A Continuation of morning-exercise questions and cases of conscience practically resolvedA Continuation of morning-exercise questions and cases of conscience practicaly resolved

Only such are concerned first to search well and be satisfied concerning the lawfulness of their action in it self, that they do it not with a self-condemning conscience, nor with a groundlessly self-justifying one. And then especially to see to it that their end be right. Gods interest not their own, otherwise than in a due, entire subordination to his. We can never act innocently or comfortably in any thing, till he be in every thing more absolutely our all in all; and have much more reason to be scrupulous, and (if others knew our hearts) were much more liable to censure, that, in our common affairs, he is so much forgotten, that we live not more entirely to him; which we little animadvert upon, and are very officious to cast motes out of our brothers eye, when this beam is in our own.

Only such are concerned first to search well and be satisfy'd concerning the lawfulness of their action in it self, that they do it not with a self-condemning conscience, nor with a groundlesly self-justifying one. And then especially to see to it that their end be right. Gods interest not their own, otherwise than in a due, entire subordination to his. We can never act innocently or comfortably in any thing, till he be in every thing more absolutely our all in all; and have much more reason to be scrupulous, and (if others knew our hearts) were much more liable to censure, that, in our common affairs, he is so much forgotten, that we live not more entirely to him; which we little animadvert upon, and are very officious to cast motes out of our brothers eye, when this beam is in our own.

The design of mentioning these hints of reasons for so different judgments and practices, is not to show which are strongest, and ought to prevail, which cannot be the business of so short a discourse as this, and so much of another nature, but to show that while there is any thing colourable to be alleged for this or that way, True Christian love, compassion of common humane frailty, and a duly humble sense of a mans own, would oblige him to think that Conscience towards God may have a greater hand (though with some misguided it self) in guiding men the different ways they take, than is commonly thought. And to consider though such and such reasons seem not weighty to me, they may to some others, who are as much afraid of sinning against God as I; and, perhaps, their understandings as good in other matters as mine. It would be considered how really difficult the controversy is about the ceremonies, and some other parts of conformity. Perhaps few metaphysical questions are disputed with more subtlety than that controversy is managed with, by Arch-bishop Whitgift, Bishop Morton, Doctor Burgess, Doctor Ames, Cartwright, Calverwood and others. And how very easily possible and pardonable is it to unlearned persons, or of weaker intellectuals, being obliged in order to their practice to give a judgment in reference to these things one way or other, to judge amiss! Why should we expect every sincerely pious man to be able to hit the very point of truth and right in matters that belong, as Bishop Davenant once said in another case [non ad fidem fundamentalem, sed ad peritiam Theologicam,