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

3. A Doubting Conscience (of some affinity with the former) which leaveth a man in an hover, or suspense, that he knoweth not whether such a thing be Duty, or if such a thing be Sin, or not, certainly here a man is ⟨p. 28⟩bound not to do doubtingly: For he that doubteth is damned; if he do; Rom. 14. 23. And yet there is hazard in forbearing, if the thing be duty; yea in this case there is a necessity of sinning (bu• still of the mans own contracting) when there is not a mids, but either the man must do or forbear, yet in this case its best for a man to betake himself to the safest side, and to hazard on suffering rather then on sin; As for example, a man must either do such a thing of the lawfulness whereof he doubteth, or be•n hazard of losing much, or all that he hath in the World; He knoweth that suffering simply considered is no sin, and he is some way matter (to say so) of his own suffering, but not of his doing; since he doubteth, and his doubting layeth this obligation on him, rather to abstain then to do, and to take his hazard of suffering, for in dubiis tutius est abstine•e; and in this case no mans authority can oblige and bind the Conscience to a thing as duty, neither can it be loosed by mere Authority, or respect to men when it doubteth▪ Because no mans mere authority can quiet and satisfy the Conscience; nor keep the man skaithless before God, when on such an account he doth any thing doubtingly.

3. A Doubting Conscience (of some affinity with the former) which leaveth a man in an hover, or suspence, that he knoweth not whether such a thing be Duty, or if such a thing be Sin, or not, certainly here a man is ⟨p. 28⟩bound not to do doubtingly: For he that doubteth is damned; if he do; Rom. 14. 23. And yet there is hazard in forbearing, if the thing be duty; yea in this case there is a necessity of sinning (bu• still of the mans own contracting) when there is not a mids, but either the man must do or forbear, yet in this case its best for a man to betake himself to the safest side, and to hazard on suffering rather then on sin; As for example, a man must either do such a thing of the lawfulness whereof he doubteth, or ben hazard of losing much, or all that he hath in the World; He knoweth that suffering simply considered is no sin, and he is some way matter (to say so) of his own suffering, but not of his doing; since he doubteth, and his doubting layeth this obligation on him, rather to abstain then to do, and to take his hazard of suffering, for in dubiis tutius est abstinee; and in this case no mans authority can oblidge and bind the Conscience to a thing as duty, neither can it be loosed by meer Authority, or respect to men when it doubteth Because no mans meer authority can quiet and satisfie the Conscience; nor keep the man skaithless before God, when on such an account he doth any thing doubtingly.