A discourse of conscience wherein is set down the nature, properties, and differences thereofA discourse of conscience wherein is set downe the nature, properties, and differences thereof

The third. What soever is done ^*against conscience, though it err & be deceived, it sin in the d•er. Example. An Anabaptist holding it utterly unlawful to swear, is brought before a magistrate; and urged either through fear or so […] cause, takes an oath & that against his o•ne conscience: now the question is, whether he hath sinned or no. Ans. He hath indeed sinned not so much because he hath taken an oath, for that is the ordinance of God: but because he hath taken an oath in a bad manner, that is, against his conscience, and therefore not in faith.

The third. What soeuer is done ^*against conscience, though it erre & be deceiued, it sinne in the d•er. Example. An Anabaptist holding it vtterly vnlawfull to sweare, is brought before a magistrate; and vrged either through feare or so 〈…〉 cause, takes an oath & that against his o•ne conscience: now the question is, whether he hath sinned or no. Ans. He hath indeed sinned not so much because he hath taken an oath, for that is the ordinance of God: but because he hath taken an oath in a bad manner, that is, against his conscience, and therefore not in faith.

1. *Erroneous conscience bindeth. For he that judgeth a thing to be evil. if he do it, hath sinned, as much as in hi• lieth.Erronious conscience bindeth. For he that iudgeth a thing to be euill. if he doe it, hath sinned, as much as in hi• lieth.

Thus it is manifest that conscience bears a great stroke in all things that are to be said or done. And hereby we are advertised of many things. First, if a thing done without good direction of conscience be a sin, then much more that which is done without direction of Gods word is a flat sin: for without direction of Gods word conscience can give no good direction. And if God will hold that for a sin which is done without direction of his word,