A treatise of original sin ... proving that it is

Fourthly, The troubled conscience is internally polluted, By that ignorance and incapacity in knowing of what is the true christian-liberty purchased by Christ. I speak not as yet of that main and chief liberty which is freedom from the curse of the law through the blood of Christ, but in many doctrinal and practical things. The Apostle Rom. 14. speaketh much of the weak conscience, which hath not attained to that solid judgement, as to know its liberty and its freedom from Judaical rites, and all other Commandments of men about the worship of God: Indeed the notion of Christian-liberty may quickly be abused to profane dissoluteness, but yet the true Doctrine about that, was one of the greatest mercies brought to the Church in the first reformation; for there the consciences of all were grossly entangled and miserably enthralled: yea, their Casuists, who took upon them to resolve and direct conscience, they were the greatest tormentors of all, insomuch that they then seemed to be in a wilderness, or rather under an Egyptian bondage, wherein were many laws and Canons▪ many Doctrines and opinions that were as Luther expresseth it about one homicidissimae: Now to this bondage the conscience of a man is more naturally prone, then unto any obedience to the true commands of God. Indeed the conscience of man naturally is miserably polluted about the knowledge of those ties and obligations that are upon it, for sometimes it contracteth and, limiteth them more then it ought: Hence it is that a man, yea a godly man may live in the omission of many duties, in the commission of many sins, and yet not know that he doth so, and all because we do not study the extent of the obligation of conscience, and from this it is that many good men have endeavoured to grow in more knowledge, to study the commands of God obliging of them, and ⟨p. 241⟩upon enquiry have found cause to do those things they never did before, and also they would not for a world walk in the same paths they once did. Thus Melanchthon remembering his superstition while a Papist, Quoties cohorrui, &c. How often doth horror take bold on me, when I think with what boldness I went and fell down before Images, worshipping of them? This is one great pollution of conscience, not to know its divine obligations that are upon it:

Fourthly, The troubled conscience is internally polluted, By that ignorance and incapacity in knowing of what is the true christian-liberty purchased by Christ. I speak not as yet of that main and chief liberty which is freedome from the curse of the law through the bloud of Christ, but in many doctrinal and practical things. The Apostle