to do, had need to be sure that his doing of that which he is enjoined, and denies to do, is in itself sinful, and expressly forbid by the word of God. Doubting in this point is not excuse or warrant enough; the reverence he ought to have to the government and governors of his country, that the modest believing that a Christian kingdom or commonwealth, cannot combine together to damn themselves, and all who live under them, should have power and authority enough to suppress and over-rule all doubts to the contrary. But if in truth the matter be so clear to him, that by obeying this law he becomes a rebel to God, I know not how his conscience can excuse him for staying and living under that go

vernment, and from making haste away to be under the protection of another government, where no such sinful action is required or enjoined; for no man can satisfy his own conscience, that though his courage, for the present, will support him to undergo the judgment and penalty that his disobedience is liable to, he may not in the end be weary of that submission; and since the duty is still incumbent upon him, and may still be required of him, he may not at last purchase his peace and quiet with complying in doing that which he knows is sinful and must offend God Almighty; and therefore methinks he should, at the same time he resolves to disobey a law that is fixed, and not very probable to be altered, quit the country where so much tyranny is exercised, and repair to another climate, where it is lawful to give unto Cæsar what belongs unto Cæsar, and to give unto God what belongs unto God. And if his affection to his country will not suffer him to take that resolution, it is probable that his conscience is not so fully convinced of the impiety of the laws thereof; and the same affection should labour to receive that satisfaction, that he may be reconciled to give the obedience the laws require. The submitting to any present inconvenience or loss or damage, rather than do somewhat that is enjoined by public authority to be done; the preferring re

proach and disgrace, before honour that must be attended with compliance and submission to what is required of us, is no argument that such refusal is an effect of conscience; pride, ambition, or revenge, will do the same, to raise a party that will enable him to compass and bring that to pass which he most desires. We see nothing more common, than for men of much wit and no conscience, to impose upon those who have no wit and pretend to much conscience, and lead them into ways which are too rough for their consciences to tread in, and to ends that they do not desire; and yet every step they make is an impulsion of their conscience; their conscience will not suffer them to take an oath, by which the wrong they have done may be discovered and repaired, yet that conscience will not compel them to do justice, nor restrain them from doing injury to their neighbours; it will neither oblige them to speak truth, that may prejudice a man they favour, nor to discover a fraud, by which they may be bound to reparation. Conscience is made the refuge of all perverse and refractory men, when they will not observe the law, and the warrant and incitement to any wickedness when they are inclined to break it: whereas conscience is a natural restraint within us, to keep us from doing what our foul affections and passions may tempt us to; it may be too