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
that men should believe because so saith a Synod But all the mysterie is though a Synod should determine a truth an hundred times according to the word yet if the conscience say it is no truth the determination of a Synod doth not obliedge at all say Libertines because the conscience according to the minde of Libertines is the nearest obleidging rule but any thing obleidgeth not to obedience and faith as it appears either true or good to our conscience for to kill the Apostles appears lawfull to commit adulterie and murther appeareth good to many yet are not men obleidged to kill the Apostles or to commit adulterie Armini If a thing be determined out of the word of God by a Synod then was that thing before determined in the word of God and yet that must be examined in a Synod which is supposed to be decyded in the word what need is there of a Synodicall examination of that which is supposed to be lyable to no errour for so must the word of God be examined Answ What the Bereans heard the Apostle Paul preach Act. 17. 11 12. was the verie Gospel determined in the Scriptures of the Prophets what then needed they try the Gospel or examine what is infallible in private among themselves more then in publick Synods this argument is against the Apostles rule Try all things and try the Spirits whether they be of God or not for sure these rules warranted them to examine Paul Peter and Johns doctrine and Spirits and finding them to be truths decyded in the word to receive them therefore after there is a Scripturall decision it doth not follow that there should not be a Declarative or Ministeriall decision by Synods and by pastours preaching the Gospel For this doth close subvert all Ministery and Preaching and all trying of the Spirits nor is it hence concluded that we examine the word of God as if it could be false but that we are both in private and in publicke to examine and try whether that which is proposed to us as the word of God be the word of God or no But wee examine and suspect the credit of men who may and can lye Secondly but this supposeth that what ever is brought under a Synodicall discussion is false or at least fallible which is a most false principle of Libertines and that nothing which is the word of God should fall under a Synodicall discussion to be tryed which is true thus farre the word of God as it is the word of God is not to be tried nor determined but in reference to messengers who are but sinfull men and can deceive and to our dulnesse and sinfull ignorance there is need that a Ministerie and Synods help us with declarative and misteriall declarations untill we be where they shall not need a Temple And what Libertines say the same said Anabaptists so Buâ—â—inger saith Anabaptists taught that the Evangelist should be recited without words casting it that is without preaching and that every man was free to interpret the Scripture as he will and that the interpretation of Scripture is not the word of God So that the peoples conscience and private sense is their Scripture and rule of faith we need not then Scripture every mans sense is his Rule which yet is not so good divinity as the heathen Melytus accused Socrates of and thought Socrates was worthie to die for that such as the people beleeveth to be gods he believeth to be nothing such but thinketh there be some new Dieties and was it a crime that Socrates thought the peoples lust was no good rule in divinitie Armini All should be admitted to Synods because Religion concerneth the Conscience of all or if it be confusion to admit all to come yet should no decision be except first all the Church be acquainted with the businesse Answ God never appointed all and every one to lay burdene and Directories or Lawes upon themselves as is cleare Act. 15. God keeps ever that order in his Church of some to teach and some to be taught of some to obey and some to be over others in the Lord that before Lawes bee made that concerne the conscience there should be a reference of all made to the people and they acquainted with reasons from the word of God before a decision we shall not condemn but it is nothing against us Armini These that come to Synods ought to be ingaged to be Church or to no Confession But every way free Answ Then such as convened in a Synod in the Church of Pergamus and Thyatira should not be principled in the faith of Christ and his truth against the deeds of the Nicolaitanes with whom fornication went for a thing indifferent or against such as hold the doctrine of Balaam or Jezabel they must all come as indifferent to absolve as to condemn the Nicholaitanes and the false Prophetesse Jezabel But Paul and Barnabus came to the Councell of Jerusalem as Members thereof being fore engaged to condemn Circumcision as not necessary to salvation and had preached against such a necessitie and yet were not byassed Voters in the Assembly and by this reason if Fundamentals be to be established in a Synod and the contrary errours to be refuted when Doctours come to a Synod they must leave faith and soundnesse of faith at home and come to the Synod with purpose to buy and bargain there for a new faith And let all men come thither as Scepticks and Nullifidians and goe so also away believing with a reserve that that the Synod hath determined may be a lie But as Arminians take true libertie of free-will to be an absolute power to doe ill or well stand or fall eternally so they judge that Libertie of prophecying is a Liberty to teach and believe Indifferently either lies or truth heresies or sound doctrine whereas libertie to doe ill in any sense is licentiousnesse not libertie Armini The question is not whether a man when he judges right can erre for who can affirme that but whither either a man or a Church who judgeth rightly according to the word of God have any law or power to command and injoyn others to receive and believe what they have rightly Judged and that without controversie for no man is obleidged to receive and beleive a truth which a Synod unanimously or for the most part hath truely judged because the Synod hath so judged or sayth so Answ But Libertines make such a question for they affirm that a Synod doth never judge so rightly but we must believe what they judge with a reserve and so that what they determine is false or may the next day be false Secondly we conceive that God hath given to some one single Pastour and farre more to a Synod of Pastours and Doctors a power to rebuke teach exhort with all authoritie 2. Tim. 41. 2. To charge Tit. 2. 14. them before the Lord. 1. Tim. 6.
the conscience of others the Church the learned and godly say for we make not the word of the Church the formal object of our faith but thus saith the Lord onely because the Church is but a company of men and so our faith should depend upon men even though holy and speaking ingenuously what their conscience dictates as true which is absurd ergo by the same reason what one mans conscience our owne or others say is not the formall object of our faith and practises for so also our faith should depend on man not on God And we say the conscience at its best is but Regula Regulata not Regula Regulans nor ought it to have the throne of God for God is only Regula Regulans If it were a rule it is to bee ruled by God and his word yea as we are to try all things and not beleeve with a blind faith what others say or their conscience proposeth to themselves and us as truth for then we make a Pope of the consciences of men under the notion of teachers and Church so we are not to be ruled without trying and absolutly by our owne conscience but to try its dictates by the word of God otherwise wee make a Pope and a God of our owne conscience Some say as a right informed conscience obliegeth to doe what it dictates so an erroneous conscience obliegeth to do according to its prescript Durandus and others saith â—gat non obligat it bindeth that yee cannot doe against it which some call negative obligation but non obligat it obliegeth not as a divine rule which is positive obligation Tannerus saith A Conscience that invincibly erreth both bindeth that we cannot doe against it and obliegeth that we should not follow it Which hath truth in the matter of fact a Judge invincibly ignorant of an accused mans innocency when two or three witnesses doe sweare hee is guilty doth lawfully condemne the innocent man having used all 〈◊〉 diligence to finde out the truth and not being 〈◊〉 to find it but this is rather error or ignorance of the fact than an erronious conscience for hee proceeds according to the law with a well-informed conscience following what the law saith by the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every thing be established The erroneous conscience so long as it remaineth by the law of nature layeth on an obligation on a man not to doe against it Rom. 14. 14. To 〈…〉 the esteemeth any thing to be uncleane to him it is uncleane vers 23. He that doubteth is damned if he eat because he eateth not of faith for whatsoever is not of faith is sinne So Ambrose our opinion layeth a law upon us Gammacheus saith it is a vain distinction of binding and oblieging Inter ligationem obligationem And that we are oblieged to follow an erroneous consciencesse long as it continueth erroneous because here saith hee 〈◊〉 dispute not concerning that which is good but that which is commanded But if the conscience dictate that something is to be commanded and to bee done under paine of sinne and yet we doe iâ— not we resist conscience and so we sin because the obligation is no mere 〈◊〉 good onely but rather to that which is commanded The Jesuite Mâ—lderus saith the same Contientiam erroneam ligare obligâ—re because an object materially considered is such an object by 〈◊〉 but it is an object per se kindly when it is proposed by practicall â—â—â—son for what is not of faith is sinne Gal. 5. 3. I testifie to 〈◊〉 one that is circumcised that hee is debter to doe the whole law Answ There can be no reason why conscience because conscience or because wicked more obliegeth then why Will because wicked will should obliege since in every wicked conscience actually drawing men to ill of either heresie or practise there is something of wicked Will and though there were nothing of will or of the affections in an erroneous conscience yet since conscience as a knowing faculty is under the law of God an erroneous conscience must bee a transgressing conscience and it is a contradiction that a faculty sinning should obliege to obedience to the law of God in the same consideration because it sinneth But these Schoole-â—â—â—ties doe not obliege us wee shall bee unwilling in any tearmes to say that God or which is all one the law of nature layeth on us an obligation to that which is sinfull or 〈◊〉 if any thinke he is oblieged to be circumcised sure he must thinke himselfe oblieged to eate the passeover also and to keepe the whole Ceremoniall law but that the law of nature obliegeth him either so to thinke and erroneously beleeve and practise the whole Ceremoniall Law is another thing It is true a doubting conscience that thinks hee is oblieged by the law to abstaine from eating swines flesh is either oblieged to eate swines flesh or not to eate for to eate or not eate are opposed by way of contradiction but there is no apparent contradiction but admiteth of some qualification and modification set the contradiction in an evangelicall sence as you must and then it shall be there be none in the visible Church but he must either eate in faith or not eate in faith he must either bee circumcised in faith and in a certaine perswasion that circumcision is acceptable to God or hee must not bee circumcised in faith c. For both the Law and Gospell obliege to the action and to all the manner way and requisite circumstances of the action to wit that it be done in faith sincerely for God in a due manner c. Now so wee say hee is neither to eate simply nor not to eate simply but either to eate in faith or to abstaine from eating in faith and without an erring and doubting conscience and we are not to do upon a supposition that the conscience stand erroneous nor hath the erroneous conscience any warrant at all nor commission from the Sovereigne Lord of conscience to command you to beleeve you must be circumcised or upon the supposall of that faith to obliege you to be circumcised more then any earthly judge hath a warrant from God to command murther or robery nor is it a law of nature or of God that you must do absolutely and without trying what an erroneous conscience indites you to do under paine of sin nor is it a sin to resist an eroneous conscience by not doing or suspending the action more then it is a sin not to obey an earthly Judge when he commandeth beside and contrary to the law of the supreame Law-giver No wonder they make a Pope of conscience who make the conscience of the Pope the supream court that obliegeth all men on earth The reason of this errour is Papists and Libertines joyn with them in this dreame hat as God doth command unerringly indeclinably so hte hath communicated to Popes and Heraulds and to every lawful 〈◊〉
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
learned of them are not able clearly or demonstratively to informe the Magistrate and Judge what blasphamy and what Idolatry it was which was by God sentenced to death under the Law But so Mr. Goodwin in accusing our darknesse and in freeing the Magistrate of a duty he owâ— to God and the Church layeth obscurity on the Scripture as Papists doe though for another end And I am as confident there was some soroâ—â—y some wilfull murther some incest some plea 〈…〉 and bloud stroak and stroak some adultery sentenced by God to be punished by the sword that Mr. Jo. Goodwin is not able clearly and demonstratively to informe the Magistrate of And by this argument murther sorcery incest and adultery ought not to be punished by the sword Can Mr. Jo. Goodwin demonstratively informe us what be the false Prophets Matth. 7. the grievous wolves Act. 20. the Heretick Tit. 3. 10. that we are not to beleeve but to avoid and by this argument we must not beware of them nor avoid them since they are unknowable Dr. Jer. Taylor layeth downe the same ground for tolerating Papists Socinians Familists and all the dreaming Prophets on earth because of the difficulty there is of expounding Scripture and all the means and wayes of comming to the true sense thereof are fallible There is variety of reading various interpunction a parenthesis a letter an acceâ—â— may much alter the sense Answ May not reading interpunction a parenthesis a letter an accâ—m alter the sense of all fundamentalls in the Decalogue of the principles of the Gospel and turne the Scripture in all points which Mr. Doctour restricts to some few darker places whose senses are off the way to heaven and lesse necessary in a field of Problemes and turne all beleeving into digladiations of wits all ouâ— comforts of the Scriptures into the reelings of a Wind-mill and phaâ—cies of seven Moons at once in the firmament this is to put our faith and the first fruits of the Spirit and Heaven and Hell to the Presse But though Printers and Pens of men may erre it followeth not that heresies should be tolerated except we say 1 That our faith is ultimately resolved upon characters and the faith of Printers 2 We must say we have not the cleare and infallible word of God because the Scripture comes to our hand by fallible means which is a great inconsequence for though Scribes Transâ—atours Grammarians â—rimers may all erre it followeth not that an erring providence of him that hath seven eyes hath not delivered to the Church the Scriptures containing the infallible truth of God Say that Baruth might erre in writing the Prophesie of Jeremiah it followeth not that the Prophesie of Jeremiah which we have is not the infallible word of God if all Translatours and Printers did their alone watch oâ—er the Church it were something and if there were not one with seven eyes to care for the Scripture But for Tradition Councells Popes Fathers they are all fallible means and so far forth to be beleeved as they bring Scripture with them Dr. Taylor tells us of many inculpable causes of errour 1 The variety of humane understanding what is plaine to one is â—bscure to another Gregoâ—ies and Ambroses missall were both laid upon the Altar a whole night to try which of them God would miraculously approve By the morrow mâ—â—tins the missall of Gregâ—ry was found tâ—rne in peeces and throwne upon the Church and Ambroses found open in a posture to be read The miracle was expounded that Ambroses missall was to be received Dr. Taylor saith that he would expound it that Gregories missall was to be preferred and to be spread through the world Answ I have read of no faultlesse causes of errour nor of any invincible errour in things that we are to beleeve and know by vertue of a divine Commandement for this is a speciall false principle that to know God as he hath revealed himselfe in his word is not commanded of God in his word 1 Because to this David exhorteth Solomâ—n And shall Solomâ—n my son know the Lord 1 Chron. 28. 9. and when the Apostle bids as be renewed in the spirits of our mind Ephes 4. 23. Rom. 12. 2. 2 And growing in knowledge is recommended 2 Pet. 3. 14. 1 Cor. 1. 5. Prov. 4. 1. 5 And is set downe as a blessing Esa 11. 9. Exod. 18. 10. Prov. 1. 2. Hos 13. 4. It s sure to know God and his revealed will in his word must oblige us 4 The end of the revealed will is to know God Deut. 4. 3. 5. Prov. 22. 21. 5. The first Command injoyneth all worship internall and externall as to know God Hosea 13. 4. Jer. 9. 6. Jer. 24. 7. 2 Kings 19. 19. 2 Chron. 6. 33. and reason the mind be under the Law of God as will and affections 〈◊〉 6. There is a connexion between the minde and other faculties or affections a corrupt minde is often conjoyned with a guilty conscience and faith and a pure conscience go together 1 Tim. 1. 19. 1 Tim. 1. â— 2 Pet. â— 4 5. keep the one and you shall the more easily keep the other make shipwrack of faith and a good conscience cannot swim safe to Land and the will and rebellious affections and lusts have influence upon the actuall and habituall blinding of the minde in that men walking after their lusts are quickly blinded in their minde and the judgement depraved 1. 2 Pet. 3. 5. they are willingly ignorant and so refuse to know God 2. Turne away their ear from the Law refuse the means of the knowing of God and dig not for wisdome as for silver hate knowledge Prov. 1. 24. c. 2. 2 3 4 5 6. 3. Blinde their owne minds and shut their eyes Esa 6. 10. Matth. 13. 14 15. Ezek. 12. 2. Deut. 29. 3 4. Object All these places do well prove that to be unwilling to know God is a sinne but not that the simply minde-ignorance of God is sinne Answ And why is it sin to be unwilling to know God which the word commandeth if not to know God be not sinfull as to be willing not to fear not to love not to hope in God not to obey God not to love our neighbour is sin as well as not to fear not to love God are sins Therefore what is truth in it selfe and revealed to bee truth in the Scripture if it appeare an untruth to another the cause of that is not inculpable as D. Taylor saith as if the letter of the Scripture tendred it selfe darke and unâ—â—plicable to us without our fault But the wisdome of God we beleeve in the Scripture is plaine to those that open their eyes otherwise heresie should not onely be no sinne contrary to the word of God Tit. 3. 10. 1 Tim. 3. 1. 2. 1 Tim. 6. 4 5. 2 Tim. 2. 16 17 18 19. but an innocent apprehension of apparent truth as there is no guiltinesse in an eye vitiated
A FREE DISPUTATION Against pretended Liberty of Conscience Tending To Resolve Doubts moved by Mr. John Goodwin John Baptist Dr. Jer. Taylor the Belgick Arminians Socinians and other Authors contending for lawlesse Liberty or licentious Toleration of Sects and Heresies By SAMUEL RUTHERFURD Professor of Divinity in the University of St. Andrews PSALM 119. 45. And I will walk at Liberty for I seek thy precepts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LONDON Printed by R. I. for Andrew Crook and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the Green Dragon in St. Pauls Church-yard MDCIL TO THE Godly and unpartiall Reader I Offer Worthy Reader to your unpartiall and ingenuous censure these my ensuing thoughts against Liberty of conscience from which way looking to me with a face of Atheisme I call the Adversaries Libertines not intending to reach a blow to any godly man or to wound those who out of weaknesse are captived with that error but to breed in the hearts of the godly a detestation of that way which in truth hath its rise from Libertinisme and savoureth rankly of wide loose and bold Atheisticall thoughts of the Majesty of God as if our conscience had a Prerogative Royall beside a rule yea which is prodigious in its simple apprehensions of God of the Mediator of the revealed will of God above the Law of God For 1. This way bringeth in Aristotles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the worlds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So I thinke and all say so and our faith and hope must be resolved in the first principle of Scepticisme So it seems to me for the young daughters of the minde the simple acts of apprehending knowing beleeving God and divine truths are innocent harmelesse and ill-lesse foul-works being from under all dominion of either free-will or a divine Law and the minde a free borne absolute Princesse can no more incur guiltinesse in its operations about an infinite Sovereigne God and his revealed will by this lawlesse way then the fire can in burning the Sunne it inlightning the stone in moving downward be arraigned of any breach of Law if toleration have place 2. All certainty of beleeving all stedfastnesse rooting and unmovable establishing in the truth all life of consolations and comforts in the Scriptures all peace of heavenly confidence all joy unspeakable and full of glory all lively hope all patient and submissive waiting for the fruits of the harvest all wrestling in prayer all gloriation in tribulation and all triumphing in praising all rejoycing in Spirit being bottomed on fallible opinions on doubtfull disputations of Scepticks may be the reelings of wind-mills fair phansies and dreamâ— for who say they is infallible and who hath known the minde of the Lord so as the truth must be monopolized to any one Sect or way who in faith or fulnesse of assurance can convince or rebuke gainsayers hereticks or such as bring another doctrine and may not you the convincers and rebukers as rather be gainsayers and Hereticks and such as bring another doctrine as those whom you so labour to convince and rebuke 3. Conscience is hereby made every mans Rule Umpire Judge Bible and his God which if he follow he is but at the worst a godly pious holy Hereticke who feareth his conscience more then his Creator and is to be judged of you a Saint 4. Hence conscience being deified all rebuking exhorting counter-arguing yea all the Ministery of the Gospel must be laid aside no man must judge brother Idolater or brother Familst or Saints to be Socinians or men of corrupt mindes perverse disputers vain-janglers wresters rackers or torturers of Scripture whose words eat as a canker who subvert whole houses who speake the visions of their owne head and see false burdens for all these were of old but are now quite gone out of the world for who can make a window in any mans soule and see there heart-obstinacy which only doth essentially constitute the heretick the blasphemer the false Prophet But is not brotherly forbearance Christian indulgence a debt we owe to brethren Saints and the truly godly in errours and mind-infirmities which by a naturall emanation or resultance get the fore-start of freewill To which I shall speak in these few considerations 1. It is much to be desired with the prayers and suits of the children of God that where there are two opinions there may be one heart that the Father of Spirits would unite the hearts of all the children of one Father and the heirs of one house 2. Papists here have exceeded in boundlesse domination and tyranny over the consciences of men and what ever is contrary to the lawlesse decrees of their Councells and Popes is an unexpiable heresie and cannot be purged but by fire and fagot 2. Who ever refuse subjection of conscience to that Enemy of Christ and to that woman-mistresse of witchcrafts on whose skirts is found the blood of the martyrs of Jesus is presently an heretick and his arguments answered with burning-quicke this tyranny over conscience we disclaime yet for that ought not the other extremity of wilde toleration to be imbraced 3. We cannot thinke but all Saints in this side of glory carry to heaven with them errours mistakes and prophesying in part and the fairest Stars and lights in this lower firmament of the Church are clouded and the benefit of the Moon serves to enlighten the under garden of Lillies where Christ feedeth till the day breake and the shadows flee away And here brotherly indulgence and reciporation of the debt of compassionate forbearance of the infirmities one of another must have place 4. Yet so as there can be no conflict of grace against grace nor can the taking off the Foxes which destroy the Vines be contrary to the gentlenesse and meeknesse of Saints in fulfilling the law of love and bearing one anothers burdens nor can love seated essentially in a new borne childe of the second birth be contrary to the zeale of God in withstanding to the face a Saint looking awry and walking not with a straight foâ—â— according to the truth of the Gospel which way if heeded in sincerity should breed more union of hearts and be a greater testimony of faithfulnesse to a straying sheep then our cruell meeknesse and bloody gentlenesse in a pretended bearing with tender consciences under a colour of paying the debt of bastard love while as we suffer millions to perish through silence and mercilesse condolency with them in their sinfull depraving of the Truth Farewell Yours in the Lord Jesus S. R. The Contents CHap. 1. Of Conscience and of its nature The name Conscience page 2. Conscience the practicall knowledge ibid. Conscience a power not an act or habit p. 3. What sort of knowledge is ascribed to the Conscience p. 5. Of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 8. Of Conscience in relation to the Major Assumption and Conclusion of a practicall Sylogisme p. 7. The object of Conscience p. 8. Conscience to
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
14. Cavils against coercive judiciall Laws for punishing false Prophets in the old Testament removed Laws punishing false Teachers were morall not temporary and pedegogicall p. 189 Power of fathers and masters in the fourth Commandment coercive p. 190 Compelling to hypocrisie for fear of shame and reproaches as guiltie 〈◊〉 compelling men with the sword not to publish heresies nor sedâ—â—â— others p. 191 A third Answer p. 191 Blasphemers and Idolaters never were judged to die by consulting with the immediate oracle of God as John Goodwin imagineth Hagiomastix sect 34 35 36 37. ibid. We have as sure a word the Scripture as immediate consulting with the oracle of God p. 192 Want of infallibilitie should exclude all judges to judge pastors to preach or write Synods to advise because we cannot doe these with Propheticall infallibilitie p. 194 A twofold typicalnesse in the old Testament one meerly ceremoniall unreducible another typicall but of civill and naturall use the use of the latter ceaseth not because it was sometime typicall so is punishing of seducers p. 197 Seducers of old denied no other-waies God then our false Prophets now a-daies doe deny him p. 19â— Not only those who offend against the principles of nature but those that publish and hold Errors against the supernaturall principles of the Gospel are to be punished by the Sword p. 200 Such as slâ—w their children to Molech denied no more the word of God then our Hereticks now doe p. 201 There be false Prophets now under the new Testament as there were under the old Testament 202. Chap. 15. Christs not rebuking toleration and the Law Deut. 13. vindicated Christs not expresse rebuking of the Magistrates tolerating of heresies makes not for Christs approving of toleration of Heresies more then of tolerating the absolving of a murtherer at the time of the feast or other crimes against the second Table p. 203 The Laws Deut. 13. three in number explicated the first two were morall the third Ceremoniall for the most part p. 205 Thewars in the Old Testament warrant wars in the New according to the naturall equity in them but they bind not according to the Ceremoniall and temporarie typicalness annexed to them page 209 Chap. 16. Prophecies in the Old Testament especially Zach. 13. 1 2 3 4 5 6. for punishing false Prophets vindicated The prophecies in the Old Testament especially that Zach. 13. 2 3 4 5 6 7. prove that false Teachers under the New Testament ought to be punished with the sword p. 209 So Joh. Goodwin answereth in his Appendix to Hagiomastix 210 The prophesie Zach. 13. and the house of David noteth not the Jewes only excluding the Gentiles ibid. Master Goodwins answer to Zach. 13. p. 211 Answer of Mr. Goodwin p. 213 It is not metaphoricall thrusting through that is spoken of Zach. 13. but really inflicted death and bodily punishment ibid. Chap 17. Places in the New Testament especially Rom. 13. for punishing of false Teachers vindicated So John Goodwin Hagiomastix p. 218 The ignorance of the Christian Magistrate in matters of Religion no ground why by his office he ought not to know so far truth and falsehood as to punish Heresies published and spread p. 219 Ordinary professors may know who are Hereticks and who false Teachers ibid. Magistrates as Magistrates cannot judge all evill doers for heathen Magistrates who never heard the Gospel cannot judge Gospel Hereticks p. 220 How Christ taketh service of a Christian Magistrate p. 2â—â— Master Joh. Goodwin p. 225 How Master Goodwin would elude the place Rom. 13. to 〈◊〉 that false Teachers are not evill doers p. 2â—â— Paul Rom. 13. speakes of Magistrates in generall what they ought to be not of Roman Magistrates as they were then ibid. Roman well-doing and ill-doing not meant in this Text p. 227 Chap. 18. The place 1 Tim. 2. 1 2. for coercive power 〈◊〉 false Prophets cleared The place 1 Tim. 2 1 2 3. explained p. 2â—9 We are to pray that Magistrates as Magistrates may not only 〈◊〉 but procure to us that we may live in godlinesse p. 2â—â— Rev. The ten Kings as Kings punish the whore and burn her 〈◊〉 for her Idolatrie p. 231 Extraordinarie punishing of Hereticks no case of the Magistrates neglect argueth that the Magistrate ought to punish them p. 232 Chap. 19. Exemption of false Prophets from coercive power is not Christian Libertie This Libertie of Conscience is not Christian Libertie p. 233 A Speculative Conscience no more freed from the Magistrate then â— practicall Conscience p. 235 Ecclesiasticall censures as compulsory as the Sword ibid. Chap. 20. The parable of the Wheat and the Tares discussed and cleared The scope of the parable of the Tares and the vindication thereof p. 236 The danger of punishing the innocent in lieu of the guiltie through â—â—â—stake is no argument that Hereticks should not be punished by 〈◊〉 magistrate p. 237 The Tares are not meant of Hereticks but of all the wicked who shall be burnt with unquenchable fire p. 238 The Parable of the Tares and of the sower most distinct parables 〈◊〉 matter and scope p. 239 Let them grow not expounded by Christ and what it meaneth p. 240 What is understood by tares p. â—â—â— Heresie may be known ibid. What is meant by plucking up p. â—â—â— What is meant by the field what by the wheat ibid. All the tithes of the parable must not be expounded nor the time exactly searched into when the tares were first 〈◊〉 p. 243 How sins are more haiâ—â—â—â— under the new Testament and 〈◊〉 God is now no lesse severe then under the Law and a Citie that will defend and protect a false Prophet against justice is to bee dealt with the same waies as under the Old Testament except that the typicalnesse is removed p. 244 What let them grow imports p. 245 How we are to bear permissive providences wherein evils of sin fall out ibid. Christ must mean by tares and wheat persons not doctrines good and ill p. 246 Whether false Teachers if they repent must be spared or because they may repent p. 247 Chap. 21. Of the Samaritam and of the non-compelling of Heathens how the Covenant bindeth us The not burning of the Samaritans doth prove nothing for the immunitie of Hereticks from the sword p. 249 How far we may compell other Nations or Heathens to imbrace the true faith p. 250 Of the Covenants obliging of us to the religions observance thereof p. 251 The word of God as it is in every mans Conscience no rule of Reformation in the Covenant p. 252 The equivocation of Sectaries in swearing the Covenant ibid. The Author of the Ancient bonds an ignorant provaricator in the Covenant p. 254 All morall compelling of Hereticks and refuting of false teachers by the word is as unlawfull as compulsion by the Sword according to the principles of Libertines p. 255 The Magistrate as the Magistrate cannot send Ministers but in a compulserie way p. 256 How Independents were insuared
signifieth a picture Joâ— 38. 36. Who hath given understanding to the heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth curious ingtaving wittily devised by the understanding and it noteth an excellent picture pleasant to see from root that signifieth to behold and to paint for all the inventions pictures ingraven works in the soule is in the conscience Sinners draw on their conscience and heart many faire fancies pictures and ingraven peeces of devised pleasures They use the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirit for the Conscience also Psalm 34. 18. The Lord saveth the broken in spirit Prov. 18. 4. A wounded spirit who can beare it For the word spirit in that language signifieth the whole soule 〈…〉 and the whole strength marrow courage and 〈◊〉 of the foule Joâ— 6. 8 Josh 5. 1. There was no more Spirit in them because Conscience is all it is the good or best or the evill or worst in the man does he keepe conscience all is safe doth hee lose conscienes all is gone it is the spirits the rose the onely precious thing of the soule the body is clay and â—are the conscience is the gold of the man Now touching Conscience I propose these 1. It s nature 2. It s object 3. It s office 4. The kinds of Conscience And 5. the adjuncts of it the libertie of Conscience and that much controverted prerogative to be free in opinions and in religions from bands that men can lay on it Conscience is considered by Divines as a principle of our acting in order to what the Lord commandeth us in she law and the Gospel and it commeth here to be considered in a three-fold consideration 1. As Conscience is in its abstract nature yet as it is in man only I speak nothing of the conscience of Angels and Devils 2. As the Conscience is good or bad for the conscience in Adam before the fall was in a great perfection and the Glorified spirits carrie a good conscience up to heaven with them as the damned take to hell a peace of hell within them an evill conscience yet their was neither in Adam not can there be in the Glorified an evill conscience nor any such accidentall acts of Conscience as to accuse smite tormenâ— 3. Conscience is considered as acting well or ill it hath influence on the affections to cause a feast of joy to stirre vp to faith hope sadnesse c. Touching the nature of Conscience It seemeth to me to be a power of the practicall vnderstanding according to which the man is oblidged and directed to give judgment of himselfe that is of his state and condition and of all his actions inclinations thoughts and words It is first an understanding power not an act or an actuall judgement 1. It is nor a distinct facultie from the understanding but the understanding as it giveth judgement in court of the mans state and of all his waies as whether hee be in favour with God or no and now whether he be in Christ or not and of all his motions and actions within or without But it would appeare not to be an act because to oblidge to direct to accusâ—â— are acts of the Conscience and therefore doe 〈◊〉 slow from other acts it is true the thoughts Rom. 2. 15. 〈◊〉 said to â—â—cuse or â—â—cuse but by thoughts there is meaâ—â— the Conscience 〈…〉 not first thinking and then accusing but the Conscience brething out the bad or good 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 longing and accusing or of exercising and conforming though and acts All acts flow from either young powers which they call potencie or from stronger and more aged and indicated powers which they call habits Things produced by motion and motion It selfe are the effects of the never saith Amesing de 〈◊〉 cap. 1. 〈◊〉 4. â—â—nd therefore the act of accusing may be from the Conscience which is an act this consequence cannot stand the motion and the thing produced by motion is from the mover true but the act of moving is from the mover as he actuateth his power so is directing accusing from the power in the practical understanding not from the act of understanding which is nothing in this case but the act of accusing and nothing can come from it self as a cause 2. When the beleever or wicked men go to sleep and put off their cloaths they doe not put off their Conscience and though the conscience sleeps not with the man yet doth it not in sleep necessarily act by accusing or excusing and therefore remaineth as a power in man not ever acting See Malderus in 12. q. 19. Disp 82. ar 4. 5. 2. It s an understanding power and belongeth to the judgement and understanding Esa 5. 3. Judge I pray you between me and my vineyard It s true some make it the inclination of the will as Henriquez Quodlih 1. q. 18. And Durandur may seeme not farre from it 2. d. 39. Some say it belongeth to both But the will is no knowing facultie the Conscience is a knowing facultie Eccles 7. 22. For oftentimes also thine heart knoweth that thou also hast cursed others 2. There is more of reason and sound knowledge in the conscience then in the whole understanding soule it is a Christall globe of reason the beame the sunne the candle of the soule for to know God and the creatures in out relative obligation to God in Christ is the rose the blossome the floure of knowledge Joh. 17. 3. to see God and his beauty expressed in Christ and the comlinesse aâ—d incomparable glory of his amiable and lovely Essence as holden forth to us in Christ is the highest reach of the conscience Iâ— Conscience be so divine a peece 〈◊〉 banke-full with reason and light then the more of knowledge the more of conscience as the more of fire the more heâ—â—â— the more of the sun the more light Then when phancie goes for conscience as in 〈◊〉 by siasts and new Spirits gropling beside the word of God a new Angel commended onely from Nâ—wnesse a white Angel without and a black Angel within conscience must be turned in a dreame 2. Noveltie can goe for conscience our nature is quickly taken with novelty even as a new friend a new field a new house a new garden a new garment so a new Christ a new saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 delights us 3. Heresie goeth for Conscience somes Conscience phancie that to kill their children to Molech is a doctrine that entred in the heart of God to command Jer. 7. 30 31. 2. A Conscience void of knowledge is void of goodnesse silence and dumbnesse is not peace An innocent toothlesse conscience that cannot see nor heare nor speake cannot bark farre lesse can it bite before it have teeth such a conscience covenanteth with the sinner Let me alone let me sleep till the smoake of the furnesse of hell waken me If there be any sense or life fire can bring it forthe a worme at the heart can bear witnesse
Doctor Hamond saith to abstaine from a thing indifferent as Marriage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as from a thing abominable or unlawfull is by Scripture and Councels condemned as sinfull Why Because to Marrie or not to Marrie is indifferent But he may remember that Papists forbid Church-men to Marrie doe they forbid it because Marriage which to them is a Sacrament is an abominable and unlawfull Sacrament I thinke no. Yet all our Divines say not onely the Manichaans but also the Papists are these who teach a doctrine of Devils 1 Tim. 2. while they forbid Marriage though not under the notion of a thing abominable So the Popish Doctor acquitteth the Papists and condemneth Protestants who so farre agree to have the adaequate rule of Conscience to be Gods will reveâ—led in his word that to make a religious Law to forbid Marriage and Meates and other things indifferent to them is a doctrine of Devils to all our Divines though they forbid them not as things unlawfull and under the notion of things abominable Vse If the conscience have an indictment against you from heaven and from the word of God which is the Law-booke of the Judge of all flesh Ergo We are to stand in awe of Conscience And looke how much goodnesse and true feare of God is in a Man as much feare of himselfe and reverence to his own conscience is within him For 1. to be holden even with the charges and writs of an erring conscience is obedience to the Law of nature as we would not be willing that a scout or a spie sent from a strange Land should see our nakednesse weaknesse folly securitie When the Conscience returneth to the Father of Spirits it can tell tales of men and can libell many pollutions of the flesh and spirit acted by the man while the Conscience lodged with clay and a polluted Spirit 2. Because Conscience is something of God a domestick little God a keeper sent from heaven a divine peece which is all eye all sense and hath the word with it in so farre it is to be reverenced and hath the reverenceth the King reverenceth the Ambassador in so farre as he carrieth along the Kings will he that honoureth the Lord must honour the servant 3. Salomon saith Prov. 15. 5. A foole despiseth his fathers reproofe but he that regardeth it is prudent Vers 10. He that hateth reproofe shall die To receive Instructions and rebukes from Conscience in so farre as they come from the Word of truth is spirituall prudence and he that turneth away his eare from his conscience shall die 4. As to submit to the Word is to submit to God so to offer violence to a divine truth is to wrestle with God and by the like proportion to stoope before Conscience carrying a message from God is to submit to God and to doe violence to the domesticke light and truth of God is all one as to wrestle with God 5. We count a tender Conscience such as was in Joshuah who did yeeld and cede to the Law of God and its threatnings a soft heart then to stand out as a flint-stone or an Adamant against the warnings of an inward Law must argue hardnesse of heart 6. There is nothing so strong and divine as truth a Conscience that will bargaine to buy and sell truth and will be the Lord and Conquerour not the captive and taken prisoner of the Gospel bearing it selfe on upon the soule in power and majestie hath his one foot on the borders of the sinne against the holy Ghost 7. It is like the man walketh not at randome but by rule who is not made all of stoutnesse and ventureth not inconsiderately on actions and wayes which undoubtedly are the seeds or eternity but feareth 〈◊〉 Paedagoge and teacher in so far as the law and will of the Judge of the world goeth along with him Vâ—e 2. Because the Word of God must be the rule of Conscience and Conscience is a servant and under-Judge onely not a Lord nor an Absolute and independent Soveraigne whose voice is a Law therefore an Iodolatrous and exorbitent rule of Conscience is here also to be condemned Conscience is ruled by Scripture but it is not Scripture nor a Canonicke book and rule of faith and conversation it often speaketh Apocriphâ— and is neither God nor Pope but can reele and totter and dream â—â—â—scribe more to conscience then is Just and to make new and hold opinions of God broad and venturous and daring affirmations the very Oracles of heaven because they are the brood as â—s conceived of an equall and unbyassed Conscience is presumption neere to Atheisme the grossest Idolatry is to make your selfe the Idol whâ—reas tender consciences suffer most persecution and are not active in daring there is extreame pride in such as lead families and are Christians in new heresies Some are extreamely sworne and devoted to Conscience as Conscience humility is not daringly peremptory Many weake ones pine away in feavours of sinistrous thoughts of Christ as if his love were cold to them Esa 49. 14. 15. and phancie an imaginary and a made-plea with Christ Oh he leveth any but me and because they make an Idol of the weak oracle of Conscience they make also an Idol of meeke Jesus Christ as if they would try if Christs love can be cold and his blood and bowels can act any more mercy to them The third is the office of Conscience in one generall It cometh under the name of Obligation But to come to particulars There be two sorts of operations of Conscience some illicite and imbred other imperate or commanded These which be Imbred are of two kinds 1. Such as conscience simply as conscience actethas in generall to oblige and in particular 1. To direct 2. To discerne 3. To exciâ—e Dirigere Discernere Impellere Others are such as issue from Conscience as good or ill as right or not right as these in well-doing 1. It approveth 2. It excuseth 3. It absolveth in ill doing it disalloweth and reproveth 2. It accuseth or chargeth 3. It condemneth These imperated operations of Conscience are such as Conscience acteth on the affections or commandeth the affections to act but are not properly acts of Conscience nor of the practicall understanding but acts of the affections resulting from the Consciences well or ill doing as to rejoice to grieve and check and the like But there be other acts that agree to Conscience in order to the assumption others in order to the Conclusion In order to the Assumption it specially doth beâ—re witnesse and testifie of its own acts both that the man hath done this fact And 2. of the quallitie of it that it is done against God the Mediator Christ free grace the word of reconciliation as a faithfull witnesse must not onely depone the fact but all the circumstances and quallities in so farre as they come under the senses of seeing and hearing and may
and certainly know that she erreth not in her decisions yea though it fall out she erre not yet ought not to take power to her selfe to command others to beleeve that to be true which she beleeves or to impose silence upon others who cannot in conscience acquiesce to what they command Answ There is some-thing true in this there is a two-fold judgement one saving and Christian common to all by which both shepheard and sheep beleeve and its true of this that the sheepe are no more to stand to the judgement of shepheards thâ—â— the shepheards to the judgement of the sheepe in point of Christian beleeving which sure is common to both shepheard and sheepe for the alone authoritie of God speaking in his word And so the Doctor beleeves not as a Doctor but as a Christian But secondly there is another judgement that is ministeriall officiall and authoritative and this is terminated not on Christian beleeving but supposeth a ministeriall beleeving that what the shepheard teacheth others God revealed to him first and is put forth in a ministeriall and officiall judging either in Synods or in publick Pastorall Sermons and authoritative but ministeriall publishing the will and mind of Christ Mal. 2. 7. They shall seeke the Law from his mouth Heb. 13. 7. 17. That way the people depends upon the Ministeriall judgement of Synods and Pastors but it s most false that Pastors depends on their Ministeriall judgement who are sheepe and that there is a like and equall power in shepheards and sheepe and its false that though the Church beleeves she erres not and doth not erre yet the Church may not command and in Synods Ministerially and with all authoritie rebuke such a pervert soules Act. 15. 22. And that Doctors may not as the Heraulds and Ministers of Christ rebuke men sharply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they may be sound in the faith Tit. 1. 12. For Pastors and Synods teach fundamentals of faith ministerially to the people and by hearing of them is faith begotten in the hearers and they may command exhort rebuke with all long suffering 2. Tim. 4. 1 2. 2 Tim. 2. 14. stop their mouthes Tit. 1. 11. and authoritatively enjoyne them silence Act. 15. 22 23 24 25. Act. 6. 4. Though they cannot by reason of an erroneous conscience or a conscience burnt with an hot iron acquiesce to the determination of a Synod Yea though they bee unruly vaine talkers and deceivers they must be commanded to bee silent Nor must the Church and Angels of the Church of Thyatira Ephesus or Pergamus suffer Jezabell to seduce not â—avening wolves to devoure the flock nor their word to eate as a Caâ—ker For this judgement authoritative as it is in the head of the Church Christ as in the fountaine and onely Law-giver so it is Ministerially onely and by way of office in the Elders as the will and mind of the King is in the inferiour Judge the Ambassadour or Herauld not in the people And the people are obleiged to obey those that are over them in the Lord who watch for their soules as those who must give an account But there is no ground to say the shepheards are obleiged to stand to and obey the ministeriall and officiall judgement of the people and of this it is said he that heareth you Ministers of the Gospel not the people heareth me he that dispiseth you dispiseth mee And this is more then a priviledge of order and honor which one Christian hath above another in regard of eminencie of graces gifts and of wisdome experience and age it is a priviledge of office to speake in the name of the Lord and yet it is inferiour to a priviledge of law because the Lord onely imposeth lawes upon the Conscience for it is a middle judgement lesse then Legislative Supreme and absolute over the Conscience this is in none save onely in the King and head of the Church and is Royall and Princely Yet is it more I say not more excellent it not being saving of it selfe as in beleevers than a priviledge of meere honour and order for though it lay no more bands on the Conscience to obtain faith because it is holden forth by men it having no influence on the Conscience because of men whose word is not the formall object of faith yet hath it an officiall authoritie from Pastours which is not meerely titularie so as they may ministerially and officially command obedience to their judgement as far as it agrees with the mind of Christ no farther and when it is disobeyed may inflict censures which private Christians cannot doe and putteth these who disobey under another guiltinesse then if private Christians did speake the same word to wit not onely in a case of disobedience to the second command but in a state of disobedience to the fift command formally as not honouring father and mother where as to disobey that same word by way of Counsel in the mouth of a brother though it be the breach of the fift command also Yet not in such a manner as when we refuse to heare the messenger of the Lord of Hoasts and his judgement as a messenger of God is publique and bindes as publike to highest obedience to the fift command but as it is a judgement of faith common to the Doctor with other Christians it bindes as the minde of God holding faith in the second Commandment what wee are to believe Armmians The word of God is sufficient for the deciding of controversies its cleare what neede it there of decision if men acquiesce to the decision of God as it lyes in Scripture if the word of God expresse the sense of God or if it have need of interpretation why is there not a free interpretation left to every manâ—â— doe we think that our words are clearer than the word of God we doe a â—â—nithic injury to the word of God if we believe that How much better were it if we would nourish peace and concord leaving interpretations free to every man It is most sure to containe our selves within the speaking of the holy Scripture and the forme of words of the holy Ghost and that no man be troubled who shewes himself willing to containe himself within these Answ Here is a meere fluctuation and Septicism even in fundamentals and the faith of them for all interpretation of Scripture is rejected there is no destinction in fundamentals or no fundamentals for in principles of faith that Christ is God and man and dyed for sinners the Scripture is most plaine and what need then of our interpretation then let Arrians and Secinnians beleeve him to be God man and to die for sinners in their sense the Familists in a contrary sense the Georgians in another contrary sense the Papists in a third the Protestants in a fourth and so as many heads as many faiths every sect and man must have some sense else his faith is non-sense and if
Testament to be the word of man not the word of God The Sadduces acknowledged the five books of Moses to be the word of God yet because they denyed the resurrection of the dead Christ argueth them Math. 22. 45. Ignorant both of the power of God asserted in the books of Moses and of the scriptures especially of that scripture which God spake out of the bush to Moses I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac c. Exod. 3. 6. Yet would the Sadduces have sworn and subscribed all the booke of Exodus as the undoubted word of God but when they denyed the resurrection sure these words I am the God of Abraham c. making the Covenant of grace to dye when Abraham dyed and Abraham to have perished in soule and bodie as they expounded it was not the word of God and Papists will subscribe the old and new Testament and the three Creeds the Nicene Creed the Creed of Athanasius and that which commonly is called the Apostles Creed Yet as they expound the word and these Creeds we say they transforme the word of God into the doctrine of devils and most abominable Idolatrie The greatest hereticks that were Arrius Nestorius Appolliuaris Macedonius the Treithite acknowledge the scripture to be the word of God and will sweare and subscribe the word of God and containe themselves intra sacra scripturae lâ—cutiones within the words of scripure But their faith is not the saith of the scripture and this makes ten thousand and millions of faiths where as the word faith there is but one faith For Arrius hath one faith Apollinâ—ris another Nestorius another and every heretick a faith according to the sense that he fallely puts on the scripture and all may sweare one Confession of saith in Scripture-words Arminians say no man after he hath received a decree of a Synod is longer oblieged to it nor upon any other condition but in so farre and so long as he judgeth in his conscience that it is true Answ This is meere Scepticisme and to make the conscience whether erroneous or not erroneous to be a bible and a rule of faith For though the erroneous conscience say it is service to God to kill the innocent Apostles John 16. 1. Yet the sixt commandement lyes upon these murtherers with equall strength thou shalt not kill otherwise they are nor guilty of murther For if a Synod decree to kill Peter and John because they preach that the Son of Mary is the Messiah is bloody persecution Then so soone as Scribes and Pharisees in their erroneous conscience for Libertimes make exceptions of no consciences an erroneous more than another nor erring in fundamentals more than of another shall judge it service to God to kill the Apostles they are loosed from the sixt commandement and no longer oblieged to this thou shalt not murther So the authour of the tractate called Armini Where mens scope is any way to remove controversies there is there no care or little at all of the trueth of God and where the externall peace of the Common-wealth is heeded precisely there peace of conscience is of none or of little value the truth is not there perswaded but crushed Ans The learned and renowned professors of Leiden answer the end of Synods is not by any means good or bad to remove controversies but to burie them by the power of the word 2. Onely externall peace separated from truth should not be intended but conjoyned with truth and peace of conscience 3. The end of Synods is not effectually and actu secundo to silence hereticks and gain-sayers of the truth nor is it Christs scope in convincing the Sadduces that the dead must rise Math. 22. to perswade the truth so as there shall never be on earth Sadducie again who denies the resurrection for in Pauls and in the Apostles time the Sadducies still denyed the resurrection after the Synod of Jerusalem Acts 15. There arose many that said we must keep the Law of Ceremonies but the end of Synods is to doe what may actu prime remoove controversies and silence Hereticks by clearing scripture and truth but the end is not to remove obstinacy that is not the scope of Synods nor of preaching nor of the scriptures but of all these are in the event as God blesseth them and concurreth with them the end of Synods is not to oppresse or deprive ministers the end of despised and obstinately refused truth is such Armini Synods should not ayme at setting up their own authoritie which in matters of faith is none at all such decisions are the heart of Poperie and makes all religion without Synods to be uncertain Ans Synods should take care that no man despise their Authority as Timothie is exhorted by Paul but their Authoritie in matters of faith is conditionall and so not nul 2. Synods are necessarie ad bene esse not absolutely for many are saved both persecuted Churches and believers who neuer had help of Synods to cleare their faith 3. But none more contend then Libertines doe for a faith as uncertaine as the weather which may change with every new moone The same also may be said of preaching and a ministerie which the Lord Jesus ascending on high gave for the edifying his body the Church that religion is uncertain without it For Pastors in publick should convince gainsayers and so remove heresies Tit. 1. 9 10 11. 1. Tim. 6. 3 4 as well as Synods and Libertines in their conscience know Protestant Synods Lord over the faith of none as if they took to themselves in fallibilitie as Popish Synods doe Armini Since Synods may erre how then place they religion in securitie Ans No otherwise then Doctors and Pastors doe place religion in security by teaching truth and refuting errors and yet they may erre Obj. But Pastours oblidge not men to receive what they say under paine of Censures as Synods doe Answ Vnder paine of divine if not Ecclesiasticall punishment and the one is that way as binding to the conscience as the other yea more for it is a greater obligation for Pastours to subject men to divine wrath if they receive not what they preach then for Synods to binde them onely to Ecclesiasticall censurers and yet none can say that Pastours exercise tyrannie over the conscience for the former Ergo neither can Synods justly he deemed Lords over the conscience for the latter Armin. Very often fewer and provinciall Synods doe 〈◊〉 mine more soundly then many and Occuminical Synods Answ That is by accident one Machaiah saw more that foure hundred prophets of Baal But this objection is against the saftie that is in a multitude of counsellers and in the excâ—llencie of two convened in the name of Christ above one Armin. Decision of Synods cannot oblidge men while they know that the decision was rightly made it is not enough to oblidge any to consent that that which is
decided be true and agreeable to the word of God of necessitie every mans private judgement must goe before otherwise it s an implicite faith Answ That any man should duely and as he ought beleeve and receive the decision of a Synod it must be both true and 〈◊〉 must believe and know that it is true but that it may oblidge him and doth oblidge him whether his conscience be erroneous or no is as true for then this Commandement Thou shalt not kill Honour thy father and thy mother should lay no 〈◊〉 on a man that believes it is service to God to kill the Apostâ—â— as Joh. 16. some doe For no man is exempted from an obligation to obey Gods Law because of his own sinfull and culpable ignorance for we speak not now of invincible ignorance of these things which we are not oblidged to know or believe But if our sinfull and erroneous conscience free us from actuall obligation to be tyed by a Law then our erroneous conscience freeth us from sinning against a Law and â—o from punishment for what ever freeth a man from actuall obligation freeth him also from actuall sinning for all sinne is a doing against a Law-obligation and if so then are none to be led by any rule but their own conscience the written Law and Gospel is not henceforth our rule any more Arminiars The last condition of a Synod is that the subject of a Synodical decision be ever left to a free examination and to a farther free discussion and revise The learned professours of Leyden answer that which is once true and fixed in the word of God is ever true and fixed in the word of God The Arminians reply what is true and fixed in the word of God is â—ver so and ought to remaine so for the word is beyond all danger of erring But what is believed to be fixed and fixed and Ratified in a Synod is not so because it is obnoxious to errour Answ They require that before we come to a Synod where fundamentall truths are Synodically determined we be as a razed table and as cleane paper in which no thing is written and so must we be after a Synod hath determined according to the word of God that is be still Scepticks and believe nothing fixedly and be rooted in no faith nay not in the faith of the fundamentals that are most cleare in the word of God for it is unpossible that we can beleeve the clearest fundamentals as that God created the world and Christ God-Man redeemed it but we must beleeve them by the intervening and intermediation of â—ur own sense or the Churches sense or the sense of some Godly Doctour now because all these senses are fallible and we see Familists put one sense on fundamentals Papists another sense and all private men may doe the like it is not possible that any man can be rooted in any faith at all by this way for all senses are fallible though the scripture giveth clear evident senses yet such is the Hereticall dulnesse of men that reject these infallible senses as false and those others that by their own confession are fallible and so can neither be established by the word nor by the interpretations of men though senses of Scripture rendered by Synods be fallible in the way they come to us because men delivering them may erre yet being agreeable to the word they are in themselves infallible And so the old and new Testament in the way they come to us may be fallible because Printers are not prophets but may miscarry and dreame but it followeth not they are not the infallible word of life in themselves when the Spirit witnesseth to us that God divinitie transforming glory are in these books as a spouse knoweth the hand-writstill lovelinesse of a letter from her husband to be certainly no counterfeit but true though the bearer be a rogue and can deceive Secondly this answer still supposeth that Synods do give senses contrary to the word of God and so we grant they are not onely fallible but false and erroneous and are to be examined of new again in that case but we hold when lawfull Synods convened in the name of Christ doe determine according to the word of God they are to be heard as Ambassadours who in Christs stead teach us and what is once true and ratified in Synods in this manner is ever true and ratified as the reverend professours say and never subject to any further examination and new discussion so as it must be changed and retracted as false For this is to subject the very word of God to retractation and change because a Synod did declare and truely determine it in a Ministeriall way to be the word of God For what Synods determine being the undenyable word of God iâ— intrinsecally infallible and can never become fallible though fallible and sinfull men that are obnoxious to errour and mistakes doe hold it forth Ministerially to others and it is false that we are to believe that what Synods determine according to the word of God we are to believe it is fallible and lyable to errour and may an untruth because they so determine for then when a Synod determines there is but one true God the principle of faith is believed to be subject to Retraction and falshood because a Synod hath determined it to be a truth But the truth is we are to believe truths determined by Synods to be infallible and never againe lyable to retractation or discussion because they are and were in themselves and without any Synodicall determination infallible but not for this formall medium because so saith the Synod but because so saith the Lord It is true new hereticks pretending new light may arise as Math. 24. 24. And call in question all Fundamentalls that are determined that are cleared in former Synods but it follows not but these truths are still in themselves fixed and unmovable as the Pole-star though evil men bring them under a new Synodicall examination as Familists doe now raze the foundations of Christianitie yet Daniel and Christ are Innocent though wicked men accuse them judicially as deceivers nor is it enough that Libertines say it may be the word of God and the infallible word of God which the Synod determineth but it is not so to us we are to believe it with a reserve because we cannot know it so to be But I answer this concludes not onely against a Synodicall determination but against all Scripture and all Propheticall and Apostolicall determinations in the Scripture for that there is one God not three as the Treithits dreame is believed by some to be false by others to be true Yet undenyably it is in it self true that there is but one God nor is it therefore to be believed with a reserve because the Synod hath so determined according to the word of God and this were some answer if we should teach
might be objected against the decree of 〈…〉 Quer. 10. Whether on 〈◊〉 are men punished because God 〈◊〉 not bestow the Spirit of grace 〈◊〉 them by which they would flye all evill-doing when they are punished for evill-doing Quer. 11. Whereas this distinct argument presupposeth that the Magistrate should tolerate errors in fundamentalls and in non-fundamentalls because of the difficulty of knowing of fundamentalls must it not follow that men are far rather to be tolerated 〈◊〉 â—â—re in fundamentalls 〈◊〉 such as erre in non-fundamentalls and so the more blasphemous that seducing teachers be as if they deny there is a God and that nature and chante rules all and that Christ was an imposter the Gospel a fable the Scripture a meer 〈◊〉 the more they are to be pitied and 〈◊〉 measure of indulgence and toleration is due to them then to such â—â— are godly and erre but in lesser points that are more easily 〈…〉 concerning usury accidentall killing of our neighbour or the meaning of some places of Scripture or erre in matters touching Church-government or the like Quer. 12. Since also 〈◊〉 lay for a ground that the Magistrate is not infallible in judging of matters of Religion especially that are supernaturall such as the mysteries of the Gospell the incarnation sufferings and death of Christ his satisfaction for sinners c. and Christians are not infallible in either reaching these to others or in believing them for their faith and practise and therefore the Magistrate ought to tolerate all these how then can this Divine talke of a certainty of knowing and teaching and holding of divine trutheâ—â— for by 〈◊〉 principle of toleration that no man hath infallibility in matters of Religion since the Prophets and Apostles fell asleepe there can be no certainty of faith either in ruler or people but all our faith in fundamentalls or non-fundamentalls must be fallible dubious conjectuâ—â—â— And for such as yeeld a toleration in non-fundamentalls but deny it in fundamentals 1. They must quit all arguments used by Libertinâ—â— for toleration from the nature of conscience that it can not be constrained 2. That they 〈◊〉 bee a willing people that follow Christ 3. That 〈◊〉 Lord of the conscience onely 4. That coâ—pulsion 〈◊〉 hypocrites 5. That to know maintaine aâ—d 〈◊〉 truths of the Gospel is not in our power as to kill or 〈◊〉 to kill because acts of the understanding fall not 〈◊〉 dominion of free-will 6. That the preaching of the 〈◊〉 and perswading by Scripture and reason not the sword and strong hand is the way to propagate truth and 〈◊〉 pate heresies 7. That the laws of Moses against false 〈◊〉 were onely typicall and perished with other 〈◊〉 and therefore there is no warrant under the Nâ—â— Testament for punishing hereticks all these and the like 〈◊〉 with equall strength conclude against toleration of such 〈◊〉 erre in non-fundamentalls as well as in fundamentall 〈◊〉 in neither the one not the other is the conscience to â—â—â—strained nor can Magistrates be Lords of the 〈◊〉 fundamentalls more then in non-fundamentalls and 〈◊〉 must be a willing people in fundamentalls as in non-fundamentalls nor can the sword but preaching of the word onely be a means of propagating of non-fundamentalls more then of fundamentalls when then Libertines 〈◊〉 lost all these arguments by reason of this 〈◊〉 which here hath no place their cause must bee weake and leane To determine what is fundamentall what not and the number of fundamentall points and the least measure of knowledge of fundamentals in which the essence of saving faith may consist or the simple want of the knowledge of which fundamentalls is inconsistent 〈◊〉 saving faith in minimo quod non is more then Magistratâ— or Church can well know Sure it borders with one of Gods secrets touching the finall state of salvation or damnation of particular men And it is as sure this is a fundamentall to belieâ—â— that God is that hee is a rewarder of those that seeke hiâ— that there is not a name under Heaven by which men may 〈◊〉 saved but by the Name of Jesus that no man 〈◊〉 come to the Father but by Christ that hee that 〈◊〉 not the wrath of God abideth on him and he is condemned 〈◊〉 then he was condemned and under wrath before even from the wombe Nor is this a good argument of Bellius where Christ is what he doth how he sits at the right hand of God how he is one with the Father many things of the Trinity of God Predestination Angels the state of men after this life are points not so necessary to be known for publicans and harlots who enter into heaven may be ignorant of them and though they were knowne they make not a man better according to that if I had all knowledge if I have not love it is nothing For 1. The exact knowledge of these are not so necessary and that is all that this argument can conclude but the Scripture saith no more that publicans and harlots remaining publicans and harlots enter into the Kingdome of heaven in sensu composito nor when it saith The blinde see the deafe heare the dead are raised the meaning should be blinde and deafe remaining blinde and deafe doe see and heare or the dead remaining dead in their graves and void of life doe live and have life but these that were blinde now see when blindnesse is removed otherwise some may take harlotry into heaven with them and because the word of God is a seed when this is in the heart of a dying harlot Christ came to save sinners and to save me how or what way the Spirit sits upon this egge and warmes it and what births of saving truths the Spirit joyned with the spirit of a dying man brings forth who knowes the repenting thiefe knew Christ to be the Saviour of men and a King who could dispose of heaven but what deductions the Spirit made with in who knows nor is it a truth that the knowledge of any revealed truths of God makes no man the better for it leanes on this ground That 1. The spirituall Law of God commands not a conformity between the understanding power of the soule and the Law to require that the minde conceive apprehend and know God and his will as he reveales himselfe to us which yet is included in the command of loving of God with all the heart with all the soule with all the strength and so with all the minde though that knowledge be directed to no other practice but beliefe 2. It leanes upon another false ground that to believe I speake of an intellectuall assenting to divine truthâ— it being an act of the understanding and a necessary result of knowledge doth not make a man better which yet is most false for beside that it is commanded not to believe a reâ—â—aled truth is a sin and renders men morally ill and worâ—â— now that text that saith 1 Cor. 13.
Because he rebuketh them for being dull of hearing which is opposite to being teachers of the word of truth to others which must insinuate they were to have faith and not conjecturall and fluctuating opinions of the things they were to teach 2. He reproves them for that they had not their senses exercised to discerne good and ill and that they were unskilfull in the words of righteousnesse 3. He exhorteth them chap. 6. 1. to be carried on to perfection beyond the principles of the doctrine of Christ Now to be carried to know all except some fundamentalls and principles with a reserve and a doubting of the truth is not to have the senses exercised to discern good and ill nor to be skilfull in the word of truth nor to goe on to perfection but to stand still as in a horse-mill and be at the same perfection of knowledge in knowing and beleeving all even fundamentalls say some or all non-fundamentalls say other Libertines with a reserve and a resolution to judge them all falsehood and lyes 9. It argues the word of God of obscurity and darknesse as not being able to instruct us in all truths and renders it as a nose of wax in all non-fundamentals histories narrations c. in which notwithstanding the Scripture is as evident plaine simple obvious to the lowest capacities in most points except some few Prophesies as it is in fundamentalls and layes a blasphemous charge on the Holy Ghost as if hee had written the Scriptures upon an intention that we should have no assured and fixed knowledge no faith but a meere probable opinion a conjecturall dubious apprehension of truths with a reserve to beleeve the contrary as if the Lords purpose had beene that we should all be Scepticks and dye doubting and how then can God in justice punish any man for not beleeving and doing the will of our Master and Lord If it bee unpossible even by the light of the Spirit to know his will in whole as some say and in the most part as others say yea it must not be our sinfull darkenesse in that wee cannot beleeve most of the matters of God but with a reserve but it is the will and command of God we doe so and how shall we know the second faith contradictory to the former to be the minde of God and not the first and the third and not the second and the fourth and not the third and so to the end since we are to beleeve all the foure with a reserve and all to our dying day with a reserve for the word is alike dubious now as in Pauls dayes and since the Apostles charge us to beleeve and be comforted in beleeving the truths which they beleeved not as Apostles but as Christians and as fellow-Citizens with us we must say that the Apostles also beleeved with a reserve which is blasphemous 10 All our practises according to fundamentals or non-fundamentals must bee in faith that is with a perswasion that what we doe is according to the revealed will of God otherwise we sin Rom. 14. 23. and are condemned in all we doe But if this faith with a reserve be the rule of our practise we can do nothing in faith but with a resolve upon doubting so what you doe may as possibly be murther idolatry stealing lying as obedience to God yea you must beleeve that what you do to day is lawfull but yet so as to morrowyou must beleeve upon a new light that it is unlawfull and sin yea and this makes the erroneous conscience the rule of your faith and practise for if the holy ghost command you to beleeve such points with the faith of a reserve he must command you to practise according to the present faith that he commands you to have of those truths But the present you have may be the beleife of a lye and a blasphemous untruth and so the ten Commandements should bee a rule to no man But his erroneous conscience if then he beleeve that it is such acceptable worship as God craved of Abraham that you sacrifice your Sonne to God you beleeve it with a reserve and you are to practise it with a reserve and oblieged to practice what you are oblieged to beleeve but you are oblieged to beleeve with a reserve that it is acceptable service to God to sacrifice your child to him for it is a non-fundamentall not clearly determined in the word as least it is contraverted by many that goe for godly people Now if so God shall obliege men to sin and not to sin to doe his revealed wil and not to doe his revealed will in the same commandement which were blasphemous now that we are to practise according to our faith of reserve I prove by the doctrin of Libertines for they teach a man is to suffer death and any torment rather then that he say there bee three persons in one God and two natures and one person in Christ and that Presbyterian Government is lawfull that the Christian Prince is to punish false teachers if he beleeve in his conscience though hee is to beleeve with a reserve and doubt somely that these are truths contrary to the word of God then is his faith with a reserve which may be the faith of a lye his onely oblieging rule of his practise according to the way of Libertines I confesse hee is rather to suffer death then to professe any doctrine contrary to the dictates even of an erroneous conscience because he should choose afflictions rather then sin But when we are commanded faith with a reserve as they say we are commanded to beleeve a lye which is blasphemous and what we are commanded to beleeve by the Lord in his word that must be an oblieging rule to our practice and so must we be oblieged to sin nor can it be said to offer your child to God in a sacrifice is against the light and a cleare Law of nature and a fundamentall errour for in this dispute Libertines arguments are for a toleration of all whether they erre in fundamentalls or non-fundamentalls nor can they determine what is of their owne naturall are controversall and disputable to humane reason and what not for we either speake what are de facto actually controverted in all the Christian world or what be those that in regard of their disproportion to humane reason of their owne nature may be controverted 2. Or we speake of those which are not controversall amongst Christians who acknowledge the Old and New Testament to be the word of God and what are not clearely determined in the word and touching the former there is nothing we know not controverted in the Christian world except that there is a God and that is also controverted two wayes Atheists so farre winke though nature cannot no not in devills and godlesse men run it selfe starke blinde as they deny there is a God out of malice 2. They cavill at all arguments brought to
and unjust the conclusion blasphemous and Atheisticall 3. Consider how Celsus proveth that the heretickes that dye for heresies is not taken with vaine-glory and for a name because a hereticke dyes infamous and filled with reproach but make an argument of that he that dyes for that which in the opinion of the contrary side is infamous and reproachfull cannot dye for a name among men and vaine-glory but he that dyes for heresie dyes so ergo The major is most false for to dye for heresie in the estimation of the heretick and of all of his opinion and of all that for all after generations shall be of his opinion is no reproach but an everlasting name to the hereticke so dying and a name and glory with men is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an opinion and is coyned lives and breaths in the conceit and braine of men we all say Lucretia Seneca Caâ—o dyed for vaine-glory for to the Romans it was glorious yet they dyed truly and really infamous for Christians who know what true honour and true liberty is say and truly thinke they dyed infamous and shamelesse murtherers and slaves to the people and the aire and breath of the peoples mouth and their empty plaudite 4. Nor will any man far lesse an hereticke willingly chuse the destruction of his owne soule Answ An Atheist sticks not to contradict God Prov. 8. 36. All they that hate me love death but false teachers and hereticks hate wisdome and Christ Deut. 13. 3. not to follow God is to hate God he denyes the Lord that bought him he is proud destitute of the truth a vaine and unruly talker reprobate as concerning faith leads captive soules and such cannot chuse the feare of the Lord. 2. He speaketh like an heathen for the will of hereticks and of all godlesse men is captive and the will they have is to serve the devill and though we could not tell determinately what end an hereticke hath in dying for his heresie it cannot prove his innocencie Yea the Donatists killed themselves and cast themselves downe head-long from an high place they did that saith Mr. Celsus out of obstinacy and malice to be avenged on Catholicks and bring them under the guilt of persecuters which was an evill conscience in them but there can be no evill conscience in an heretick dying for his opinion an hereticke dying for his opinion cannot have an ill conscience he prayes to God commends his safety to him acknowledgeth Christ his Son his Redeemer and Saviour sings hymnes and praises in the midst of the flames of fire Answ That is a conjecture that Donatists and Circumceâ—â—ions killed themselves to be revenged on Catholicks Augustine neither Ep. 61. nor Ep. 50. nor elsewhere makes mention of such an end they had but because they beleeved it was happinesse to dye for Christ yea though so it were praying and praising and crying The Temple of the Lord will he say there can be no malice in theeves murtherers adulterers perjured persons walkers after other Gods and such as kill their sonnes to the devill in Topâ—eâ— Jer. 7. 3 4 5 9. 30 31. and in bloody persecuters who said the Lord be glorified Esa 66. 5. and in these that thinke they doe God service in killing the Apostles of the Lord Joh. 16. 1. the man speakes not like a divine but an Atheist and most that are for Libertinisme to me are Atheists 2. When Servetus and other Martyrs of the Devill dyeâ—â— we heard nothing of their singing of Psalmes in the fire Paul 〈◊〉 a swearer and a drunkard who denies the Deity of the Son of God is not one of these But Celsus I conceive thinkes the godly martyrs that the bloody mother of fornications Babylon hath killed for the testimony of Jesus were heretickes because they had no certainty of faith for the truths they were burnt for because the faith of Libertines is Scepticisme 3. Heretickes may before men pray and acknowledge a Saviour but as the formall of heresie so of sound faith is in the heart and unseen to Celsus and therefore this argument is but a conjecture and so Paul 2 Tim. 3. saith those that 〈◊〉 from the faith have but a form of godlinesse deny the power thereof 4 Though heretickes acknowledge a Redeemer which yet may be questioned whether they doe all so even those who deny the Lord that bought them yet these arguments of Celsus and Libertines plead for liberty of conscience not onely to hereticks that acknowledge a Redeemer but to all to open blasphemers apostates from the Christian faith to Judaisme and Mahometisme for should any Christian turn Jew as some have done and pray to God and be willing to dye for Judaisme and acknowledge the Messiah to come Libertines can no more make a window in this mans conscience to see his end in so doing and know infallibly that neither pleasure profit nor honour led him but meere and onely principles of Religion in regard places in the New Testament cite passages of the Old so farre seemingly to reason contrary to the scope of the Prophets then you can see to the conscience of a hereticke and Religion is to be compelled in no man one or other nor the sword or violence used against any though Celsus and the Belgick Remonstrants thinke false teachers may rather be banished and imprisoned leâ—t they pervert the faith of others But if they yeeld any corporall restraint or violence may be used against false teachers they fall from their cause and lose all their arguments for one degree of one violence though banishment be cousen Germanes to death and to some who cannot live and subsist but in England as there are many such far worse can no more be used against the conscience then forcing of ten degrees or tormenting deaths Butâ— saith Celsus Heretickes that dye for their heresie are stupid and drunken But how can stupidity and malice be in one saith he malice is not without certaine knowledge stupidity deprives men of knowledge and render them blocks can ye find a man who willingly and wittingly makes defection from God and resists the truth against his owne conscience and yet is so stupid that he knowes not what he doth and can indure foolishly to dye for maintaining a lye Answ If the Author were not stupid hee would not declare himselfe so Atheistically ignorant of spirituall stupidity for highest malice and a hardened and fatned heart eyes eares and a heart that cannot see heare or perceive and so are spiritually stupid doe not lodge sundered one from another Esay 6. 9 10 11. hath this man read the word Esay 29 9. Stay your selves and wonder cry ye out and cry they are drunken but not with wine they stagger but not with strong drink 10. The Lord hath powred out upon you the spirit of a deep sleep and hath closed your eyes the Prophets and your Rulers the Seers hath he covered and yet these same were deep
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
Commandement as it is probable it is true and acceptable and worship to God and though it were false worship it is as probable that to punish it is a sacrilegious invading of Gods place as it is an act of justice in the Magistrate 4. If the Magistrate must beleeve as the Libertine doth doth and teacheth him what he will if it were King and Parliament and all the Judges in Britain if they be of the faith of Libertines what conscience have they to take away the â—ead of a father who sacrificeth his onely childe to God upon meere religious principles what warrant have they before the tribunall of God to cut off his head as a peace-breaker rather then to spare his life as a sacrificer and a devout and zealous whether it be blinde zeal or no the Libertine Magistrate hath nothing to do to judge worshipper of God whether or no hath the Magistrate who in that case killeth aâ— innocent man according to his own libertine-conscience greater respect to false peace in a humane society then to true piety and innocent walking with God which forbids him to punish any thing that is onely to the subject he punisheth a meere devout worshipping of God 5. Upon the same ground should not the masse and all the broad worship on earth be tolerated since it hath farre lesse connexion with disturbance of peace then the Anabaptists children-killing worship of God 6. If the formall is ratio the onely formall reason and cause why the Magistrate is to use corporall coersion against none now under the New Testament but is to suffer every man to worship God as he best pleaseth because the worship of the New Testament is more spirituall the Law-giver Christ a meeker Mediator then Moses and there is no warrant now to hinder any man or lay bands and coactive violence upon Christs free subjects with force of sword to restraine them in one worship more then another what reason an Anabaptists offering his son a sacrifice to God should be restrained in his sacrificing more then in other acts of worship is not the man persecuted for his conscience is not this a carnall and no New Testament way of restraining him when he is restrained by the sword is not the onely word of God and no weapons that are carnall the way of rescuing men from all false worship and the onely way 7. Nor can the bloodinesse and cruelty of that worship be a sufficient ground why the Magistrate may restraine the conscience of the devout worshipper for who ought to sit as Lord Judge above the conscience of this father and sentence the worship as destructive to peace or the worshipper as a bloody man his conscience is under the New Testament and the Lord his onely judge But by the light of nature that the father kill the sonne to God 〈◊〉 murther and â—ruelâ—y But I answer if it be gratefull worship to God it is no more cruelty then to burne a beast to God and you are to suppose that a godly Anabaptist hath warrant from God for that worship as well for burning of beasts and offering yearely thousands of bullocks and sheep to God in memory of Christ once already sacrificed for sinners and that there is in it neither cruelty to beasts nor hurt to the Common-wealth that the Magistrate can restraine for though there be no reason at all for the worship ex natura rei if we consider the worship it selfe yet there is such reason to tolerate the worship so as if the Magistrate restraine he tyranniâ—eth over the conscience and a bloody conscience is a conscience as uncapable of violence and as immediately in the New Testament subject to God onely not to the sword as a good conscience then if the sword can straine no conscience as conscience how can it squeeze a conscience wading in bloody son-butchery more then any other conscience 8. If the Magistrates punishing of any for his conscience be a violent compelling of him to sin to worship or to forbeare worship against his conscience how will Libertines cleare Magistracy in the Old Testament from being intrinsecally a sinfull ordinance for the Magistrate in the Old Testament in stoning to death the seducing Prophet and the blasphemer must compell him to sin against his conscience and to professe Jehovah not Baal was the true God whereas the seducer believed in his conscience the contrary since to compell men to sin is intrinsecally sinfull let Libertines answer the query if God ever in Old or New Testament could command sin or if there was ever such a thing heard that a Magistrate might by his office command men to sin or then punish them 9. Let Libertines answer if Arminians extend not liberty of prophesying as farre as mens lusts can carry them in these words But to suffer every man say they to 〈◊〉 publickly in Religion every thing iâ— perilous Why for either that which 〈◊〉 asserteth is true or false if it be true why admit we is not why doe we imprison the Author thereof this injury reflects upon God the Author of truth if it be false the truth shall easily overcome â—â—ar of it self it shall melt like was before the Sunne if ye offer violence 〈◊〉 it yee strip Religion of its glory and furnish oyle to errâ—â—â— Whether is not reason as strong to refute errours fundamentall as non-fundamentall whether if ye offer violence to truth in fundamentalls as well as in non-fundamentalls yee strippe Religion and truth of its glory and furnish oyle to errour They goe on and tell us Wee need not ever bee in learning these that are clearely determined in the word for they are cleare open and of undoubled truths in the Scripture in other points not fundamentall a Christian is ever a disciple and a searcher not that he doth ever doubt and hesitate but because though for the present he neither doubt nor hath cause of doubting yet can he not be sure of these points with such a certitude which is free of all danger of errour and therefore he is often to examine these according to the rule that cannot erre and so it is enough before God that he may be said ever to learne and to come to the knowledge of the truth as far as frailty in this life can permit Answ 1. There is then no stability of faith but in two or three points in which all Papists Latherans Antiâ—â—niâ—arâ—ans Arrians Socinians Libertines Familists Sabellians Nestorians Macedonians Arminians Antinomians Seekers Fâ—thystasts Anabaptists c. agree and make one true Church beleeving what is necessary for salvation and holding the foundation Christ and we have no divine faith of the miracles that Christ wrought that the old world perished with waters which God speakes as clearly in the word as he doth fundamentalls But Libertines should distinguish the formall reason of beleeving truths which breedeth an obligation and the necessity of beleeving for the one onely
avoyding of them is not of God But such is this pretended Toleration ergo It is not of God the major is evident of it selfe The assumption I thus prove Therefore the Magistrate should not punish Heretickes because hee cannot doe it in faith for he not being infallible hee cannot certainely and undeniably know that hee punisheth the man for that which is a Heresie or for that which is a truth and so while he is plucking up Tares hee may bee plucking up Wheat and so he cannot in faith punish him say they But this reason strongly evinceth according to the way of Libertines the gaine-saying hereticke is not to bee refuted nor to bee sharpely rebuked that he may bee sound in the faith nor to bee avoided as selfe-condemned contrary to Titus 1. 11 12 13. Titus 3. 10. Romans 16. 17. 2 Timoth. 2. 14 15. 1 Timoth. 6. 3 4. Matth. 22. 29 30 31 32. 1 Cor. 15. 1 2 3 4 c. because what ever my Christian Professour doth as well as the Christian Magistrate he must doe it in faith Rom. 14. 23. otherwise 〈◊〉 sinneth And it is no lesse sinne I speake not of 〈◊〉 degreeâ— to refute judge and condemne rebuke and avoid a brother as a selfe-condemned Hereticke when it is not evident to the conscience of Pastours Synods or any private Christians who may refute admonish and rebuke Heretickes by the word of God Titus 1. 11 12 13 Titus 3. 10. Rom. 16. 17. that hee is an Hereticke for they may bee reproaching and speaking against such as are sound in the Faith and Wheat not Heretickes and Tares for ought they know who have not monopoliâ—ed the Holy Spirit to themselves onely more then these whom they refute admonish rebuke and avoid as Heretickes and so they cannot in Faith more 〈◊〉 the Holy Ghosts charge and rebuke Heretickes then the Magistrate can in Faith draw the Sword against them Argument VI. THe father commands the children now in the state of sinne to learn and heare the judgements and testimonies of God Gen. 18. 19. Exod. 12. 27. Psal 78. 3 5 6. Joel 1. 2 3. and that in order to the rod and bodily punishment Prov. 13. 24. Prov. 23. 13. With-hold not correction from the child for if thou beatest him with the rod he shall not die 24. Thou shalt beat him with the rod and shalt deliver his soule from hell Damnable heresies bring swift destruction 2 Pet. 2. 1. The fourth command is given to the father of the house Exod. 20. in order to son servant and stranger to cause them to keep the Sabbath which Nehemiah as a father and a ruler practised by the sword Nehem. 13. 19 20 21 22. And the like Morrally layeth bands on all Magistrates and Ministers according to the power of the rod civill or ecclesiasticall committed to them Eli a father and a judge dispised God 1 Sam. 2. 30. in not correcting his sons for abusing of their priestly power his sonnes might have pretented conscience that they could not live upon the ordinary allowance for the priest and that the law of nature might beare them out in their practises yea every man is to take care that he and his house serve the Lord nor did Joshua as a Magistrate only chap. 24. 15. but as a master of a house so speake then must the Prince the Parliament the Magistrates say the like and take care according to their places as fathers of the Common-wealth to doe the same Hence we thus argue what ever coercive power to command threaten promise punish restraine reward God hath given to parents masters of families teachers tutors officers in war Kings and Princes is the good gift of God and a tallent to be imployed for the good of soules and in order to observe the duty of the first Table every one in order to their station Because Kings are to bring their glory and honour to the new Jerusalem it s either Kingly honour and power which is essentially coactive or then it is nothing but that holy rich men that bring their glory to it Rev. 21. 24. And Kings shall minister to the Church It is either royall service as Kings or then no more favour is bestowed on the Church then if private men ministered to the Church Esa 60. ver 10. And if it be not for the beautifying of the House of God at Jerusalem in obeying the Law of God and insticting death or banishment on the refusers of obedience as the Persian Monarch did Ezr. 7. 28. 26 27 28. it is not glory brought to Jerusalem But such a coercive power hath the Lord given as a talent and gift to parents masters teachers tutors officers Kings and Princes as these places evince And thus that which the master of a christian family may doe that the father of the Common-wealth the King in his place may doe But the master of a family may and ought to deny an act of humanity or hospitality to strangers that are false teachers who bring another Gospell 2 John 10. whom he must neither lodge nor bid God speed because he brings another Gospel which he otherwise owes by the law of nature to a Pagan and a man not knowne to him Heb. 13. 1 2. Job 31. 32. Gen. 18. 1 2 3 4. chap 19 1 2 3. The proposition is cleare upon the ground that David as an head of an house will cut off all lyers and wicked persons out of his house as a godly King he will also cut off early from the Church called the city of God 〈◊〉 wicked doers Psal 101. For if every Christian family of New England must refuse lodging to a false teacher must not the Governour and Judges who have power to command and regulate acts of hospitality joyn their civil authority to forbid any master of an house to lodg such a 〈◊〉 hereticke And what is this but the highest degree of banishment And if the Christian Magistrate who may in law dispose of Innes and lodging of strangers for the publique good should command any to receive such a man 〈◊〉 house should he not offer violence to the conscience of the master of the house And yet if the man were sound in the faith and should onely seeme a false teacher to the master of the house the adversaries would say the godly ruler may command an act of the law of nature to lodge a 〈◊〉 who onely upon mistake and an erronious 〈◊〉 is suspected to be an hereticke for they say the Ruler may 〈◊〉 his power in duties of the second Table 3 It appeares that the laws of both Kingdoms ordained English or Scotish seminary priests or Jesuits that come to either Kingdome to seduce men to the Romish faith to be hanged to have better ground in the word of God 2 Jo. 10. and which forbids any under paine of death to lodge such then the twelfth proposall for peace that licenceth Jesuits and Preists and so commandeth Protestants to lodge such if
a prophecy of a New Testament Law because many were to come in Christs name and say Loe I am Christ as many now doe so Zach. 13. 1 2 3 4. Levit. 20. 2. Whosoever of the children of Israel or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel that giveth any of his seed to Molech 〈◊〉 shall surely be put to death This Law if it did lye upon the strangers and heathen then it was not judiciall but it must lye on us Gentiles now Who can free us from it Object But he was put to death not for false worship but for â—â—rthering of his Son Answ No Law of God or men can judge that murther which is done without hatred to the party murthered as is clear Deut. 19. 11 12 13. chap. 4. 42. chap. 19. 4. but here the dearer their sons were to them they the rather offeâ—ed them to their God â— The Text gives no reason why such should be put to death for murther but for false worship against the first Table Ver. 3. He defiles my Sanctuary be prophanes my holy name ver 5. the Magistrate must kill such a seducer for he commits whoredom with Molech CHAP. XIV Cavils against coercive judiciall Laws for punishing false prophets in the Old Testament removed THE first common Answer made to all these is That these were judiciall and Old Testament Laws when God dealt more strictâ—y with the Jews and hedged them in with severer laws penalties and a greater measure of bondage then now under the meek and gentle reign of the Messiah Answ More severity and a stricter tutory to be over the Church in non-age and under Pedagogie we grant Gal. 4. 1 2 3. But that is in regard of Ceremoniall hedges laws and dayes but it is to begge the question to say that morall transgressions are destructive if not more to Christian societies now as then such as blasphemy idolatry heresie that were punished with the sword then must now be more loosed from all bodily punishment in any kind then murther sorcery adultery perjury For the comparison of a milder Government under Jesus then under Moses cannot stand in fencing some moral transgressions utterly from the sword and in leaving others lesse weighty under as bloody punishments as ever they were When no reason from the word of truth can be given why the murtherer should dye by the sword now and then but blasphemy and offering the sons to Molech as the Indians doe now was then by the law of Nature a dis-worship or a false worship punishable in Jews and heathen but now it is not in any punishable by the sword at all 2. The sword did not force the conscience of any then more than now nor could it cudgell an Idolater or a blasphemer into the sound faith then more then now and weapons of the Prophets in the Old Testament as well as the Apostles in the New were not carnall but spirituall and mighty through God Prophets as Prophets no more used the sword against mens consciences of old than Christ his Apostles and Ministers doe now Mat. 28. 19 20. And as Christ saith now preach the Gospel but kill none use neither staffe nor sword nor miraculous power to destroy hereticks or burn Samaria so he said to his Prophets speake my word to Israel and Judah and the Nations to Ninive and others but kill none and use the sword against none of the rebellious who will not heare that they may bee converted Yet hee commanded the Magistrate to use the sword against the seduceing Prophet nor can the Libertines shew us of a Ceremoniall death inflicted for the transgression of a morall law which transgression is now made free from all bodily punishment indeed the man that refused to raise up seed to his brother was put to shame by the law and we are freed from both the law and the penalty thereof and the man that gathered sticks on the Sabbath was put to death by an answer from Gods mouth but the breach of the holy Sabbath instituted before the fall is no Ceremoniall transgression nor doe we thinke that every violation of the Sabbath was punished by death but that the Magistrate Masters and Fathers are not to punish with bodily coercive power the transgressours of the fourth command is most false For what the Magistrate commands the Subject the Master the servant the Father the sons and which they have warrant from the Morall law to command in these relations that they command in order to the sword and rodde if their commandements find no other welcome but rebellion for the power of Magistrate and Master yea and of the Father now in the state of sin is essentially coercive they may compell their inferiours by strong hand either to doe or suffer the will of God which is sufficient to prove our poynt Though it be true some morall transgressions Moses punished with death as Sabbath-breaking it followeth not therefore the godly Prince may now punish it with death but it followes not therefore such transgressors are made free through Christ of all bodily punishment as Libertines inferre for though the temporarines of the punishment be only in the measure of punishment yet not in the punishment it selfe 2 We desire a reason why the gentlenesse of the sonne of Gods government should free the blasphemer and the soul-murtherer from sadder yea from all bodily punishment and not free him that destroyes the body also Or how all the Sons of Levi saw by an immediate oracle that all that had worshipped the golden Calfe Exod. 32. had done it with such high presumption as made that Idolatry worthy of death which otherwise was not worthy of death and it is cleare the charge was without exception v. 27. slay every man his brother and every man his companion and every man his neighbour And the like I say of all that joyned to Baal-peor And when Asa compelled so many thousands both of Judah and Israel to sweare a Covenant and that they should be put to death that would not seeke the Lord 2 Chro. 15. whether Asa and all the under-Judges for Asa in his owne person could not doe it had a deputed dominion over the consciences to force them and whether he consulted the oracle to know who sought not the Lord and refused the Covenant out of meere weaknesse as not being able to see how Asa who was no Prophet and a Prince for eminency of conversing with God farre inferior to Moses was not a little wide in pretended zeale to urge the Law with an oath and no lesse then death on the refusers to seeke God and the breakers of the Covenant Nor could Asa see and know infallibly how out of heart-obstinacy or how out of sinlesse and faultlesse innocency refused the Covenant And Asa could not compell men to take the Covenant and professe seeking of the Lord against their judgements and consciences which the thirteenth Proposall of the Army does condemne And yet
such a limb of hell The thirteenth Proposall of the Army will say the Parliament forces this man to sinne and to beleeve and professe a truth against his judgement and conscience and upon this ground for wee know not infallibly such a man to be a damned Atheist The 4 Answer to annull all these Lawes in the Old Testament is this punishment was bodily afflictive carnall and so typicall and prefigurative of those greater and more spirituall evils under the Gospell to wit of eternall damnation As the land was a type of heaven so to bee cut off by death out of that land was typicall Answer Had the Jewes no spirituall censures then as debarring from the Passeover the excluding of the uncircumcised and uncleane from the Congregation of the Lord 2 Was not the cutting off of the murtherer out of that good land as typicall as the cutting off of the blasphemer 3 Is there any bodily punishment but it is carnall and afflictive I trow none 4 Is punishment and cutting off from the Church by death typicall because bodily Then the avenging of 〈◊〉 doers under the New Testament must be typicall and is many hangings and headings of evill doers as many types under the New Testament If the punishment was typical because in such a way bodily as exclusion from a typicall land Then 1. How is not the killing of the murtherer typicall 2. Give us a warrant for this because we may not at our pleasure phancy types where the word gives no ground for them otherwise we shall with Anabaptists turne all the Old Testament and whole scripture into types upon our owne imagination 3. How shall violent death â—ypiâ—â—e damnation and hel that was existent then and not a thing to come and that because it was the cutting off of the blasphemer not of the murtherer 5 But say they were types as crucifying and hanging on a tree was Deut. 21. 23. of Christs crucifying Gal. 3. 10. What shall it follow that robbers and murtherers 〈◊〉 as Barraâ—â—s may not under the New Testament be 〈◊〉 Yea and by this argument nor may any bodily punishment be inflicted on robbers more then false teachers may bâ—â— killed or incurre any bodily punishment for that were â—â—y Libertines to rip up the grave of Moses because undoubtedly crucifying was a typicall death Gal. 3. 10 â—9 〈…〉 â—ut it is knowne there were two forts of typicall things in the old Testament 1. Some that were meerly typicall and had no use but in divine worship as sacrificing Bullocks and Lambs to God other things were so typicall that they had both a naturall and civill use at eating of manna when yee are hungry drinking water in the wilderneâ—se living in the holy land the former typicall things are utterly ceased and it were impious and meere judaisme to recall them or bring in againe sacrificing of Bullockes to God but the latter things may well remaine in their Naturall and Civill use though their typicall and religious use be abolished as it were lawfull for Jewes even now after Christ is come and ascended and hath put an end to all shadowes and types by the comming in the body to eat manna if they were in the wildernesse and drinke water out of the rocky mountaines if thirsty and dwell in their owne land if the Lord should restore them to it yet should they not Judaize nor recall the types of Moses for these they should doe for a naturall and physicall and for no Religious use Now granting that stoning of blasphemers were typicall and as typicall as hanging of robbers was Deut. 21. yet should it never follow that stoning of blasphemers were Judaizing and unlawfull because it hath a necessary civill use even of common and naturall equity that he that thus perverteth the right wayes of the Lord and seduceth others should dye the death Yea this may well infer that prophesying of lyes blaspheming were typicall sinnes against a ceremoniall and temporary law and so they are not now sinnes yea because it is a falling from Christ to observe Jewish shadows Gal. 5. not to blaspheme and not to prophesie lyes must be sinne and if that be blasphemy what more reason to remove the punishment of a sinne as destructive to society now as then if the sinne cease not to bee sinne but remaine yet a morall hainous transgression The fifth Answer is That the Lawes of Moses cannot reach the heretickes now under the Gospel 1. An hereticke denyes not God the Creator nor teacheth hee Let us goe after other Gods which thou hast not knowne as the Apostate Prophet Deut. 13. 2. Hee denyes not the word of God therefore you may use it as a weapon against him but yee can use no sword but that of iron against Apostates 3. Hereticks as Sadduces were tollerated among the Jews but blasphemers and Apostates were not 4. Scribes and Pharisees held many dangerous opinions yet neither they nor Sadduces were expelled the City or hindered to be Magistrates 5. Though the zeale of Gods house eat up Christ and he attempted a reformation yet he never charged Church or State as unfaithfull for not proceeding against them to imprisonment and death 6. These Deut. 13. would perswade they speake by the inspiration of some Deity and that their sayings were oracles hereticks doe not so so Io. Goodwin Hagiom Answ 1. The conclusion we hold is not hurt all this saith an Heretick that is not an apostate is not to be put to death Let it be so but wee hold by these places that bodily punishment is to be inflicted on him and yet the conscience is not strained nor he persecuted 2. Hereticks 2 Pet. 2. denyes the Lord that bought them and make shipwracke of faith and bring in damnable heresies and bring on themselves swift destruction they depart from the faith speake doctrines of devills lyes in hypocrisie 1 Tim. 4. 1. are condemned of their own conscience Tit. 3. 10. Lead the simple captive resist the truth as Jannes and Jambres did Moses are men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith 2 Tim. 3. 6 7 8. which is a wilfull denying of the Lord that bought them Libertines have bowells of charity to Arch-hereticks as if God had made a law of sinnes if we are we are not capable under the Gospell whereas it is knowne there are though we need not call all false teachers Hereticks Seducers that say there is not a God nor a heaven nor a hell 3. How shall they prove that the Seducer Deut. 13. formally denyed God the Creator To deny him as Creator and say the world was eternall as Aristotle did is not to deny God for Aristotle and all his acknowledged there was a God but that those dreamers denyed the very existence of God any otherwise then as practicall Atheists and by consequence in their abominable doctrine they cannot prove for they professe a Religion and a God when they say Let us goe and serve other Gods and
speake de genere singulorum or did those that took the Covenant speak or meane that tolleration of all these Sects and Reformation and nearest uniformity can consist or that he and all these had this sense under-hand of these words according to the word of God that is as Socinians Libertines Familists Antinomians c. expound the word of God If so we must justifie the Jesuits equivocation and their oaths with mentall reservation for the sense of Prelaticall men and of those that goe for Heretickes and Schismatickes now as then to wit Socinians Libertines Arrians Familists and the rest were knowne Heretickes and Schismatickes and their Socinian Arrian Familisticall c. sense of the word of God was excluded in the second Article of the Covenant in these words We shall endeavour the extirpation of Popery Prelacy Superstition Heresie Schisme c. by this Jesuiticall sense we all sweare we shall endeavour to be perjured and to reforme each mans Religion according to his owne sense of the word and whereas in former times it was beleeved that Christ was God-man We Familists sweare to reforme Religion in the three Kingdomes in that part and to teach and professe that every Saint is so Godded and Christed that there is as much of the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelling in every Saint as in Christ so that there be as many Saints as many Christs and as many Gods manifested in the flesh as there be Saints for since liberty of conscience was then not professed and was a point holden by no Reformed Church yea not by the Church of New England the best Reformed Church as this man saith but detested by all it was presupposed that the true sense of the word of God was against it and Independents who then did sweare the Covenant knew our minde and did sweare the preservation of the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in doctrine worship and discipline against the common enemy and they knew Presbyteriall Government approves both of the censures of the Church and of the Magistrates sword against heretickes and therefore Turkes and Pagans would never have sworne a Covenant to endeavour uniformity in one Religion according to the word of God and after petition the Parliament to set up in England the widest multiformity that Sathan can devise and say they have sworne to endeavour the nearest uniformity in Religion and yet to preach and print and endeavour by the same Covenant and the word of God the rule of sworne Reformation the widest multiformity and that the Lord should be one and his name one in both Kingdomes and yet that the Lord be two or ten and his name that is the maners and kinds of Religions be two and twenty that Gods name may be divided amongst Socinians Arrians Familists Antinomians Anabaptists Seekers Antiscripturists Libertines Scepticks Enthysiasts Brownists Independentsâ— this is worse then a Popish implicit faith which we disclaim The other thing saith he left out which yet referres to all The Covenant is that hee that sweares shall by all lawfull wayes and meanes and according to his place and calling endeavour to performe the Covenant v. 13. to bring the Churches to uniformity and to extirpate heresie As for instance it is the godly Magistrates duty their place and calling to send forth Ministers to the darke places of the land and to set up lights to guide mens feet into the wayes of truth and peace and reclaime them from errors and he cannot be urged upon his calling to punish or compell gainesayers And the Minister is to doe it in his place by exhorting rebuking instructing but he is to goe no further he is not to deliver men up to judge and be an executioner Answ The words by all lawfull meanes and wayes which this man puts in Italian letters and says are left out by the Authour whom he refutes may soon be left out for they were never in the Covenant The man will defend the Covenant and apparently hath sworne it but I thinke he hath scarce read it for these words are not in the Covenant let him read againe Turpe est doctori cum culpa redarnit ipsum 2 He sweares to bring the Churches to nearest uniformity according to his place but when this man defends the tolleration of all the sects in England Socinians Arians Familists for he writing anno 1645 when above twenty sundry Religions in England came to the streets he excepts not one in all his Treatise but calls them all the godly party Saints Brethren the Godly and ownes them so in his preface and whole booke He must grant there is no uniformity in faith discipline worship by the word of God for if all these be Saints Godly and holy Brethren they have all one faith and are saved but let him tell me by the next if he can answer whether there is a nearest or any uniformity in faith worship and government betweene Presbyterians and Socinians Familists Antinomians and Seekers yet this man sweares to indeavour the nearest conjunction and uniformity amongst all the Saints who are to be tollerated but let him say if he hath in this case ingenuity or learning what nearest uniformity hee knowes amongst all these whether the Covenant should not obliege a Libertine to indeavour the widest contrariety and deformity of religious amongst these and to plead for forbearance of them all as he expoundeth it 3 But wee are saith he to indeavour by all lawfull meanes and wayes the nearest uniformity among the Churches and the onely lawfull way as he thinks is not by force but by rebuking instructing exhorting and by no weapons but onely by the word of God But since this Authour and all the Nation of Libertines goe upon this principle Religion is not to be compelled by force for we are not infallible and those whom we force as hereticks may be no hereticks for ought we know but as sound in the faith as our selves Then we have no faith nor any well-grounded perswasion of the word of God to refute them by the word and we refute them not of faith but sinfully and erroniously for they may be as sound in the faith as we our selves for ought wee know and this is a strong argument against morall wayes of gaining hereticks by the power of the word for if they may be sound in the faith and we the hereticks though we refute them by the word we may be perverting the right wayes of God and â—ight against Christ as Elimâ—s for Eliâ—â—s onely by morall wayes not by force or violence laboured to pervert the faith of Sergius Paulus and it is not apparent that Elimas was perswaded in his conscience that the Gospel Paul preached was the truth of God and so by no meanes lawfull or unlawfull by force or by the word of God are we to indeavour uniformity for our indeavouring is not of faith nor from the real grounds of the word but from meere opinions
and conjectures for it may be say Libertines that all those whom wee refute as hereticks be sound in the faith and we not they the hereticks and those whom we refute are as much oblieged in faith to refute us as we to refute them So I see not how Libertines can use so much as morall compelling of Hereticks For 1. They cannot compell them with the sword to forsake their heresies because the sword bearer being fallible knoweth them not to be heresies they may be necessary truths for him Ergo because the Pastor is no more infallible then the Magistrate the Pastor with certainty of faith cannot say thus saith the Lord. Jezabel is a false Prophetesse Hymaeneus and Phyletus depart from the faith for Jezabel Hemaeneus and Philetus may be sound in the faith and this Pastor who refuteth them the false heretick for there is no peremptory and imposing decision of any of these till the last judgement since now the infallible Prophets and Apostles are dead 2. Upon this ground yee cannot eschew any as a heretick after twise admonishing him of his hereâ—ie for ye have no faith nor divine certainty it is an heresie that he holdeth it mâ—y be you who admonish him are the heretick only upon opinion you admonish him 3 You cannot rebuke any Heretick sharpely that hee may be sound in the faith for you are not infallible in the bestowing of the lashings of your tongue on a heretick more then the Magistrate in beating him with the sword and your rebuking of him may be heretical and unjust and he the man sound in the saith 4. Upon the same ground you cannot admonish and instruct him in faith Nor 5. Call the opinion of the Magistrates coercing of men with the sword for their conscience a bloody tenet and persecution of the Saints Nor 6. Can you in faith refuse him lodging in your house and all your 7. Saying in the pulpit such a way of Familisme is a way of heresie is not resolved in thus saith the Lord by such a preacher but such a preacher so thinketh possibly phancies that the Lord sayth such a way is heresie And by the same reason what ever pastors preach especially except it be two or three fundamentalls which all Christians Papists Socinians Lutherans Protestants Familists Arminians Seekers c. Is but the dictates of their own conscience and so they preach so they beleeve and so they professe not because God so saith but because their conscience so dictates to them And here is the Libertines Creed Me thinks Christ died for sinners the dead shall be raised c. And so Libertines are very Papists in this and resolve our faith into the testimony of men the conjectures of the conscience So he goes on Hee expounds uniformity and nearest conjunction to be absolute conjunction and identitie If we be agreed of the same Church Officers with the reformed Churches and have cast out the old Vsurpers cashiered the Common-prayer booke Ceremonies Alters Crucifixes all which we have don by the Covenant do we not save our Covenant though we cast not our Churches into such Classicall provinciall or nationall formes Answ Nor do we plead for absolute identitie in doctrine and worship but indeavour it we ought But how I pray you doth the Magistrate for that I had almost forgot send Ministers to rebuke exhort and reclaime men from their errors but not compel gainesayers The Magistrate I am sure sent not Paul and Barnabas it was not so from the begining in the Apostilick Church there were no Parliament-Ministers But it may be the Authour meanes a politicall civill sending of Ministers to extirpate heresies But be it so all Magistraticall sending of Magistrates is a commanding of them by the sword in a compulsive way that they goe preach against Familisme Socinianisme Arrianisme But if so good Sir remember your selfe the Magistrate as the Magistrate doth not request and morally by the power of the word for he hath not any such spirituall armour I conceive for his warfare intreat and say good Pastors I beseech you go preach against Del Randal Saltmarsh and other Familists and extirpate their heresies private men so send Pastors but as a Magistrate he must say I command you goe preach against these heresies under the paine of bearing the vengeance of my sword now if the Pastors reply Good Master Judge we cannot doe that for we think Familisme a new glorious discovery of spirit and Mr. Saltmarsh hath beaten out of the Scriptures new sparkles of glory and flowings of free grace Familisme is no heresie If the Magistrate notwithstanding by his place and calling send these and command them to goe and extirpate Familisme doth he not compell the consciences of these pastors he sends what doe ye then talke of no compelling for what ever the Magistrate by his place doth command which is lawfull if Ministers or any other refuse to obey he may use the sword against them Ye cannot say if it be a matter of conscience he cannot compell them to doe it by his place then say I by his place hee cannot command them neither Beside that this answer is directly against the words of the Covenant if every man in like manner Art 2. Be to endeavour the extirpation of Popery Prelacy Heresie and Schisme in his severall places and calings as the Author saith this referres to the whole obligation of each person respectively Then is the Magistrate according to his place and calling which is to beare the sword to compell with the sword the extirpation of Popery Prelacy Heresie and Schisme and what hath the Author gained by this glosse which I conceive is the true glosse except he mean the Magistrate as the Magistrate should lay aside his sword and fall to prayers requests obtestations that hereticks would lay aside their errours and preach sound doctrine but now he doth so pray and request not according to his place as a Magistrate but according to his vocation as a Saint and a Christian which yet crosses the Covenant and makes the Parliament not as the supream Court of Judges to take the Covenant but as so many private Christians 2 If so the Judges are not in their respective places to take the Covenant nor endeavour the extirpation of heresie because that is against the word of God but then by what authority or calling did the Parliament cast out old Vsurpers the Prelates casheire the Service booke Ceremonies Alters and Crucifixes Either as a Parliament and so by the sword is not here yet the Prelates conscience squeezed to the blood is not here highest violence done to the consciences of high alter men and adorers of crucifixes Why to them more then to Familiâ—s But if this was done by requeâ—â— and wordâ— of butter and oyl from the Parliament and Committee-men then are Ordinances of Parliament but meer requests to the Subjects But it is protestatio conâ—raria facto He addeth if these words we shall
God appeared once satisfactorily to your conscience to be according to the word of God for you tooke the Covenant yet ye say it is Antichristian it drives men in droves to the Sacrament it is the Bishops Courts and Consistories continued But yee did sweare to endeavour the preservation of their Reformed Religion according to the word of God the onely rule But if it was sworne to as the Reformed Religion was it not according to the word of God is it reformed and not according to the word of God or was these words according to the word of God A condition insinuating what is in the doctrine and discipline of the Reformed Religion of that Church not according to the word of God to that you did not sweare But so if the Turke should come and wage warre against Papists for their Religion and a heathen people that maintaines there bee more Gods then one and that the Old Testament is not the word of God should raise Armes against the Jewes you might as well swear you should defend the doctrine of the Church of Rome and the Religion of the Jewes against the Turke and those heathen people according to the word of God for sure these fundamentalls that Jewes and Papists hold in doctrine are according to the word of God and so you did swear no otherwise to defend the Reformed Religion of the Church of Scotland then that of the Church of England before these troubles arose for that ye swore to defend in so far as it agrees with â—â—e word of God yea so ye did sweare to defend any Religion of any Nation you never heard of according to the word of God if you say But we knew the Reformed Religion of the Church of Scotland therefore ye might sweare to it but yee know not all the Religions of any Nation you never heard of But if so then yee knew the Reformed Religion of Scotland to be according to the word of God then it appeared satisfactorily to your conscience so to be But did their fundamentalls against Familists Antiscripturists Socinians Arrians so appeare to your conscience to be according to the word of God and their Antichristian and tyrannicall Presbyteries that are but as you say Episcopall Courts and Consistories appear to be so and that satisfactorily to your consciences if so why judge ye Familists Socinians such as deny the Trinity and such as make all the Saints to be Christ and Godded with the indwelling fulnesse of God to be Gods manifeâ—â—ed in the flesh to be Saints brethren the godly party to be indulged then you must question the fundamentalls of the doctrine of Scotland and they did not satisfactorily appeare to your conscience to be according to the word of God And why did you simply without any limitation sweare to endeavour the preservation of the Reformed Religion you should have said truly Reformed Religion of the Church of Scotland and why did you sweare simply to the doctrine worship discipline and government of the Church according to the word of God when yee knew then as now their government was Antichristian and not according to the word of God and their doctrine even in fundamentalls not so sure but Socinians Arrians and the Saints your brethren the Familists may hold the contrary and bee tollerated as Saints and their doctrine though opposite in fundamentalls to ours may be as satisfactory truths to your conscience as ours of Scotland Confesse and glorifie God you sware the Covenant in a Jesuiticall reserved sense kept up in your minde as you insinuate pag. 66 67. and such as the words cannot beare 3. There is here a new Tricke put on the Covenant it bindes to no truth but what shall appeare satisfactorily to the conscience of each swearer to be according to the word of God If a Merchant promise and swear to a simple man to give him for such wares an hundred pounds he gives him but an hundred pounds Scotch whereas the wares are to the man as dear as an hundred pounds Starling is the Merchant absolved of his oath and promise if he pay him but an hundred pounds Scotch and say it appeares satisfactorily to my Antinomian conscience the 〈…〉 of no more value then a hundred pound Scotch and my oath and promise obligeth me to no more then satisfactorily appeareth to my conscience the onely rule of my obligation to be according to equity and justice and so you are fully paid with an hundred pounds Scotch So this Authour absolves us from all oaths and covenants though we sweare not to kill a captive taken in warre and sweare to adhere to the fundamentalls that there is one God Christ is the one onely Mediator God and man consubstantiall with the father yet if after you have talked with Saâ—marsh or put your faith in the power of the sophismes oâ— a cunning Jesuit he makes it satisfactorily appeare to your conscience that it is according to the word of God that the captive â—e killed â—e is a murtherer and there be as many Mediators as there be Saints in heaven and as many Christs Godded with the fulnesse of the Godhead as there be Saints of the family of love and so your oath to your fundamentalls obligeth you not and you are guilty of no perâ—ury though first you sware to the necessary truths of God and now ye turne apostate from both faith and oath Libertines infuse such a magick in your erroneous conscience that it is your onely rule and displaceth the Law of nature from all obligation or the word of God the onely rule of faith and manners you are tyed no longer by the oath of God then your weather-cock-weather-cock-conscience with this new Moon hath catched a new light you are as if there had been no such outward Covenant obliging you take it upon the word of this Gamaliel dormii securd in utramque aurem But though it be true nothing doth oblige but it must appeare to be according to the word of God that it may oblige in the right and due manner and way yet it is most false that it obligeth as it shall appear or quaâ—â—nus because it doth appear to the conscience to be the word of God for a quatenus ad omne valet consequentia Then every thing obligeth as it appears to be the word of God to the conscience most erroneous then are some obliged to murther the innocent Apostles for it appeares satisfactorily to their conscience to be the word of God and service to God so to doe Joh. 16. 1. and some are obliged to sacrifice their sons to God though they did vow and covenant the contrary in Baptisme for it appeares satisfactorily to their conscience it is according to the example of Abraham to offer their sonnes to God except God from heaven forbid them as he did Abraham 5. To Libertines no Covenants nor Oaths of the most lawfull things layes on any more obligation to performance then if these Oaths
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
is over their heart and if it be injustice in the Magistrate to punish men for Errors which they cannot eschew can the righteous judge of the world punish them therefore Ergo In such Errors they are innocent and sin not and if this bee said what should hinder others to be saved by beleeving the contrary sense of the old Testament and the like may be said of the new Testament and so all Hereticks and Sectaries receiving the Scriptures as Pharisees Sadduces Herodians Papists Socinians c. shall be saved every man in his own Religion and the sense of this Eschew an Heretick to a Saint must be eschew the company of an heretick to another Saint it is Adhere to and converse with the same saint for he is no heretick but sound in the saith and it falsely supposed to be an Heretick and the Scripture upon this ground hath two contradictorie senses which being beleeved and practised must save and revealeth two contradictorie wills of God and every man may take Scripture as his minde apprehends it and whereas the Scripture makes it self the judge and determiner of all questions and controversies in religion This way leaves all questions to every mans conscience to the conscience of a Jew of a Turk of an American of a Papist the old Testament as expounded by a Jew is his Conscience the old and new Testament as the popish Church expound it is their rule of faith and the Scripture lifting up Christ and casting down Christ and speaking with a hundred divers and contrary tongues is every mans obliging rule and because there is no man infallible in taking up the right sense of the Scripture if yee controll the Jew or put him off his sense of the old Testament which yeelds him this faith Maries son is a false lying Prophet the Apostles and all the martyrs are but cousening Impostors yea domineer over the Conscience and force his faith because yee are not infallible ye may not condemn the way of any for yee know not but they be the wheat and you the tâ—res for ought that Scripture saith on either side Never man in this life is sure of his faith and salvation from Scripture and since the Jew may be wheat if ye would go to raze his faith you go to pluck up the wheat before the harvest and suppose we and all the Jewes were converted to the Christian faith and if we conceive Pauls prophecie concerning them Rom. 1â— to be fulfilled they shall be converted yet 1. we are not infallible but live upon our fancies and conjectures touching the meaning of Rom. 11. say Libertines 2. Suppose the fulness of the Gentiles be converted to Christ and we among them and all the Jewes and that in our daies the earth be filled with the knowledge of the Lord and that all the sons of Zion be taught of God and that the wildernesse blossome as a rose and the light of the moon be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun be seven-fold as the light of seven daies and that all the glorious prophecies in Isaiah Zechariah and the rest be fulfilled in our daies yet by the doctrine of Libertines all these are but to us for any certaintie we have night fancies and dreames of crazie and feaver-sick heads For Master John Goodwin undeniably the learnedst and most godly man of that way hath said in a marginall note of men for piety and learning I cannot admire enough The Vindicators call the denying of Scriptures to be the word of God a damnable Heresie and we have no certainty that the Scriptures of the old and new Testament which we now have either the English translation or the Originall of Hebrew and Greek copies are the word of God So then holding the Scriptures to be the Word of God in either of these two senses or significations of the words either translations or originall can with no tolerable pretext or colour be called a foundation of Christian Religion unlesse their foundations be made of the credit learning and authoritie of men Because there is need to wonder by the way at this Let the reader observe that Libertines resolve all our faith and so the certaintie of our salvation on Paper and Inke and Mr. John Goodwin will allow us no foundation of faith but such as is made of grammers and Characters and if the Scripture be wrong pointed or the Printer drunke or if the translation slip then our faith is goâ—e Whereas the meanes of conveying the things beleeved may be fallible as writing printing translating speaking are all fallible meanes of conveying the truth of old and new Testament to us and yet the Word of GOD in that which is delivered to us is infallible 1. For let the Printer be fallible 2. The translation fallible 3. The Grammer fallible 4. The man that readeth the word or publisheth it fallible yet this hindreth not but the truth it self contained in the written word of God is infallible I suppose four men who shall shew to a wife her Husband among ten thousands all four fallible and may mistake yet when they have brought the Husband to the wife it cannot follow that the Wife doth not certainly and as infallibly know her own Husband by his tongue voice countenance proportion of body and statute as one can know another without any danger of mistake so it comes to the eares of a man born blind Joh. 9. there is a Prophet called Iesus the Son of Marie who will infallibly and indeclinably restore sight to this blind man yet the fame and report by which this is carried to the mans notice and knowledge is fallible all men standing truly that which the Lord reporteth of them liars and such as can be deceived yet it is no consequence that Iesus doth restore the man to his sight in a way subject to miscarrying and declinably and upon a fallible hazard so as he may goe as blind from Iesus as he came to him Now in the carrying of the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles to our knowledge through Printers translators grammer pens and tongues of men from so many ages all which are fallible we are to look to an unerring and undeclinable providence conveying the Testament of Christ which in it self is infallible and begs no truth no authoritie either from the Church as Papists dreame or from Grammer Characters Printer or translator all these being adventitious and yesterday accidents to the nature of the word of God and when Mr. Goodwin resolves all our faith into a foundation of Christian Religion if I may call it Religon made of the credit learning and authority of men he would have mens learning and authoritie either the word of God or the essence and nature thereof which is as good as to include the garments and cloathes of man in the nature and definition of a man and build our faith upon a paper foundation but our faith is
am bâ— ye shall dye in your sins and he that beleeveth not is condemned already He chargeth no man guilty of unbeleefe that heareth the Gospel for simple not beleeving But then we are commanded to beleeve no truth that God speaketh to know no truth but onely to know it with an inclination of heart love and will toward the Commander and so the minde and understanding faculty the noblest and most excellent peece in the soule must be left lawlesse and free in its operations from all hazard of guilt or sinne 2. If this Argument be good sinnes of infirmities and of weaknesse must be no sin Idle words cannot come in reckoning in the last day contrary to Matth. 12. 36. for God forgives crimes Ergo he will not call us to an account for our venialls If this conclude any thing the strongest understanding cannot pretend immunity from being deceived Ergo simple ignorance of the things of God is no sin I may argue no man can pretend to be free of sin in the inclination of the heart and originall guiltinesse Job 4. 4. Ps 51. 5. Gen 8. 21. Prov. 20. 9. 1 Joh. 1. 8. 10. Eccles 7. 20. Ergo sin is no sin originall sin sins of infirmities are no sins Object No Christian is to be put to death for his opinion which doth not teach impiety or blasphemy If it plainly and apparently brings in a crime and himselfe doth act it or incourage it then the matter of fact is punishable according to its proportion and malignancy as if be preach Treason and Sedition his opinion cannot excuse because it brings in a crime a man is never the lesse Traytor because he beleeves it lawfull to commit Treason and a man is a murtherer if he kill his brother unjustly although he thinke to doe God good service in it matters of fact are equally judicable whether the principle of them he from within or without and if a man could pretend to innocency in being seditious blasphemous or perjured by perswading himselfe it is lawfull a gate were opened for all iniquity I deny not but certaine and knowne Idolatry or any other sort of practicall impiety with its principiant doctrine ought to be punished because it is no other but matter of fact but no matter of meer opinion no errours that of themselves are not sins are to be persecuted by death or corporall inflictions Answ 1. The Doctor mocketh when he saith No meer opinions are to be persecuted That was never in question a meer opinion is a meer act of the minde within the walls of the soule and can be knowne to no man for neither Magistrate nor Church can judge of invisible and hidden acts of the soule so he sayes nothing 2. The simple apprehension of God to be a fourfooted beast is by the Apostle Rom. 1. esteemed Idolatry and a mentall changing of the glory of the incorruptible God into the glory of a corruptible creature and the profession thereof must then be the profession of manifest Idolatry and so punishable yet it is a profession of a meer opinion but I confesse of a most Idolatrous opinion not of a fact otherwise by this learning of Libertines there can be no sin in simple apprehensions of God though most prodigious and monstrous what is blasphemy is as controverted and as unjudicable as simple errour Servetus his naming the blessed Trinity a Cerberus or three-headed dog blasphemed say we I thinke Doctour Taylor will not say so then by his way blasphemy must be as unjudicable as heresie and to him the formall of it is within in the heart 3. If matters of fact be punishable according to their proportion and malignancy then speaking lyes in the name of the Lord and teaching and professing malignant doctrine contrary to the doctrine of godlinesse that Christ thought it no robbery to be equall and consubstantiall to God that God is one in three persons and to teach any thing contrary to what God hath said in his word as that there were not eight persons in the Arke with Neah must be punishable the contrary whereof the Doctor saith here for every breach of a Commandement is malignancy and punishable when it hurteth humane society especially 4. Can a man be the lesse hereticall and his society the lesse detestable then that he thinks his heresie is sound doctrine for thoughts cannot change the nature of actions 5. To kill a man is indifferent of it self it may be done in justice it may be done in injustice but if a man kill his son and offer him to God neither hating nor envying nor grudging at the safety of his son only upon this meer opinion that he expresseth an act of love to God above that he beareth to his son as Abraham did then by this way he sinneth not this son-slaughter is not murther nor punishable but a simple errour For 1. It may be said by Libertines the act of killing is indifferent of it selfe 2. If he hate not his son and lye not in wait for him it is no murther Deut. 4. 42. Deut. 19. 46. He is not worthy of death for as much as he hated him not in times past Nor can killing be called a vertuall hating or essentially an hatred of our brother for then it were impossible for a Judge to kill a man and not to hate him As every breach of the Law of God is essentially an hatred of God and a vertuall hatred of God for simple killing of our neighbour is not murther by Gods reasoning but killing of him in hatred rage anger or desire of revenge Nor can it be said that hating forbidden in murther by the Law of God includes a loving of him and a saving of his life when it is in our power to save it as it is in the fathers power who sacrificeth his innocent Son to God to save his life Answer I deny not but it is murther for they teach that a man may publish that which by consequence destroyeth the faith of fundamentals and so subvert the faith of others which to do is a sin but because the man followeth the dictment of his erroneous conscience it is no sin to the man that so teacheth yea he may innocently suffer persecution for his conscience thus erroneous yea and dye a martyr for it Ergo if the following of an erroneous conscience shall make a lesse sin to be no sin but innocency it shall make a greater sin to wit killing of his son to his heavenly father no sin and so he may lawfully do it Nor wil it suffice to say to offer a man to God and kill him is against the light of nature and vincibly a sin what then if the man beleeve he is commanded to kill him his erroneous conscience must bind as the offering of whole burnt offerings to God to us is a sin against the light of nature in regard the law of nature can no more warrant it then it can
doe that who onely hath the key of the heart nor could Gospel-arguments that convinced many that the resurrection was not passed convince Hymeneus Phyletus Alexander actu secundo Therefore Paul might not deliver them to Sathan nor is excommunication being a meer punishment an argument to prove that the resurrection is not passed any other way their the sword or banishment both of them are compelling and penall arguments the one spirituall the other corporall but both work co-actively as evills of punishment and privations of comfort neither of them give light to this conclusion The Resurrection is not past for these two have both alike inconsequences logicall The Church will excommunicate you Ergo beleeve not that the Resurrection is past And the Christian Magistrate will punish you Ergo beleeve not that the Resurrection is past There must either be other arguments to sway the conscience to the faith of this That the Resurrection is not past then either sword or excommunication or these cannot worke nor settle the conscience As Christ is risen in his body from the dead Ergo his members that are sleeping in the dust must rise God is the God of Abraham who is dead and buried Ergo Abraham and the dead must rise againe This I observe to prove that those arguments of Libertines at least for the most part that they bring against punishing of false Prophets with the Sword doe also conclude against all Church-censures and excommunication and the truth is we are not warranted to gaine the Jewes the Indians the Papists over-sea to the truth either by the sword or by excommunicating and delivering them to Sathan for we cannot judge those that are without But to returne to all those kinde of Argumentations that Libertines bring against opinions from the nature of opinion faith perswasion which are all internall acts of the minde which neither Church nor Magistrate can punish they are nothing against our conclusion who maintain that publishing and teaching and professing of erroneous and false Doctrines are punishable by the Magistrate for externall acts that come from meer Conscience as the sacrificing of innocent children to God by all the Arguments we hear are not punishable by the Magistrate for sure the Magistrates punishing of unlawful practises coming from meer Conscience do no lesse force the Conscience and domineer over it then when he punisheth erroneous opinions and therefore the Bounder draweth the question to acts and facts externall as he saith the Magistrate 〈◊〉 punish Polythesme and Atheists worshipping of Images and of the breaden God blasphemie for these saith he fight against the light of nature but if you judge only professed opinions against the light of nature not against the Gospel punishable because we may by freewill master professed opinions against nature but we cannot master opinions against the supernaturall truths of the Gospel these require supernaturall grace then good masters why doe you rebuke 〈◊〉 against the Gospel more then you can punish them 〈◊〉 what is of its own nature unrebukeable is unpunishable 〈◊〉 what is unpunishable as being above our nature is unrebukeable and falleth not under exhortation as we cannot exhort rebuke or punish a stone because it descendeth or fire because it ascendeth But the Papist saith nay but they fight not against the light of nature for to adore Christ under the accidents of bread is my conscience and indeed Doctor Taylor saith you must beleeve it is his conscience and reallities and pretences are 〈…〉 here though he contradict himself and in another place say 〈◊〉 some blasphemies are punishable by the Magistrate But Libertines are 〈◊〉 of Babel and almost as many Heads so many sundry opinions Mr. Willams goes one way Mr. Goodwin another the Bounder a third way John Baptist a fourth way Doctor Taylor a fift way The Belgick Arminians a sixt way None of them please Mr. Jeresiah Burroughes nor Mr. Philip Nye yea and Mr. Sadr Simpson is as grosse as any of them so Socinians have a way of their own Anabaptists another way Seekers and Familists as Saltmarsh a far different way Mr. Oliver Cromwell calls all Religions things of the mind Vaticanus tells us si Deum negent si blasphemant si palam de sanct à Christianorum doctrinâ maledicunt quo crimine reus est ipse Castalio si sanctam piorum vitam detestantur eos ego relinquo Magistratibus puniendos non propter religionem quam nullam habent seâ— propter irreligionem But the Bounder and Castalio must be bloodie persecuters by this For 1. What the Magistrate calleth truth and godly doctrine that these men whom the Bounder and Castalio call Atheists judge in their conscience to be Idolatrie and Blasphimie and if yee kill a man because he speakes as he thinketh yee kill him for the truth for it is truth to speak what â—â—â— think for the 15. Psalm pronounceth him blessed who speakes 〈◊〉 what is in his heart But Castalio may read righter if he please and he is blessed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who speaketh truth not falsely from his heart nor doth the Psalmist speak of the doctrine of truth so as he should blesse Mattan and Pashur or any false Prophet or the King of Assyria because he saith No God can deliver out of the hand of that Tyrant but the God of the Assyrians for so I conceive he thinketh when he relates what false experiences he had of that Bastard God but he speaks of truth of facts between man and man Psal 15. in speaking whereof there may be invincible and so excusable error whereas men sin grievously in false apprehensions of Gods truth when as God reveals himself sufficiently to us in his works and word but thus do Libertines leave the first simple apprehensions of the mind because they are naturall not under the stroak of free-will free from all Law and guiltinesse so as the Egyptians sin not in apprehending the Godhead to be a Cow the Persians to be fire or the Sun Israel to be a Calfe the Philistines to be a Fish for certain it is all Idolaters who worship the God that made the Heavens and the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ignorantly Acts 17. in the creature or in the works of mens hands should have by this way no sinfull nor unlawfull apprehensions of God when shamefully they apprehend the Creator of the world to be a Beast 2. They must be blessed then and speak truth from their heart by the Exposition that Vaticanus putteth upon Psal 15. who say that God is a cow a calf a fish why because their erroneous conscience dictateth so to them But why should they be punished then who blaspheme commit Idolatry for it is the conscience and the meer conscience of Baals Priests to speake of God and worship him as they doe they had rather dye as not doe that which you call Blasphemy and 1. It is not in their will to think what they will
sword or censures for let it be most false in it self yet it is to him Truth and if you persecute him he suffereth for the truth for the Gospel for righteousnes sake and the Ministers have no more to doe to labour to recall and gain him from his opinions to the Truth then he hath to labour to gain Ministers from their opinion Hence I argue what ever opinion maketh every manâ— dictate of his conscience the true word of God and as many Bibles divers and contrary Gospels and words of God and contrary rules of faith and practises as there be divers opinions fancies dictates and apprehensions of conscience is a Godlesse and Atheisticall way But such is this opinion of Libertie of Conscience and Toleration Ergo c. The Proposition is undoubtedly true there being but one Gospel one Faith one truth as there is but one Christ and one Lord Ephes 4 5. and the Scripture hath but one sense that is true and the ground of faith otherwise this There is but one God to us should have one sense to the Treitâ—ites to wit There be three Gods because three persons it should have a contrary sense to another To us there is but one God in nature and essence and yet both should be the same truth to each man as he apprehends The Assâ—mption is manifest to those that will see by the grounds of Libertines because to every man that is the word of God which he phansieth to be the Word of God for otherwise the truth should be monopolized to â—ut or some few persons and this is the sense of the word of God and so the very Gospel and truth which this man beleeveth and of you punish him for it the man suffers for the 〈◊〉 for the word of God and if his neighbour beleeve the contrary that is to him the Word of God and if you punish him for it the man suffers for the word of God also and there bee two contrary Gospels and sundry truths and if there be two there may be two and twentie Bibles and contrary truths and so we have not the Old and New Testament but the letters of it and as many senses by this there be of Scriptures as many Bibles and as many sundry heads and various opinions of men Hence libertie of prophecying is lawfull and so libertie of Faiths of contrary Bibles and from this it is that which tendeth to unitie of faith as one Confession of faith or uniformitie of beleef is mocked by these men and every one that suffereth for his supposed truth is persecuted for the Word of God and so blessed because persecuted for the Truth and if blessed as our Saviour meaneth Matth. â— v. 11 12. They have a great reward in Heaven for so they expound the place Matth. 5. 11 12. All men then are saved in their own Religion and to be rooted and grounded in the truth is common to all Sectâ— and Hereticks and iâ— is to bee rooted and grounded in opâ—â—ions such as every man shall fansie to be truth and not to be moved from the truth is not to bee moved from opinions and not to be carried about with every winde of doctrine is to adhere with pertinacie to opinions were it Arrianisme Manichisme and if so all Religions are alike safe and all Sects Saints and all Hereticks because they follow their erronious consciences are innocent godly grounded on Truth Neither needeth Mr. Williams to prove that the place Rom. 13. is meant of the duties not of the first but of the second Table of the Law which we grant with Calvin and Beza but it followeth not That the Magistrates punishing of ill-doers and so of seducing Teachers is excluded for that punishing is a dutie of the second Table of the Law though the Object be spirituall as sorcerie is against the first Commandment and punished as ill doing Rom. 13. though sorcerie be a sinne formally against the first Table of the Law and why should the Magistrate punish one sin against the first Table and not all in so far as they are against the peace and safetie of humane Societies FINIS Errata PAge 2. line 6. read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 12. l. 22. them r. these p. 33. l. 5. but of all these r. but all these p. 23. l. 1. r. elicite acts p. 36. l. 13. And it is false that we are to beleeve that what Synods determine according to the Word of God must be fallible lyable to Error and an untruth because they so determine p. 56. in Margin r. thus The Magistrate may with the Sword coerce ibid. Five impediments that keep men from embracing the truth according to Augustine l. 10. for Guidentum r. Gaudentium p. 50. l. 19. Cyrillus p. 59. l. penult for worships r. Vorstius p. 62. for elect r. elicite p. 74. l. 2. for or r. are p. 82. l. 10. for this not r. this is not p. 101. l. 7. for now r. not p. 106. in margin for iâ—dicari r. judicare p. 109. r. religio p. 110. l. 28. for is r. are p. 199. l. 26. for thou r. that p. 201. l. 19. for is r. it s forâ—â—ssed â—â—ssed r. professe p. 206. l. 31. for abolish r. oblige p. 215. l. 17. for and father r. and the father p. 216. in margin r. confutaâ—unt p. 223. l. 32 for Quod nou in r. Quod non est p. 232. marg for no case r. in case p. 2â—0 l. penult r. impletionem p. 254. l. 6. r. redarguit p. 156. l. 13. r. Protestaâ—ts Fâ—â—ilists Arminians Seekers c. hold and beleeve must be the Dictates Gal. 2. 14. The name Conâ—â—â—ence Conscience the practical knowledge Conscience a power not an act or habit 〈…〉 Thomas 12. â— 19 aâ—t 5. Casetan ibid. Richard 2. â— 29. ar 1. 2. Grego de Valent. 12. q. 14. punct 4. Vasqu z. 12. disp 59 c. 1. Tannet tom 2 diâ—p 2. q. 4 dubâ— 4. What sort of knowledge is ascribed to the Conscience Of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of Conscience in relation to the Major Assumption and Conclusion of a Practicall Syllogisme The object of Conscience Hamond of Conscience pag. 3. Sect. 9. Conscience to be revereâ—ced 〈…〉 of Consâ—â—â—nce and the acts 〈…〉 Of witnessing of Conscience and selfe-reflection The knowledge of our own state of grace may be had by the fruits of the Spirit of Sanctification â—olion Serm. an 1643 pag. 428. 429 430. c. Acts of Conscience in relation to the Conclusion A Conscience good or ill A good Conscience Conscience the â—arest peece that God made A tender conscience Amesius de consci l. 1. c. â—5 n. 11. Conscientiae huic malae vel cordi diero opponitâ—â— conscientia tenera quae facilè afficitur verbe Dei 2 Reg. 22. 19. Ut in Josia Who ingrosse the name of tender consciences to themselves Of a scrupulous conscience The causes of a scrupulous conscience How a Synod compelleth â— Remonsâ— Apo. c. 25.
1 Tim. 2. 1 2. 3 explained We are to pray that Magistrates as Magistrates may not only permit but procure to us that we may live in godlinesse Rev. The ten Kings as Kings punish the where and burne her flesh for her Idolatry Extraordinary punishing of hereticks no case of the magistrates neglect argueth that the magistrate ought to punish them This liberty of conscience is not Christian liberty A speculative conscience no more freed from the magistrate then a practicall conscience Ecclesiasticall censures as compulsory as the sword Remonstrantes Apo. 24. fol. 278. Noâ— dâ—â—â—â—teor parabolam hanc de zizaniâ—s de beretici non directe agere The scope of the paâ—â—ble of the tares and the vindication thereof The danger of punishing the innocent in due of the guilty through mistak is no argument that hereticks should not be punished by the Magistrate The Tares are not meant of hereticks but of al the wicked who shall be burnt with unquenchable fire Calvinus in Math. 13. Non quemlibet rigâ—rem cessare subâ—â— Christus sed 〈…〉 The Parable of the Tares and of the Sower most distinct Parables in matter and scope let them grow not exponed by Christ and what it meanâ—â—h What is understood by Tares Heresie may be knowne What is meant by plucking up What is meant by the field what by the Wheat All the tithes of the Parable must be not expounded nor the time exactly searched into when the Tares were first sowne How sins are more hainous under the New Testament how God 〈◊〉 now no lesse sâ—v◠〈◊〉 under the â—aw and a City that will defend and protect a false Prophet against justice is to be dealt with the same wayes as under the Old Testament except that the typâ—calnesse is removed What let them grow imports How we are to beare permissive providences wherein evills of sin fall out Christ must mean by Tares and Wheat persons not doctrines good and ill Minus Celsus Whether false teachers if they repent must be spared or because they may repent Minus Celsus â—o 53. Zizania Trâ—â—ico non nocent sed prosunt Augustin Omnis 〈◊〉 auâ—dco 〈◊〉 ut corrigatur aut ut per eum bonus exâ—erceatur Minâ—â— Celsus de hereticcus â—ocrecudis 24. Remonstrantes Beâ—gâ—ci Apol. c. 24. p. 279. The not burning of the Samaritans doth prove nothing for the immunity of hereticks from the sword How sâ—re wee may compell other Nations or â—eathen to imbrace the true faith Of the Covenants obliging of us to the religious observance thereof Ancient bonds c. 10. sect 3. p. 67. 68. The word of God as it is in every mans conscience no rule of Reformation in the Covenant The â—quivocation of Sectaries in swearing the Covenant Ancient bonds p. 68. The Author of the Antient bonds an ignorant prevoricator in the Covenant Al moral compelâ—ing of hereticks and refuting of falseâ—teachers by the woâ—d 〈◊〉 as unlawfull as câ—â—pâ—lâ—ion â—y the swâ—rd according to the principles of Libertines p. â—6 69. The Magistrate is the magistrate cannot send ministers but 〈◊〉 a complâ—sory way p. 〈…〉 How Independents were insnared by Presbyterians to take the Covenant as the lying Author saith Pag. 70 71. How Independents sware to defend the Presbyterian government with tongâ—â— pen sword cry out at it as Tyrannicall Antichristian and Popish Libertines make conscience not the word of God their rule So Remoâ—strantes in vindiciâ—s Apol. l. 2. c. 6. 135 136. nominem post quam acceptavit decretum this Author post quam acceptaâ—it â—uramentum tenâ—ri illo diutius quam ea â—â—ge quaâ—enus quâ—ndin ipse iâ— co 〈◊〉 sua judica illud esse â—erum How appearing to the conscience makes not the word of God to be the obliging rule but onely as touching the right and due manner of being obliged thereby Returne to the Commiss of the Gen. Assemb of Scotland an 1642. p. 5. Returne of the Parliament of England to the Com. p. â— 6. Anno 1644. The pretended liberty is contrary to the Nationall Covenant Petition to the King inviting him to returne to his Parliam Dâ—â—laration from the Paul 〈◊〉 to the state of Scotland by mr â—ickriâ— 1642. Petition to the King 1643. 〈◊〉 11. Declaration of the Kingdome of Scotland when they came into England in their second expedition to joyne in the cause for Religion and the Covenant Treaty betweene England and Scotland Ordinance of both Houses 1643. Die Lunae 13. Septem Appoved by the Assembly of Divines at Westmin 64 Septem 15. Mr. Phillip Nye his exhortation before he read the Covenant which was taken by the Parliament of England and Assembly aâ—no 1643. Decâ— 25. at Margarets Church mr Nye p. 20. Returne from the Parliament of England to the Commission of the Generall Assembly anno 1642. Ordinance of Lords and Commons an 1643. Feb. 2. Ordinance of Parlam 1643. Feb. 9. The Declaration of both Kingdomes an no. 1643. p. 15. p. 7 8 9 10 Declaration to the Gen. Assembly Aug. 1642. Letters of the Assembly of Divines and commissioners of the Church of Scotland to the Belgik French Helvetian and other reformed Churches an 1644. We indeavour making the word our rule the nearest conformity to the best reformed Churches and uâ—iformity in all the Churches of the three Kingdomes Decla after the battle of Kenton Remon of the Parl. Decla of the Parliament of Scotland â—642 Nov 7 Parliaments Decla given by their Commissio Aug. 1643. Commission papers to the convention of States in Scotland Ord. of Parl. 1644 Jâ—n 3 Salâ—m Spark of glory p. 287. 292. 243 244. Del ser before the house of Commons p. 7 8. 19. 22. Ordin 1645 Octo. 20. Ordina 1645 march 14. And an Ord. 1646 Aug. 28. Ordinance of Parl. 1645 March 14. Ordinance of Parl. 1645. Nov. 9. Propositions of peace sent to the King to Newcastle an 1646 July 15. and now again 1647 Sep. Ordinan 1646 feb 4. Ordinance 1646. Feb. 4. Ordinance 1647. Maâ— 1. Declaration of the House of Commons 1646. April 18. Declaration of both Kingdoms 1643. Returne to the Commiss of the Gen. Assem p. 4. Declaration after the battle at Kenton Declaration of both Kingdomes an 1643 Returne from the Parl. to the privy Councel of Scotland 1643. Confession of faith c. 20. s 4. c. 23. s 4. Mr. Goodwins unsound glosse touching the counsell of Gamaliel Acts 5. Calvin censures both Gamaliel and Iohn Goodwin Commen in Acts 5. 34. Caeterum si quis omnino rite expendat indigna est homine prudente sententia Gamalielis Scio qâ—â—dem a multis haberi pro oraculo sc eos Anabaptistas perpâ—ram judicare vel hinc satis clarè pateâ— quod hoc modo abstinendum esse ab omnibus paenis nec amplius ullum maleficium corrigendum verè quidem dicitur non posse ullis consilus dissolvi quod ex Deo est quod autem ex hominibus minus fiâ—mum esse quam ut consistat sed hinc perperam colligitur cessandum
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