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

It puts me in mind of what is reported of a great man (smelling strong of this Conscience-destroying-doctrine) who expostulating with some Country men, living under him, for their nor doing somewhat required of them by him; for which nonp•rformance when they pleaded Conscience, he in a great •uffe, not without some execration, replied,—What have the like of you to do with a Conscience? Which was plainly on the matter to say with Hobbs, that they, and such as they should have no Conscience, but what is ductile ⟨image 10⟩and governable by the Conscience of lawful Rulers, and Superiors, and that their commands and prohibitions make things just and adjust; which is (•ayeth Mr. Li•h in his Body of Divinity, page 378) to make Subjects beasts, and the Magistrate God. 2ly All pri•at persons living in a Kingdom, or Common-wealth must hence forth, according to these Doctors, allown, and not in the feast regard in many things, and those not of little moment in Religion, and the worship of God, their own Consciences as his Deputies, and have recourse to the public Conscience, or the Law of the Land, as the universal Depute set over all the Consciences of private persons, living therein, nay to it as taking Gods own room to make Laws directly, immediately, and of themselves obligatory of all their Consciences, and to enjoin obedience to them, as so obliging them; and must, contrary to the Scripture, no more notice the accusings or excusings of their own Consciences, but those only of the public Conscience. 3ly. The indispensably requisite qualification of the obedience of Children to their Parents, Ephes. 6. v. 1. viz. In the Lord, (whereby the Apostle doth undeniably lay it on the Children, to consider and judge by their judgement of private discretion, whether the commands and injunctions of their Parents be agreeable to the mind of the Lord, and such in obedience, whereto they may expect the Lords approbation) must be cashiered and abandoned; for certainly there lieth no greater obligation on Subjects to obey the commands of the Sovereign power of the Kingdom, or Commonwealth, then lieth on Children to obey their Parents, who were Sovereigns in Families, before ever there were any Kingdoms, or Commonwealths erected, as himself every where asserts. 4ly.