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

Again, From the blindness of a troubled conscience, cometh also the sad and great doubtings upon the heart, whereby the soul of a man is distracted and divided, pulled this way and haled that way, Rom 1. 14. The Apostle speaketh at large about a doubting conscience, and showeth how damnable a thing it is to do any thing doubting, whether it be a sin or not. A doubting conscience is more then a scrupulous, for Divines say a man may go against a a scrupulous conscience; because the conscience is for the main resolved that such a thing may lawfully be done, only he hath some fears and some jealousies moving in him to the contrary. But a doubting conscience is when Arguments are not clear, but a man stands as it were at the end of two ways, and knoweth not what to do: now if conscience were well enlightened and informed out of Gods Word, it would not be subject to such distracting doubts, but because of its natural blindness, therefore it is at a stand so often. Hence

Again, From the blindness of a troubled conscience, cometh also the sad and great doubtings upon the heart, whereby the soul of a man is distracted and divided, pulled this way and haled that way, Rom 1. 14. The Apostle speaketh at large about a doubting conscience, and sheweth how damnable a thing it is to do any thing doubting, whether it be a sinne or not. A doubting conscience is more then a scrupulous, for Divines say a man may go against a a scrupulous conscience; because the conscience is for the main resolved that such a thing may lawfully be done, only he hath some feares and some jealousies moving in him to the contrary. But a doubting conscience is when Arguments are not clear, but a man stands as it were at the end of two waies, and knoweth not what to do: now if conscience were well inlightned and informed out of Gods Word, it would not be subject to such distracting doubts, but because of its natural blindness, therefore it is at a stand so often. Hence

In the last place, it becomes from a scrupulous doubting to a perplexed conscience, so ensnared that what way soever he taketh he cannot but sin, if he do such a thing he sinneth, and if he doth it not he sinneth, as in Paul, who thought himself bound to set himself against Christians, if he did persecute them it is plain he did sin, if he did not he thought he sinned. It is true, Casuists say, Non datur casus perplexus, there cannot be any case wherein there is a necessity of sinning, because a man is bound to remove the error upon his conscience, but yet the ignorance and blindness of man doth bring him often into that perplexed estate.