he written word must be much studied by us; and by it must we try
all motions, all doctrines, all inspirations, all revelations, and all
manifestations.

3. Much more, they should beware of thinking that the dictates of their
conscience obligeth them, so as that always they must of necessity
follow the same. Conscience, being God's deputy in the soul, is to be
followed no further than it speaketh for God and according to truth. An
erring conscience, though it bind so far as that he who doth contrary to
the dictates thereof sinneth against God, in that, knowing no other than
that the dictates of conscience are right and consonant to the mind of
God, yet dare counteract the same, and thus formally rebel against God's
authority; yet it doth not oblige us to believe and to do what it
asserteth to be truth and duty. It will not then be enough for them to
say, my conscience and the light within me speaketh so, and instructeth
me so; for that light may be darkness, and error, and delusion, and so
no rule for them to walk by. "To the law and to the testimony," and if
their conscience, mind, and light within them "speak not according to
this word, it is because there is no light in them," Isa. viii. 20. I
grant, as I said, they cannot without sin counteract the dictates even
of an erring conscience, because they know no better but that these
dictates are according to truth; and thus an erring conscience is a most
dangerous thing, and bringeth people under a great dilemma, that whether
they follow it or not, they sin; and there is no other remedy here, but
to lay by the erring conscience, and get a conscience rightly informed
by the word; putting it in Christ's hand to be better formed and
informed, that so it may do its office better. This then should be
especially guarded against, for if once they lay down this for a
principle, that whatever their conscience and mind, or inward light (as
some call it) dictate, must be followed, there is no delusion, how
false, how abominable soever it be, but they may be at length in hazard
to be drawn away with; and so the rule that they will walk by be nothing
in effect but the spirit of lies and of delusion, and the motions and
dictates of him who is the father of lies, that is, the devil.

4. Such as pretend to walk so much by conscience, should take heed that
they take not that for the dictate of conscience, which really is but
the dictates of their own humours, inclinations, pre-occupied