First, Suppose that it be not lust or humour, but conscience indeed that putteth thee upon duties, and those commanded, yet how hardly are they done for conscience sake. It's not any lust, but conscience maketh many men pray, hear, and perform such duties, yet it is not conscience that is the motive, it is some other sinister and unlawful reason that insinuateth it self; so that the same duties may be done out of conscience to God by some, and from corrupt sinful motives by others. The Apostle Rom. 13. 5. pressing obedience to Magistrates (because it might be thought that Christian liberty freed them from any such yoke) he urgeth it, Not only for fear, but for conscience sake: So that if it had been only fear to lose their estates, to lose their lives, and not out of conscience to Gods Ordinance, though they did obey, yet it was sinful and ungodly in them, because of their motive thereunto. This also the Apostle Peter speaketh of, 1 Pet. 2. 19. whence he instanceth in [Greek or Hebrew], A conscience of God, (or as we render it) A conscience towards God, as 1 Pet. 3. 21. [Greek or Hebrew], It is not to be understood subjectively, as if God had a conscience; for although God have infinite knowledge, and in that sense may be said to be conscious with our hearts of all the evil we have done, yea, knoweth more sin by us then we do by our selves, yet we cannot attribute conscience to God, because the notion of that is to denote the sense and awe of some superior, who beareth witness of our evil actions, and is able to condemn for them; conscience therefore is in Angels, because they have a superior, they are not to be a rule to themselves; and Christ also had an holy & undefiled conscience, which yet because of our sins was greatly afflicted with the sense of Gods wrath; but God having no Superior, therefore he hath indeed infinite knowledge, but not conscience; Hence when the Apostle calls it conscience of God, that is objectively, a conscience which doth respect the will and authority of God, that doth not look to men, to their applause and praise, but unto God: So that herein will appear an universal pollution naturally upon the consciences of all men, that the good things they do, the evil things they abstain from, is not from mere conscience to God, but because of humane and earthly considerations: How many come to our Congregations?
First, Suppose that it be not lust or humour, but conscience indeed that putteth thee upon duties, and those commanded, yet how hardly are they done for conscience sake. It's not any lust, but conscience maketh many men pray, hear, and perform such duties, yet it is not conscience that is the motive, it is some other sinister and unlawfull reason that insinuateth it self; so that the same duties may be done out of conscience to God by some, and from corrupt sinfull motives by others. The Apostle Rom. 13. 5. pressing obedience to Magistrates (because it might be thought that Christian liberty freed them from any such yoke) he urgeth it, Not onely for fear, but for conscience sake: So that if it had been onely fear to lose their estates, to lose their lives, and not out of conscience to Gods Ordinance, though they did obey, yet it was sinfull and ungodly in them, because of their motive thereunto. This also the Apostle Peter speaketh of, 1 Pet. 2. 19. whence he instanceth in 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, A conscience of God, (or as we render it) A conscience towards God, as 1 Pet. 3. 21. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, It is not to be understood subjectively, as if God had a conscience; for although God have infinite knowledge, and in that sense may be said to be conscious with our hearts of all the evil we have done, yea, knoweth more sin by us then we do by our selves, yet we cannot attribute conscience to God, because the notion of that is to denote the sense and aw of some superior, who beareth witnes of our evil actions, and is able to condemn for them; conscience therfore is in Angels, because they have a superior, they are not to be a rule to themselvs; and Christ also had an holy & undefiled conscience, which yet because of our sins was greatly afflicted with the sense of Gods wrath; but God having no Superiour, therefore he hath indeed infinite knowledge, but not conscience; Hence when the Apostle cals it conscience of God, that is objectively, a conscience which doth respect the will and authority of God, that doth not look to men, to their applause and praise, but unto God: So that herein will appear an universal pollution naturally upon the consciences of all men, that the good things they do, the evil things they abstain from, is not from meer conscience to God, but because of humane and earthly considerations: How many come to our Congregations?
