The First, That Conscience, and the intellectual or understanding Power in Man's Soul, are God's Engagee, and the Principal in a double respect. 1. Conscience is responsible for the whole in Man: or if you will, principal in the Obligation. As being that, which, by its own acknowledgement of a Judgment, made unto God, when he shall come to judge, binds over it self, and with it self, the whole Soul for the Payment. And upon that account is to be reckoned the chief Obligee: and therefore the Execution is justly to be served upon it, and through it upon the whole Soul. 2. If we take in together with Conscience, the understanding part in Man; the Intelligentia, or the Spirit of the Mind in the summity of it; That is really to be accounted also the Principal, in respect of its share in the very acts of Sinning; so as justly the Guilt of every act is refunded upon it, as the principal Actor. For it is betrusted by God, with the steering and management of the whole Soul, with the conduct of it, as the General. By ⟨p. 88⟩reason of that Light, God at first seated in it, it was appointed for ever to be the Guide and Leader of the Will and Affections. And therefore God justly requireth the account, or the defaults and miscarriages of the whole, at its Hands. According to the equity of those Rules declared concerning Rulers of the People, Jer. 5. 4, 5. These have known the way of the Lord, &c. As also from that other like to it, given forth touching the Priests, and which we find so often inculcated in Ezekiel, I will require their Blood at the Priests Hands. And all these founded upon one and the same common ground, common unto Conscience with these; namely, Conscience and Knowledge there being the Guides: And yet, in that Conscience gives but an ineffectual weak warning against Sin (which should powerfully sway the whole) and the Spirit of the Mind, or the practic Understanding doth still wickedly give secret consent unto Sin, &c. Hence therefore that denunciation in Ezekiel holds, that God will require the Blood of (the Soul) at its hands. Although the Soul (the Will and Affections) do perish too, in their Iniquity as it is there spoken. And, for this cause it becomes Justice to punish this chief Agent and ⟨p. 89⟩Offender, or this great Minister of State in sinning, and to make these the Seat of the Execution above any or all other Faculties.
The First, That Conscience, and the intellectual or understanding Power in Man's Soul, are God's Engagee, and the Principal in a double respect. 1. Conscience is responsible for the whole in Man: or if you will, principal in the Obligation. As being that, which, by its own acknowledgment of a Judgment, made unto God, when he shall come to judge, binds over it self, and with it self, the whole Soul for the Payment. And upon that account is to be reckoned the chief Obligee: and therefore the Execution is justly to be served upon it, and through it upon the whole Soul. 2. If we take in together with Conscience, the understanding part in Man; the Intelligentia, or the Spirit of the Mind in the summity of it; That is really to be accounted also the Principal, in respect of its share in the very acts of Sinning; so as justly the Guilt of every act is refunded upon it, as the principal Actor. For it is betrusted by God, with the steering and management of the whole Soul, with the conduct of it, as the General. By ⟨p. 88⟩reason of that Light, God at first seated in it, it was appointed for ever to be the Guide and Leader of the Will and Affections. And therefore God justly requireth the account, or the defaults and miscarriages of the whole, at its Hands. According to the equity of those Rules declared concerning Rulers of the People, Jer. 5. 4, 5. These have known the way of the Lord, &c. As also from that other like to it, given forth touching the Priests, and which we find so often inculcated in Ezekiel, I will require their Blood at the Priests Hands. And all these founded upon one and the same common ground, common unto Conscience with these; namely, Conscience and Knowledg there being the Guides: And yet, in that Conscience gives but an ineffectual weak warning against Sin (which should powerfully sway the whole) and the Spirit of the Mind, or the practick Understanding doth still wickedly give secret consent unto Sin, &c. Hence therefore that denunciation in Ezekiel holds, that God will require the Blood of (the Soul) at its hands. Although the Soul (the Will and Affections) do perish too, in their Iniquity as it is there spoken. And, for this cause it becomes Justice to punish this chief Agent and ⟨p. 89⟩Offender, or this great Minister of State in sinning, and to make these the Seat of the Execution above any or all other Faculties.
