Quest. WHat is to bee done when the conscience is scrupulous?

Answ. For the understanding of this question, wee must consider;

1 That a Scruple is a feare of the minde concerning its practise, which vexeth the conscience, as a little stone that cannot bee discerned in a mans shooe, paineth his foote.

2 Every feare is not properly a Scruple, but that which ariseth from slight, or no arguments.

3 One is scrupulous either in examining what hee hath done, or in ordering what he is to doe.

4 Scruples doe arise, (God so ordaining) to the end he may either punish, or try men: sometimes out of the suggestion of the Devill, somtimes from want of knowledge, sometimes from Melancholy, or some such like constitution of body; sometimes from the society of scrupulous men.

5 A Scrupulous conscience differs from a Doubtfull one, in this, that a Doubtfull conscience doth assent to neither part of the question; but the scrupulous conscience doth assent to one, but is sollicited to the other part, by a kinde of feare.

These things being set downe, it is answered to the question. 1. (God being instantly called unto for grace,) one must labour dilligently to remooue these scruples, which reason can take away by due triall of the grounds of them. For then is the conscience most quiet, when it hath most certaine knowledge. 2 It helpeth much (if it may be conveniently) that the thinking upon those things be shunned, from which scruples may rise; for the fancy being once stirred, many thoughts arise, which cannot be suppressed againe, without greate difficulty. As we see in Tyles, that are linked together in order, if one happen to fall downe, the rest will follow: and from hence are scruples multiplied in timorous consciences.

3 Many scruples when they cannot well be taken away by some contrary reason, ought to be laid downe as it were by violence, refusing to thinke or consider of them. For so long as scruples are not actually applyed, they are not troublesome: And some be so troublesome that the weaker and more unskilfull sort, can by no other meanes be ridd of them. The bending of the mind attentiuely to remooue a scruple by reason, doth often either ingender or encrease a scruple: as for example, All people know that the name of God ought to be called upon dayly: yet one may bee so vexed with impious thoughts, that this scruple may arise in a man, whether he ought to pray or not? Here it is not alwayes a safe way to examine th[gap]se thoughts, no[gap] yet to dispute about this question long, but to throw away this feare, as it were with violence, and to fall upon the duty of prayer so well as one can. 4 If they cannot be so remooved, but that they doe still molest, it is lawfull, and the best course, to do a thing

against such scruples. As for example, If there be any man that is so molested through the consideration of his unworthinesse, that he dare scarce be so bold as to come to the Lords Table, though he finde in himselfe true Faith and Repentance; he may and ought notwithstanding this scruple come to the Lords Supper. Neither is this to doe against Conscience, but according to Conscience. For a scruple is a rash feare and without any ground, and so cannot binde to doe according to it; yea through custome of doing against such like scruples, Conscience it selfe is made more strong and setled.