his conscience doth it against the will of God, though not
materially and truly, yet formally and by way of interpretation, forsomuch
as that which conscience counselleth or prescribeth, it counselleth it
under the respect and account of the will of God. He who reproacheth some
private man, taking him to be the king, is thought to have hurt not the
private man, but the king himself. So he that contemneth his conscience
contemneth God himself, because that which conscience counselleth or
adviseth is taken to be God's will." If I go with certain men upon such a
course as I judge and esteem to be a treasonable conspiracy against the
king (though it be not so indeed), would not his Majesty (if he knew so
much), and might he not, justly condemn me as a wicked traitor? But how
much more will the King of kings condemn me if I practice the ceremonies
which I judge in my conscience to be contrary to the will of God, and to
rob him of his royal prerogative?

CHAPTER VI.

THAT THE CEREMONIES TAKE AWAY CHRISTIAN LIBERTY PROVED BY A FOURTH REASON,
VIZ., BECAUSE THEY ARE PRESSED UPON US BY NAKED WILL AND AUTHORITY,
WITHOUT GIVING ANY REASON TO SATISFY OUR CONSCIENCES.

_Sect._ 1. When the Apostle forbiddeth us to be the servants of men, 1
Cor. vii. 23, is it not his meaning that we should do nothing upon the
mere will and pleasure of men, or _propter hominem et non propter Deum_,
as Becane the Jesuit expoundeth it,(141) illustrating what he saith by
another place, Eph. vi. 6, 7. Christian servants thought it an unworthy
thing to serve wicked men,(142) neither yet took they well with the
serving of godly men, for that they were all brethren in Christ. The
Apostle answereth them, that they did not the will of man, because it was
the will of man, but because it was the will of God, and so they served
God rather than man, importing that it were indeed a grievous yoke for any
Christian to do the will of man, if he were not sure that it is according
to the will of God. Should any synod of the church take more upon them
than the synod of the apostles did, who enjoined nothing at their own
pleasure, but only what they show to be necessary, because of the law of
charity? Acts xv. 28. Or should Christians, who ought not to be children,
carried about with every wind, Eph. iv. 14; who should be able to discern
both good and evil, Heb. v. 14; in whom the word of God ought to dwell
plentifully, Col. iii. 16