Heaven upon earth in the serene tranquillity and calm composure, in the sweet peace…

The first Use showeth what is Believers duty; they should by all means learn to know and take up what Conscience saith from the Word of God, and labour to have their Conscience well informed; and take notice of what it speaketh ere they do any thing, and what are Conscience thoughts of it, after it is done, and accordingly to be affected, determined and swayed. It is true, the Law of God is the supreme rule, and to be hearkened to in the first place; but that which we are now speaking to, is, concerning taking advice from Conscience, which 1. Doth make the Law speak more sensibly, lively and aloud, then before. 2. It maketh it speak more plainly, for when peoples reason will be ready to shuffle by a word, that sam• word coming into, and taking hold of the Conscience, will become more clear and convincing, and it maketh the understanding, being thereby made more single, to take it up better. 3. It maketh the man more impartial, when the Word cometh not to his judgment only, neither will he leave the Word with his light and reason simply- nor to debate with his inclination and affection; but putteth the Word and his Conscience together and taketh the meaning of it some way immediately from his Conscience, it maketh him single and unbiased (as I said before); and sometimes a• Conscience will speak when the judgment hath little or nothing to say; so it ⟨p. 21⟩decideth often betwixt the opposite reasonings of the judgment for both sides. 4. The advice and dictate of Conscience is much more powerful then that of the simple judgment and reason, and adhereth better and more closely then affection or inclination; Conscience being more directly Gods Deputy, and in a more immediate subordination to him i• sticketh more tenaciously by duty; and it being as a check to our humours, and as a Compass to steer our course by in all things, we are to be swayed by its advice; hence some who can almost debate nothing in reason, yet will not dare for Conscience to do such a thing.

The first Use sheweth what is Believers duty; they should by all means learn to know and take up what Conscience saith from the Word of God, and labour to have their Conscience well informed; and take notice of what it speaketh ere they do any thing, and what are Conscience thoughts of it, after it is done, and accordingly to be affected, determined and swayed. It is true, the Law of God is the supream rule, and to be hearkened to in the first place; but that which we are now speaking to, is, concerning taking advice from Conscience, which 1. Doth make the Law speak more sensibly, lively and aloud, then before. 2. It maketh it speak more plainly, for when peoples reason will be ready to shuffle by a word, that sam word coming into, and taking hold of the Conscience, will become more clear and convincing, and it maketh the understanding, being thereby made more single, to take it up better. 3. It maketh the man more impartial, when the Word cometh not to his judgment only, neither will he leave the Word with his light and reason simply- nor to debate with his inclination and affection; but putteth the Word and his Conscience together and taketh the meaning of it some way immediatly from his Conscience, it maketh him single and unbyassed (as I said before); and sometimes a Conscience will speak when the judgment hath little or nothing to say; so it