decided be true and agreeable to the word of God of necessitie every mans private judgement must goe before otherwise it s an implicite faith Answ That any man should duely and as he ought beleeve and receive the decision of a Synod it must be both true and 〈◊〉 must believe and know that it is true but that it may oblidge him and doth oblidge him whether his conscience be erroneous or no is as true for then this Commandement Thou shalt not kill Honour thy father and thy mother should lay no 〈◊〉 on a man that believes it is service to God to kill the Apostâ—â— as Joh. 16. some doe For no man is exempted from an obligation to obey Gods Law because of his own sinfull and culpable ignorance for we speak not now of invincible ignorance of these things which we are not oblidged to know or believe But if our sinfull and erroneous conscience free us from actuall obligation to be tyed by a Law then our erroneous conscience freeth us from sinning against a Law and â—o from punishment for what ever freeth a man from actuall obligation freeth him also from actuall sinning for all sinne is a doing against a Law-obligation and if so then are none to be led by any rule but their own conscience the written Law and Gospel is not henceforth our rule any more Arminiars The last condition of a Synod is that the subject of a Synodical decision be ever left to a free examination and to a farther free discussion and revise The learned professours of Leyden answer that which is once true and fixed in the word of God is ever true and fixed in the word of God The Arminians reply what is true and fixed in the word of God is â—ver so and ought to remaine so for the word is beyond all danger of erring But what is believed to be fixed and fixed and Ratified in a Synod is not so because it is obnoxious to errour Answ They require that before we come to a Synod where fundamentall truths are Synodically determined we be as a razed table and as cleane paper in which no thing is written and so must we be after a Synod hath determined according to the word of God that is be still Scepticks and believe nothing fixedly and be rooted in no faith nay not in the faith of the fundamentals that are most cleare in the word of God for it is unpossible that we can beleeve the clearest fundamentals as that God created the world and Christ God-Man redeemed it but we must beleeve them by the intervening and intermediation of â—ur own sense or the Churches sense or the sense of some Godly Doctour now because all these senses are fallible and we see Familists put one sense on fundamentals Papists another sense and all private men may doe the like it is not possible that any man can be rooted in any faith at all by this way for all senses are fallible though the scripture giveth clear evident senses yet such is the Hereticall dulnesse of men that reject these infallible senses as false and those others that by their own confession are fallible and so can neither be established by the word nor by the interpretations of men though senses of Scripture rendered by Synods be fallible in the way they come to us because men delivering them may erre yet being agreeable to the word they are in themselves infallible And so the old and new Testament in the way they come to us may be fallible because Printers are not prophets but may miscarry and dreame but it followeth not they are not the infallible word of life in themselves when the Spirit witnesseth to us that God divinitie transforming glory are in these books as a spouse knoweth the hand-writstill lovelinesse of a letter from her husband to be certainly no counterfeit but true though the bearer be a rogue and can deceive Secondly this answer still supposeth that Synods do give senses contrary to the word of God and so we grant they are not onely fallible but false and erroneous and are to be examined of new again in that case but we hold when lawfull Synods convened in the name of Christ doe determine according to the word of God they are to be heard as Ambassadours who in Christs stead teach us and what is once true and ratified in Synods in this manner is ever true and ratified as the reverend professours say and never subject to any further examination and new discussion so as it must be changed and retracted as false For this is to subject the very word of God to retractation and change because a Synod did declare and truely determine it in a Ministeriall way to be the word of God For what Synods determine being the undenyable word of God iâ— intrinsecally infallible and can never become fallible though fallible and sinfull men that are obnoxious to errour and mistakes doe hold it forth Ministerially to others and it is false that we are to believe that what Synods determine according to the word of God we are to believe it is fallible and lyable to errour and may an untruth because they so determine for then when a Synod determines there is but one true God the principle of faith is believed to be subject to Retraction and falshood because a Synod hath determined it to be a truth But the truth is we are to believe truths determined by Synods to be infallible and never againe lyable to retractation or discussion because they are and were in themselves and without any Synodicall determination infallible but not for this formall medium because so saith the Synod but because so saith the Lord It is true new hereticks pretending new light may arise as Math. 24. 24. And call in question all Fundamentalls that are determined that are cleared in former Synods but it follows not but these truths are still in themselves fixed and unmovable as the Pole-star though evil men bring them under a new Synodicall examination as Familists doe now raze the foundations of Christianitie yet Daniel and Christ are Innocent though wicked men accuse them judicially as deceivers nor is it enough that Libertines say it may be the word of God and the infallible word of God which the Synod determineth but it is not so to us we are to believe it with a reserve because we cannot know it so to be But I answer this concludes not onely against a Synodicall determination but against all Scripture and all Propheticall and Apostolicall determinations in the Scripture for that there is one God not three as the Treithits dreame is believed by some to be false by others to be true Yet undenyably it is in it self true that there is but one God nor is it therefore to be believed with a reserve because the Synod hath so determined according to the word of God and this were some answer if we should teach
adde a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or substract and so vitiate the fountaine sense and omit points change consonants which in the Hebrew and Greek both might quite alter the sense nor can any say Christ and the Apostles being infallible could well cite the Prophets without a mistake though the copies might have been vitiate and corrupt 2. Because the very citing of these Testimonies by Christ and his Apostles made them Scripture and so of infallible authority but our citing of them since both Printers and Translatours are not immediately inspired and we also might erre cannot adopt them into Canonicall and authentick Scripture such as was first written by the immediately inspired Prophets I shall answer that first this objection presumeth that Christ and the Apostles might and did finde errours and mis-printings even in written Scripture which might reduce the Church in after ages to an invincible ignorance in matters of faith and yet they gave no notice to the Church thereof or if there was no errour de facto then for so many hundred yeares yet there are now substantiall errours and so soule that it may be we have no word of God at all amongst us and God hath no Church no beleever on earth but we must all take the word of Printers and Translatours which is meerly the word of man and what is become of all the Martyrs that suffered by the bloudy woman Babel they dyed for meer conjectures and opinions for they had not the first originall copies of Moses and the Prophets yea Stephen the first Martyr who according to all our copies Act. 7. addeth five to Moses his 70 soules that went downe to Egypt in that glorious Sermon that he hath before his death when he sealed the truth with his bloud and dyed gloriously and said Lord Jesus receive my spirit dyed but upon the faith of mens fallible skill in Grammer Printing and writing for he citeth the writings of Moses to his enemies that stoned him according to the copies that they then had who would quickly have controlled him if he had cited false copies and Stephens owne Testimony was contraverted and therefore except we say that Stephen and Christ and the Apostles cited the testimonies of the Prophets as they were then obvious to the eyes and reading of both the people of God and the enemies and that not simply as their owne words which they spake as immediately inspired but as the testimony of the Prophets according to the then written copies we must say they spake not Ingeniously the truth of God for it was against truth candour ingenuity to Christ and the Apostles to say as it is written in your Law Jo. 8. 17. and so often it is written if they would not have the hearers to receive with certainty of faith and full assurance free from all doubting and feare of humaue fallibility that what they cited as written was undoubtedly the same very truth of God and no other which Moses and the Prophets spoke and wrote and if they would not have them to read search and beleeve these same Scriptures and to conceive that they drew arguments in the New Testament to prove and confirme their doctrine from that which was written by Moses and the Prophets in the Old Testament and would not have them to beleeve them onely because New Testament writers immediately inspired had so said 6. If God will have us to try and examine all Spirits all Doctrines by the Scriptures written then are we certainly assured that the books we now have of the Old and New Testament are the very word of God though we cannot by any possibility have the first and originall authentick copies of Moses and the Prophets and Apostles Because 1. God would not bid us try and then leave us no rule to try withall but our owne naturall light which must lead us into darknesse 2. The visible Church should not be guilty of unbeleefe if the written word were not among us or then Christ and his Apostles speaking to us as is cleare Joh. 15. 22. Rom. 10. 14 15. Matth. 11. 21 22. The assumption is cleare by the commended practise of the Bereans who tryed Pauls doctrine by the Scriptures Act. 17. See Rivetus Whitaker Calvin 3. By the command of God 1 Thess 5. 2. 1 Joh. 4. 1. Try all things try the Spirits 7. John would not call those blessed who read and hear Rev. 1. 5. nor would Paul recommend reading to Timothy and continuance in the doctrine of the Scriptures and so extoll the necessity and utility of the Scripture and the indwelling of the word of God in us as he doth 1 Tim. 4. 16. 2 Tim. 14 15 16. Col. 3. 16. nor could the things written by John c. 21. 31. by Moses and the Prophets Luke 16. 29 30 31. be holden forth as sufficient to bring soules to heaven and to cause them eschew hell if it were true that we have no certainty that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the very word of God but such as is made of mens credit and learning 8. Yea and so what God spake immediately to Abraham Moses and the Prophets could not be infallibly and by certainty of faith to them the word of God for if God spake to them in a language intelligible they had no certainty of faith that the words that came from God did signifie thus and thus for sure God by immediate inspiration taught them not Grammar and significations of words and those that read the Law written by Gods finger on two Tables of stone those who heard Moses and the Prophets preach in their Mother-tongue even the Jewes who read the originall first Hebrew copy of Moses and the Prophets must have had no warrant that that was the word of God but the authority of Father Mother and Nurses who first taught them their Mother-tongue for sure the Prophets were not School-masters to teach them Hebrew so by this learning there was never since the world was any certainty of faith but such conjecturall humane and fallible opinions in all the matters of God as is resolved ultimately saith Mr. Goodwin into mens fallible and topicke authority and skill of Grammar and all divine faith is perished out of the earth nay there never could be any divine faith on earth except God by a supernaturall power taught men first Grammar and then to beleeve for which we have no warrant so all our faith must bee dreams And since Mr. Goodwin acknowledgeth a supernaturall power of the Spirit of Grace to beleeve what else doth this Spirit cause us beleeve but lyes or at best phancies resolved into humane credit which may be false for any certainty of knowledge that Libertines allow us Yea confident I am saith Mr. Goodwin that the wisest and most
prove that there must bee a God though they be strong enough for the wit of the devill to answer Now for these that are of their owne nature controversall though no truths especially truths revealed and spoken by the God of truth are in themselves controversall or such as can bee opposed yet are there two sorts of truths that are in relation to humane reason controvertable 1. The principles of nature that God is that he is infinit omnipotent just mercifull omniscient c. to be loved served obeyed c. that superiours and parents are to be honoured our neighbour not to bee hurt that wee should doe to others as we would they should doe to us are not of themselves controversall but the practicall conclusions drawne from thence are controversall in regard of our darkenesse as polygamy community of goods all these whether the Saints may rob and spoyle wicked men of their possessions and kill them upon the right and authority of Saintship are of themselves controversall in relation to our nature who acknowledge Scripture to bee the word of God but for supernaturall truths that cannot finde lodging in the sphere or under the shadow of naturall reason such as the doctrine of one God in three persons of the incarnation of two natures in Christ of the imputed righteousnesse of Christ of salvation by beleeving in a crucified Saviour the resurrection of the dead and those that are not knowable but by supernaturall revelation though they be the fundamentalls of the Christian faith yet are they more controversall of themselves then the most part of non-fundamentalls as Joh. Goodwin does rightly observe for nature hath more shadow of reason to cavill and plead against these then any other truths if then no coercive power ought to be used against such as teach errours contrary to the word of God and against fundamentalls because such points are controversall there is farre more warrant to free those from all coercive power who deny all principles of the Christian faith and turne so from the faith that they deny the word of God the bookes of the Old and New Testament to be any thing but phansied fables because they teach things most controversall and so upon the grounds of Libertines one Catholicke toleration is due to all and if any shall turn Jew or Mahometan or Indian or Heathenish in his Religion having been a glistering star in the Firmament of Christianity should pervert the right wayes of the Lord with Elimas the Magistrate hath nothing to doe to punish him though he carry Navies and millions of soules to hell yea nor is he to be rebuked nor declaimed against as a childe of the devill and an enemy to all righteousnesse but with all meeknesse and gentlenesse to be instructed for rebuking of him thus is as unjust since it is not in his power what he thinks or apprehends for truth or what not say Libertines as to command the Sun to shine at midnight CHAP. VII What opinions 〈…〉 BUt are there no far off 〈◊〉 at all to be 〈…〉 not learned men give divers and contrary expositions 〈◊〉 one and the same text of Scripture and hath not the Church suffered errours and erronious 〈◊〉 in godly 〈◊〉 men in all ages even in 〈◊〉 〈…〉 have not implored the sword of the 〈…〉 them though all errours printed and preached hurt the soules of others more or lesse Answ Some errors are about things that God 〈◊〉 indifferent for the time 〈◊〉 opinion and 〈…〉 meateâ— and dayes Rom. 14. 1 Cor. 8. 〈◊〉 in these God gives an indulgence and bidâ— us so long as the date of indifferency in doreth bea with the 〈…〉 1 Cor. 8. you shall not finde that Paul 〈…〉 with the unlimited practise of dayes and meates 〈…〉 and in all cases as for the case of scandall 〈…〉 the practise to the scandalizing of the weake and calleth it soul-murther and here it in like the Church may suffer sinfull ignorances for â—s the Magistrate is not to publish all externals sinnes of infâ—rmity against the second table â—or then humaine societies must be dissolved and 〈…〉 subsist except there be a reciprocall yeâ—lding to the infirmities of men as they are weake and 〈◊〉 as we must not make a man an offender for a word though it bee a hasty and sinful word even in a family where the Lord of the house hath the power of the 〈◊〉 and proportionally in other societies we would heare Solomon saying Eccles 7. 21 Also take not heed to all words that are spoken least thou leave thy servant curse thee So it would appeare that some lower errours that are farre off without the compasse of the ordinary discerning of man and lye at a distance from the 〈…〉 on as fundametals and Gospell promises lye heard the heart of Christ may bee dispensed with as a conjecturâ— what became of the meate that Christ eats after his resurrection when he was now in the state of immortality and some probable opinions that neither better the holder noâ— much promove or hinder the edification of others are not much to be 〈◊〉 save that 〈…〉 is sinfull and happily may bee tollerated or whether the heavens and 〈◊〉 after the day of judgement shall be 〈…〉 and turned to nothing and be no 〈◊〉 or if 〈◊〉 shal be renewed and delivered from vanity and indeed with new 〈◊〉 to stand 〈◊〉 as lasting and eternall 〈…〉 and witnesses of the glory of God 〈…〉 Christs and the redeemed in heaven in 〈…〉 live in glory to be eternall lectures and testimonies of the glory of the Lord Redeemer and Sanctifier of his people 〈…〉 most probable and the Scripture may 〈◊〉 to say much some other side 2 For diverse expositions of one and 〈…〉 Heavens and new Earth when 〈…〉 of the expositions so farre as is revealed â—o the godly and learned who in this life doe but know and prophesie in part doe neither doubt the fundation 〈…〉 truth that is non-fundamentall we think the opinion of both may be tollerated even though the one of them be in it selfe an errour and that upon the ground that Church and Magistrates both are to tollerate not to punish these infirmities against both tables that are the necessary results of sin originall common to all men as men 〈◊〉 about with them a body of sin And the like I say another the like opinions about matters of religion and especially matters of fact as the virginity of Mary for all her life 3 Such opinions and practise â—â—as make an evident schisme in a Church and set up two distinct Churches of different formes of Government and pretending to different institutions of Christ of which the one must by the nature of their principles labour the destruction of the other cannot be tollerated c. for each pretending their fellow Churches to bee of man and so of the devill though they should both make one true invisible Church agreeing in all
and conjectures for it may be say Libertines that all those whom wee refute as hereticks be sound in the faith and we not they the hereticks and those whom we refute are as much oblieged in faith to refute us as we to refute them So I see not how Libertines can use so much as morall compelling of Hereticks For 1. They cannot compell them with the sword to forsake their heresies because the sword bearer being fallible knoweth them not to be heresies they may be necessary truths for him Ergo because the Pastor is no more infallible then the Magistrate the Pastor with certainty of faith cannot say thus saith the Lord. Jezabel is a false Prophetesse Hymaeneus and Phyletus depart from the faith for Jezabel Hemaeneus and Philetus may be sound in the faith and this Pastor who refuteth them the false heretick for there is no peremptory and imposing decision of any of these till the last judgement since now the infallible Prophets and Apostles are dead 2. Upon this ground yee cannot eschew any as a heretick after twise admonishing him of his hereâ—ie for ye have no faith nor divine certainty it is an heresie that he holdeth it mâ—y be you who admonish him are the heretick only upon opinion you admonish him 3 You cannot rebuke any Heretick sharpely that hee may be sound in the faith for you are not infallible in the bestowing of the lashings of your tongue on a heretick more then the Magistrate in beating him with the sword and your rebuking of him may be heretical and unjust and he the man sound in the saith 4. Upon the same ground you cannot admonish and instruct him in faith Nor 5. Call the opinion of the Magistrates coercing of men with the sword for their conscience a bloody tenet and persecution of the Saints Nor 6. Can you in faith refuse him lodging in your house and all your 7. Saying in the pulpit such a way of Familisme is a way of heresie is not resolved in thus saith the Lord by such a preacher but such a preacher so thinketh possibly phancies that the Lord sayth such a way is heresie And by the same reason what ever pastors preach especially except it be two or three fundamentalls which all Christians Papists Socinians Lutherans Protestants Familists Arminians Seekers c. Is but the dictates of their own conscience and so they preach so they beleeve and so they professe not because God so saith but because their conscience so dictates to them And here is the Libertines Creed Me thinks Christ died for sinners the dead shall be raised c. And so Libertines are very Papists in this and resolve our faith into the testimony of men the conjectures of the conscience So he goes on Hee expounds uniformity and nearest conjunction to be absolute conjunction and identitie If we be agreed of the same Church Officers with the reformed Churches and have cast out the old Vsurpers cashiered the Common-prayer booke Ceremonies Alters Crucifixes all which we have don by the Covenant do we not save our Covenant though we cast not our Churches into such Classicall provinciall or nationall formes Answ Nor do we plead for absolute identitie in doctrine and worship but indeavour it we ought But how I pray you doth the Magistrate for that I had almost forgot send Ministers to rebuke exhort and reclaime men from their errors but not compel gainesayers The Magistrate I am sure sent not Paul and Barnabas it was not so from the begining in the Apostilick Church there were no Parliament-Ministers But it may be the Authour meanes a politicall civill sending of Ministers to extirpate heresies But be it so all Magistraticall sending of Magistrates is a commanding of them by the sword in a compulsive way that they goe preach against Familisme Socinianisme Arrianisme But if so good Sir remember your selfe the Magistrate as the Magistrate doth not request and morally by the power of the word for he hath not any such spirituall armour I conceive for his warfare intreat and say good Pastors I beseech you go preach against Del Randal Saltmarsh and other Familists and extirpate their heresies private men so send Pastors but as a Magistrate he must say I command you goe preach against these heresies under the paine of bearing the vengeance of my sword now if the Pastors reply Good Master Judge we cannot doe that for we think Familisme a new glorious discovery of spirit and Mr. Saltmarsh hath beaten out of the Scriptures new sparkles of glory and flowings of free grace Familisme is no heresie If the Magistrate notwithstanding by his place and calling send these and command them to goe and extirpate Familisme doth he not compell the consciences of these pastors he sends what doe ye then talke of no compelling for what ever the Magistrate by his place doth command which is lawfull if Ministers or any other refuse to obey he may use the sword against them Ye cannot say if it be a matter of conscience he cannot compell them to doe it by his place then say I by his place hee cannot command them neither Beside that this answer is directly against the words of the Covenant if every man in like manner Art 2. Be to endeavour the extirpation of Popery Prelacy Heresie and Schisme in his severall places and calings as the Author saith this referres to the whole obligation of each person respectively Then is the Magistrate according to his place and calling which is to beare the sword to compell with the sword the extirpation of Popery Prelacy Heresie and Schisme and what hath the Author gained by this glosse which I conceive is the true glosse except he mean the Magistrate as the Magistrate should lay aside his sword and fall to prayers requests obtestations that hereticks would lay aside their errours and preach sound doctrine but now he doth so pray and request not according to his place as a Magistrate but according to his vocation as a Saint and a Christian which yet crosses the Covenant and makes the Parliament not as the supream Court of Judges to take the Covenant but as so many private Christians 2 If so the Judges are not in their respective places to take the Covenant nor endeavour the extirpation of heresie because that is against the word of God but then by what authority or calling did the Parliament cast out old Vsurpers the Prelates casheire the Service booke Ceremonies Alters and Crucifixes Either as a Parliament and so by the sword is not here yet the Prelates conscience squeezed to the blood is not here highest violence done to the consciences of high alter men and adorers of crucifixes Why to them more then to Familiâ—s But if this was done by requeâ—â— and wordâ— of butter and oyl from the Parliament and Committee-men then are Ordinances of Parliament but meer requests to the Subjects But it is protestatio conâ—raria facto He addeth if these words we shall
Taylors sentence we are not rest much upon the Fathers whether they be for or against liberty of conscience For course to be taken with Pagans to speake by the way all that Lactantius l. 5. c. 20. Tertulli ad Scapâ—lam c. 2. Augustine ser 6. de verb. dom c. 7. cont lite Petitian lib. 2. c. 83. we approve and what famous Schoolmen 〈◊〉 Thomas Bannes Durandus Paludâ—â—â— Richardus 〈…〉 Paluda and that of Augustine sâ—â— 6. de verb Dom. c. 7. Glandiendum est Paganu ut audiant veritatem in Christianis vero secanda putredo Pagans must be allured and not compelled by Warres to the faith Because the just cause of Warre must either be an open breach of Nations against the Law of nature for it must be a finne of which a multitude may easily be or are convinced of as is cleare in the Aâ—â—lekites and all the Nations who invaded Israel Josh 11. v. 19 20. or then in a visible Church it must be for manifest Apostacy from the Covenant of God and 〈◊〉 Religion as the new Altar supposed to be erected by the two Tribâ—â— and the halfe against the only one Altar commanded by God See Cavarruvias in Regnum paccatum part 2. sect 4. Setus in 4. distin 5. 4. 1. art 10. Molina de Justitia disp 106 and Bannâ—s 11. g. 10. art 11. saith that Paul the third defined well that the Westerne Indians being capable of life eternall were true Lords of their possessions and could not be justly deprived thereof To tollerate Jewes openly blaspheming Christ or to receive them in the Common-Wealth cannot be allowed or to suffer them to have Synagogues In regard they blaspheme the God we are in Covenant with and doe no lesse deny him then Goliah and Senacharib did 2. But simply seduced Jewes are to bee instructed for there is a peculiar prophecy touching the Jewes Rom. 11. Jer. 50. 5 6. That they shall bee brought in to know Christ and beleeve in him 3 Argument That which was a meere judiciall law and not onely in no force now as touching any obligation to bodily punishment from the Christian Magistrate is now under the Gospell either a sin offensive to humane society Or 2. No sin but innocency as some say Or then 5. â— thing lndifferent If it be a sin offensive to humane society and the people of God to drive them away from the Lord their God and an abomination that Israel should feare to doe in the dayes of Moses and before Christ came as is cleare Deut. 13. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. It must be so now for since it is not a Typicall but a morall sin it is at all times and in all places to us and now and to them and then an abomination Ergo the Argument of the holy Ghost being perpetâ—all that it is destructive to humane society the Lord must provide the same or as effectuall means for the remedying thereof But if the Christian Magistrate have no place or power to represse such abominations but Isreal may seduce men after false gods and not feare the stroke of 〈◊〉 sword then hath the Lord left the Church to the lust of â—avenous Wolves that destroy the flocke and hath left these wolves to the Lords immediate hand of judgement for rebukes Church-censures are not to be used against them upon the same ground that the sword should not be drawne against them by the ground of Libertines for rebukes and Church-censures doe 1. Force the conscience no lesse than the sword 2. They beget Hypocrites 3. Are as contrary to the law of meeknesse and gentlenesse of Christ and his servants who used no such way to gaine the Samaritans and other gaine-sayers as the sword is repugnant to Christs meek administration who did not use either sword crying rebukes or excommunication against broken reeds though both these may be used against Seducers in great gentlenesse and tendernesse toward their soules by fathers in State or Church 4. They are no lesse against liberty of prophecying beleiving with a reserve to beleeve the contrary than the sword For how can we in the name of the Lord rebuke threaten eterned wrath deliveto Sathan seducers more than the Magistrate can use the sword against them yea or refute their errors in the name and authority of Christ or strike with his rod since wee are not infallibly perswaded more than these we call Seducers for they may upon the same grounds call us Seducers threaten us with eternall wrath and deliver us to Sathan in the same name and authority that the sound Church proceedeth against them for neither side had the infallibility of divine authority in a reflex knowledge more than others by the Doctrine of Libertines 5. They are no lesse contrary to growing up in knowledge and new light for contrary reasons and rebukes and threatnings are as apt to expell new light and to reduce the Seducer to old darknesse for any certainty of perswasion any of the sides have for both may see beside their book and dreame the moone is made of wax by this way and instructing of teachers that see but on this and the yonder side of truth with eâ—â—s of flesh as they say is as uneffectuall a remedy against Teachers as the sword 6. Since the sword and stoning when used by the Jewes Deut. 13. presupposeth infallibility What warrant doe our Lords of licence of conscience give us that all the Commons and Lads and Girles that lifted a stone against the Seducer had Prophâ—ticall infallibility or that every wife to whom her husband might say Let us go and follow Baal and Dagon for sure the Zidâ—nians and Philistines are a people taught of God as well as we was infallible in her knowledge and unerrable and the husband an erring Seducer according to the principles that masters of licence would lead us on for there must be a response given to all and every one to beleeve this is the Seducer from the light of Moses law else they had no more right to stone the Seducer then the Seducer to stone them For as wee may erre in persecuting true Prophets I hope so did the people kill the Prophets and stone them that were sent Matth. 23. 27 and 2 Chron. 36. 16. they mocked and misused the Prophets of God and did as foully erre in persecuting as now we under the Gospell Yet Mr. Goodwin gives to the Jewes an infallibility of an Oracle to tell them who was the man to be stoned as a Seducer But let him answer these Queries 1 Did the Oracle speak immediately to all the actors in the stoning I thinke no then the Oracle spake to the Priest only To Pashur then the Officers had but the word of Peshur to put Jeremiah in the stockes and the people had but the Priests word for stoning the man 2 Query Were the people infallible in discerning the Priest to be a true relater of the mind of God
on him but by arguing him to be an hypocrite from the mistaken doctrine of providence as is clere chap. 4 6 7 8 9 10 c. yet they persecuted him Job 19. 28. they that mocked Jeremiah and in arguing opposed his doctrine and said Jer. 17. 15. Where is the word of the Lord persecuted him v. 18. Let them be confounded that persecute me Jer. 18. 18. Then said they come let us devise devices against Jeremiah for the Law shall not perish from the Priest nor counsell from the wise nor the word of the Lord from the Prophet and they had much to say from the word that the Law was with the Priests and the word of the Lord with their Prophets as well as with Jeremiah yet they resolve to persecute Jeremiah come and let us smite him with the tongue and let us not give heed to any of his words And the Scripture tells us of the scourge of the Tongue Job 5. 21. and the place cited by Libertines Gal. 4. 28 29. where it is said that Iâ—hmael the son of the handmaid persecuted Isaac the son of the Promise it was not by offering any bodily violence to Isaac as we teach the Christian Magistrate is to use the sword against Seducers but as Pareus Meyer Calvin Piscator Beza Luther Perkins and all Interpreters do well expound it Ishmael but mocked Isaac and said the promises made to him were but a mock and he would have forsooth the dignity of the birth-right Calvin saith the mocking and blaspheming of Christ on the Crosse He trusted in God let him deliver him Psal 22. Matth. 27. 39 40. was the most cruell persecution that ever befell him Heb. 11. 36. and others had triall of cruell mocking and scorning Optatus complained that the bloud of Bishops was shed not by the sword but by the tongue then must Elias persecute Baals Priests for he mocked them And what warrant have Libertines to say that all Baals Priests followed that worship that they were brought up in against their conscience for the conscience of Hereticks being burnt with an hot iron 1 Tim. 3. will make them think the killing of the Lords Apostles is good service to God and all the sarcasticke mockings and jearings of M. Williams Goodwin the Authors I cite and of other Libertines against Presbyterians the followers of Calvin the opposers of wilde and Atheisticall liberty of conscience since they are not in fallible in maintaining toleration of all wayes Turcisme Judaisme Familisme Socinianisme c. must be persecution of all in the contrary opinion for conscience and so while they write against persecution they persecute all contrary arguing and refuting of such as we conceive doe erre and all rebuking of them all syllogisticall collections and inferences of the absurdities and blasphemies of their doctrine must be smiting with the tongue and persecution For that spoken against Jeremiah The Law shall not perish from the Priest nor the word of the Lord from the Prophet having so much colour of Scripture as that also he saved others Ergo if he â—e the Saviour he must save himselfe being of the dye and hew of truth so near of bloud to it in outward face and to the consciences of many were notwithstanding grievous persecuting of Jeremiah and Jesus Christ then must M. Williams say true we must not by prayer or prophesie seeke to pluck up the tares till harvest So all writing preaching and refuting of gainsayers of that which we conceive to be truth except we be infallible and prophetically ascertaiâ—ed we are right and these we refute wrong must be persecution and smiting with the tongue 3. Nor doe Libertines charge us more with persecution then Anabaptists did Bullinger and our Reformers and the Donatists did Augustine and the Catholicks upon whom Augustine retorted the challenge for the true Church saith he casts out Agar the handmaid is this persecution It is to be observed in this Argument 1. That none objected this but Sectaries and such as were conscious to themselves of foule tenets as Anabaptists in Germany Donatists in Africa Papists in Qâ—een Elizabeths time Calvin Beza Protestants never objected this against the Papists or Spanish Inquisitors the old Non-conformists never pleaded against the most tyrannicall Prelates for liberty of conscience finde this in all their books So Cartwright yea Amesius though by assed with Independency speaketh against lawlesse liberty 2. Libertines Anabaptists Donatists when they get the Sword in their hand of all men most cruelly presse the consciences of others that are not in every punctilio in their minde See the Authours in the Margine to prove this none such bloudy persecuters for conscience as they 3. All these Arguments do strongly militate against Jezabel and all Hereticks and seducing Teachers for Christ hath ordained a spirituall coactive power in the Church against Wolves and such as say They are Jews and lie and are the Synagogue of Sathan Rev. 2. as well as God hath ordained a civill coactive power in the State and the one coactive power doth 1 as much hinder Christs followers to be a willing people as the other and 2 Presse the conscience 3 Create hypocrisie 4 Oppose the meeknesse of Christ and his Ministers 5 Savour of persecution 6 Estrange affections 7 Countenance domineering over conscience as the other 4 Nor doe we professe coercing of sound and faithfull teachers but onely seducing Hereticks The Arminians tell us A Precept is quickly found when we would persecute the godly for their conscience and Mr. Williams cryeth Search all Scriptures Records c. no persecuters not the Divell himself professe to persecute the Son of God Jesus as Jesus Christ as Christ without a marke or covering so said they had we lived in Queen Maries dayes we would not have consented to such persecution Answ This argues a silly engine for if it hold good against us Search all Scriptures Records c. no Tyrants no Nero having the Sword to punish Patricides Matricides Sorceries Adulteries Sodomy professed that they punished just men as just men innocent men as innocent men what then Shall it follow Magistracy and the use of the sword is unlawfull against any because Tyrants oppresse the innocent not as innocent but as seditious traiterous cruell bloudy men Nor would I have Mr. Williams so charitable to the Devill as to thinke he will not persecute Jesus as Jesus I dare not determine much upon the Devills heart-reduplications but if he be not involved in the sin against the Holy Ghost and a burning malice against Jesus because he is the Son of God and the Saviour of man I know not much However Mr. Williams hath reason upon his grounds to thinke that none should be persecuted for conscience because we are all Scepticks even in point of Salvation and Fundamentalls and not infallibly assured of either heaven or hell and so he is worâ—e then a Papist 2. No men know all men since
not bottomed or resolved upon these fallible meanes But what Arguments have Bellarmine Stapleton Grâ—â—serus Becamâ—s 〈◊〉 Valentia the Councel of Trâ—nt and other Papists to make good that the Church of sound Catholikes who if they could fill their chaire are of more authoritie then Printers or particular men translators of the Scripture for they lead us from the written word as Mr. Goodwin doth and say the Church giveth authoritie to the word of God and resolve our faith upon the Testimonie of the Church saith Tannâ—rus as the infallible rule of faith on the authority of the Church saith Bellarmine quoad explicationem quoad nos in regard of our beleeving on God not simply revealing but so and so revealing saith Stapleton by his Church c. so as we know not that God hath revealed his truth but by and for the infallible proposal of the Church saith Gregorius de Valentia on the authoritie of the first veritie God revealing himselfe as the principle and first cause of faith saith Ioan. de Lugo and Malderus and on the authoritie of the Church as they are men eminent for Miracles as in that which is first beleeved ut in primo creditum and the only infallible rule of faith say Suarez Aegid Connick Lod. Maeratius And. Duvallius Fr. Silvius Lod. Caspensis All which speak fairer for the credit of faith in words then Mr. Iohn Goodwin who raiseth our faith no higher then the English grammer the Printer the learning and authoritie of men 2. We beleive that Christ is God man not for the authoritie of men and so of the rest of the Articles of our faith because Christ saith Iohn 5. 34. Ye sent unto Iohn and he bare witness to the truth v. 34. But I receive not testimony from men on which word Chrysostome saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I need not saith our Saviour the testimonie of men 〈◊〉 I am God but because ye give more heed unto Iohn and beleeve him to be most worthy of all of credit and ye come to him as a Prophet I speak this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who will then receive Mr Goodwins Testimonie who gives us nothing for faith but fluctuation of opinion and some Topick grounds from mens credit learning and authoritie that the Scripture is the Word of God and turnes all our faith into fancie 3. The Scripture resolves our faith on Thus saith the Lord the only authoritie that all the Prophets alledge and Paul 1 Thes 2. 13. For this cause also thanke we God without ceasing because when yea received the word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the word of man made of mens credit and learning as Mr. Goodwin saith but as it is in truth the word of God 4. Weak dry and saplesse should be our faith all our patience and consolations of the Scriptures Rom. 15. 4. all our hope on the word of God Ps 119 49 50 52 54 55. all our certainty of faith if it were so as Mr. Goodwin averreth But we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a more sure word of Prophesie surer then that which was heard on the Mount for our direction and the establishing of our faith 2 Pet. 1. 19. Joh. 5. 39. Search the Scriptures for they bear witnesse of me let them be judge between the Jews and me whether I be the Son of God or no for they beare witnesse of me now if we have no better warrant that the books of the Old and New Testament that we now have to wit the originall of Hebrew and Greek and translations are the word of God then that which is made of the credit of the authority and learning of men then must all our comfort of beleeving be grounded upon this mans and this mans Grammar and skill in Hebrew Greek Latine English aâ—d he is not infallible in any of these And must our lively hope be bottomed on mens credit and learning then for any thing we know on the contrary we have but dreams opinions and at best mans word for the word of God and how is the word of Prophesie a more sure word for these were written and translated prophesies of which Peter speaketh Mr. Goodwin and Libertines who put heaven and Christ and the lively hope of our inheritance to the conjectures of doubting Scepticks could well reply to Peter the word of prophesie cannot be sure for we have no certainty that the Scriptures of the Prophets of the Old and New Testament which we have either Hebrew or Greek copies of are the word of God but undoubtedly Christ appealeth to the Scriptures as to the onely Judge of that controversie between him and the Jewes whether the Son of Mary was the eternall Son of God and the Saviour of the world he supposed the written Scriptures which came through the hands of fallible Printers and Translatours and were copies at the second if not at the twentieth hand from the first copy of Moses and the Prophets and so were written by sinfull men who might have miswritten and corrupted the Scripture yet to be a judge and a rule of faith and fit to determine that controversie and all others and a Judge de facto and actually preserved by a divine hand from errours mistakes and corruptions else Christ might in that appealed to a lying Judge and a corrupt and uncertaine witnesse and though there be errours of number genealogies c. of writing in the Scripture as written or printed yet we hold providence watcheth so over it that in the body of articles of faith and necessary truths we are certaine with the certainty of faith it is that same very word of God having the same speciall operations of enlightning the eyes converting the soule making wise the simple as being lively sharper then a two-edged sword full of divinity life Majesty power simplicity wisdome certainty c. which the Prophets of old and the writings of the Evangelists and Apostles had M. Goodwins argument makes as much against Christ and the Apostles as against us for they could never in all their Sermons and writings so frequently bottome and found the faith on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is written in the Prophets as David saith as Isaiah saith and Hosea as Daniel saith as Moses and Samuel and all the Prophets beare witnesse if they had had no other certainty that the writings of the Prophets that came to their hands was the very word of God but the credit learning and authority of men as Mr. Goodwin saith for sure Christ and the Apostles and Evangelâ—sts had not the authentick and first copies of Moses and the Prophets but only copies written by men who might mistake Printers and Translators not being then more then now immediately inspired Prophets but fallibly men and obnoxious to failings mistakes and ignorance of ancient Hebraismes and force of words and if ye remove an unâ—rring providence who doubts but men might
the false Religions of Jew Papist Indian American who receive the letters of it Mr Iohn Goodwin Hagiomast sect 28. p 38 39 denieth that any now living on earth hath the Scriptures or any ground of faith but that which is made of mens credit and learning Though the meanes of delivering to us Scripture be fallible yet it neither followeth that these meanes are the foundation on which our faith is resolved or that the Scripture it self is not infallible Tannerus disp 1. de fide c. 5. as 1 Bellarm. l. 2. de concil c. 12. Staplâ—ton doctrin princip l. 8. c. 21. ultima resolutio fidei non est in Deum revelantem simpliciter sed in Deum revelantem ut sic id est per ecclesiam c. Val. dis 1. de fide q. 1. p. 1. Sect 10. p. 38. col 1. Card. de Lugo de side spe dis 1 sect 5. n. 56. Malderus de object fidei q. 1. art 1. sect 10. p. 6. Suarez de fid disp 3. de object forma fidei sect 10 pag. 9. dis 9. dub 8. concl 4. Lod. Maratius tom 2. tract de fide dis 17. iect 2. n. 6. Duvilliusde object fidei l. 2. q. 1. litâ—e d. Fr. Silvius Professor Duaceâ—sis m. 22 q. 1. art 1. Lod Casâ—ensis Capucinus Curis Theol. tom post tract 15. dis 1. s 3. Reasons to prove that we have divine certaintie that the Books of the old and New Testament that we now have are the word of God contrary to Mr Goodwins Assertion That we have no warrant so to say but mans credit and authority As Matth. 2. 5. Matth. 4. 4 6 7 10. Matth. 11. 10. Matth. 21. 13. Matth. 26. 24. Mark 14. 21. 27 Mark 1. 2. Luke 2. 23. Luke 4. 4. 8. 10. Luke 7. 27. Luke 19. 46. Joh. 6. 31. 45. Joh. 12. 14. Act. 1. 20. Act. 7 42. Act. 13. 33. Act. 15. 15. Rom. 1. 17. Rom. 2. 24. Rom. 3. 4. 10. Rom. 4. 17. Rom. 8. 37. Rom. 8. 13. Rom. 11. 8. 1 Cor. 1 19. 31. â— Cor. 2. 9. 1 Cor. 3. 19. 2 Cor. 4. 13. 2 Cor. 8. 15. Rom. 12. 19. Rom. 15. 3. 1 Cor. 14. 21. Gal. 3. 10. 13. Gal. 4. 22. 27. Heb. 10. 7. 1 Pet. 1. 16. Luke 24. 14. Rom. 15. 4. 1 Cor. 10. 7. 2 Cor 9. 9. Luke 4. 17. Joh. 2. 17. Rivet to 1. contra tract 1. 46. Whitaker to 2. de authoritate Scrip. l. 3. c. 7. Calvin Comment in Act. 17. Hagiomast Ser. 36. p. 47. Dr. Taylors liberty of prophesying Sect. 4. p. 73 74 75 c. Liberty of Prophesie Sect. 11. p. 171. The knowledge of God is commanded and the minde is under a divine Law as well as the will and the affections The trying of the two Missals of Gregory and Ambrose by a miracle was meer folly Liber of Prophe Sect. 12. p. 185 186. The causes of heresie All ignorance of things revealed in the word though most speculatively are sinfull errours The Place 1 Cor. 3. 11 12 13. expounded and vindicated from the glosses of Adversaries Dr. Taylors mistake of heresie What vinciblenesse must be in heresie Dr. Taylor maketh the opinion of Purgatory no heresie and groundlesly Of errours how they are sinfull in matters revealed in Gods word Liber of Proph Sect. 12. n. 6. Liber of Proph n. 6. N. 7. Simple errours of things revealed in Gods word are condemning sins Ob. 1. Sect. 13. How opinions are judicable and punishable For the Father to kill the son upon a meer religious ground is no murther nor punishable by Libertines way Sect. 13. n. 5. Bloodie Tenet c. 95. p. 145 146. The Magistrates ministry is civill not spirituall Bloodie Tenet 16. 148. The Laws of Artaxerxes Cyrus Darius Nebuchadnezzar ratifying the Law of God by civil punishments were their Magistraticall duties How fear of civill Lawes may work men to soundnesse in the faith Bloodie Tenet page 129. Artaxerxes made lawes by the light of nature to restrain men from Idolatry Bloody Tenet c. 97. p. 152. From punishing of false Teachers it followeth not that the Jewes and all the Idolatrous Heathen should be killed Bloodie Tenet c. 113. p. 107. Bloody Tenet cap. 98. The considerable differences between punishing such as rebell against the first Tables of the law in the old Testament and now in the new and their swearing of a Covenant and ours Obj. 8. Bloody Ten. c. 1â—8 p 197. Circular turnings from Protestanisme to Popery proves nothing against punishing of seducers Obj 9. Bloody Ten. c. 120. p. 202. Dr. Taylor Liber of pro. Sect. 13 n. 10. Ancient bounds c. 6. 1. p. sect 26. The objection of a carnall way by swords as no fit means to suppresse heresie answered The objection from carnall weapons and forcing of conscience and contradictions involved inforcing the elicit â—nâ—ernall acts of will and understanding c. as strong against laws in the old Testament as in the New The Law Deu. 13. Lev. 24 c. was not executed upon such onely is sinned against the light of his conscience and the Law of nature and upon whom the immediate response of the Oracle fell as false Prophets No need of a Law-processe judge witnesses accusers or inquiring in the written Law of God if an immediate oracle from heaven designed the false Prophet in the Old Testament Ecclesiasticall and civill coaction do both worke alike upon understanding and will Ancient bonds c. 2. page 7. Errors against supernaturall truth are not rebukeable because not punishable contra Vaticaâ—us contra libel Calvin â—n 12. Vaticanus coâ— libel calvi ad not So si interficis qua sic loquitur ut sentit intersieis propter veritatem â—am veritas est dicere quae senrits Psal 15. beatum pronunciat eum qui vere dicit quae habet in animo Libertines make all blasphemers all seducing Prophets of Baaâ— priests of Heathen Gods if they speakâ— what a conscience 〈◊〉 with a 〈◊〉 Iron doth 〈◊〉 unto them to be true Prophets and to dwell 〈◊〉 them 〈◊〉 of the Lords House 〈◊〉 15. Bloudy Tenco c. 35. p. 59. In four sundry considerations sins are censured Augus Epis 48 ad Vincen The Magistrate is subject to the just power of the Church and the Church to the just power of the Magistrate neither of them to abused power and the word of God in point of conscience supreme to regulate both How the Jews suffered heathen Idolaters to dwell amongst them Baptist c. 6. p. 3â— 35. Joh. Baptist would have us selfe selfe carefull of being carried 〈◊〉 with false and strange doctrines because we are elected to glory and the chosen cannot fall away then of other abominable sins Joh. Baptist and Libertines teach that liberty of conscience is a way to finde out truth When the holy Ghost forbids us to beleeve false Christs and to receive Antichristian teachers into our houses he bids us also receive them as Saints and beleeve them by the way of Libertines Libertines make the judging of Hereticks to be Hereticks a bold intruding into the Lords caâ—â—net counsell Ancient bounds cap. 6. sect 1. Reas 14. p. 30. Bloodie Tenet Mr. Nicholas Loâ—kâ—er ser 1. Col. 1. preface to the reader Liberâ—ines say God hath deâ—â—red Heresies to be Varietie of judgements in Gods matâ—eâ—s is a grief to Paul and the godly Ministers Gal. 5. 20. 1 Tim. 3. 1 2. 2 Tim. 2. 17. 2 Thes 2. 17. 1 Tim. 6. 5. Rev. 2. 20. Acts 20. 30. Ier. 23. 27 32. Zach. 10. 1. Lam. 2. 14. Necessitie of Toleration 1647. qu. 53. Borrowed from Bloodie Tenet The punishing of heresies investeth not the Magistrate in a headship over the Church The intrinsecal end of the Magistrate or of his office is not the conversion of Souls August lib. 3. cont perm cap. to Quis enim tune in Christum crediderat Imperator qui ei pro pietate contra impietatem leges ferendo servitet quando adhuC illud propheticum esset quare fremueâ—unâ— Gentes c. Libertines make Preaching and commanding to receive and beleeve and professe the Truth a monopolizing of the truth A twofold obligation the word spoken or preached lay on the hearers one objective another ministeriall Private men have not the like warrant to prescribe what Ministers should beleeve and practice as Ministers have to prescribe to private men Argum 19. Libertie of conscience maketh every mans conscience his Bible and multiplies Bibles and sundry words of God and rules of faith All Hereticks are in a safe way of salvation according to the way of Libertines
he erre from the sense of the Holy Ghost the Scripture is no Scripture if it be believed in a sense contrary to the Scripture to him who so believes and so his faith is no faith but a vaine night-phancie and seeing the word of God gives us but one faith and one truth and one Gospel if interpretations be left free to every man these Libertines gives us millions of faiths with millions of senses and so no faith at all Secondly They give us two decisions one made by God and another by the Church contrary to Gods that has no rule but every mans private judgement and free phancie as if the decision of controversies made by the Church in Synods which we suppose is not divided from that of Gods were some other thing then the decision of the Holy Ghost speaking in the word and declared by the Church in a ministeriall way and if it be any other than this it is not to be received nor a lawfull decision ministeriall of a Synod but to be rejected Thirdly if there be no need of a decision to expone the word because the word is clear if we wrong the word of God if we think our words are clearer that Gods it is true if we had eyes to see and apprehend the minde of God in his word without an interpretation then all ministerie and proaching of the Gospel is cried downe by this what have any to doe to expone the first principles of the Oracles of God to the Hebrews c. 5 â— or what need they teach exhort preach in season and out of season What needeth the Eunuch a teacher or Cornolius Peter or Saul Ananias to teach them had they not the Scriptures if Timothie the preachers that speake the word of the Lord to the Hebrews Philip Peter Ananias think their words clearer than the word of God they doe a great injurie to the word of God or if they beleeved their words were clearer than the words of Esaiah and the Prophets and they did that which was not necessary if they opened and expounded the Prophets and decided controversies for they should have acquiesced to the decision of God as it lyeth in the Scripture and not have preached but read the Prophets and left it free to the hearers to put on the words of Scripture what interpretation and sense they thought best Fourthly That no Confessions ought to be but in expresse words of Scripture shall free all one and consequently all Churches from obedience to that which Peter commands 1 Pet. 3. 15. Be readie alwayes to give an answere to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with â—â—eeknesse and fear When Stephen Acts 7. and Paul Acts 26. were accused of heresie and speaking against Moses and the semple they made a confession of their faith not in words of Scripture but in deductions and necessary consequences drawne from Scripture and applyed to themselves and these in Nehemiahs time who wrote and sealed or subscrubed a Covenant did not write and seale the expresse Decalogne and ten Commandements 〈◊〉 the words of the Covenant of Grace I will be thy God and the God of thy seed but entered into a curse and into an Oath to walke in Gods Law which was given by Moses the servant of God and to observe and to doe all the Commandements of the Lord our God and his judgements and his statutes and that say they we would not give our daughters to the people of the Land nor take their daughters for our sons and if the people of the Land bring ware or victuals on the Sabbath day to sell that we would not buy it of them Nehemiah c. 10. v. 29 30 31 32 33 34. c. compared with Nehe. c. 9. v. 38. Which words are not a confession nor Covenant in expresse Scripture save that they are historically insetted in the Cannon of the Scripture by the Holy Ghost In which sense the law and decree of Nebuchadnezzar Daniel 6. And of other heathen Kings as Daniell 3. 29. 30. Ezra 1. 2 3. c. 7. 11 12 13 14. c. Are Scriptures but they are not the expresse words of the Law for there is nothing in the expresse Law touching the Sabbath of not buying ware and victual from the heathen of the land that Nehemiah speakes of which warranteth us to enter in the like Covenant and make the like Confession of faith to defend and stand to the Protestant Religion and that Christ was God and man and man in one person and that we shall not buy ware or victuals from the Anabaptist and Familists of England who trample on the Sabbath day though these be not expresse words of Scripture It is true Libertines say men have made Apologies and confessions of faith for their own defence as Steven and Paul but they injoyned not these by authoritie and command as a rule of faith upon others and wrote them not as a fixed standard of the faith of others and that warrants no Church to impose a faith upon others Answ 1. This will prove that as one man accused of heresie may publish a confession of his faith which may cleare his innocencie and the soundnesse of his faith to others and remove the scandall according to that of 1 Pet. 3. 15. And by the same reason Independents Libertines Familists Antinomians Anabaptists and all the Sects of England upon the same ground that the Albigenses went upon should by some Confession and Covenant give an account of their faith and hope with meeknesse and feare And what particular persons are obleiged to doe that Churches when they are slandered as unsound in the faith are oblieged to doe and so I looke at a forme or confession of faith as a necessary Apologie for clearing of the good name of a Church defamed with Heresies and new sects but for the imposing of this Confession upon others these others are either Neighbour-Churches or their own Members As concerning neighbour-Churches they have no Authoritie over them Yet may they declare that Familists who say Christ is not come in the flesh are the Spirit of the Antichrist and for these of their own Church if they goe out from them and separate to an Antichristian side after the example of the Apostles and Elders they may command them to abstaine from such and such hereticall opinions and after they have convicted them as perverters of souls proceed to excommunication against them as refusers to consent to the forme of wholesome words as may be prooved from Math. 18. 15 16 17. c. Rom. 16. 17 1 Thes 2. 13 14 15. And other Scriptures as Reve. 2. 1 2 3. v. 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20. Now that it is not sufficient that they be put to subscribe a confession of faith in onely scripture words is cleare 1. because the Jews will sweare and seale the old Testament in their own sense but their sense makes the old
Testament to be the word of man not the word of God The Sadduces acknowledged the five books of Moses to be the word of God yet because they denyed the resurrection of the dead Christ argueth them Math. 22. 45. Ignorant both of the power of God asserted in the books of Moses and of the scriptures especially of that scripture which God spake out of the bush to Moses I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac c. Exod. 3. 6. Yet would the Sadduces have sworn and subscribed all the booke of Exodus as the undoubted word of God but when they denyed the resurrection sure these words I am the God of Abraham c. making the Covenant of grace to dye when Abraham dyed and Abraham to have perished in soule and bodie as they expounded it was not the word of God and Papists will subscribe the old and new Testament and the three Creeds the Nicene Creed the Creed of Athanasius and that which commonly is called the Apostles Creed Yet as they expound the word and these Creeds we say they transforme the word of God into the doctrine of devils and most abominable Idolatrie The greatest hereticks that were Arrius Nestorius Appolliuaris Macedonius the Treithite acknowledge the scripture to be the word of God and will sweare and subscribe the word of God and containe themselves intra sacra scripturae lâ—cutiones within the words of scripure But their faith is not the saith of the scripture and this makes ten thousand and millions of faiths where as the word faith there is but one faith For Arrius hath one faith Apollinâ—ris another Nestorius another and every heretick a faith according to the sense that he fallely puts on the scripture and all may sweare one Confession of saith in Scripture-words Arminians say no man after he hath received a decree of a Synod is longer oblieged to it nor upon any other condition but in so farre and so long as he judgeth in his conscience that it is true Answ This is meere Scepticisme and to make the conscience whether erroneous or not erroneous to be a bible and a rule of faith For though the erroneous conscience say it is service to God to kill the innocent Apostles John 16. 1. Yet the sixt commandement lyes upon these murtherers with equall strength thou shalt not kill otherwise they are nor guilty of murther For if a Synod decree to kill Peter and John because they preach that the Son of Mary is the Messiah is bloody persecution Then so soone as Scribes and Pharisees in their erroneous conscience for Libertimes make exceptions of no consciences an erroneous more than another nor erring in fundamentals more than of another shall judge it service to God to kill the Apostles they are loosed from the sixt commandement and no longer oblieged to this thou shalt not murther So the authour of the tractate called Armini Where mens scope is any way to remove controversies there is there no care or little at all of the trueth of God and where the externall peace of the Common-wealth is heeded precisely there peace of conscience is of none or of little value the truth is not there perswaded but crushed Ans The learned and renowned professors of Leiden answer the end of Synods is not by any means good or bad to remove controversies but to burie them by the power of the word 2. Onely externall peace separated from truth should not be intended but conjoyned with truth and peace of conscience 3. The end of Synods is not effectually and actu secundo to silence hereticks and gain-sayers of the truth nor is it Christs scope in convincing the Sadduces that the dead must rise Math. 22. to perswade the truth so as there shall never be on earth Sadducie again who denies the resurrection for in Pauls and in the Apostles time the Sadducies still denyed the resurrection after the Synod of Jerusalem Acts 15. There arose many that said we must keep the Law of Ceremonies but the end of Synods is to doe what may actu prime remoove controversies and silence Hereticks by clearing scripture and truth but the end is not to remove obstinacy that is not the scope of Synods nor of preaching nor of the scriptures but of all these are in the event as God blesseth them and concurreth with them the end of Synods is not to oppresse or deprive ministers the end of despised and obstinately refused truth is such Armini Synods should not ayme at setting up their own authoritie which in matters of faith is none at all such decisions are the heart of Poperie and makes all religion without Synods to be uncertain Ans Synods should take care that no man despise their Authority as Timothie is exhorted by Paul but their Authoritie in matters of faith is conditionall and so not nul 2. Synods are necessarie ad bene esse not absolutely for many are saved both persecuted Churches and believers who neuer had help of Synods to cleare their faith 3. But none more contend then Libertines doe for a faith as uncertaine as the weather which may change with every new moone The same also may be said of preaching and a ministerie which the Lord Jesus ascending on high gave for the edifying his body the Church that religion is uncertain without it For Pastors in publick should convince gainsayers and so remove heresies Tit. 1. 9 10 11. 1. Tim. 6. 3 4 as well as Synods and Libertines in their conscience know Protestant Synods Lord over the faith of none as if they took to themselves in fallibilitie as Popish Synods doe Armini Since Synods may erre how then place they religion in securitie Ans No otherwise then Doctors and Pastors doe place religion in security by teaching truth and refuting errors and yet they may erre Obj. But Pastours oblidge not men to receive what they say under paine of Censures as Synods doe Answ Vnder paine of divine if not Ecclesiasticall punishment and the one is that way as binding to the conscience as the other yea more for it is a greater obligation for Pastours to subject men to divine wrath if they receive not what they preach then for Synods to binde them onely to Ecclesiasticall censurers and yet none can say that Pastours exercise tyrannie over the conscience for the former Ergo neither can Synods justly he deemed Lords over the conscience for the latter Armin. Very often fewer and provinciall Synods doe 〈◊〉 mine more soundly then many and Occuminical Synods Answ That is by accident one Machaiah saw more that foure hundred prophets of Baal But this objection is against the saftie that is in a multitude of counsellers and in the excâ—llencie of two convened in the name of Christ above one Armin. Decision of Synods cannot oblidge men while they know that the decision was rightly made it is not enough to oblidge any to consent that that which is