Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

5. The Dominion of God appears in the Obligation of the Law, which reacheth the Conscience. The Laws of every Prince are framed for the outward conditions of Men; they do not by their Authority bind the Conscience; and what obligations do result from them upon the Conscience, is either from their being the same immediately with divine Laws, or as they are according to the just power of the Magistrate, founded on the Law of God. Conscience hath a protection from the King of Kings, and cannot be arrested by any humane power. God hath given man but an Authority over half the man, and the worst half too, that which is of an Earthly original; but reserved the Authority over the better and more heavenly half to himself. The Dominion of earthly Princes extends only to the bodies of men, they have no Authority over the Soul, their punishment and rewards cannot reach it: And therefore their Laws by their single Authority cannot bind it, but as they are co-incident with the Law of God, or as the equity of them is subservient to the preservation of humane Society, a regular and Righteous thing, which is the Divine end in Government, and so they bind, as they have a relation to God as the supreme Magistrate. The Conscience is only intelligible to God in its secret motions; and therefore only guidable by God; God only pierceth into the Conscience by his Eye: And therefore only can conduct it by his Rule. Man cannot tell whither we embrace this Law in our Heart and Consciences, ⟨p. 725⟩or only in appearance. He only can Judge it. Luke 12.3, 4. And therefore he only can impose Laws upon it; 'tis out of the reach of humane penal Authority, if their Laws be transgressed inwardly by it. Conscience is a Book in some sort as Sacred as the Scripture, no addition can be lawfully made to it, no subtraction from it. Men cannot diminish the duty of Conscience, or raze out the Law, God hath stamped upon it. They cannot put a supersedeas to the Writ of Conscience, or stop its mouth with a Noli Prosequi. They can make no addition by their Authority, to bind it; 'tis a flower in the Crown of Divine Sovereignty only.

5. The Dominion of God appears in the Obligation of the Law, which reacheth the Conscience. The Laws of every Prince are fram'd for the outward conditions of Men; they do not by their Authority bind the Conscience; and what obligations do result from them upon the Conscience, is either from their being the same immediately with divine Laws, or as they are according to the just power of the Magistrate, founded on the Law of God. Conscience hath a protection from the King of Kings, and cannot be arrested by any humane power. God hath given man but an Authority over half the man, and the worst half too, that which is of an Earthly original; but reserved the Authority over the better and more heavenly half to himself. The Dominion of earthly Princes extends only to the bodies of men, they have no Authority over the Soul, their punishment and rewards cannot reach it: And therefore their Laws by their single Authority cannot bind it, but as they are co-incident with the Law of God, or as the equity of them is subservient to the preservation of humane Society, a regular and Righteous thing, which is the Divine end in Government, and so they bind, as they have a relation to God as the supream Magistrate. The Conscience is only intelligible to God in its secret motions; and therefore only guidable by God; God only pierceth into the Conscience by his Eye: And therefore only can conduct it by his Rule. Man cannot tell whither we embrace this Law in our Heart and Consciences,