2. Bring the case to a point, wherein the stress of your doubt lies, but be sure it be a case of Conscience, not of interest, or prejudice, but a case of Conscience, such as you are unreservedly willing to be resolved in, that you can in prayer (as it were) bring God a blank to write what he pleaseth. And 2. Pare off all those whibling demurs, and carnal reasonings which may puzzle, but can never satisfy you. These things premised, 3. Write down your case as nakedly as you can, with the grounds of your hesitation: in your writing, make two Columns; on the one side write those reasons you judge cogent [for] on the other side, the reasons you judge of moment [against] that whereof you doubt: compare these together, and poise them impartially, you will find that ⟨p. 17⟩your perplexed thoughts have another aspect when written, then when floating, and that your own ink will ordinarily kill this tetter, plainly your selves will be able to resolve your own doubts: but if not, this will ripen the boil where it doth not break and heal it, you will be ready for adviceo. In your consulting of others, do it with expressions equivalent to those of the Jews to Jeremiah (but with more sincere affections) Jer. 42. vers. 2.—Pray for us unto the Lord thy God—Vers. 3. That the Lord thy God may show us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do.—Vers. 5. The Lord be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not paccording to all things for the which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us. vers. 6. whether it be good or whether it be evil (i. e. seem it never so disadvantageous or dangerous to us) we will they the voice of the Lord our God to whom we send thee, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God. But be cause we have none can give infallible decision, therefore refer your case to those that are likely to give a different resolution, and thereby you will see how much is to be allowed to humane passion: request them to write the grounds of their Determination, then compare these together, especially the Scriptures and reasons. If you cannot out of these collect a satisfying resolution (yet the case will be brought into a narrower compass;) be unwearied therefore to take the same course again, apply your selves to the same persons or others;
2. Bring the case to a point, wherein the stress of your doubt lies, but be sure it be a case of Conscience, not of interest, or prejudice, but a case of Conscience, such as you are unreservedly willing to be resolved in, that you can in prayer (as it were) bring God a blanck to write what he pleaseth. And 2. Pare off all those whibling demurs, and carnall reasonings which may puzzle, but can never satisfie you. These things premised, 3. Write down your case as nakedly as you can, with the grounds of your haesitation: in your writing, make two Columns; on the one side write those reasons you judge cogent [for] on the other side, the reasons you judge of moment [against] that whereof you doubt: compare these together, and poyze them impartially, you will finde that ⟨p. 17⟩your perplexed thoughts have another aspect when written, then when floating, and that your own inke will ordinarily kill this tetter, plainly your selves will be able to resolve your own doubts: but if not, this will ripen the boyle where it doth not breake and heale it, you will be ready for adviceo. In your consulting of others, do it with expressions equivalent to those of the Jewes to Jeremy (but with more sincere affections) Jer. 42. vers. 2.—Pray for us unto the Lord thy God—Vers. 3. That the Lord thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walke, and the thing that we may do.—Vers. 5. The Lord be a true and faithful witnesse between us, if we do not paccording to all things for the which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us. vers. 6. whether it be good or whether it be evill (i. e. seem it never so disadvantageous or dangerous to us) we will they the voyce of the Lord our God to whom we send thee, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God. But be cause we have none can give infallible decision, therefore refer your case to those that are likely to give a different resolution, and thereby you will see how much is to be allowed to humane passion: request them to write the grounds of their Determination, then compare these together, especially the Scriptures and reasons. If you cannot out of these collect a satisfying resolution (yet the case will be brought into a narrower compasse;) be unwearied therefore to take the same course again, apply your selves to the same persons or others;
- oVide Sayr. Clav. Reg. Ibidem § 6. & 7.
- pJer. 42.5, &c. expressius est juramentum quo dicitur, Testis est deus, quam quo dicitur, Juro, quia illud explicat rationem juramenti, &c. Estius in loc.