as unable to work 〈◊〉 as the Sword p. 351 Heresies are knowable p. 353 Forced Conscience as strong an argument against Deut. 13. as against us p. 355 The Magistrate commandeth the outward man and yet commandeth not carnall repentance and hypocriticall turning to God p. 356 Because we may abstain from Heresie upon false grounds it follows not that the Magistrate hath not power 〈◊〉 punish heresie p. 359 Libertinisme of toleration is grounded upon the pretended obscuritie of Scripture p. 360 Toleration putteth a hundred senses on the Scripture and makes many rules of faith p. 361 John Goodwin denieth that we have Scriptures or any ground of Faith but that which is made of mens credit and learning p. 362 The means of delivering of Scripture to us may be falliâ—le yet the Scripture infullâ—ble ibid. Reasons to prove that the Scriptures our non have are the very Word of God p. 364 The knowledge of God is commanded and the â—ind is under a Law as well as the will and affections p. 371 The trying of the Missals of Gregory Ambrose was meer foolery 372 Speculative ignorance of things 〈…〉 p. 373 The place 1 Cor. 3. 11 12 13. cleared and vindicated ibid. Doctor Taylors mistake of Heresie ibid. What vinciblenesse must be in Heresie p. 374 D. Taylor maketh the opinion of Purgatorie no Heresie 376 Simple errors of things revealed in the 〈…〉 sins 378 How opinions are judicable and punishable p. 379 Son-sacrificing upon a meer religious ground is not murther punishable according to Libertines way p. 380 Chap. 28. Divers other Arguments for pretended Toleration answered p. 381 The Magistrates ministerie is civill 〈◊〉 spirituall p. 384 The Laws of 〈◊〉 Cyrus Danius the ratifying the Law of God by civill punishments were the dutie of Magistrates ibid. Artaxerxes made laws by the light of nature to restrain men from idolatrie page 385 From punishing of false teachers it followes noâ— that Jewes and the Idolatrous Heathens should be killed p. 〈◊〉 Differences betwixt punishing of false teachers in the Old and 〈◊〉 New Testament p. 387 Circular turnings from Protestanisme to Poperie proveth nothing against the punishing of Seducers p. 388 The objection That the sword is a carnall way to suppresse heresie answered p. 390 Most of the objections from forcing of Consciences conclude against the Laws of God in the Old Testament as well as against us ibid. The Law Deut. 13. Levit. 24. c. was not executed upon such only as sinned against the Law of nature p. 392 No need of a Law processe Judge witness accuser or inquiring in the written Law of God p. 393 Ecclesiastical and civill coaction doe both worke alike upon understanding and will p. 394 Errors against supernaturall truth are not rebukeable because not punishable contra p. 395 Libertie of Conscience makes false Prophets to be true and such as shall dwell in the mountain of God p. 〈◊〉 Four sundry considerations by which sins are censured p. 397 The Magistrate is subject to the just power of the Church 〈◊〉 Church to the just power of the Magistrate neither of them 〈◊〉 abused power p. 398 How the Jews suffered heathen Idolaters to dwel amongst 〈◊〉 Joh. Baptist would have us lesse careful of thereticall doctrines 〈◊〉 cause we are elected to glory then of other vile sins p. 3â—9 Joh. Baptist and Libertines teach that libertie of Conscience the way to find out truth ibid. When the Holy Ghost forbids us to beleeve false Christs or to 〈◊〉 Antichristian teachers be bids us also beleeve and receive them 〈◊〉 Saints by the Libertines way 400 Libertines make the judging of hereticks to be hereticks a bold intending into the counsell of God p. 402 Libertines say God hath decreed Heresies to be ibid. Variety of judgements in Gods matters a grief to the godly p. 403 The punishing of Heresies investeth not the Magistrate in a beadâ—â—â—â— over the Church 404 CHAP. I. Of Conscience and its nature ACTS 24. 16. And herein doe I exercise my selfe to have 〈◊〉 a Conscience void of offence toward God and toward man THis is a part of Pauls Apologie which hee brings out before Festur the Governour he dare bring out his conscience before his accusers the subject of this part is conscience In which we have 1. the subject Conscience 2. The qualitie of it Free of offence 2. The intâ—â—â—nesse and perfection of it in the first Table as a religious man toward God as one of a sound conversation in the duties of the second Table toward man 3. And that not aâ—starts when 〈◊〉 good blood of godlinesse came on him but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alwayes at all times 4. This was not a conscience to lie beside him is the wretches Gold which for many yeares feeth neither sâ—nne nor winde but it is a Conscience walking in the streets and fraction Herein that is in this religion and hope of the restriction do 〈◊〉 or exercise my selfe this field doe 1 plow 5. There is considerable Grammer in the object of this exercise I labour to have to be a Lord a Master and anowner of a good conscience a conscience is one thing and to have a conscience another thing often the conscience hath the 〈◊〉 and Lords it over him or rather Tyrannizeth over the Judas and the man hath not the conscience And these five doe 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 the length and breadth of a good conscience Therefore of conscience 2. of the good Conscience Of conscience a little of the Name 2. Of the thing The Habrewes expresse the name by the name of heart 〈◊〉 which I grant does signifie the minde understanding will and by a figure it noteth the heart 2 Sam. 24. 10. And Davids heart smote him Salomon saith to Shimei 1 King 2. 44. Thou knowest all the evill that thy heart thy conscience is privie to Conscience is but knowledge with a witnesse it s observed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conscience a Word used about 32. times in the New Testament is but once by the Translators in the Old Testament Eccles 10. 20. Hence it noteth that a Man hath a fellow or to speake so a College-observer with him and that is God who knoweth first and perfectly the wayes and thoughts of a man and his conscience is an under-witnesse and an observer with God but a dimme and blind beholder in comparison of God 2. It is a knowledge not as large as that of the whole understanding facultie but restricted and in order onely to the mans actions words thoughts the condition or state hee is 〈◊〉 in Christ or not in Christ It so signifieth practicall knowledge that there is a Verbe Nifhal that signifieth to have a heart or 〈◊〉 be practically wise Joh 11. 12. Vaine man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would have a heart or be hearted and wise and Cont. 4. 9. Thou hast taken away my heart or unheartned me my sister my 〈◊〉 2. The heart goeth also for a word that
flesh and blood 2. A good conscience from justification hath peace and joy Prov. 15. 5. A good conscience or Heb. he that is good in heart is in a continuall feast It s an allusion to the Shew-bread that was set before God alwaies or as Exod. 2â— 30. bread of faces that was to be before the Lord continually called by them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perpetuall bread this hath no fountaine cause but sense of reconcilliation with God 3. A good Conscience is a complent intire thing as our Text saith both toward God and man it s not to be a morall man in the duties of the second Table and a seepticke in the duties of the first Table not in some few fundamentals as Parrones for Libertie of Conscience doe plead but in the whole revealed will of God and therefore the good conscience consisteth in an indivisible point as they say the number of foure doth if you adde one or take one from it you vary the essence and make it three or five not foure so Paul taketh in compleatnesse in it I have all good Conscience either all or none and a good Conscience toward God and man not a conscience for the streets and the Church and not for the house and not for the dayes Hosanna and not for eternity therefore they require an habit to a good Conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have exercised my self to have alwaies a good conscience there is a difference between one song and the habit of Musick and a step and a way Psal 119. 133. order not my one single step but my steps 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plurall number to fall on a good word by hazard to salute Christ in the by doth not quit from having an evill Conscience as one wrong step or extemporary slip doth not render a beleever a man of an ill Conscience the wicked world quarrell with the Saints before men because they cannot live as Angels but the true and latent cause is because they will not live as Devils and goe with them to the the same excesse of ryot 4. The Formalis rates of all good Conscience as conscience Conscience acteth not on by-respects but for conscience Rom. 13. 5. Wherefore yee must be subject not onely for wrath but also for conscience sake Conscience then doth all by 〈◊〉 and fayleth by compasse and considereth the 〈◊〉 not of the clouds but of the starres which 〈◊〉 regularly whereas the evill conscience Levit. 26. 15. is said to play the reprobate in Gods testimonies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to cast away to loath it is called jer 6. 30. reprobate mettall which no man would chuse there is Conscience that walketh contrary to God Levit. 2â— 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in occursu there is a defect of the Letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is from a root that signifieth to meet in the way or to rafter or plank an house where board is joyned with board some will joyn issue with God as if they had heardned their heart against him and were nothing afraid to meet him and joyne battle with him as if they were good enough and strong enough for God as one rafter in a house is apt to joyne with another there bee some froward ones who wrestle with God Psalm 18. 27. With the froward with the wrestler who boweth his body thin wilt wrestle But a good Conscience knoweth God better then so and is a masse of heavenly light and therefore joyned with faith unfained 1 Tim. 1. 5. and vers 19. Timothy is exhorted to held faith and a good Conscience as if they failed both in one vessell if faith sinke a good Conscience cannot swimme much more might be added of a good Conscience but our care would be to keep Conscience as we would doe a Jewell of greâ—â— price and as we doe a watch of Gold a meat or straw will interrupt the motion of a watch it cannot be violently moved when Grace and the blood of attonement oyleth the wheeles of Conscience they move sweetly and equally Some times its secure or dead or which is the extreamity of sleepe as death is superlative and deepest sleepe feared or burnt with a hot iron when the man hath sinned God out of the world first as fooles doe Psal 14. 1. and next out of his owne conscience and such a Conscience in Pharoah may awake per intervalla and goe to bed againe and be buried at other times it can discourse and argue away heretically the ill day judgment at other times it will crow furiously and as unseasonably as the Cock which they say hath much in it of the Planet of the Sunne and therefore beginneth to sing when the Sunne hath passed his declination and beginneth to ascend when men are in deepest sleep There is a second division of Conscience and it is from the second acts and good disposition of Conscience and that is a tender or a not tender Conscience The tender Conscience is onely choisest of Consciences so â— Ames maketh it that which is opposed to an hard heart the worst conscience that is we have some choise examples of a tender conscience 2 King 22. 19. Because thy heart was tender and thou wast cast downe before the face of the Lord the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to grow soft is ascribed to oyle Psalm 55. 22. His words were softer then oyle it is Prov. 4. 3. tender and deare it is ascribed to young children or young cattell it s a conscience that easily yeildeth and rendreth to God So in Job chap. 31. who was so tender at the remembrance of Gods rising up against him to visit him that vers 13. hee durst not despise the cause of his man-servant or his maid-servant when they contended with him and in David who when hee but cut off the lap of the Mans garment who sought to cut off his life yet his heart smot him the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to strike or kill or plague frequent in the Booke of Eâ—codus God shooke every herb of the field God strook or plagued the first borne it is some times to whip or scourge so as the marke of the stroake remaineth after Davids striking of the Lords anointed there remained an vibex an impression and a marke in a soft heart Who ever would ingrosse the name of a tender Conscience to themselves doe challenge the high perfection of David Josiah Job and of that which is the floure and Garland of all godlinesse and these that are not tender in Conscience in some measure if any will thinke they have it in the perfection they see little in their owne heart are deemed prophane irreligious and men of bold and daring Consciences so wee shall and must yeeld in a question of personall interest that these are the onely Perfectists and tender Consciences who are for tolleration of all religions and are professed Antinomians Arrians Arminians Socinians and
such like But the â—â—â—y shall reveale every Mans worke what it is It cannot be denyed but the more tenderness the more of God and the more of Conscience but by tendernesse is meant feare and awsomeness of sinne so no question there is some Conscience that is made of glasse and is easily broken and some of iron and braâ—â— lay hell on it let Christ say to Judaâ— in his face he shall betrary his Master and hee hath a Devill yet his conscience doth not crow before day light to waken him But give no leave to contend for our righteousness wee beleeve wee have found a ransome and yet we hold that tolleration of all religions is not farre from blasphemy and therefore to any way to Monopolize the tytle of tender Consciences to themselves as a Characteristical note to difference them from Presbyterians such as dare not out of the feare of God and reverence to their owne Conscience in this point awing them but judge liberty of Conscience fleshie Liberty in that title seem to hold forth no tenderness of conscience at all except they allow us to share with them in the Name of tender Consciences Which name I durst no more take then to call my selfe a Perfectist or holier then my brethren whereas its more congruous to thinke and call our selves the chiefe of sinners To bee bold with the Scriptures and to dispence with new dreames touching God Christ and the mysteries of the Gospel in all heresies and blasphemies that they may be tollerated is boldnesse of conscience 2. Pertinacie after conviction and then to say wee cannot come up to the rule when the truth is we will not come up to the rule is no tenderness 3. A tender conscience feareth an oath and dare not say every man may sweare a covenant with God in his owne sense yes it s a Jesuites conscience 4. To carry on a designe under pretence of Religion with lyes breaking of oathes treaties promises is a farre other thing then tenderness 2. How Antinomians who deny that the regenerate have any conscience of sinne or that they are to confess or bee grieved in Conscience for Incests Adulteries Murthers Rapes Oppressions or the like or can crowd in under the lap of this veil of tender Conscences is more then the truely godly can see 3. To condemn all the godly in the three Kingdomes and the Churches of New England as not tender Consciences because they professe that liberty of Conscience is Atheisticall licentiousnesse seemeth to be a harder measure then these godly persons deserve who out of some tendernesse of Conscience dare not but condemne liberty of sinning against the duties of this Table and therefore if tolleration of all false wayes intitle men to tender consciences because it is the opinion of same 〈◊〉 men why should not these who are also godly and our â—â— conscience hold the contrary opinion be also called 〈◊〉 consciences And if this be we shall not know who they are who are to be tearmed tender consciences who not But I had rather speake a little of a scrupulous consciences the Scripture saith the heart of Josiah was tender but that he wept at the reading of the Law sure it was not scrupulositie which is alwayes a fault and disease of the conscience as when the conscience doubts and feares for triffles where there is no grave and weightie cause The place 1 Sam. 25. 31. in which Abigal so speaketh to David is not to be expounded of a scrupulous but of a justly greived conscience This shall be no greife unto thee nor offence of heart unto my Lord either thaâ— thou hast shâ—d bloud causelesse or that thou hast avenged thy selfe Heb. It shall not be staggering or stumbling to thy heart for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to offend stumble fall to remove out of the place Isa 28. 7. Râ—â— Abraham reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they have made others to stumble and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nah. 2. 10. knees smite one against another the one knee in affrighted men offendeth the other and makes the other to stumble or fall So in a trembling conscience sin maketh the conscience to go out of the way and fall as one knee trembling maketh another knee in a race to fall Abigal disswadeth David from sâ—edding innocent bloud or avenging himselfe on Nabal because so to doe should be no griefe of conscience It s a litote It shall be a feast and a rejoycing of conscience that thou hast not sinned against God And this is to bee considered that a greived conscience travelling with remorse is 〈◊〉 so farre tender that it either absteineth if the sinne be to be committed or it grieveth if it be committed and in the truely godly foâ—â—citeth for reconciliation A doubting conscience is ignorant of the thing done or to be done and inclimeth to neither â—â—des But a scrupulous conscience inclineth to the one side but with doubting and a trouble of minde as the traveller walketh but with some pain as if there were a little stone in his 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Moral l. 2. c. 20. 4 â— Maldâ—rus in 12. 〈…〉 8â— Amesius de Conscient l. 1. c. 6. The causes of a scrupulous consciences are 1 Gods wish and 〈◊〉 permission 2. Sathans working and acting on a cold 〈◊〉 â—ad bodily complexion 3. Ignorance Weâ—â—nesse of judgements 4. Immoderates feare troubling reason 5. Inconstancie of the minde 6. And withall some tendernesse Gregoriâ—â— said â—â—narum conscientiarum est ibi culpam agnoscere ubi culpâ— non est It is one of the most godly errors and a sinne that smalleth of grace Papists miserable comforters say a speciall way 〈◊〉 be delivered is to subâ—â—â— your selfe to a superiours blind command They say a Priest was freed of his scruple when he obeyed Bernards bare word and trusted in it hearing that Vâ—â— et mea fide confisus sacrifica goe and upon my faith sacrifice confidently It were good to use heavenly violence against scruples phantasie will cast in I should not pray because God hath decreeâ— whither I pray or pray not the thing I suit shall never be 〈◊〉 It s good to turne away the mind from threatnings he tempted providence who having a weake head will walke upon the house top In rovings and grinding of a â—â—morous mind unbeliefe will breake one linke of Gods chaine and that broken must breake another and that a third till the saith of eternall election be broken As in a wall of foure squared stones not well cemented loose and breake out one stone that will breake another and that other loose a third till the whole wall must fall weaknesse can spin out threed after threed one doubt after another till the poore soule be taken off the Gospel-foundation of Consolation CHAP. II. Conscience under Synods and how and that the Conscience cannot have absolute libertie in matters of Religion THE Conscience is a tender peice and either the best friend next to the
that may hinder love but let this wrangler answer whither it be more reall love to the murtherers soul to informe against him and more glory to God more peace to the familie or to be silent and let his brother run to hell and wrath lye upon the whole land It is but a losse of time to refute such weak foolerie against naturall reason far more contrary to sound Divinitie for if pastors informe against evil doers out of desire of revenge malice or hatred they ought not upon these grounds to rebuke any sins at all and we condemn the doing of good duties upon evill motives and principles CHAP IIII. The state of the question of compulsion of Conscience and tolleration THe question touching Libertie of conscience was never by us nor any man save Libertines themselves and ignorant Anabaptists both of old and late moved concerning internall libertie remaining within the soule as libertie to think understand judge conclude whither the Magistrate can force men with the sword to opinions and cudgell them out of some into other contrary judgements in the matters of God for the Magistrate cannot take on him yea nor the Church under the paine of censures compell any to think well of Christ or ill or Antichrist Yet most of the senslesse arguments of the times are drawn from the immediate subjection of the conscience to God from the nature of conscience Religion faith fear and the elicit acts of the soul which cannot be compelled yea in this meaning we think God can neither offer violence to minde understanding will or affections of love fear joy because all these clicit acts cannot slow from any principle but the internall and vitall inclinations of the soul though the devils be said to beleeve against their will yet not against the inclination of the understanding or desiring facultie All the question is concerning the imperated acts and these externall that is not touching opinions and acts of the minde but that which is visible and audible in these opinions to wit the speaking professed holding of them publishing teaching printing and known and externall perswading of others to be of our minde So that the question will come to this whither the Magistrates sword be to regulate our words that concerns our neighbour as that we lie not we forsweare not to the hurt of the life and credit of our neighbour that we slander not raile upon no man farre lesse against the prince and ruler of the people but whether the words we utter or publish of God though never such blasphemies and lies because they come from the conscience as if truths or words we speak for or against our neighbour did not slow from a conscience either good or ill be above or beyond all swords or coercive power of men It is clear the question must be thus stated for all the lawes of the old Testament which we hold in their morall equitie to be perpetuall that are touching blasphemies heresies solicitation to worship false Gods and the breach of which the Godly Magistrate was to punish command or forbid onely such things as may be proved by two or three witnesses and which husband and wife are not to conceale and from which all Israel must abstain for fear of the like punishment Deut. 1â— 8 9 10 11. Deut. 17. 5 6. Levit. 20. 1 2 3 4 5. But opinions in the minde acts of the understanding can never be proved by witnesses and such as neither Magistrate nor Church can censure Then we referre to all the Godly if Libertines and Anabaptists deal brotherly in affirming that Presbiterians persecute them because out of tendernesse of conscience they cannot come up to the light and judgement of their brethren in all opinions 2. There is a tolleration pollitick and Civil and spirituall or Ecclesiastick shame and fear in punishing heresies either by the Judge or the Church whither in civil or Ecclesiasticall censures rebukes Excommunication is an evil of punishment in both as is evident if we compare Judg. 18. 7. Where it is said There was no Magistrate in the land that might put them so shame in any thing Deut. 13. 11. With these places that speaketh of spirituall censures in the feare and shame of them as 1. Tim. 5. 19. Receive not an accusation against an Elder but before two or three witnesses then an Elder that is scandalous may incur shame of being accused and Mat 18. 17. let him be to thee as a heathen and a Publicane 1 Tim. 5. 20. them that sinne rebuke before all that others also may fear So the avoiding of Idolaters and Hereticks 1 Cor. 9. 11. Tit. 2. 10. â— Joh. 10. Gal. 1. 8. brings publicke shame on them 2. Thesse 3. 14. then looke what forcing power the shame the Magistrates can put Hereticks to and what compulsory 〈◊〉 it hath on the conscience and so should not be inflicted on men for their conscience and holding of heresies as Libertines say the same compulsorie power hath concionall rebukes of Pastors or private Christians and of admonition excommunication or the avoiding of the societie of false teachers either by the whole Church or by private Christians and the arguments proving the Magistrate cannot punish for conscience in his politick Spheare doe also prove that hereticks should be rebuked sharply that they may be sound in the faith contrary to Tit. 1. 13. and that we should neither admonish them nor avoid their company which is absurd so they be more ingenious Libertines who free false teachers and hereticks from both civil and ecclesiasticall censures than these who free them from civil and subject them to Ecclesiasticall censures for Ecclesiasticall compulsion hath no more influence on the conscience by way of teaching then politick or civil and the arguments taken from the nature of conscience is as strong to prove that the Church of Pergamâ—â— Ephesus Thyatira should suffer lyars false Apostles and seducers such as hold the doctrine of Balaam and Jezabel the deceiving Prophetesse who teach and professe according to their erroneous conscience contrary to Rev. 1. 2 3 14 20. as that the Godly Prince should suffer them nor can it be said that Church-censures are spirituall punishments and so work on the spirit and have instructing rebuking and exhorting going before but the sword is a bodily punishment and hath not instructing going before For I answer though these two punishments differ yet they agree that formally both are alike compulsory of the conscience and neither of them act upon the spirit by teaching and instructing as the word doth so as excommunication of a heretick should have instructing and convincing going before so should also the Magistrate presuppose before he strike with the sword that the false teacher hath been instructed and convinced and so he doth formally punish him with the sword for his pertinacious perverting of souls 3. Nor can it be replyed that men should not be punished for either opinions or for
be reverenced ibid. Of obligation of Conscience and the acts therefrom resulting p. 10. Of witnessing of Conscience and self-reflection p. 11. The knowledge of our own state of grace may be had by the fruits of the spirit of Sanctification p. 12 Acts of Conscience in relation to the Conclusion p. 14. A Conscience good or ill p. 15. A good Conscience ibid Conscience the rarest peece that God made ibid. A tender Conscience p. 19. Who ingrosse the name of tender Consciences to themselves ibid. Of a scrupulous Conscience p. 21 The causes of a scrupulous Conscience ibid. Chap. 2. Conscience under Synods and how and that the Conscience cannot have absolute libertie in matters of Religion How a Synod compelleth p. 23. The Conditions that Libertines require to be in a Synod p. 24. Libertie to question every thing is Licence ib. The Church though not infallible may determine infallible points ib. A Confession Covenant or Synodicall decree a secondarie rule of Faith p. 25 A Ministeriall and publike and a Christian and private judgement and faith how they differ ibid. Libertines give us Sceptisme and Fluctuation for Faith p. 28 There is need of Interpretation and decision of Synods ib. That Confessions ought to be only in expresse Scripture words is â—â—â—ther false principle of Libertines p. 29 Ancient bonds of Liberty of Conscience p. 32 The end of Synods is not to remove heresies by any means good or bad or to crush Heresie so effectually as these Heresies shall never 〈◊〉 heard of in the world again ibid. The necessity of Synods p. 33 Pastors subject the disobedient to wrath yet are not Lords over the Conscience Ergo neither are Synods Lords â—ver the Conscience for that ib. The subject of a Synod not a Sceptick Conjecturall truth as Libertines suppose p. 34 The sence of Scripture from Synods beleeved truly to be infallible though Synods consist of men who are not infallible as an 〈◊〉 Pitcher doth contain gold and precious Rubies and Saphires in it though there be no gold in the matter of the Pitcher but only clay 2 Cor. 4. 7. ibid. How a true decision of a Synod is ever the same and not retractable p. 36 Though all truths be peremptorily decided in the word yet is there need of a Ministeriall and declarative decision of men because Teachers may deceive and those that are taught are ignorant and dull p. 37 Men are to come to Synods not as Nullifidians but as ingaged for truth p. 38. Synods may impose upon others and how ibid. Ancient bonds or Libertie of Conscience stated p. 40 The Conditionall imposing of Synods consisteth well with trying of all things what Libertines say on the contrary is naught ibid. Conditionall imposing proveth the imposeâ— to be no Lord of the Conscience p. 42 Chap. 3. The Church may complain of Hereticks p. 43 Pastors are not out of their calling nor Apparitors nor tale-bearers if they complain to the Magistrate of Hereticks p. 44 Chap. 4. The State of the question of compulsion of Conscience and toleration p. 46. Opinions cannot be compelled nor the mind or will in the elicite acts ibid. The question is Whether the Magistrate may compulsorily restrain the externall act of the outward man in religion ibid. Shame and feare of rebukes by Pastors and Church-censures have the same compulsorie influences on false Teachers that the fear of publike punishment by the Synod hath p. 47. Church censures are as compulsorie on the Conscience as coercing by the Sword p. 48 Some externall actions of injustice flowing from meer conscience are punished justly without any note of persecution by grant of Libertines and why not all others also p. 49 Ancient bonds of Libertie of Conscience p. 50 Discountenancing of men and negative punishing of them for their Conscience is punishing of them ibid. Ancient bonds p. 12. ibid. How Religion may be compelled how not p. 51 One mans Religion remaining in the mind and will may hurt or benefit the man himself not any others but true religion as it comes forth into acts of teaching may edifie and win others and false religion may subvert the faith of others ibid. The Magistrate does not command religious acts as service to God but rather forbids their contraries as disservice to Christian Societies ibid. How Tertullian and Lactantius are to be expounded of forcing to Heathen religion ibid. Though we can compel none to Religion it follows not that the Magistrate may not punish those that seduce others to a false religion ibid. Lactantius speakes of compulsion without all teaching p. 53 Those that are without the Church are not to be compelled ibid. Because the Magistrates compulsion makes Hypocrites it followeth note hee should not punish Hereticks for so he should not punish murtherers p. 54 The Magistrate may by the sword curbe such impediments that keep men from embracing the truth according to Augustine p. 56 Answer to Doctor Adam Stewart ibid. Impotencie of free will objected by Master John Goodwin no reason why the Magistrate ought not to punish seducing teachers as of old the Donatists objected ibid. State of the question more strictly proposed p. 57 It may as well be said because there be no expresse Laws against murtherers Parricides Sorcerers Sodomites in the New Testament more then against false Teachers that therefore Sorcerers are no lesse then Hereticks to be tollerated p. 57 Chap. 5. Of Fundamentals The number of Fundamentalls p. 59 A saving disposition of faith to beleeve all truths revealed though the man be ignorant of many may consist with the state of saving grace ibid. Three things among those that are to be beleeved 1. Things simply necessarie 2. Simply profitable 3. By consequence necessarie how the Papists erre in these page 60 Some Consequences necessary ibid. Builders of Hay and stubble on the foundation may be saved and those that fall in murther and Adultery out of infirmitie may be also saved yet there is no consequence Ergo the Magistrate should tollerate both p. 61. Chap. 6. Errors in non-fundamentals obstinatly holden are punishable Obstinacie in ceremonies after full information deserveth punishment p. 62 Those that erre in non-fundamentals may deserve to be punished ibid. To teach the necessity of Circumcision not an error formally primarily but by consequence fundamentall and the contrary truth not necessary necessitate medii ibid. The toleration of all who erre in non fundamentals examined p. 64. Queries proposed to M. Joh. Goodwin who asserteth a Catholike toleration of all religions upon the ground of weaknes of freewill and want of grace p. 61 Most arguments of Libertines infer a Catholike toleration in non-fundamentals as well as in fundamentals p. 64 What deductions the Spirit makes in the soul of an elect knowing but a few fundamentals and going out of this life who knoweth p. 65. To know revealed truths of God is a commanded worship of God ibid. One generall confession of faith without a particular sense containing the true
by Presbyterians to take the Covenant as the Author saith p. 258 How Independents swore to defend the Presbyterian government and with tongue pen and sword cry out at it as tyrannicall antichristian and Popish p. 261 Libertines make Conscience not the Word of God their rule p. 262 How appearing to the Conscience makes not the word of God to be the obliging rule but only as touching the right and due manner of 〈◊〉 obliged thereby p. 2â—3 Chap. 22. The pretended Liberty of Conscience is against the National League and Covenant the Ordinances of the Parliament of England ingaged by Oath for a reformation of Religion 265 Chap. 23. The place Acts 5. 34. to wit the counsel of Gamaliel discussed and found nothing for Libertie of Conscience Mr. Goodwins unsound glosse touching the counsel of Gamaliel Acts 5. p. 2â—â— Gamaliels argument proveth as strongly that murtherers and adulterers should not be punished as that men ought not to bee punished for their Conscience p. 28â— The Argument of Gamaliel owned by Adversaries rendreth all 〈◊〉 fundamentals of the Gospel uncertain and Topick Sceptismâ—â— all the most well setled beleevers p. 285 Gamaliels Argument doth conclude that we are not to oppose by arguments and Scripture any blasphemous way against the gospel 286 Immediate providence is not the rule of our actions 288 Chap. 24. Whether punishing of seducing Teachers be inconsisâ—â—â— with the meeknes of Christ place Luk. 9. 54 discussed The Lords not burning Samaria with fire from heaven Luk. 9. is no colour for pretended Toleration p. 288 The case of Elias calling for fire from heaven and of the Apostles much different p. 289 The meeknes of Christ being extended to Publicans Extortioners and Harlots doth as well conclude such ought not to be punished by the magistrate is that false teachers ought not to be punished by him 291 By places from the meeknesse of Christ Socinians labour to prove the Magistrate is to shed no blood under the new Testament 292 Christs not breaking the bruised reed would prove that Hereticks are gracious persons though weak in saving grace and lovingly cherished by Christ if the place Isa 42. Mat. 12. 19 20 help the adversaries p. 293 Christs meeknes not inconsistent with his justice ibid. Rash judgement condemned 1 Cor. 4. 5 6. is nothing for pretended toleration p. 294 That many through the corruption of their own heart render hypocriticall obedience because of the sword proveth nothing against the use of the sword to coerce false teachers p. 29â— Matters of Religion â—ught to be inacted by the law of Princes Christian Rulers that such as contravene may be punished p. 299 Lawes of Rulers in matters of religion 〈◊〉 only bind the outward man ibid. The false teacher is to be sent to the Church and Pastors thereof that he may be convinced before he be punished p. 297 Chap. 25. Whether the Rulers by their office in â—â—der to â—â—nce are to stand to the laws of Moses for punishing seducing teachers ibid. How judiciall Laws oblige to punishment 298 Judiciall Laws were deduced from the morall Law p. 299 True cause of War with other Nations p. 300 Two Kingdomes becoming one body by a religious Covenant if it be mutuall the one part may avenge the quarrell of the Covenant on the other in case of breach p. 302 The new Altar erected by the two Tribes and the half beyond Jordan Josh 22. how a just cause of war ibid. Christian Princes Laws against Errors and Heresies p. 305 As Constantine gave out severe Laws against Donatists so did Julianus the Apostate restore Temples to hereticks and granted liberty of conscience to them that so he might destroy the name religion of Christians as is before observed so Aug. Ep. 166. â—d Donat. 309 God only determineth punishments for sin ibid. The punishing of a seducing Prophet is morall 301 The punishing of seducing Teachers is an act of justice obliging men ever and every where p. 311 False Teachers in seducing others apprehend the hand of divine vengeance pursuing them as other ill doers doe and so it must be naturall justice in the Magistrate to punish them p. 312 The punishing of false Prophets is of the Law of nature ibid. Idolatrie is to be punished by the judge and that by the testimonie of Job c. 31. who was obliged to observe no judiciall law but only the law moral and the law of Nature p. 313 How the Fathers deny the sword is to be used against men for their Conscience p. 315 Church censures and rebukes for Conscience infer most of all the absurdities that Libertines impute to us p. 316 That there was an immediate response of Gods oracle telling who was the false Teacher is an unwarranted forgerie of Libertines 318 If Heresie be innocencie seducing hereticks ought to bee 〈◊〉 and rewarded 319 The Magistrate as a Magistrate according to prophecies in the Old Testament is to punish Seducâ—rs p. 〈◊〉 What Mr. Williams giveth to the Magistrate in Religion 〈◊〉 sufficient ibid. Christian Kings are no more Nurse-fathers Isai 49. 23. 〈…〉 true Churches of Christ then to the Synagogue of Antichrist according to the way of Libertines p. 〈◊〉 The mind of divers famous Authors touching the parable of the 〈◊〉 p. 〈◊〉 The parable of the Tares considered p. 〈◊〉 Mr. Williams holdeth that the Prince owes protection to all Idolâ—trous and bloodie Churches if they he his Subjects p. 32â— How the Magistrate is to judge of Heresie p. 329 A Magistrate and a Christian Magistrate are to be differenced 〈◊〉 can or ought all Magistrates to judge of or punish all Hereticks p. 330 Whether peace of Civill societies be sure where there is toleration of all Religions p. 33â— Peace is commanded in the New Testament no word of 〈◊〉 of divers Religions nor precept promise or practise thereâ—â—â—â— p. 〈◊〉 No ground for abolishing of judiciall Laws touching that point ibid Libertines give us heathenish not Christian peace under many â—â—ligions p. 3â—â— Chap. 26. Whether punishing of Seducing Teachers be persecution for Conscience There is a tongue persecution condemned by Libertines themselves p. 〈◊〉 Libertines persecute others for Conscience p. 〈◊〉 Libertines ought not to suffer death for any truth p. 3â—â— The Lords patience toward sinners in the old Testament no Argâ—â—â—â— of not coercing false Prophets p. 34â— Hope of gaining Hereticks no more a ground of sparing them then of sparing murtherers who also may be gained p. 345 Whether to be persecuted for Conscience true or false he a note of 〈◊〉 true Church ibid. No new Commandments under the New Testament p. 〈◊〉 They that suffer for Blasphemie suffer according to the will of God in Peters sense by Libertines way p. 34â— Chap. 27. Whether our darknesse and incapacitie to beleâ—ve and professe together with the darknesse and obscuritie of Scripture be a sufficient ground for Tolaration Our inabilitie to beleeve is no plan for Toleration p. 350 Preaching of the Word without the Spirit
aggravate the fact and give light to the Judge and what testimony the Conscience giveth of the actions of man the like it is to give of the state and condition whether it be good or ill hence these acts of recognition As 1. Conscience doth its duty in reflecting on it self It tryes the mans actions and state hence these three words 2 Cor. 13. 5. try or tempt or pierce and dig into your selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many dig holes and windows in the conscience of others who never digged a hole in their own heart 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 examine what mettall is in your selves and actions men are unwilling to find oare or drosse in themselves and we are bidden 1 Cor. 11. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lead witnesses sentence and Judge our selves To these generals there is a second act which is called Psalm 4. 5. Speake with your heart You testifie little of the man that you never heard speake Men are frequently to converse with their heart by heart-communing and soule quaerees so you find out the by as and the weight that swaies with the heart Jer. 5. 24. Neither say they in their heare let us now feare the Lord our God Hos 7. 2. They say not in their heart that I consider all their wickednesse 3 There is laying of the Consience in its reflect act and the actions together Hag. 1. 5. Lay your heart upon your wales It is that which David saith Psalm 119. 59. I considered Heb. I thoughted my wayes 4. There is wandring and estrangement of a man from his own heart when he laies his case to heart he is said to return to his own heart 1 King 8. 47. If they shall be thinke themselves heb if they shall return to their owne heart or come home to their own heart in the land of their captivitie and repent then heare then Men are abroad in their thoughts and seldom at home with their own heart But of this act of witnessing of the Conscience it is of moment to know how by what Medium or way the conscience doth witnesse to man of his state that he is a childe of God in Christ whether God doth witnesse our state and condition to us by inherent quallifications in us Because we love the brethren because we have sincere hearts and ayme in all things to obey God Aâ—er 1. God speaketh by his owne works of Sanctification that we are in Christ 1 Joh. 2. 3. And hereby we know that we know him because we keepe his commandements 1 Joh. 3. 14. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the Brethren Now as God speaketh and revealeth his glory God-head power and eternitie by his visible works of creation so as we may gather by certainty of faith that God is glorious wise omnipotent eternall Rom. 1. 19 20 21. Psal 19. 1 2 3 4. Rom. 10. 17 18 19 20 Upon them grounds when we finde in our soules the works of that spirit that raised the Lord from the death as love to the brethren because brethren sincere walking with God and Christs life Gal. 2. 20. we may with the certainty of faith collect that we are the children of God and if the knowledge of our state in Christ from the works of Sanctification be but conjecturall and may deceive us and not a sufficient foundation of sound peace nor enough to make us unexcusable that from the sicknesse of inward heart-love which I feele in my owne soule to Christ I can have no divine assurance that I am in Christ and cannot be made inexcusable in not beleeving the spirit dwelleth in me by his acting and working then we cannot inferre Gods infinite wisdome omnipotencie and eternity from his works of Creation and I cannot be inexcusable if I beleeve not Gods wisdome and power from the works of creation is not the pertinacie of unbeleefe as damnable when I beleeve not God acting in his Spirit as sanctifying as when I beleeve not God acting in this first workmanship of Creation 2. In all the actings motions and walkings of the Holy Ghost in my soule in the stirrings of the New birth when the spirit of Jesus maketh a noise with his feet walking acting moving in love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse meeknesse temperance which are apples and blossomes which grow on the tree of life Gal. 5. 22 23. It were no sinne to me to sleepe and beleeve these were but imaginary dreames and phancied notions if I ware not to beleeve where these are the soule that findeth them undenyably is in Christ 3. The Saints comforting themselves in their godly sincere and blamelesse walking before God in love knew what they spoke and what spirit was in them and that they walked not after the flesh as men speake and phancie in a night dreame not knowing whether they be in Christ or not these were speeches of waking men whose wits were in action Psalm 26. 8. Lord I have loved thy habitation and the place where thine honour dwelleth Psal 119. 63. I am a companion of all them that feare thee and of them that keepe thy precepts vers 97. O how love I thy law it is my meditation all the day vers 103. How sweet are thy words unto my taste Yea sweeter then honey to my mouth vers 111. Thy Testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart vers 162. I rejoyce at thy word as one that findeth 〈◊〉 great spoile and the Church Cant. 2. 3. I sate downe under his shaddow and his fruit was sweet to my taste ver 5. Stay me with flagons and comfort mee with apples for I am sick of love Esay 26. 9. With my soule have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me I will seeke thee early And Ezekiah looking to his good Conscience saith Ezech. 39 3. Remember now O Lord that I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart So Paul 2 Cor 1. 12. For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicitie and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God we had our conversation in the world and more abundantly to you-wards Now if the Saints can thus speake with the light and perswasion of Faith before God and men to their owne solid peace and consolation then may they be perswaded by these fruits of the Spirit that they are branches growing in the Vine Christ else all these speeches are but delusions and phancies and they must speake no other thing of themselves as vessels of the grace of God then hypocrits 〈◊〉 reprobates may say of themselves For D. Crispe and also Libertines of New England whose doctrine subverts the Faith say there can be no marks of saving grace from whence we can draw either comfort or peace be it universall obedience stâ—â—rity love to the Brethren but it may bee
hypocrites and malicious opposers of the wayes of God enemies to and persecuters of the true Prophets sent of God v. 13. and who were these but Scribes Pharisees in whom there was as much malice against Christ and his Disciples as can be in the devill or such as sin against the Holy Ghost as may be seen Matth. 13 14 15. Matth. 12. 31 32. Matth. 15. 1 2 3 7 8 9. And God powred the spirit of slumber on the Jewes Rom. 11. 7. 8. and there was superlative malice in them against the knowne truth Act. 13. 45. 46. and blasphemy Act. 14. 2 3 4 5. and yet these men in evill and as touching litterall knowledge know well what they were doing though they were spiritually blocks See Matth. 2. 4 5 6. Joh. 7. 28. Joh. 3. 2. They privily bring in 2 Pet. 2. damnable heresies they make merchandise of you with faire words then they wanted not devillish wit enough And 1 Tim. 4. 1. They speake lyes out of hypocrisie and the doctrine of Devills forbidding meates and marriage there is wit for these look like singular mortification yet they have a conscience so stupid as it were burnt with a hot iron This also is grosse ignorance in Libertines that they thinke those who sinne against knowledge and conscience and out of malice as those that sin against the Holy Ghost doe not sinne through ignorance also which is most false for the most malicious sin against knowledge hath an interpritative ignorance conâ—oyned with it as the Pharisees who sinned against the Holy Ghost in crucifying Christ some of them as is cleare Joh. 8. 28. Joh. 9. 40 41 and else where yet they sinned ignorantly also for had thy knowne they would not have crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2. 8. CHAP. IX Of Liberty of prophesying of erroneous inditement of Conscience that it is not our Rule BUt we judge that Hereticks admonished and convinced of their errour doe sinne on the borders at least of the sin against the Holy Ghost in regard they be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 selfe condemned as Paul saith Tit. 3. 10. A man that is an hereticke after the first and second admonition reject 11. Knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himselfe Where the Apostle saith an admonished and wrought upon hereticke who is convinced of the truth and yet still resisteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is perverted or subverted desperately perverted like a building throwne downe to the foundation 2. he finneth as condemned of himselfe that is judged and condemned by his owne conscience and so sinneth willfully and with a high measure of light but hee shutteth his eyes against the light and known truth and resisteth it 1 The Hereticke here spoken of Tit. 3. 10. is not the man who moves such questions say they as he knowes to be vaine and light as Arminians say For as Vedelius saith he expresly speakes of an heretick 2 It is a question if any bee called an Hereticke in the word because he moves such questions 1. The Hereticke here is subverted and so turned off the foundation Christ But he that moveth vaine and unprofitable questions can at best but build his hay stubble upon the foundation Christ now such a man may bee builded on the foundation and saved though the fire destroy his worke and so he is not turned off the foundation Yea if he wittingly and willingly move vain and light questions he cannot be saved nor doth that follow for his knowledg of the levity of these questions aggravates his sin but cannot cause to amount to a sin so high as to subvert the mans faith because he may keepe the foundation though he hold these vaine and light opinions for they are not in themselves destructive of the foundation 2. There is no mention nor any hint here of vaine and light questions but of admonished heretickes therefore Eusebius l. 4. c. 13. referres it to those that deny Christs divinity to Marcion and Corinthus and they say John would not stay in the stoves with Cerinthus and Polycarpus his disciple would not speake with Marcion but said I know thee to be the first borne of Sathan 3. It is here to be noted that these Authors also make the conscience though erroneous even in fundamentalls the rule of faith if the person beleeve that he worships God according to the rule of the word and there be some morall honesty in him and so teach there should be a toleration of al hereticks then no man is the heretick but he who professeth points of truth which he believeth to be lyes untruth but so there is not an hereticke in the world but the devill and such as professe a false Religion before men which in their conscience they beleeve to be false But the Apostle saith 1 Tim. 3 1. Now the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times men shall depart from the faith giving beed to seducing spirits Popish Priests and Familists and doctrine of Devills 2. Speaking lyes in hypocrisie having their conscience seared with an hot iron 3. Forbidding to marry and commanding to abstaine from meats Now a seared conscience burnt with an hot iron may and doth teach marriage to be unlawfull to some and doe beleeve it for a truth that Church-men should not intangle themselves with the affaires of this life such as marriage and care of children because Pastors goe a warfare for Jesus Christ yet the text saith they that so teach are seducers who with a seared conscience speake lyes in hypocrisie and so must be hereticks and worse 2. No rule can be falser and more crooked then the conscience for if ye must be obliged to follow conscience because it is conscience or because right or wrong if you must follow conscience because conscience yee must ever follow your conscience though never so wrong for the most erroneous conscience is conscience though the devill should immediately actuate it yet doth not leave off to bee conscience and to be the rule and if so when the conscience of some saith its good service to God to kill the Apostles of our Lord because they preach the Gospel then doe persecuters nothing but what they are in duty bound to doe when they murther the Apostles because they preach the Gospel for to follow the rule which God hath appointed must be a bounden duty And the same must follow if the conscience as evill be the rule for then should men serve God in sacrificing their sonnes to God in community and plurality of wives when ever their conscience should dictate any such thing to be lawfull though in it selfe it be most contrary to the word of God If the conscience as good or as the Arminians seeme to say as principled with morall honesty be our rule then the conscience as conscience is not the rule but as it is ruled by morall honesty this wee cannot say
under him and so to the conscience that they may â—â—errandly and indeclinably also command but they should remember when power of commanding comes out of God the fountain of authority now it looseth its absolute undeclinablenesse when it is in conscience or in any creature and it is onely conditionall and limited in the streames whereas it was absolute and soveraigne in the fountaine 2 In the case of an erroneous conscience standing in its vigorous thing the question is both what is commanded and what is good for these two are not contrary but agree well for the Lords command to Adam eate not of this fruit is to Adam the cause why the not eating is good and the cause of the obligation to what is commanded also but onely the obligation is ad modum facti non ad factum to the â—â—â—ner of doing that if we doe or abstaine we do it 〈…〉 in faith and perswasion without any jarring between the conscience and the object but there is no obligation to the fact On the regular way of doing I am never oblieged to obey God with an erring conscience or contrary to the inditement of an erring conscience 3 The material object being sin and forbidden by the law of God is an object by accident even when it is proposed by practicall reason if that reason be erroneous and misinformed as it is in this case the proposing of practicall reason doth not make that to bee good or commanded which of it selfe was neither good nor commanded but sinfull it may make it good in the manner of doing and obliege in the manner of doing but that is not our question but whether the practicall judgement and conscience remaining erroneous doth both ligare bind and obliege to the fact that is sinfull that is denied And though hee that is circumcised upon the supposall of a blind erring and Jewish conscience thinking the law of shaddowes obliegeth when the body Christ is come he is a debter to doe the whole Law and to eate the Passeover to sacrifice at Jerusalem to keepe the new-Moones c. But how is he debter He is this way debter what warrant he hath to be circumcised he hath the same warrant to keepe the Passeover to sacrifice that is he hath as good reason for to doe all or is as well obliged upon his false principles he goes on to keep all the law of ceremonies as to be circumcised or doe a part onely but he is erroneously and sinfully made by himselfe a debter to the whole Law but God made him a debter neither to the one nor to the other and in Gods Court though if he be circumcised he must be circumcised this way that is his conscience must dictate that Gods Law still in force commands him so to doe but this is but a necessity of supposition that falleth upon the manner of the doing not upon the fact for no Law of God warranteth him to be circumcised and no Law of God makes him debter to doe all the rest of the law of ceremonies he is obliged neither to be circumcised erroneously nor to abstaine from circumcision erroneously but to lay aside his erroneous conscience and to abstaine from circumcision according to the enditement of a well informed conscience So we easily answer that ignorant objection of phantasticall Sectaries in needlesse Pamphlets and Queries smelling of non-sense and selfe-conceit speaking they know not what If the sword be used against errours to suppresse them then must the Magistrate command and compell men of tender consciences to sinne and to doe against the light of their conscience for what is not of faith is sinne And the Spirit himselfe waites and violates not the liberty of the reasonable soule by superseding the faculties thereof but approves every truth to the understanding and moves the will without violence with a rationall force Shall man be more zealous for God then God is for himselfe God himselfe doth not force men but call them to repentance If the word calling be considered whether will it warrant any further meanes then arguments perswasions and intreaties make them as forceable us you can if you hold the feare of punishment over men it must be the feare of divine punishment c. Answ For 1. wee no where teach that the sword is a meanes of converting but the just vengeance that is inflicted by the Minister of God upon false teachers as upon other evill doers so it is not destinated by God for spiritual gaining and reducing of hereticks that may repent but for judiciall expiation of wrongs done to the flock and Christian society 2. This poore argument will conclude against all 〈◊〉 of Magistrates against murtherers bloody traitors for the Lawes of the Minister of God the King forbids the English Jesuit to stab his Prince and compells him to 〈◊〉 from King-killing and if this Jesuit abstaine from killing his Sovereigne Lord and abstain not in faith but against the light of his Jesuiticall and bloody conscience which dictates to him that he is a Protestant Prince and a heretick and he is obliged in conscience for the advancement of the Catholicke cause to stabbe him doth the supreme Magistrate compell this Jesuit to sin and doth hee force the Jesuits conscience for to doe in faith hath place in duties of the second Table as well as in the first and men out of conscience and in faith and moved by the Holy Ghosts gracious actings are to obey all lawfull commands of the Magistrate as to pay tribute to abstain from murther treason adultery robbing and stealing if they be subjects of tender consciences and why then should the Magistrate compell and force men to these duties which are to be done in faith and in a spirituall manner for sure the Spirit forces them not to doe these in faith so the command of the Magistrate moveth every Christian to practise and act of obedience to mens Lawes for conscience sake and the Spirit moves the whole powers of the soul both the understanding and the will without violence with a rationall force and why should the Magistrate then be more zealous for God then God is for himselfe and all this may be said against all Lawes in the Old Testament why should the Magistrate compell men against their faith and conscience not to beleeve not to practise any such seducing wayes as to say Come let us goe serve other Gods Should Moses be more zealous for God then God is for himselfe but the truth is the Magistrate as the Magistrate doth not meddle with the conscience not the manner of obedience to Law whether they be obeyed in faith or against the light of conscience that is nothing to him he commands but the externall actions preach no heresie no Familisme Sociâ—â—nisme under the paine of corporall punishment if Pastors obey this charge hypocritically not in faith it is their sin not the Magistrates he neither commands thus preach no heresie in faith
condemne him 1 Joh. 3. 20. For if our heart condemne us God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things It is like then an innocent man is condemned and his company to be eschewed as a pestilent wretched man Yet the Arminians say though discipline is to be exercised on hereticks condemned by themselves yet are they bewitched with A great prejudice so as heresie is a vice of nature rather then of free-will And in another place onely nature by no fault of heretickes void of grace begetteth these errours and not freewill despising the help of grace they are seduced not of their owne accord but by necessity of nature for they seduce not because they will seduce but because they cannot seduce It needs not an answer that they say the Jews judged themselves unworthy of life eternall not knowingly for knowingly they did it Act. 13. v. 45. they spake against the convincing and enlightning Gospel contradicting and blaspheming So â— 14. 1 2. for which sin against the Holy Ghost Paid turned from them and preacheth the Gospel to the Gentiles yea Minus Celsus will have the Jewes to erre innocently in that malicious fact Answ To forbid marriage and meats can hardly be arraigned as fundamentall errours nor the Authours such as must deny the Scriptures to be the word of God yet they are such as depart from the faith teach doctrines of devils speke lyes in hypocrisie and have their conscience burnt with an hot iron and if hereticks be as innocent as their sin if it be but a fault of nature as blindnesse from the wombe or deafnesse not of will but of nature why are they to be rebuked accused condemned of their owne conscience But they little know the heart of man who finde not malice prejudice pride desire of glory to hold up a faction often gaine and hunger for court to lodge with errours of the minde and whereas Libertines say we promote truth with blood we retort it thus they promote heresie with the sword and deny thousands of Atheists bloody men their way because theâ—â— purse the Parliament the sword the Army is on their side CHAP. XII Arguments against pretended toleration HEnce I proceed to argue thus against this pretended liberty 1. Every duty of the Christian Magistrate hath warrant in the Old or New Testament which exactly teacheth the duty of Ruler and subject Father and children Master and servant c. Argument 1. BUt toleration of many false wayes and the permitting of men to speake lyes in the name of the Lord and to seduce soules hath no warrant in the Old or New Testament ergo such a toleration is no duty of the Magistrate the major is cleare from the perfection of the word of God the assumption is proved by a negative argument from the Scripture it is no where written expresly or by consequence to be the duty of the Ruler therefore it is not his duty to tolerate or permit If it be replyed because it is not holden forth in Scripture to be the Rulers duty to punish men for their conscience therefore it must be the Rulers duty to tolerate and permit them It is answered the word of God is as perfect in teaching for what sinnes the Ruler should not punish as for what he should punish the son for the fathers transgressiâ—â— should not be punished by the Magistrate for that iâ— injustice in men and he should not punish except the 〈◊〉 be confessed or proved by the mouth of two witnesses The 〈◊〉 that was forcâ—d in the field and had none to helpe her 〈◊〉 free of punishment also and so is the man that 〈◊〉 hiâ— brother and hated him â—ot before Againe if those that seduce soules be most hurtfull and pernicious to Christian societies and those that teach the way of God truely to be usefull the Ruler must not be newtrall and indifferent as touching the use of his power toward either but as he is for the praise of well-doing by vertue of his office so must he be an executer of wrath on evill-doers especially such as hurt Christian societies whose peace and quiet living in all godlinesse and honesty he is to procure Argument II. THat which inferreth necessarily many Religions many faiths many sundry Gospels in one Christian society is not of God But the toleration of all wayes and many Religions is such ergo this toleration is not of God The proposition is evident because there is but one old way Jer. 6. 16. One Lord one faith one baptisme Eph. 4. 4. One faith once delivered to the Saints Jud. 3. one truth to be bought Prov. 23. 23. one Christ which the Apostles heard saw and handled with their hands from the beginning 1 Joh. 1 1. One name of Jesus not any other under heaven by which we may be saved Act. 4. 12. not Jehovah and Malcom Zeph. 1. 5. not Jehovah and Baal 1 King 18. 21. not the true God and the Gods of the heathen the Samaritan mixture 2 King 17. 33. 2 And this one way we are to keepe with one heart Ezek. 11. 19. with one judgement one minde one tongue one shoulder Act. 4. 32. 2 Cor. 13. 11. Phil. 42. 1 Cor. 1. 10. Zeph. 3. 9. Zach. 4. 9. Being rooted and established in the faith Col. 2. 7. Not tossed to and fro nor carried about with every wind of doctrine Eph. 4. 14. Without wavering Heb. 13. 9. For the assumption That God hath appointed in his revealed will that every man should serve God as best pleaseth him and as it seemes good in his owne erronious conscience and that every man should pervert the soule of his brother and the Magistrate should put no man to shame for it is as good as if there were no Magistrate and that it is against his calling as a Magistrate is clear for the Holy Ghost saith that Jud. 16. 5. Micah had a house of Gods and made an Ephod and a Teraphim and consecrated one of his sonnes who became his Priest was from this v. 6. In those dayes there was no King in Israel but every man did that which was right in his owne eyes ergo the Magistrate by his office is to take care that Micah and others serve not God as it seemes good to their owne erroneous conscience and so that another follow not another Religion and a third another third Religion as seems good in every mans owne eyes 2. If the Magistrate restraine not the high places for which he is rebuked as some sacrifice at Jerusalem at Gods command so the people for the most part sacrifice in the high place through the Princes fault and then there bee two Religions and upon the same sinfull indulgence they may multiply groves and alters according to the number of their Cities And as there were false Prophets among the people then so now who with faire words make merchandise of mens soules who by the revealed will of God must bee tolerated to
Asa was free of compelling men to hypocrasy When therefore Peter strucke Annanias and Saphira with death and Paul Elimas with blindnesse and delivered Himeneus and Alexander to Sathan and when the Apostles sharply rebuked and upbraided the Cretians those who are called dogs evill-workers enemies to the crosse of Christ such as serve their belly not the Lord Jesus it is as pertinent and necessary a query whether or no Peter compelled others who saw Annanias punished to death Paul constrained others who saw the terrible wrath of God on Hymeneus to dissemble and to doe and professe against the judgement of an erronious conscience and lay all their goods downe at the Apostles feete against their conscience which yet beleeved they were against the law of nature defrauding their owne children and to professe the faith and not inword blaspheme and say there is no resurrection no Christ no heaven after this life as Familists now say for feare that Paul deliver them to Sathan And wee know professours are much affraid to goe for dogges and belly-Gods in the account of such eminent Godly men as the Apostle Paul and others and therefore will cover themselves and professe the contrary if therefore censures and rebukes from the eminently Godly doe create varnished hypocrits and it is not the sin of Godly rebukers and if punishments may and doth constraine many to say and doe and unsay and counterdoe in matters of Religion in judgeing according to conscience in highest judicatures and contrary to that same conscience the next day this which is objected against coercive power in matters of conscience that it creates hypocrites and straines men to doe against their judgement and so to sinne is all accidentall to the nature of coercive and bodily restraining power And because many keep their hands from blood and violence and that out of deep hypocrisie since they lodge in their breast bloody hearts onely for feare of the Princes sword yet both the Prince and his sword is innocent of that hypocrisie Then as coercive power is falsly charged with any kindly begetting of hypocrites in the duties of the second Table so is it as harmelesse in matters of Religion respecting the first Table nor did the Lord in the Old Testament create hypocrits by straining mens consciences by bloody Lawes A third Answer stands thus those lawes were made of old against false teachers Because the Jewes had the opportunity of immediate consultation with the mouth of God himself and except the Iudge had been desperately wicked and despised the glorious ordinance of the Oracle of God they could not doe unjustice God being always at hand to declare unto them what kinde of blasphemer and what kind of Idolater it was that he intended by his law should be put to death Men are now fallible and the learnedest cannot tell whaâ—â—blasphemy or idolatry it was which was by God sentenced to death under the Law So Jo. Goodwin Answ If there was such immediate consultation to make short worke of blood to the Judge we desire law or instance of the Priest or Prophets consulting with the mouth of God touching the Prophet whether true or false but none can be produced sometimes the Prophets by miracles cleared their calling another way we fâ—nd not 1 This is against appeales that are cleare Deut. 17. In all matters of controversie when in the highest Court where a mans head whether hee be a false Prophet or any other was at the stake the Judges v. 11. were to judge according to the sentence of the law and they proceed upon witnesse Deut. 17. 6. God should by this declare law proof and witnesses uselesse for the Lord from Heaven condemnes the man 2 Jeremiah and all the Prophets that were killed and stoned never sought the benefit of the law nor said give us a â—ury from heaven an oracle for to take away our head the Prophets never accuse Kings or Judges in persecuting the Prophets that they consulted not the oracle ere they rejected the Prophet 3 This had been a well settled law to try all Prophets who speake from God and who speake the visions of their owne head all should have passed the grand Jury of an immediate oracle from heaven and by this there should not have been a false Prophet in all Judea but the Judge might have discovered him but God never gives this character of an Idolater Blasphemer or a false Prophet The Oracle of Vrim hath blacked him as an impostor But divers other characters the Lord gave As 1. If hee speake not according to the Law 2. If the good he foretel never comes to passe 3. If hee â—eale the wound with smooth words 4. If he strengthen the armes of the wicked When as yet God had made no standing law he was consulted and God gave sentence against the man that had broken the Sabbath and that blasphemed but their consulting with God presupposeth by the law of nature the Magistrate should punish such therefore the puâ—â—ing him in ward was a punishment only they would have the mind of God touching the manner of his punishment but sure this was not the ordinary and standing law 4 There were others as difficill and intricate controversieâ— of murther adultery treason as Deut. 17. 8. Between blood and blood plea and plea stroake and stroake By this reason Anabaptists have a better ground to say there should be no Christian Magistrate under the New Testament nor any use of the sword nor sheding of blood at all because the Jeâ—es under the Old Testament had the opportunity of immediate consulting with the mouth of God himselfe we are fallible men and the learnedest can no more tell what murther what incest or adultery was condemned in the law of God for heart-hatred which is seen to God only doth essentially constitute murther punishable by the Judge Deut. 19 11 12 13. chap. 4. 44. chap. 19. 4â— then they can define what blasphemy or idolatry it was which was by God sentenced to death under the Law for we are to be as wary to take a mans life and blood now under the New Testament for murther and treason and sorcery as they were under the old in stoning blasphemers and we are no more infallible in the one then they were in the other Yea it strongly concludes that wars are as unlawfull under the New Testament as under the old for under the old they consulted the mouth of God before they went to battle we have no immediate oracles to consult yea when we are ingaged wee are neither to pursue the enemy nor to forbear because we have not the immediatly inspired Prophets Micah Jeremiah as they had wee may not make a Covenant with neighbouring Kingdomes the Scotish Army have no oracle to shew them whither they shall remove out of England for that will be the safety of the cause of all the godly Presbyterians who are now persecuted for the Covenant of God and a carying on
Testament he shall thrust through the false Prophet that speaketh lies in the Name of the Lord Zach. 13. 1 2 3 4 5 6. Kings as Kings must confer some royall service to the Church over which they are Nurse-fathers But all the power that Kings have is essentially co-active and in order to rewarding or punishing Rom. 13. 3 4. therefore they must confer coactive service Piscator saith well That the Prince is called the keeper of both Tables of the Law by our Divines therefore he is to vindicate Gods glory in both He that hath the keeping of two pits one more horrible and dark another more mild and heartsome for two malefactors a theef and an adulterer he must not cast the theef in such a dark dungeon as the adulterer So if the Magistrate keep both Tables he must not punish according to his own will but according to the rule and prescript of God Nor saith the Author of the Bloody Tenet any thing when he tels us that the Magistrate owes to the true Religion 1. Approbation and reverend esteem 2. Personall submission to the spirituall government Mat. 18. 1 Cor. 5. 3. Protection to the Subjects whether they be apart or met together To a false Religion he oweth permission not approbation Mat. 13. 30. 2. Protection from violence to their persons and estates Answ All this is very nothing 1. Approbation and submission to truth is no royall power Isaiah giveth a paternall and fatherly power to the King in Church matters when he saith He shall be a nurse-father Now all he gives in these two former points to wit approbation of and submission to truth is no more then any tradesman or son owes to the Church So Isaiah makes the King a father this author makes him a son subject to the Church which subjection I deny not in another consideration but that as a nurse-father he should approve the truth and submit thereunto as all the members of the Church makes him both a father and a son a commander and a humble submissive obeyer in the same considâ—ration which is most contradictorious and uncongruous for he must speak of him as a Ruler or else he saith nothing The third thing which is protection to the true Church is nothing to the purpose for that he owes to them as subjects not as they are serving God in the duties of the first Table for the King by this man can neither command them nor forbid them by his Magisteriall or coactive power to serve God or not to serve him in the duties of the first Table and by the true Church that the King owes protection to the Author meaneth not the Church that is in it self sound and true but the Church that seemeth and appeareth so to the conscience of the Magistrate though most erronious Now this is the Church of Seekers and Anabaptists but suppose the Magistrate or Commander in war be a Familist a grosse Anabaptist the Author will not say That he ought to protect the Church assembled to worship God and to excommunicate and deliver to Satan such as subvert the faith of many and say the Resurrection is already past or that he ought to protect an Assembly of Divines that are for Presbyteriall Government and the truth that Calvin and our Reformers delivered These are to him Antichristian Synagogues or if he owe them protection he ought to offer violence with his sword to Anabaptists such as rose in Germany under John Becold of Leydon that out of meer principles of Religion killed all that were not of their way and to displace imprison and confine Presbiterians So yet in a defensive way the Magistrate must offer violence to the conscience of men who for meer Religious grounds doe labour to scatter and violently to hinder the meetings of the servants of God for how many of the Sectaries of England who are for liberty of conscience have come into Churches in England and stepped up to the Pulpit and hindered the Minister the discharge of his conscience to the flock and offered violence to the meeting of the true Church now it is not enough to say the Minister was but an Antichristian service-bookman and it was no true Church whose service such Sectaries interrupted but giving and not granting it were so yet are Libertines not to offer violence to the conscience of any Church true or false if they be true to their own principles but this Author being an Anabaptist and a Seeker will say neither warres nor such violence are lawfull but if so the Magistrate then cannot with the sword protect the true Church against the violence of men who upon meer conscience disturbe their Assemblies 2. To Libertines all Churches professing true Religion as all Churches on earth Indians and Mahometanians not excepted do must be true Churches for they are not to judge but that they follow their conscience and so the Magistrate owâ— protection to them though their conscience be most erroneous even for such as they conceive to be true Churches they are not infallibly perswaded they are such and so the Magistrate gives no protection to them as true Churches but only as Subjects which the Author tells the Magistrate he owes to false Churches so the King by this is a Nurse-father by his office and by the places Isai 49. 23. and 60. 10. to bring his glory of protection to the where of Rome if they be his Subjects as well as to the New Jerusalem but sure the King by these places ows father-nursing and Magistratical protection to the true Church not to the false because Isai 49. 23. 1. The place is clearly of such a Church as the Lord can no more forget then a woman cannot have compassion on the fruit of her wombe v. 14 15. 2. Such a Church as is graven on the palmes of Gods hands v. 16. 3. Whose â—â—sters and destroyers shall be removed v. 17. and destroyed vers 18. 4. Which shall be inlarged by the incomming of the Gentiles whose place shall be too narrow for multitude of Sons and daughters begotten by the power of the Gospel though she was a captive removing too and fro v. 19 20 21. 5. A Church that shall lift up a standard to the Gentiles and Nations to take in their Sons and daughters to fight under Christs colours as being baptized to the same faith vers 22. 6 A Church whose spirituall Government Kings and Queens shall obey licking the dust before them v. 23. 7. A people that wait for the Lord and so shall not be ashamed v. 23. Now to say that a false Church shall have all these glorious priviledges needeth no refutation and they must be stupid who teach that Kings are made Nurse-fathers by this Text to Antichrists Kingdom as if the Lord had the Beast and his followers written on the palmes of his hands or that Kings being made Nurse-fathers to the true Church owe nothing to those that wait on the
to receive true Religion It is a token the man is scant and ebbe of proofes in Scriptures when he can prove liberty of conscience by no Scripture but one wing and tith of a Parable never expounded by Christ who yet expoundeth all the rest of the parts of the Parables and yet as I have said before the tares are not expounded by Christ to bee Heretickes but ver 38. The tares are the children of the wicked one and ver 41. all things that offend and doe iniquity Mr. Goodwin denies that Heretickes are ill doers Mr. Williams saith they do iniquity but if he would expound and apply all the tithes and joynts of the Parable then Mr. Williams must tell us what the sleeping of men v. 25. and what the springing up of the blade is and the bringing forth of the fruit is v. 26. and how men quarrell with God because of the prosperity of Hereticks when as Scripture extends the prosperitie that stumbles men to the most wicked who are fat and rich Psal 37. 1 2 3 4. Ier. 12. 12. Job 22. 1 2 3. and what the bundles are vers 30 since Mr Williams as all Libertines and Anabaptists are is bold with the word to expound tares otherwise then the word of God and our Saviour Christ doth who of purpose expoundeth the â—â—res to be workers of iniquity and ill doers now Hereticks to Master Williams and Libertines are no ill doers but innocent men men that fear God such as suffer persecution for conscience the children of light of the promise of the free woman persecuted by the children of this world and the sons of the bondwoman as all their Books say how doth Christ make these Hereticks that are named tares such as grow and flourish till harvest and then these innocent men that feared God are judged by God offenders in Christs Kingdome workers of iniquity cast into a furnace of fire where there shall bee wailing and gâ—ashing of teeth To conclude why doth Mr Williams say the Magistrate oweth protection to the true Church apart and met together and saith not that he owes protection to the false Church the same way apart and met together he must secretly insinuate that the Magistrate oweth some singular royall protection to the assemblies of Anabaptists and Seekers and the true Church which he oweth not to the Church of wicked men met and assembled for worship Yet when the wicked are assembled in the valley of the sons of Hinnon to burn their sons to Devils when they are met in the high places to offer and Sacrifice to the Sun and the Queen of Heaven and to adore the works of mens hands even then are these men Subjects under a lawfull Prince and this Prince must either in such abominable and bloodie worship defend their persons and estates from violence or then 1. Master Willams saith amisse 2. The Prince must by his office serve the Devil and countenance and defend a most wicked and bloodie service such as Son-slaughter and Idolatry and that against his conscience though he judge them a false Church 3. The Prince if hee withdraw his royall defence is wanting in his office and yet it is his conscience to neglect dutie to such 4. And must force the consciences of people in tempting them to deâ—ist from what they in conscience conceive to be the highest worship and expression of love fear and reverence to God in that he refuseth to protect them in man-slaughter and such service to God which they dare not venture on without his protection least men rise up against them and destroy them Mr. Williams addeth ib. p. 216 To professe the Magistrate must force the Church to doe her 〈◊〉 and yet the Magistrate must 〈◊〉 judge what that dutie is must be to play in spirituall things Answ That the Magistrate should compell godly men to keep peace and a David suppose he were a Subject not to kill not to commit adultery under the pain of civill punishment I suppose is not Heresie and yet I see not how the Magistrate is not to judge according to the word of God what is wilfull murder and so deserveth death by the Law of God what is accidentall killing and deserveth no death but a Refuge and Maneprize But the Magistrate say Libertiâ—es should not judge what is heresie what sound doctrine why because that is to be judged according to the word of God by Pastors But that is 〈◊〉 causa pro causa for the King is to judge what is murther what not and all matters belonging to a civill Judge what is morally good and evill and what is punishable by the sword what not by reading on the book of the Law when he sitteth on the throne Deut. 17 18 19. but this he judgeth in order to civill punishment and not in order to the gaining of souls and in so far as concerns his practice and the same way is he to judge what is heresie what not if this be not said then should we play indeed in spirituall matters Q. But is not the Christian Ruler then as a Ruler to judge whether Arrius ought to be banished and imprisoned who denieth the Son of God to be consubstantiall with the Father and so all Rulers are to judge of Heresies and Gospell Truths even Indian and Pugaâ— Magistrates who are essentially Magistrates as well as Christian Rulers for quod convenit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ans There is a difference betwixt a Ruler and such a Ruler a Christian Ruler or a Heathen Ruler a Ruler aâ— a Ruler should judge of all civill businesses and of truths and falshood in Religion for all Nations have some God and some Religion but a Ruler as a Christian Ruler onely not as a Ruler as the notion of 〈◊〉 a Ruler doth 〈…〉 and the Christian Ruler ought 〈…〉 judge what is Gospel truth or Gospel untruth for then all 〈…〉 Pagan or what not should judge the Gospel truthe though they be not obliged to believe in Christ or to know the Gospel which they never heard Rom. 10. 14 15 16. Now this is absurd But onely Rulers as Christian Rulers should judge of Gospel-truths Magistrates should judge but all Magistrates as Magistrates should not judge of all businesses and of all matters belonging to all Countries for then an Indian Magistrate should judge of all the matters of France England Scotland which cannot be said so a Magistrate as a Magistrate should judge of Religion but not all Magistrates of all Religions for Heathen Magistrates cannot judge nor ought not to judge whether Arrianisme be Heresie or not and whether it be punishable by the Sword or not whether Christ Mediator hath one will as the Monothelites said or two as the Catholike Protestants said because the Heathen Magistrate as we suppose never heard of Christ So we say a judge of France cannot judge as a judge of transporting of wooll out of England or of wax out of Scotland
new Blasphemies now on foot in England are all these blasphemies the Gospel and whosoever suffer for monstrous heresies must they suffer as the Apostles did and must they lay claim to all the comforts that our Saviour hath bequeathed in his Testament to his Disciples who were to suffer for Christs sake and for righteousnesse then surely an erronious and a blaspheming conscience must be righteousnesse and to suffer for blasphemy and Satan must be to suffer for righteousnesse and for Christs sake for these Libertines say the Assembly of Divines teach Blasphemies Popery murthering of Saints for conscience So Baptist so Necessity of Toleration so Ancient Bounds 3. If such as are persecuted and disclaime totally persecution for conscience be the onely true Church and none but they then these Papists in England in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth who were onely persecuted in your sense of the word Persecution and wrote and petitioned against Persecution and totally disclaimed it are the onely true Church The like I may say of the Arrians in the Emperours times against whom most severe Laws and Edicts were made which to M. Baptist was direfull persecution and yet they totally disclaimed persecution for conscience and pleaded for Toleration So say I of the Arminians in Holland who alwayes plead for liberty of Prophesying and of Anabaptists and all the Sectaries in Germany when they first arose of the Familists and most rigid Anabaptists in New England and of all the vilest Sects Anabaptists Antiscripturists Socinians Familists c. in Old England Yea we may suppose all Papists Iewes and the most abominable Sects living where there are strict Lawes for the onely one true Religion to hold the opinion of totall disclaiming persecution for conscience for sure they are most capable of this opinion hence it shall follow that all these wretched Hereticks shall be the only true Church and body of Christ 4. This monopolizeth the nature and name of the true Church to onely Sectaries that professe they are ready to suffer for their conscience and doe totally disclaime persecution that is for liberty of conscience so this opinion shall be the only essential not and constituent form of the true Church and shall exclude the sound faith of all fundamentalls and the doctrine of the Law and Gospell The vilest Hereticks living holding this one Article of Baptists faith shall be the onely true Church and this opinion shall unite men and societies formally to Christ their head and yet it is no matter of faith except Libertines say none are capable of faith and salvation but such as hold this opinion Hence it must follow all these named Calvinists all the Reformed Churches all the Churches and Saints in New England all the ancient Brownists the old Non-conformists who all disclaimed toleration and licence of conscience must not onely not be the true Church but the malignant Church of such as professe that which they cal Persecution yea and since they detest and abhor liberty of conscience as Atheisticall All these Saints must be uncapable of saving faith and necessarily damned because being professed persecutors and totâ—â—ly disclaiming toleration they are in the judgement of this Baptist such as have no capacity without Gods infinitâ— mercy and dispensation converting them to such Libertinisme to be hewne out and squared to such a head as Christ for contrariorum eudem est ratio 5. Forme an Argument Mr. Baptist from your two Scriptures If to persecute for conscience be essentiall to such as are borne of the flesh and to be persecuted for conscience be essentiall to such as are born after the Spirit then to be thus persecuted and to disclaim totally persecution for conscience is an essentiall note of the true Church This Proposition can never be proved in your sense for to be persecuted for conscience that is for a well informed conscience which is sound in the faith of Articles of saving knowledge is indeed such an essentiall note and so we yeeld all but it is nothing for toleration but much against it but to be persecuted for conscience though erroneous and holding Judaisme Turcisme Arrianisme Papisme Familisme c. to be the true and saving way which is the sense of Baptist is no wise a note of such aâ— are born after the Spirit not doth any place of Scripture by the thirteenth consequence prove the same for Isaac was not persecuted by Ishmael for his erroneous conscience The Text sayes no such thing except Baptist make Isaac an Heretick and a false Prophet If Ishmael persecuted Isaac for his conscience which yet Baptist cannot prove from Scripture sure it was not for the hereticall conscience of Isaac nor will it help Baptist to say in the minde and conception of Ishmâ—â—l Isaac was an Heretick Answ How is that proved the Text sayes no such thing 2. We teach no such thing as that men should be punished by the Magistrate not because they are but because they seem only to â—e Heretickes or because Isaacs and Saints are Hereticks in our mind and conception but because they are so indeed as the Magistrate punisheth not justly a murtherer because he seems in the minde and conception of the Magistrate to be a murtherer but because he is a murtherer and is proved by faithfull witnesses to be a murtherer so is the Heretick proved to be a Heretick by the Magistrate and so convicted that he is self-condemned for we never make the Magistrates thoughts and his conception to be the rule of punishing an Heretick even as we are not to avoid an Heretick after admonition because he is an Heretick in our conception onely for our conception must not be the rule or formall ground of casting out any man from our society and avoiding of him but we avoid him because he is an Heretick in himself nor exhorts Peter any man to suffer for well-doing that is for his conscience or for his erroneous and hereticall conscience that is but an abusing of the word of God for he speaks not of suffering directly for onely Religion true or false though he exclude it not but saith 1 Pet. 4. 15. But let none of you suffer as a murtherer as a theefe as an ill-doer and in so saying he means that no man should as Elimas suffer blindnesse for perverting the faith of Sergius Paulus and I beleeve it will be a peece of labour for Libertines to prove that such opposers of the Gospel as Elimas and Hymeneus who suffered as ill-doers did yet know in their conscience the Gospel to be the onely saving truth and way of God and that against the warning of an illuminated conscience Elimas perverted the right wayes of God However to suffer here as a well doer by Baptists way is to suffer for an hereticall conscience defending and teaching lies in the name of the Lord If so such a well-doer if blasphemously unsound is to be thrust through and stabbed as an Impostor by the Lords
warrant Christ to offer up himself to God But upon the supposition of Libertines it 's no murther nor is it punishable at al because the father may yea lawfully ought to worship God according to the indictment of his conscience whither the conscience be right or bloody and erroneous and yet he is not punishable for blood-shed by their way for meerly and simply without any malignancy or hatred to the child he beleeves he ought to preferre his maker to his dearest childs life as well as Abraham and the conscience doth naturally and as under no Law simply beleeve it is the like service and worship that Abraham would have gratefully performed unto God if God in reward of that love had not forbidden him againe to kill his Sonne And this answer presupposes also that it is impossible for a father to have such a conscience as may stimulate and command to kill his son and that in the authority and name of God as he erroneously yea and as he invincibly holdeth as Socinians Familists Papists beleeve purgatory merits justification by workes who yet are not to be punished for their conscience according to Libertines Again there is no intrinsecall malignancy in the act of naticide or son-sacrificing but what it hath from the Lords Law forbiding to kill now those that killed their Sons to Molech yea to God as they thought strongly yea invincibly beleeved God commanded them to do him such bodily service as is clear from Jer. 7. 31. Jer. 15. 5. And that this is invincible ignorance I take the word invincible in the Libertines sense Libertines grant for in our condemning son-sacrificing they wil say we are not infallible Yea the understanding being spirituall cannot be restrained saith Dr. Taylor Sect. 13. n. 6. and no man can change his opinion when he will saith he ibid n. 7. and so should not be punished for it and n. 13. there is nothing under God Almighty that hath power over the soule of man so as to command a persuasion If hee be then perswaded that he ought to kill his Son he ought unpunishably so to do Lastly Doctor Taylor yeelds the cause when he saith that certaine known Idolaters may be punished with death or corporall inflictions For there is no Idolatry so grosse that strongly deluded consciences may not be carried invincibly I speake in the Libertine sense out of meer conscience to act Ergo some are justly punishable for their meer conscience and yet are not persecuted for conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If a man preach treason saith he his opinion doth not excuse If a man preach murther and preach that Christ was an impostor that the Scripture is a fable how can his opinion excuse in a great sin and not all sins CHAP. XXVIII Divers other Arguments for pretended Toleration answered DOctor Taylor objects from the Arminians he that persecutes a disagreeing person doth arm all the world to persecuâ—â— himself if he say he is no Heretick he is as confidently beleeved to be an Heretick as he beleeves his adversarie to be an Heretick if it be said every side must take their venture this is to make the Christian world a shambles Ans 1. Because sound and orthodoxe Magistrates punish Hereticks they doe no more arm Hereticks against them to punish them then they arme murtherers to punish them because no law of Conscience teacheth that a seducer is obliged to publish to others his erroneous opinion touching mansacrificing the unlawfulness of Magistracie under the New Testament Libertie of Conscience Familisme and the 〈◊〉 for then the Law of nature must teach men are obliged in conscience to sin and pervert others 2. They are obliged to beleeve that their Conscience must be a rule to others which two the Law of nature cannot teach since it is the just law of God If yee argue what Hereticks doe unjustly they persecute the sound in the faith and there is reciprocation of persecution amongst false Religions its true the Christian world is a shambles through the corruption of mens nature But if yee argue what Christian Orthodox Magistrates ought to doe they ought to punish only Hereticks and Seducers but they do not justly 〈◊〉 Hereticks and those of false Religions reciprocally against themselves for by this argument those that are just Magistrates and take away the life of Pirates Robbers 〈◊〉 of other Nations doe they therefore justly arme all Pirates and Robbers to take away their Lives I thinke not Obj. 2. Where the Christ or his Messengers charge the Magistrate to establish by his arme of flesh and 〈…〉 worship of God the beast indeed gets the power of the earth Rev. 17. Bloodie Tenent Answ Kisse the Son O Rulers Psal 2. The Kings of the earth shall lick the dust before Christ Psal 72. The Kings shall bring their glory to the new Ierusalem Ergo They shall guard the Law of God from violence 2. The Beast gets the power of Kings to bear down truth but this power of Kings shall burn the whore Rev. 17. 16. and act for Christ and his ordinances 3. Where reads Mr. Williams that Christ and his Messengers are to charge the Magistrate to give libertie to Wolves Boares Lions Foxes Serve your consciences O beasts in wasting the Mountain of the Lords House and in not sparing the flock the Nurse-father grants you libertie to waste the mountain of the Lord. Obj. 3. Artaxerxes knew not the Law of God which he confirmed how then could be judge it 2. In such fits and pangs of a terrifying conscience what lawes have Nebuchadnezzar Cyrus Darius Artaâ—erxes put forth for the Israel of God yet were they not charged with the spirituall crowne of governing the worship of God Answ That was their Error they knew not the Law of God but it was their dutie that they ratified it 2. Those Princes did their dutie as Magistrates in those Laws no matter what Conscience renewed or not renewed put them on to act the duties in the substance of the act were lawfull the corruption of nature they being unrenewed might vitiate the work and put them a working to act lawfully in the duties Saul as King did fight the battels of the Lord and led his people and that lawfully according to the substance of the work but God knowes his motives and end 3. This ignorant man never heares of a Magistraticall act to promote the worship of God in a civill way but he dreames of a spirituall tribunall given to the Magistrate which we abhorre as much as he for the materiall object of the Magistrates power though spirituall rendreth not his power spirituall as the Magistrate punisheth spirituall confederacie with Satan in Magitians and Sorcerers a Witch should not be suffered to live and Sodomie flowing from Gods judiciall delivering men up to a reprobate mind Rom. I. 28. and yet the Mastrates power is not spirituall nor terminated upon the consciences of men Not is this Argument
sect 2. The conditions that Libertines require to be in a Synod Liberty to question every thing is lycence Remonst Apo. c. 1. fol. 41. The Church though not infallible may determine infallible points Apol. in Pref. et in declar in Pref. A Confession Covenant or Synodicall de 〈◊〉 a secondarie rule of faith Remonstr in vindic l. 2. c. 6. fol. 126. Note Ibid 133. A ministeriall and publike and a Christian and private judgment and faith and how they differ Remov 16. 〈…〉 〈…〉 That Confessions ought to be onely in expresse Scriture words is another false principle of Libertines Roman Vindi l. 2. c. 6. 135. 13. 〈◊〉 post quam acceptavit decretum 〈◊〉 illo â—â—â—tius quam ea lege quatenis quamdia 〈◊〉 in 〈…〉 indicat ill deffâ—â—â—rum Ancient bonds of Liberty of Conscience 〈◊〉 Apol c. 25. 291. The end of Synods is not to remove heresie by any means good or bad 〈◊〉 to ciuil heresie so effectually as these heresies shall never be heard of in the world againe Remon c. 25. Apol. 294. The necessitie of Synods Pastors subject the disobedient to wrath yet are not lords over the conscience ergo neither are Synods lords over the conscience for that fol. 2â—5 Error of conscience 〈◊〉 from â—â—igation of obedience Apo. 25. f. 226. The subject of a Synod not a Sceptick conjecturall truth as Libertines suppose The sense of Scripture from Synods beleived truly to be infallible though Synods consist of men who are not infallible as an earthen pitcher doth contain gold and precious Rubies and Saphires in it though there be no gold in the matter of the pitcher but onely clay 2. Cor. 4. 7. How a true decision of a Synod is ever the same and not retractable Remon Though all truths be peremptorily decyded in the word yet is there need of a Ministeriall and declarative decision of men because teachers may deceive and these that are taught are ignorant and dull Anabaptist dimâ—ed interpretation of Scriptures as 〈…〉 〈…〉 Anabaptist l 3. c. 11. Daâ—â—aut Anabaptistis Scripturiram â—â—terpretatiâ—rem recitari evangelium debere 〈◊〉 verbi a 〈◊〉 ut cuique liberium sit prosuo Spritu hoc est prosua voluntate â—â—â—dine interpretaâ—i 〈◊〉 non esse verbum Dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 7. Men are to come to Synods not as Nullifidians but as ingaged for truth Synods may impose upon others and how Ancient Bonds or Libertie of Conscience stated c. 10. Sect. 3. p. 74. 45. The conditional imposing of Synods consisteth well with trying of all things what Libertines say on the contrary is nought 〈…〉 〈…〉 16. 75. Pastors are are not out of their calling nor Apparitours nor tale-bearers if they complaine to the Magistrate of hereticks and all evâ—â—-doers Opinions cannot be compelled not the 〈◊〉 or will in the 〈…〉 â—he question is whether the 〈…〉 Shame and fear of rebâ—kes by Pastors and Church censures have the same compulsorie in 〈…〉 false teachers that the feare of publick punishment by the Synod hath Church censures are as compulsâ—rie on the Conscience as coercing by the sword Some externall actions of unjustice sâ—â—wing from meere Conscience are punished justly without any note of persecution by grant of Libertines and why not all others also 〈…〉 bonds pag. 12 Lactan. Inst l. 5. c 14 quid 〈…〉 quod 〈…〉 fieri 〈◊〉 libido 〈…〉 Tertullian ad Scapulâ—â— Humani juris naturalâ—s potestatis est unâ—cuique quod putavertis colerâ— nâ—â— alii prodostâ—nt oâ—est alterius Religio Sed nec Religionis est cogere Religionem quae sâ—ont◠〈◊〉 debeâ— non 〈◊〉 How Religion may be compelled how not One mans Religion remaining in the minde and will may hurt or benefit the man himself not any others but true Religion as it comes forth iâ— to acts of teaching may coine and winne the souls of others and false Religion may subvert the faith of others The Magistrate does not command Religion acts as service to God but rather forbids their contraâ—â—â—â— as disserâ—â—â—â— to Christian societies How â—ertull and Laâ—â—antâ—â—s are to be expounded of forcing to heathen Religion Though we can compell none to Religion it follows not that the Magistrate may not punish there that 〈◊〉 others to a false Religion Lactanâ—â— 5. c. 20. non est opus vt 〈…〉 cogi non potest 〈◊〉 potius quam verberibuâ— res agenda 〈…〉 Distringant hostes Religionis Christianae aciâ—m ingeniorum suertâ—â— si ratio corum vera est offeratur parati sumus audire si doceaâ—â— Tacentibus certè nihil credimus sicut ne saevientibus quidem cedimus imitentur nos aut rationem rei totius exponant nos enim non illicimus ut ipsi objectant sed docemus probamus ostendimus itaque nemo a nobis retinetur invitus imutilis est enim deo qui devotione ac side caret tamen nemo discedit ipsa veritate retinante Lactan 〈◊〉 longè diversa sunt Carnificina pictas nes potest aut veritas eum vi aut justitia eum crudelitate conjungi Ibid. Sed ut in ipsa Religione sic defensionis genere falluntur Defendenda eâ—im Religio est non occidendo sed monen lo alij codices moriendo non sevitia sed patientia non scelere sed fide Lactant. speaks of compulsion without all teaching These that are without the Church are not to be compelled 〈…〉 〈…〉 punish heâ—â—â—ides so so he should not punish murtherers The Magistrate may by the sword curb five impediments that keep men from embracing the truth according to Augustine Answer to Doctour Adam Stewart Impotencie of free will objected by Mr. John Goodwine no reason why the Magistrate ought not to punish seducing teachers as of old the Donatists objected State of the question more strictly proposed It may as wel he said because there be no expresse laws against murtherers parricids sorcerers Sodomites in the new Testament more then against false teachers that therefore Socerers are no lesse then hereticks to be tollerated De vivendis Christianorian animus in fide illibata tom 1 l. 1. c. 10. The number of Fundamentals An saving disposition of faith to beleeve all truths revealed though the man be ignorant of many may consist with the state of saving grace Calv. epist ad Martinum Shallingium an 1557. Three things among these that are to be believed things simply necessarie 2. simply profitable 3. by consequence necessary how the papist erre in these Joan. Durens in consulta Theologica p. 14 15. Some Consequences necessary Builders of hay and stubble on the foundation may be saved and these that fall in murther and adultery out of infirmity may be also saved yet there is no consequence ergo the Magistrate should tollerate both Obstinacie in Ceremonies after full information deserveth punishment These that err in non-fundamentals may deserve to be punished To teach the necessity of circumcision not an error formally and primarily but by consequence fundamentall and the contrary truth
ista imponebâ—t superbâ—ae discipliâ—m Augus Petitiano l. 2. c. 83. Noli diccre absit absit â—conscientia nostra ut ad nostram fideÌ„ aliqâ—em compellamus facitis enim ubi potestis ubi autem non facitis non pâ—â—testis sive legum sive 〈◊〉 timore sive resâ—entium muâ—â—tâ—d ne So were Marcis Presbyter Victoriensis and Mareitius Urgensis perâ—ecuted by Donatists Augus Epist 〈◊〉 Carwright 2 Joh 10. on Tit. 3. 10. Amesius de conscien l. 4. c. 4. An haeretici â—nt â— civilâ— Magistratu puniendi q. 6. Re. Râ—primendos esse haereticos abomnibus plit 〈◊〉 Rom 13. 4. 1 Tim. 2. 2. n. 15. Si vero etiam manifeste blasphemisint in illis blasphemus pertinaces ac praefracti pâ—ssint etiam affici supplicio capitali lex enim illa Levit. 24. 15. 16. quamvis non obligit Christianos quatenus est lex quatenus tamen est doctrina a Deop ofecta pertinet ad Christianorum directionem in ejusdem generis causis Joannes Clopenburâ—â—â— in Gangrena Anabaptis Tripaâ— histor l. 12. c. 9. Bullinger l. 1. c. 8. c. 9. Petition of Familâ—â—â— to K James an 1604 They commend King James in counselling Pr. Henry to punish Putitan Non-conformists and plead for liberty to themselves See Survey of the spirituall Antichrist pag. 343. Apolog. Remon Bloudy Tenet c. 11. p. 3. Libertines ought noâ— to suffer death for any truth Mimus Celsus Sect. 2 Fo. 62. Mimus Celsus denieth the coercing of Seducers upon Socinian principles Citech Racco vâ—d proph mu. 1. C. c. 1. Socinus in praelec c. 17. Com in 1 Joh. fo 134. praeâ—er Theol. c 5. f. 6. 7 Ostorodiâ—s Inst Chris Relig. c. 22. c. 23. c. 24. c 25 c. Smalcius de diviâ— C c 5. f. 17. Contra Smigâ—â—c c. 15 f. 136. Volkelius Episcopius dis 17 deâ—esâ—l c 2 Arm deleg Evan com the. 6. Ancient bonds of Liberty Reas 21 22. The Lords patience towards sinners in the old Testament was no argument of not coercing false Prophets in that Oâ—d Testament as the Author of Ancient bonds c. supposeth Acontius de Steatagematis Satanae l. 3. p. 155. 〈…〉 Hope of gaining blasphemers no more ground of sparing their life then hope of gaining Murtherers can be pretended as a ground why they should not be punished Whether to be persecuted for conscience true or false be a proper note of the truâ— Church as Iob. Baptist saith cap. 9. Necessiâ—y of Toleration Quar. 51. See Osterodius Iustit rel c. 5. f. 21. Smalcius praefat reâ—at frant Sociâ— praelect Theol. c. 17. Smalcius refut lib. de satisfact Christi c. 1 lib 1 de offic Christi 7. Jesus Christus est primus ac solus praeco hujus doctrinae ac multo perfectio is quam ea quae ante Christum in populâ— Dâ—i fuit Pâ—liander in concertat Socinian disp 27. thes 35 36 37. Peltiushâ—rmon Socin remonst art 292. art 21. Volkeâ—ius in verbis Christi illis testimoniâ—s inquit Exod. â—1 24. Lev. 24. 20. Deut 19. 21 â—am legis monâ—em fuisse comprobatur ut ultio ac vindicta fuisse permissâ— staâ—uatur modâ— per magistratum non autem proptiâ— authoritate fieret Cui quid em legi Christus sua verba opponens omnem non modo privatam sed etiam publicam vindictam abrogat suisque praecipit ut omnes perpessiones quae alterius maxiâ—â—ae obversione significantur omnemque bonorum jacturam quae pallii dimissione innuâ—tur omnem denique molestiam quae coactione ad unum milliare designatur ita ferant ut similem denuo injuriam subeant potius quam illatâ—m â—ive per se five per magistratum ulciscantur There be no New Commandements of Christ to love our enemies in the New Testament which were not commanded in the Old as Joh. Baptist saith c. 9. They that suffer for heresie and killing their children to Molech by Baptists way so they preserve conscience suffer for well-doing and according to the will of God in the Apostle Peters sense Joh. Baptist Preface to the Reader and c. 11. Necessity of Toleration by Samuel Richardson an 1647. Quer. 54. q. 55. and pag. 20 21. Ancient bounds p. 20 21 22. We judge not that hereticks seeming to be hereticks should be punished but those that are hereticks indeed ought onely to be punished Joh. Baptist condemns Joh. Baptist c. 5. Ancient bounds reas 5. p. 26. Storming of the Antichrist c 5. p. 14. Joh. Goodwin Hâ—giomas Baptist falsely chargeth on us that we teach a man should beleeve whether his conscience say so or not and should doe and pray without the Spirit of Adoption and that for these foregoing merits of congruity God will give us faith which doctine we detest Ancient bounds Preaching of the word without the Spirit is as unable to work faith as the sword and the argument from our impotencle to beleeve is as strong against the one as against the other The sword hath strength against only the outward mâ—n to cause him to abstain from seducing of souls not against the Conscience Argument 17. It s a false principle of toleration None are punishable for heresie because heresie is to God only knowable and to no mortal man Goodwins Sermon Theomachia Acts 5. 34. Saltmarsh Sparkles of glory Preface The Heretick is knowable by the Scriptures Impotency of beleeving being naturall in the Old Testament as in the New it was to the Jews as good a pleâ— against the Lords Law to punish seducers as to us Reasons against 1 forced and unwilling obedience 2 Against forced abstinence from murther particide at al times in the Old and New Testament do contend against Gods Laws of punishing seducing teachers Bloudy Tenet c. 40. p. 65. The Magistrate commandeth the outward man and yet commandeth not sin and carnall repentance How the Magistrate commandeth obedience to the Law of God to wit in reference onely to externall peace and the halfe and outside of obedience and yet not hypocriticall in its kind Del Sermon before the House of Commons p. 5 6. Epistle to the two Daughters of Warwick s 3 4. Del Serm p. 4. 5 Theol. Germa c. 28. 71 72. Rise Reign er 1 2. er 49. Bulliâ—ger adversus Anab. l. 1. c. 1. l. 2. c. 4. Calv Instruct adversus Liber c. 10. p. 442. Towns Assert of grace p. 4 5 6. S a'mâ—rsh Free grace 179 180. Bam. Gortyn Simplicities defence p. 22. 23. Ancientbounds c. 5. reas 3. Because man may abstaine from heresie and seducing upon false grounds to wiâ— the Magistrates commandment and not from conscience it follows no more that the Magistrate hath no power so to command then that the Pastor hath no power so to preach Argument 18. The Libertinisme of Toleration is grounded upon the pretended obscurity of the Scriptures The main pillar and ground of toleration makes the scripture a nose of waxe and puts on it a hundred senses and makes it a rule of faith to all