let evill into his conscience, he puts himself into such a condi∣tion,
as whatsoever he doth, he must needs sin against God,
so long as he holds his errour: Evill gets into the consciences
of many very easily, because they think the dictates of their
consciences will be sufficient to bear them out in what they
doe;Conscientia er∣ronea non obli∣gat. but they are deceived, for an erroneous conscience does
not bind, you sin notwithstanding your conscience bids you
do it; and if you goe against this erroneous conscience, you
sinne too; what a miserable snare is this? you had need look
to your selves then, and take heed what you let into your con∣sciences. The fourth thing is, to charge him, and if it be in a matter
of consequence, to adjure him in the Name of God (who is
the searcher of the hearts of men, and will judg them at the
great day accordingly) that he deals plainly and sincerely,
not to dare to put a pretence upon that which he knows his
conscience cannot justifie him in; if there be indeed any consci∣entiousness
in the man, this will startle him. But it may be this will not prevail, wherefore in the fifth
place, whatsoever a man holds, though his conscience be ne∣ver
so much taken with it, yet if it cannot stand with the pow∣er
of godliness, but destroys it, if this man be in a Christian
society after all means used to reduce him, if he still perse∣veres
in it, he is, notwithstanding his conscience, to be cast out
of the society of the Saints; this is not a little matter, if a
man hath any conscience in him, it cannot but be a dreadfull
thing to him: If poyson be got into a glass, and you cannot
wash it out, the poyson and glass too is to be thrown into the
sinck: Such a man as this is, with the conscience that he hath,
is to be thrown upon the dung-hill. If a man by his wicked∣ness
cuts himself off from the mysticall body of Christ, the
Church may cut him off from his visible, he hath forfeited his
Church-priviledger. Sixtly, If the errour with the profession of it be destructive
to the State, and he cannot be reclaimed, he may likewise be
cut off from it, or at least deprived of the priviledges of it,
and benefits by it, notwithstanding his plea of conscience.
This justifies the cutting off Jesuites and Priests, who teach
people that the Crown is at the dispose of any forraign pow∣er,
0
|