till James fully determined the question from the word of God v. 13 14 15 16. then it is most clear that these that erre in other points that are not fundamentals in which all Christians agree may be perverters of souls and so deserve to be rebuked by the Church and punished 3. This opinion of so 〈◊〉 ring all save such as erre in fundamentals though they 〈◊〉 non fundamentals is grounded upon this that the Scripture is evidently plain and clear in fundamentals but in other points 〈◊〉 non-fundamentals the Scripture is dark and in regard of the darknesse and naturall ignorance of our minde which is inâ—â—cible almost we must forbear one another and give and take elbow-roome and latitude of indulgence because the Magistrate and Church are not infallible but both Godly and learned may be on each side so that there should be no peace nor union of hearts in Christian societies but all Churches or earth must disband and be dissolved if each should punish and censure one another for holding contrary tenets But 1. Mr. John Goodwine who contendeth for a Catholicke tolleration of all of any Religion whatsoever whither they erre in fundamentals or non-fundamentals and his words because nnanswerable to me against this distinction I set down I desire it be taken saith he to serious consideration 〈◊〉 or how farre it is meet to punish or censure poor miserable men for not holding or not asserting the truth of these things which they cannot come without much labour and contention of minde yea not without some good degree of some reason and understanding too to judge so much as probable nor at all to come to believe or know them certainly but onely by an immediate and supernaturall work of the Spirit of Godâ— are 〈◊〉 to be punished because God hath not imparted to them his Spirit of grace and supernaturall illumination This learned and sharp witted Divine as any I see of that way confirms me much that tolleration in non-fundamentals and non-tolleration in errours fundamentall is a distinction cannot subsist in the way that Libertines in England now goe for to know or believe supernaturall non-fundamentals as the histories of the miracles of Christ the Prophets and Apostles requires a work of the Spirit of grace and supernaturall illumination is to know or believe fundamentalls why then should men be punished for holding errours in the one and not in the other and the conscience cannot be compelled in the one more then in the other but with favour I desire an answer to these quaeries Quaere 1. Whether men deserve to be pitied and spoken of compassionately as poore miser 〈…〉 which they 〈…〉 work of the Spirit of grace and supernaturall 〈…〉 the false Prophet Deut 13. and Elimaâ— the perverter of the Gospel deserves to be piâ—ied Query 2. Hence whether the sinfull blindnesse of our in 〈◊〉 that makes us because poor and miserable 〈…〉 must not black the spotlesse justice of our Lord who yet punisheth originall mind-blindnesse in thousands of the sons of Adam Query 3. Whether this hinteth not at 〈…〉 power of believing and doing what we can otherwise God cannot deny further grace or punish that naturall impotency of not knowing or not believing Quer. 4. Whether the same query may not be retorted upon the Justice of Gods law Deut. 13. 〈…〉 thus whether is it meeâ— that the just God should command a pooâ—â— miserable seducing Jew who saith Let us go and worship strange Gods since this miserable impostor being a son of sin and wrath by nature cannot come without much labour and contention of mind yea nor without some good degree of reason to judge so much as it is probable nor at all to believe or know certainly that 〈◊〉 noâ— the true God but the God of the Jews onely excluding on the world from saving means of salvation is the onely true God onely to be served and worshipped but onely by an immediate and supernaturall work of the Spirit of God are men either Jews under the Law or Genâ—â—les under the Gospel to be punished and stoned to death because God hath not â—â—parted to them his Spirit of Grace and supernaturall 〈◊〉 Quer. 5. Is it meet to punish David suppose he were no King for adultery and treacherous murther since without a worke of the Spirit of Grace who only effectually 〈…〉 being led into temptation he cannot eschew the 〈◊〉 into adultery and murther are men-adultererâ— and men murtherers to be punished because God hath not imparted â—â—to them his Spirit of grace by whose actuall assistance only they can decline adultery and martherâ— Quer. 6. Whether did even 〈…〉 teach that the Magistrate should punish with the sword poor miserable men because they canot believe 〈◊〉 of faith by the supernaturall illumination of the Spirit whether is 〈◊〉 the question perverted when a Query is made whether the Magistrate is to punish poor men for not understanding not 〈◊〉 not judging not believing supernaturall truths we say the Magistrate or his sword hath nothing to do with the elect and internal acts of the minde of understanding knowing judging or believing but onely with the externall acts of speaking teaching 〈◊〉 â—ishing dangerous and pernitious doctrines to the 〈◊〉 and destraction of the soules of others Quer. 7. Whether the Magistrate does therefore force the conscience of a false teacher because he cannot he dare not keep up doctrines pornicious to the souls of others but publish them because his erroneous and evill conscience judgeth them to be saving and necessary truths when the Magistrate punisheth him more then he forceth the conscience of a murtherer whom he punisheth though this murtherer judged in his conscience that the man be killed did him so crying and oppressive an injury as in the court of God deserved bodily death or when this man murthered his son in a sacrifice to God out of meer conscience Quer. 8. Whether or no this divine who will have 〈◊〉 to be punished for erring in fundamentalls because they believe them not doth not say none that teacheth there is â—â— God that Jesus Christ is a grand impostor and faller 〈◊〉 the truth and saith Sathaâ— is the only God of this world and 〈◊〉 to be served ought to be so much as rebuked for without the immediate and supernaturall worke of the Spirit of God they cannot know or believe these truthe and are men to be rebuked and preached against because God hath not imparted to them his Spirit of grace whether doth not this arguing evict all the Ministery rebukes and exhortation and morall extirpating of heresies by the power of the word Quer. 9. Whether this be not the old argument of 〈◊〉 who argued from liberty of free-will to conclude liberty of conscience and said forcing of free-will if the Magistrate hinder men to be a willing people to Christ is an injury done to conscience and to free-will and to God the Creatâ—â— of the soule and the same
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
Physitian who can whol broken consciences or the saddest enemie if sick it is like an aking tooth the more you touch it the more it paines you The Conscience of its owne nature is a knowing power of the practicall understanding aâ— therefore no ilicite acts of the foule can be compelled neiâ—â—er can Conscience act being muzled and forced but this 〈…〉 but that men and devills in their conscience 〈…〉 beleeve many things in some 〈◊〉 against their will 〈…〉 out of the naturall efficacie of conscience cannot 〈◊〉 but â—ee must beleeve that there is a God yet where there is a trembling there must be some reluctancie in the will and affections Judaâ— must beleeve his damnation was approuching when he hanged himselfe but against his heart The Balgick Arâ—iâ—iaâ—s who contend for libertie of conscience in all wayes Apol. 95. 〈…〉 say By determinations of Synods violence iâ— not offered to conscience as conscience signifieth a meere internall act of the mind immanent or byding within the mind but as conscience signifieth an act of the mind by which any doth beleeve 〈…〉 oblieged 〈◊〉 teach others which he per 〈◊〉 himselfe to 〈…〉 so the man is compelled by a Synods prescription to dissemble what he beleeveth he ought to professe and which he beleeveth to be false Answ Say that the decision of the Synod be agreeable to the word the Lord layeth on the coaction to all to beleeve and accordingly professe the truth and that by a Synod as Christ saith he that heareth you heareth me so the coaction such as it is must come principally from God instrumentally from the Synod but it floweth from both by accident and through mens abuse who receive not the truth in love but for feare of shame least they should by the godly goe for perverters of soules Act. 15. that they doe hypocritically professe what they ought sincerely to beleeve and professe May we not say many men of corrupt minds beleeved Circumcision to be necessary and yet for feare of the Apostles censure that they should be judged troublers of souls lyars and false teachers as they are judged to bee Act. 15. 24. would dissemble And they are no other wayes by a Synodicall truth compelled to lie and dissemble by shame and falling out of the hearts of the Apostles and of all the godly the one way than the other in that case than in this 〈◊〉 For there be but two wayes of working on the mind to drive men to bee of another opinion one by feare either of shame reproach or censures civill or ecclesiasticall another by meere teaching and instructing Now for the libertie of prophecying that Arminiaâ—s require and so the libertie of Synods let us inquire if it be true libertie 1. They require a full libertie to every man without scruple or feare of danger to declare his mind in Synods and to examine what is controverted Answ It is in some respect commendable that hereticks be candid and ingenuous to declare even what their hereticall judgement and inditement of conscience leades them to beleeve but a full liberty to question in the Synode whether there be a God or no or whether Christ dyed for sinners ought not to be for that is lycense and hereticall lycense a point controverted any may question and these that Act. 15. held necessitie of circumcision might seeke resolution of their arguments and doubts but under pretext of libertie free of feare and danger they have not libertie to sinne that is after they are or may be if wilfulnesse stood not in their way inwardly convinced they have not libertie obstinately to presse sophismes against the truth for this is an undenyable principle libertie to sinne is fleshly lycense not libertie Armin. In controversies of Religion which the Scripture doth not evidently decide what can certainely be determined by the Church which ever and in every thing which it determines is beleeved may erre Answ There is nothing that the Scripture hath left simple and in it selfe controversall Actâ—â— primo the Scripture hath determined of all things conteined in it whether fundamentals or not fundamentals onely in regard of our dulnesse and sinfull blindnesse some things are controverted and therefore the Church may determine from light of the word some thing that was a controversie to the Fathers ignorant of the originall tongues which is now no controversie Yea the fallible Church may determine infallible points This is a principle that Libertines proceed upon that men who are not infallible may erre and therefore can hold forth to others no infallible truth Which is most false for Prophets and Apostles Nathan Samuel David Peter being deserted of the immediately inspiring Spirit did erre as well as the Church and Pastors now deserted of the ordinary Spins can and doe erre For â—â—ll men Prophets and Apostles are 〈◊〉 Rom. 3. yet they may and doe carrie infallible truth to others 〈◊〉 blind man may hold a candle to others 3. By this reason Pastors can preach nothing certaine in fundamentals though faith come by hearing and faith is of a certaine and determinate fixed truth of God more permanent than heaven or earth why because by this reason Pastors in preaching fundamentals are not infallible 4. Nor is this a good reason it is beleeved the Church may erre in Synods ergo it doth erre and determines nothing that is infallible and certaine in Synods no more then this is a good consequence David may sinne in praying ergo he doth sinne in praying a potentia ad actum non valet consequentia Armin. A confession is not a rule of faith it hath not the lowest place in the Church Answ The Covenant written and sealed in Nehemiahs time was a secondarie rule of faith and a rule e'n so farre as it agreed with the Law of Moses for they enter in a curse and an oath to walke in Gods Law not to give their sonnes and daughters in marriage to the Heathen not to buy victuals from the Heathen on the Sabboth to charge themselves to give money to maintain the service of God Nehe. 9. 38. chap. 10. 1 2 3. 29 30. 31 32. Which written Covenant was not Scripture and Act. 15. the decrees of the Synod was not formally Scripture yet to bee observed as a secondary rule For so farre Arminians A Doctor as a Doctor beleeveth not a Doctor beleeveth as a sheepe not as a shepheard and his judgement of matters of faith is not publick but private and common to teachers with every one of the sheepe and there is a like and equall power in shepheard and every one of the flock of beleeving and the sheepe in matters of faith are no more obleiged to stand to the judgement of the shepherd than the teachers to the judgement of the sheepe the teachers have a priviledge of order and honor above the sheepe but no priviledge of Law and power Then the Church though she beleeve
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
c. What reason in nature can there be to punish the one and not the other for it may with as good colour of reason be said that all the Lawes in the old Testament for drawing of the sword against Sodomites Adulterers and such like were typicall and temporary and are done away now in Christ for Christ will have these converted in as spirituall a way by the onely power of the word of God as the other and no where in any expresse law in the New Testament doth God command to use the bloody sword against them more then against blasphemers And to remove these grosse sins out of Christian societies by the sword is no lesse a carnall and a bodily afflictive way of dealing with their consciences as to deal so with seducers and it s enough to that negative argument that no where it is expressed as a dutie of the Magistrate under the New Testament to use the sword against false teachers nor does our Saviour or the Apostles rebuke the Magistrate for omitting of their dutie in this Yea Paul 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. when he shewes that some of the Corinthians abused their body with mankinde were theevâ—s drunkards extortioners he no where saith that it was the Magistrates dutie to take away their head for Sodomie which certainly it was and that by the verie law of nature but he was Gods instrument for their conversion by the power of the word ver 11. and 1 Cor. 4. 15. as he laboured to convert the Galdehians who sometimes worshipped dumb Idols and the Ephesians who worshipped the vaine Idol Diana Act. 19. yea nor is there any New Testament law for taking away the life of a murtherer for that of our Saviours Math. 26. 52. all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword except we say it was so a Judiciall law among the Jews as it was a law of nature Gen. 9. before there was a Common wealth erected among the Jews cannot be called a new Testament law to Peter and John and the disciples who were obliged at that same verie time to keepe the passeover and to be subject to all the Jewish laws CHAP. V. Of Fundamentals A Foundation saith Pareus Iren. c. 9 is that which is in the lowest place of the building to beare up that which is built upon it and without which the building cannot stand That then must be the foundation of faith and salvation which is precisely necessary to be believed by all that are saved Alardas Valek gives us four fundamentals facienda vitanda things to be done and eschewed in the Decalogue 2. credenda to be believed in the Creed 3. roganda to be sought from God in prayer 4. â—surpanda things to be practised as the Sacraments How the repenting thiese knew all these I see not yet a taste of some of them ye may see and with the infused life of God he was ready to believe and doe the rest For the first he knew robberie and violence to be damned in the Decalogue we are justly here and repented 2. for the second he believed in Christ as a King the Son of God and a Saviour Christ was accused that he called himself the Sonne of God and a king when the man saith of Christ this man hath done nothing amisse he believes him to be the Sonne of God and the Saviour who had the keyes of paradice at his girdle 3. he prayes to him Lord remember me when thou comes to thy Kingdome 4. for externall worship or Sacraments it is like he knew little yet he confessed Christ a King when his disciples denyed him and fled and the world persecuted him Cycillus Hyerosolymitian reduceth them to two the knowledge of points of faith 2. the doing of good works Had he added according to the new covenant it were good Calvin saith epist 182. I refuse not the Augustine confession Cui pridem volens libens subscripsi sicut eam Author interpretatus est Yet in the 10. article thereof the substantiall bodie and blood of Christ is said to be really present under the spece of bread and wine Ambrose in cap. 9. Lu. negat Christum qui non omnia qua sunt Christi confitetur It is onely thus farre true the that hath sufficient meanes of believing what the word saith may confesse all truths of Christ and doth not denie Christ but as some doe not all the good they may yet have a saving disposition to it though either they through infirmities leave it undone or through want of oportunitie yet believing are saved So these that want means of knowing and confessing all truths yet have the habit of faith to believe them though they never actually confesse them doe not deny Christ Though Irenem l. 1. c. 3. Tertullian de Virginibus velandis Augusti to 10. de Tempore sar 2. and Russiâ—â—â— in the exposition of the Creed say that which is called the Apostles Creed came from the Apostles yet there is no sufficient ground for us to believe the authentick Authoritie of it Conrad worships while he was yet sound de pausis just it necessariis deserendi papatus par 1. dis 1. the 29. saith of these points that are contained in the Apostles Creed some things are simply necessarie for salvation without which faith and repentance cannot be 2. some not so necessarie yet profitable and of themselves saving 3. other things by consequence and by accident are necessarie not of themselves and separate from the fundamentals the Church of Rome erres in the fundamentals in the doctrine of our Saviour and his offices in the doctrine of merit humane satisfactions indulgences the Scriptures the Church In the 2. they erre about baptisme the Lords supper confirmation unction pennance though of themselves they happily deprive not of life eternall yet because the subject about which the matter is versed is most necessary they are pernicious errors These of the third sort touching creation providence mortification though of themselves they might be called errours simple ignorance yet for the dangerous consequences they are pernicious heresies Mr. John Durie in his Theological consultation maketh three sort of necessary points 1. these without the knowledge of which Christ cannot be known in the covenant of grace nor by faith retained which are comprehended in the paction of the covenant 2. saving points which secretly lurk in these necessirie points yet by just and evident consequence may be deduced there from though they be not in the expresse words of the covenant 3. some things that are profitable the expresse knowledge whereof conduceth to the fuller knowledge and faith of these things necessarie yet are not such but Christ may be believed by simple soules and rested on for salvation without such a precise forme of speaking Augusti de Trinit l. 14. c. 1. It is one thing to know what we are to believe another thing how or with what certaintie we
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.
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
not bottomed or resolved upon these fallible meanes But what Arguments have Bellarmine Stapleton Grâ—â—serus Becamâ—s 〈◊〉 Valentia the Councel of Trâ—nt and other Papists to make good that the Church of sound Catholikes who if they could fill their chaire are of more authoritie then Printers or particular men translators of the Scripture for they lead us from the written word as Mr. Goodwin doth and say the Church giveth authoritie to the word of God and resolve our faith upon the Testimonie of the Church saith Tannâ—rus as the infallible rule of faith on the authority of the Church saith Bellarmine quoad explicationem quoad nos in regard of our beleeving on God not simply revealing but so and so revealing saith Stapleton by his Church c. so as we know not that God hath revealed his truth but by and for the infallible proposal of the Church saith Gregorius de Valentia on the authoritie of the first veritie God revealing himselfe as the principle and first cause of faith saith Ioan. de Lugo and Malderus and on the authoritie of the Church as they are men eminent for Miracles as in that which is first beleeved ut in primo creditum and the only infallible rule of faith say Suarez Aegid Connick Lod. Maeratius And. Duvallius Fr. Silvius Lod. Caspensis All which speak fairer for the credit of faith in words then Mr. Iohn Goodwin who raiseth our faith no higher then the English grammer the Printer the learning and authoritie of men 2. We beleive that Christ is God man not for the authoritie of men and so of the rest of the Articles of our faith because Christ saith Iohn 5. 34. Ye sent unto Iohn and he bare witness to the truth v. 34. But I receive not testimony from men on which word Chrysostome saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I need not saith our Saviour the testimonie of men 〈◊〉 I am God but because ye give more heed unto Iohn and beleeve him to be most worthy of all of credit and ye come to him as a Prophet I speak this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who will then receive Mr Goodwins Testimonie who gives us nothing for faith but fluctuation of opinion and some Topick grounds from mens credit learning and authoritie that the Scripture is the Word of God and turnes all our faith into fancie 3. The Scripture resolves our faith on Thus saith the Lord the only authoritie that all the Prophets alledge and Paul 1 Thes 2. 13. For this cause also thanke we God without ceasing because when yea received the word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the word of man made of mens credit and learning as Mr. Goodwin saith but as it is in truth the word of God 4. Weak dry and saplesse should be our faith all our patience and consolations of the Scriptures Rom. 15. 4. all our hope on the word of God Ps 119 49 50 52 54 55. all our certainty of faith if it were so as Mr. Goodwin averreth But we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a more sure word of Prophesie surer then that which was heard on the Mount for our direction and the establishing of our faith 2 Pet. 1. 19. Joh. 5. 39. Search the Scriptures for they bear witnesse of me let them be judge between the Jews and me whether I be the Son of God or no for they beare witnesse of me now if we have no better warrant that the books of the Old and New Testament that we now have to wit the originall of Hebrew and Greek and translations are the word of God then that which is made of the credit of the authority and learning of men then must all our comfort of beleeving be grounded upon this mans and this mans Grammar and skill in Hebrew Greek Latine English aâ—d he is not infallible in any of these And must our lively hope be bottomed on mens credit and learning then for any thing we know on the contrary we have but dreams opinions and at best mans word for the word of God and how is the word of Prophesie a more sure word for these were written and translated prophesies of which Peter speaketh Mr. Goodwin and Libertines who put heaven and Christ and the lively hope of our inheritance to the conjectures of doubting Scepticks could well reply to Peter the word of prophesie cannot be sure for we have no certainty that the Scriptures of the Prophets of the Old and New Testament which we have either Hebrew or Greek copies of are the word of God but undoubtedly Christ appealeth to the Scriptures as to the onely Judge of that controversie between him and the Jewes whether the Son of Mary was the eternall Son of God and the Saviour of the world he supposed the written Scriptures which came through the hands of fallible Printers and Translatours and were copies at the second if not at the twentieth hand from the first copy of Moses and the Prophets and so were written by sinfull men who might have miswritten and corrupted the Scripture yet to be a judge and a rule of faith and fit to determine that controversie and all others and a Judge de facto and actually preserved by a divine hand from errours mistakes and corruptions else Christ might in that appealed to a lying Judge and a corrupt and uncertaine witnesse and though there be errours of number genealogies c. of writing in the Scripture as written or printed yet we hold providence watcheth so over it that in the body of articles of faith and necessary truths we are certaine with the certainty of faith it is that same very word of God having the same speciall operations of enlightning the eyes converting the soule making wise the simple as being lively sharper then a two-edged sword full of divinity life Majesty power simplicity wisdome certainty c. which the Prophets of old and the writings of the Evangelists and Apostles had M. Goodwins argument makes as much against Christ and the Apostles as against us for they could never in all their Sermons and writings so frequently bottome and found the faith on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is written in the Prophets as David saith as Isaiah saith and Hosea as Daniel saith as Moses and Samuel and all the Prophets beare witnesse if they had had no other certainty that the writings of the Prophets that came to their hands was the very word of God but the credit learning and authority of men as Mr. Goodwin saith for sure Christ and the Apostles and Evangelâ—sts had not the authentick and first copies of Moses and the Prophets but only copies written by men who might mistake Printers and Translators not being then more then now immediately inspired Prophets but fallibly men and obnoxious to failings mistakes and ignorance of ancient Hebraismes and force of words and if ye remove an unâ—rring providence who doubts but men might
adde a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or substract and so vitiate the fountaine sense and omit points change consonants which in the Hebrew and Greek both might quite alter the sense nor can any say Christ and the Apostles being infallible could well cite the Prophets without a mistake though the copies might have been vitiate and corrupt 2. Because the very citing of these Testimonies by Christ and his Apostles made them Scripture and so of infallible authority but our citing of them since both Printers and Translatours are not immediately inspired and we also might erre cannot adopt them into Canonicall and authentick Scripture such as was first written by the immediately inspired Prophets I shall answer that first this objection presumeth that Christ and the Apostles might and did finde errours and mis-printings even in written Scripture which might reduce the Church in after ages to an invincible ignorance in matters of faith and yet they gave no notice to the Church thereof or if there was no errour de facto then for so many hundred yeares yet there are now substantiall errours and so soule that it may be we have no word of God at all amongst us and God hath no Church no beleever on earth but we must all take the word of Printers and Translatours which is meerly the word of man and what is become of all the Martyrs that suffered by the bloudy woman Babel they dyed for meer conjectures and opinions for they had not the first originall copies of Moses and the Prophets yea Stephen the first Martyr who according to all our copies Act. 7. addeth five to Moses his 70 soules that went downe to Egypt in that glorious Sermon that he hath before his death when he sealed the truth with his bloud and dyed gloriously and said Lord Jesus receive my spirit dyed but upon the faith of mens fallible skill in Grammer Printing and writing for he citeth the writings of Moses to his enemies that stoned him according to the copies that they then had who would quickly have controlled him if he had cited false copies and Stephens owne Testimony was contraverted and therefore except we say that Stephen and Christ and the Apostles cited the testimonies of the Prophets as they were then obvious to the eyes and reading of both the people of God and the enemies and that not simply as their owne words which they spake as immediately inspired but as the testimony of the Prophets according to the then written copies we must say they spake not Ingeniously the truth of God for it was against truth candour ingenuity to Christ and the Apostles to say as it is written in your Law Jo. 8. 17. and so often it is written if they would not have the hearers to receive with certainty of faith and full assurance free from all doubting and feare of humaue fallibility that what they cited as written was undoubtedly the same very truth of God and no other which Moses and the Prophets spoke and wrote and if they would not have them to read search and beleeve these same Scriptures and to conceive that they drew arguments in the New Testament to prove and confirme their doctrine from that which was written by Moses and the Prophets in the Old Testament and would not have them to beleeve them onely because New Testament writers immediately inspired had so said 6. If God will have us to try and examine all Spirits all Doctrines by the Scriptures written then are we certainly assured that the books we now have of the Old and New Testament are the very word of God though we cannot by any possibility have the first and originall authentick copies of Moses and the Prophets and Apostles Because 1. God would not bid us try and then leave us no rule to try withall but our owne naturall light which must lead us into darknesse 2. The visible Church should not be guilty of unbeleefe if the written word were not among us or then Christ and his Apostles speaking to us as is cleare Joh. 15. 22. Rom. 10. 14 15. Matth. 11. 21 22. The assumption is cleare by the commended practise of the Bereans who tryed Pauls doctrine by the Scriptures Act. 17. See Rivetus Whitaker Calvin 3. By the command of God 1 Thess 5. 2. 1 Joh. 4. 1. Try all things try the Spirits 7. John would not call those blessed who read and hear Rev. 1. 5. nor would Paul recommend reading to Timothy and continuance in the doctrine of the Scriptures and so extoll the necessity and utility of the Scripture and the indwelling of the word of God in us as he doth 1 Tim. 4. 16. 2 Tim. 14 15 16. Col. 3. 16. nor could the things written by John c. 21. 31. by Moses and the Prophets Luke 16. 29 30 31. be holden forth as sufficient to bring soules to heaven and to cause them eschew hell if it were true that we have no certainty that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the very word of God but such as is made of mens credit and learning 8. Yea and so what God spake immediately to Abraham Moses and the Prophets could not be infallibly and by certainty of faith to them the word of God for if God spake to them in a language intelligible they had no certainty of faith that the words that came from God did signifie thus and thus for sure God by immediate inspiration taught them not Grammar and significations of words and those that read the Law written by Gods finger on two Tables of stone those who heard Moses and the Prophets preach in their Mother-tongue even the Jewes who read the originall first Hebrew copy of Moses and the Prophets must have had no warrant that that was the word of God but the authority of Father Mother and Nurses who first taught them their Mother-tongue for sure the Prophets were not School-masters to teach them Hebrew so by this learning there was never since the world was any certainty of faith but such conjecturall humane and fallible opinions in all the matters of God as is resolved ultimately saith Mr. Goodwin into mens fallible and topicke authority and skill of Grammar and all divine faith is perished out of the earth nay there never could be any divine faith on earth except God by a supernaturall power taught men first Grammar and then to beleeve for which we have no warrant so all our faith must bee dreams And since Mr. Goodwin acknowledgeth a supernaturall power of the Spirit of Grace to beleeve what else doth this Spirit cause us beleeve but lyes or at best phancies resolved into humane credit which may be false for any certainty of knowledge that Libertines allow us Yea confident I am saith Mr. Goodwin that the wisest and most
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
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.
doctrine if Paul tooke Gods roome and commanded the Bereans to receive his Gospel hand over head whether it was agreeable to the Scriptures or no the ignorance of the nature of Protestant Synods and of Popish Synods begetteth many ignorant and foolish objections in Libertines It is true Papists say their Synods but impose Ministerially upon men not as lords of mens faith but they take away what they give For 1. they will have none to examine and try the decrees of their Synods which we leave to all 2. Though they say they propose nothing in Synods but what is agreeable to the word of God yet wil they be the sole only infallible judges of what is the word of God what not what is Scripture what is the word of God in the breast of the Church and they must be the onely infallible Expositors of the word of God and what is agreeable to the word of God or which is all one to mens traditions what not and so they by consequence make themselves lords over mens faith Which the Apostle Paul would not doe for he said not to the Bereans when you have tryed whither my doctrine be agreeable to the Scripture or no yet I and the Apostles are the onely sole infallible judges both of our own doctrine and of all your tryings and you have not so much as a private judgement left to you CHAP. III. The Church may complain of Hereticks THe same Authour argueth against the Churches instigating of the Magistrate against men for matters of conscience 1. Ministers are not armed with force and it is not fit they should saevire per alios stirre up the Magistrate against others the Magistrate is the Minister of God properly for wrath But it is fit for Ministers to say as Christ I came not to destroy but to save alive Answ The Authour saith the question is not of transmitting of such things to the Magistrate as belong to manners but to conscience as if an heretick failed against no manners Yet all his Arguments prove that Ministers should not complaine to the Magistrate of ill manners and the scandalous conversation of any and this he instanceth from the example of Christ who Joh. 8. would not accuse a woman of adulterie 2. The Magistrate is as properly the Minister of God for good for the praise of well-doing as the Minister of God for wrath and if the Church should tell the Magistrate his dutie as watchmen should doe to all under their care Ezek. 3. 16 17 18 19. Magistrate or other if the Magistrate spare the life of a murtherer the watchmen are unfaithfull if they complaine not openly and tell the Magistrate he does not his dutie and upon the same ground if the Magistrate must coerce with the sword seducing wolves and Jezabels the Pastours ought to admonish him And its Atheisticall to say the Magistrate is conscious of sins against manners and of his dutie and obligation he needs no instigation Because no Magistrate be he an Achab or a David but he needs be quickened to his dutie and will send a murtherer away and a bloody Joab whom God will have not to live and should the Prophets be called instigatores and savientes per alios such as destroy mens lives when they tell the Magistrate he is a murtherer and guilty of innocent blood if he suffer the bloody man to live or should this be called tale-telling and the Pastor thrusting of himself into a more disaffecting office to be a Tale-teller an Apparitour or summoner of men to the Civill Magistrates court he made such a poor man be fined and wife and Children be starved because he is not of his opinion What would this authour give an Atheist leave to say but so sâ—ander free preaching or free Synodicall complaining to the Magistrate such a man of our charge is damned by his own conscience and devours the flock as Arrius and Manes did such a one is a bloody murtherer a Sorcerer the Magistrate bears the sword to execute vengeance on evill doers and yet suffer known murtherers to live and be gray-haird are Ministers who are to warn Fathers Teachers Masters Judges Kings Jer. 1. 10. Nations and Kingdomes of their dutie thrusters of themselves into a disaffecting office and Apparitours and Summoners of men before Civil courts because they warne the Magistrate of his dutie is this obtruding into another office to give warning to all to be free of the blood of all men this is like the speech of a wicked King Amaziah 2 Chro. 25. 16. To the Prophet who rebuked him for seeking after the Gods of the Nations Art thou made of the Kings Counsell forbear why shouldest thou be smitten I therefore summon this authour to compeer before the judge of the world and give an accompt of this doctrine for he speaks it against the faithfull servants of God of the Church of Scotland who complained to the king of Idolatrous seducers and Semminary priests and Jesuits of bloody murtherers of grinders of the faces of the poore and inâ—orrigible scandalous offenders whose wretched example was a shame to the Gospel and brought guilt upon the land that he might use the sword against such evill doers and should Ministers be Apparitours and tale-tellers either against such as deserve capitall punishment for sins against the second table as well as against the first table woe will be to him that calls good evill and evill good Is the necessary duty of the calling of a watchman to warne the Magistrate of his bloodie omissions for so the Lord calls it Esay 1. 21 22. Esay 3. 12 13 14 15. Prov. 2â— 7. Prov. 31. 8. And exhorts to it an over-doing and a tale-bearing He cites also the example p. 76. 77. of Christ who would not accuse the woman taken in adulterie What doth this prove Ergo Christ would not have faithfull pastors to complaine both to God and to preach against Rulers who punish not uncorrigible adulterers Christ would not accuse her he would not judge her Ergo the Judges under the new Testament who accuse judge and condemn adulterers are not followers of Christ What can an Anabaptist alleadge more to prove there ought to be no Magistrates under the new Testament Adulterers must be tollerated A Minister should not preach that the Magistrate sins in not punishing the Adulterer Christ complained not of Pilates mixing the Galileans blood with their sacrifice to Caesar should therefore Ministers not complaine though the Christian Magistrate suffer such blood-shed Of the same kinde is that wrangling prudent fathers encourage not their children to informe of one anothers faults because it doth not nourish love What then Ergo Ministers should complaine to the Godly Magistrate of no omissions at all I think by this Divinitie if one brother know his brother to kill his brother he should neither informe father nor Magistrate that the murtherer may be rebuked by the father or corrected by the Judge because
the house of God Psal 69. of the betraying of him by Judas and 〈◊〉 historicall things that are not fundamentals yet all thâ—â— were a part of the Apostles and the Holy Ghosts testimony Act. 5. 32. And to be beleeved with divine certiâ—ude of 〈◊〉 faith no lesse then the Articles of fundamentalls that Christ was the sonne of man and died for our sinnes and rose for our righteousnes except we say that the Apostles are false witnesses and make God a lyar in saying that Judas betrayed him not and that Barrabas a Murtherer was not preferred to him 1 Cor 15. 1â— Job 3. 33. 1 Job 5. 10. For if we give God the lye in non-fundamentals and turne non-fundamentals into controversies and conjectures and thinke we must beleeve fundamentals one or two fixedly and peremptorily and lead a good life and so we are saved but not otherwise but as touching non-fundamentalls we may beleeve these with a reserve and a demurre and may beleeve them for a day or an houre and deny them to morrow and again bee carried about with a new wind of doctrine and beleeve the third day and deny them the fourth day beleeve them the fift day and deny them the sixt day and so make a whirly-gigge of our faith and a new faith for a new-moone or for a halfe and a quarter moone as the Independents in their Apology makes this a principle of their faith to beleeve these things so as wee leave roome for a new light to cast a board again at the blowing of the wind of a new phancy of which we have seene more in the Assembly of Divines these four years past then we desire to see in any that professe godlinesse and as the Holland-Arminians say from whom new lights or old darknesses have their rise a faith of a thousand yeares may be the worst of all which say we is most false a false opinion of God and a thousand yeare old lye a gray-haird untruth is the worst of conjectures but faith it neither is nor can be called But the late Independents and the new Libertines of England do only say such a monthly faith is to be tollerated because of the darkenes of our mind in the matters of God which yet is faith not but a conjectural opinion But they say by a command of God we must have no other faith except in some few fundamentals and no man since Adam died except the man Christ ever knew or could determine how few or how many so our faith in fundamentals in that totters for they say these precepts and commands of the Holy Ghost Try the spirits whither they be of God or no. Try al things hold that which is good the example of the noble Bereans who examined Pauls doctrine by the Scriptures doth lay a divine command in them to beleeve non-fundamentals with a reserve Yea they say with the Arminians c. that it is against liberty of prophesying whereas liberty of lying in the name of the Lord is of the devil who hath taken liberty or rather helish licence to lye from the beginning they say it is against our growing in knowlâ—dge and the prayers of the Saints that God would open their eyes to see the wonders of his Law and lead them into all truth and against the prophesies that in the last days the earth shal be filled with the knowledg of the Lord the light of the moon shal be as the light of the sun and the light of the sun as the light of seven days and the day star shal arise in the hearts of many and the spirit shall be powred on all flesh young and old maids and children To all which I say either the Spirit of God moves men to the faith of this there is no Church visible on earth but such as is constituted of beleevers such as those of Corinth and Rome and others were after they were planted and watered by the Apostles or no. If no they have not faith of it and so it is 1. No truth of God to Independents c. for which they can suffer but a meer opinion then they cannot suffer for it in faith and to beleive any truth of God because the Lord so saith is wrought only by the Holy Ghost if it be wrought by the Holy Ghost then it is a truth of God and a divine truth for the Holy Ghost moves no man to beleeve a lye for a truth of God if it be a divine truth then doth not the Holy Ghost will you so to beleeve it for a truth as you must upon a new light beleeve the contrary to morrow For I renew the argument in its full strength touching the faith of the contradicent which you beleeved the last day either the Holy Ghost must move you to beleeve that contradicent as a truth of God or no Iâ— no It is not divine faith you have of it if yea then the faith of the former was the beleeving of a lye so that you must make the Holy Ghost the father of beleeving a lye 2. The object of divine faith a lye 2 This is to teach us to be carried about with every wind of doctrine whereas faith of fundamentals or non-fundamentals is to beleeve a truth because so saith the Lord that cannot lye nor speake untruth but you will men to beleeve those non-fundamental truths so as they may bee as well lyes as divine truths 3. These Precepts Try the Spirits Try all things enjoyne an examination of fundamentalls as well as non-fundamentalls and what reason have Independents to say these Precepts hold in non-fundamentalls onely Mr. John Goodwin with better ground saith they hold in all for must we hold that which is good onely in non-fundamentalls And did not the Bereans try Pauls doctrine by the Scripture in the most and onely necessary fundamentall which Paul preached that Jesus Christ was the Messiah that dyed rose againe Act. 17. 3. and are therefore commended by the Holy Ghost v. 10. 11 above those of Thessalonica and must wee beleeve every Spirit who preach fundamentall truths or fundamentall errours who say Christ is not yet come in the flesh upon trust the contrary of which John expresly enjoyneth 1 Joh. 4. 1 2 3 yea we are rather to try fundamentalls and to walke upon sure and unmoveable principles since an errour here hazardeth our eternall salvation and is of as great concernment as our souls are but errours or mistakes in non-fundamentalls though they bee sinnes yet are consistent with saving faith and the state of salvation 4. Try all things try the spirits must have this sense beleeve what ever God saith be it fundamentall or non-fundamentall not onely after you have searched the Scriptures and sound it agreeable thereunto as the Bereans did but though you finde it consonant to the writings of the Prophets and Apostles yet because you are not infallible nor the Spirit that leads you therein
to be drawne against them but that of iron 3 How will Libertines prove that the second sort of seducers that were to dye for seducing Deut. 13. 6 7 8. the brother son daughter or wife that lyes in the bosome denyed God the Creator there is no warrant from the text to say they dreamed dreames and wrought wonders to seduce or that they professed the inspiration of a new Deity yet they were to dye and why not the Hereticks now by the same reason If they thrust people away from the Lord that hath ransomed them from Hell Yea 4 These acknowledge the Lord and the law and the Lords Priests and Prophets as some Hereticks doe now yet not standing to the sentence of the law that the Priest shall â—each but presumptuously rejecting it were surely to be put to death Deut. 17. 10 11 12 13. So he that speaks a word in the name of the Lord so confesseth and professeth both the Lord and his word as hereticks now do which the Lord commanded him not to speak or shal speak in the name of other Gods even that Prophet shall dye And did not Jeremiah and Vriah the son of Shemaiah and the Prophets that were killed and sâ—oned by the Jewes professed God and that the word of God came to them and that they had seen the visions of God yet they were condemned as false Prophets but for prophesying destruction on Israel Judah and Jerusalem and if the Lord had not sent them but they speake the visions of their owne head they had been false prophets as is cleare Jer. 14. 13 14. Jer. 23. 15 16. and so justly condemned 5 Are there not now under the New Testament who deny the word of God as many Antiscripturists in England and doth not Saltmarsh Del Beacon Randal and many Familists and Antinomians father their new lies upon the spirit and the pretious anoynting that teacheth all things aâ—â— not they like to those Prophets Deut. 13 have not some in France in Holland in England made defection to Judaisme and Turâ—isme and turned Apostates from Christ And yet they deny not God the Creator nor the Scriptures of the old Testament and by this answer they are free of all bodily punishment And does not Peter contradict this answer of Libertines that say our Hereticks are not as these Deut. 13. 2 Pet. 2. 1. But there were false Prophets also among the people as there shall be false teachers among you and our Saviour Mat. 24. 24. For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they should deceive the very elect A vive representation of the state of England this day 6 The formall and what is essentiall to a false prophet is now in our seducers they thrust men away from God and the way of Gospell that the Lord hath commanded us to walke in â—nd that is enough 7. From the practice of the Iewes when Heretickes and Seducers and blinde guides were in the chair and they tollerated themselves we draw rather the contrary argument ergo we are not to follow nor to suffer blinde guides now who deny the resurrection as Familists and other to lead souls into the ditch no more then we are to follow them in corrupting the Law and extolling the traditions of men CHAP. XV. Christs not rebuking tolleration and the â—aw Deut. 13. vindicated CHrists no when reproving Church and State for not punishing Sadduces and Hereticks denying the resurrection is 1. A poore argument to prove the lawfulnesse of tolerating them 1. The Sadduces were cheife Rulers themselves Act. 23. 6. And he that reproves a Judge for murther must in that same reprove him for tolerating murthers He that said the guide leading the blind led should fal in the ditch he reproved the mis-government and wicked toleration of the Rulers Nor read we that Elias reproved Achab for not killing Baals priests ergo Achab transgressed not the Law Deut. 13. 1 2 3. Deut. 17. 1 2 3. in tolerating false teachers Nor doth God Deut. 32. 6 7 8. reprove the Rulers for not punishing the worshiping of the golden calf or the making of it for worship because Aaron and the Rulers under Moses were guilty of it will it follow that the Rulers and the sonnes of Levi should tolerate it since the Lord commanded the contrary Nor does the man of God reprove Jeroboam for tollerating the people to worship the golden calves or because he suffered the lowest of the people to intrude themselves in the priests office against the word and law of the Lord because the lesse sin was swallowed up in the greater but it followes not that Jeroboam did the duty of a Magistrate in suffering the people to go to Dan and Bethel to such abominable Idolatry or in suffering the basest of the people to take onâ—them the Priests Office but the Prophets reproving Jeroboam's commanding of that Idolatrous worship and Priests which is a greater sinne must by consequence condemne his not punishing of it which is a lesse sin so David sinned as a Magistrate in suffering Bathsheâ—a to commit adultery and to wrong her husband and to violate Gods Law and should not onely as a Magistate have hindered her but should have put her to death for adultery he being the supreme Magistrate and there being an expresse Law of God that the adulterer man or woman should dye the death Levit. 20. 10. which David knew well yet the Prophet Nathan does not in expresse tearms condemne David for not putting Bathsheba to death though he faithfully reproved David because Nathan reproving David for the adultery it selfe committed in his owne person as the greater sinne must by consequence condemne Davids tollerating of Bathsheba an adulteresse to live which was a lesser sinne and it will not follow that David a King should tollerate knowne adultery in Bathsheba a subject because Nathan does no where in direct tearms nor any Scripture elsewhere that we read condemne David for not punishing with the sword the adultery of Bathsheba so Nathan Gâ—d and other Prophets no where reprove David sparing the life of Joab a murtherer When Christ reproved the Sadduces for denying the resurrection he reproves by consequence both Church and State for tollerating the denying of the Resurrection and supposeth the tolleration of it to be against the law of God 2. It is no argument at all from 1. A negative fact 2. In such a particular Scripture to prove the lawfulnesse of tolleration Let then answer this Christ that was a faithfull Preacher to State and Church no where reproveth in the Gospell the tolleration of the extortion of Publicans Sodomie murther the absolving of a murtherer at the feast a bloody tolleration denying of God blasphemy ergo it was lawfull for the Church and State to suffer all these 3. This answer inferreth that the Church should tollerate all false doctrines and the denying of the resurrection
him that knowes the heart not by Judges 7 To say the light and law of nature is the Judges only compasse hee must sayl by and that hee must punish no sinnes but such as are against the law of nature 1. It pulls the booke of the law of God yea the Bible out of the Kings hand that containes greater deepes then the law of nature can reach contrary to the word of God Deut. 17. 18 19 20. Deut. 17. 10. 11 12. For the King as the King should have the booke of the law with him on the throne to be his rule Deut. 17. 18. Josh 1. 8. 2. This rule hinders not but the King and Ruler may judge ill doers so farre as the light and law of nature will goe along with him Yet the Objector will be unwilling the Ruler take away the head of a seducer that should say and teach men with Caligula there is no God Chance made all and rules all we want not such blasphemous impostors as these But sayth the Objector by him that doth evill is not meant the spreading of errors or heresies 1. They had no reason to feare the Magistrate spoken of here Rom. 13. for spreading and publishing the most orthodox truths for they might without any danger at all from the Magistrate here spoken of have taught that the Roman Idols were true Gods They had ten times more cause to be affraid of the power of publishing orthodox truths as that there is but one God and the Roman Gods are dumbe Idols or speaking Devills 2. That doing of evill against which the Magistrate here spoken of IS THE MINISTER OF GOD to execute wrath is opposed to that subjection to higher powers ver 1. And of the same consideration with resisting of powers so sharpely reproved Vers 2. Then by it is only meant the doing of evill which was prohibited by the Roman lawes and edicts and no man resistes the power who lives in an orderly subjection and obedience to all their lawes now the Romans in their lawes never forbad the publishing of errour and heresies in Religion then doing of evill in spreading of heresies can be no resisting of the Roman powers and lawes Againe that doing evil ver 4. Is opposed to doing of good ver 3. Vnto which there is a premise of a reward promised even prayse from the magistrate 〈◊〉 the doing of good for which the Apostle undertakes they shall have prayse from the Roman magistrate was not the preaching and publishing the great and Orthodox truths of Christian Religion yea they were enemies to that good doing Answ All these leane upon a castle beyond the moone to wit that Paul speakes Rom. 13. of no powers but the Roman Magistrate and that hee is to bee obeyed at the onely minister of God and then having layd this most false and vaine ground he cryes out O England England make much of thy Scriptures but take heed of the glosses of thy teachers Which we may retort but this is an impious glosse For though Paul aymed at obedience to Magistrates even to persecuting Nero in things lawfull because some then as Anabaptists now said the Gospell freed Christians from subjection and obedience to lawfull Magistracy But I prove that the Apostle speakes of the Magistrate such as he is by Gods appoyntment and such as hee ought to bee whither hee bee Heathen or Christian and he speakes of a Magistrate in generall Now the Roman Emperor and Senate were not such powers in all their Government Lawes and Edicts as every soule should be subject unto For they made lawes in acts of the second Table and accordingly practised them with violence and unjustice to joyn not only house to house but not being provoked by any wrong Kingdome to Kingdome the Isle of Brittain and all the people of the world and in that every soule I conceive ought to be subject to supperiour powers If the Objector render this sense let every soule on earth be subject to the Roman Emperor Nero for he is the minister of God for thy good that is for the good and peaceable Government of all and every one that hath soules because hee would raise warre and tyrannically subject them all to him We wish England to beware of such glosses 2 Whatever people resisted the Roman Empire and their bloody Emperor Nero and others in all their bloody Edicts against innocent Christians for he is the Magistrate here spoken of sayth the Objector they receive not damnation not doe they resist the ordinance of God 3. The Roman Emperour and Senate in their Laws and Edicts were a terror to good workes not to evill they rewarded those that persecuted and killed Christians and those that shed the blood of innocent people that they might bee tyrannous conquerours of them and made them commanders in warre and hyred them so to doe then the Roman Magistrate as he actually governed and made neither Law◠nor Edicts against spreading of errors and heresies cannot be the Magistrate here spoken of 4. The Objector would be put in minde of the same Answer given to this place and others of the New Testament by the Anabaptists who say there is no warrant in the Old Testament that Christians should bee Magistrates because the use of the sword was then typicall and ceremoniall and this and all places of the New Testament doth command conquered Christians subjection to heathen Magistrates and not to raise Armes against them but warrants not Christians to take on them Magistracie because heathens should not be our patterne but the word of God 5. Most false it is and a begging of the question that evill doing is contracted and hampered in here to subjection to the higher powers that is to the Roman Laws and Edicts onely for it is opposed to the lawfull subjection due to the Parliament of England and to the King of Britaine and to all lawfull powers as well as to Roman Magistrates as is cleare for there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordained of God and Paul speaketh of all Magistrates Christian and heathen that are lawfull Magistrates and commandeth subjection to every power Roman and Christian in the Lord. What Are there no powers ordained of God but Roman Magistrates Then may Anabaptists well say wee owe not subjection to Christian Magistrates by this text but onely to the Roman Magistrate who made no Lawes against spreading of heresies and when the Apostle faith Let every soule bee subject to superiour powers shall every soule by this text be subject to none but the Roman Magistrate I am sure the Reformed Churches and all our Writers argue that as many as have soules Popes Prelates and Roman Clergy ought to be subject by this text to the good lawes of the Christian Emperours and that all men none excepted neither Clergy as they call them nor others but are obliged by this Scripture and 1 Pet. 2. and Tit. 3. to give obedience
and subjection to all lawfull Magistrates heathen and Christian and to their Lawes and to pay tribute and to be judged by them whereas Papists plead exemption to Churchmen and sure if no doing of evill be prohibited here and deserve the just vengeance of the Minister of God but only such which was prohibited by the Roman Laws and Edicts then must the Roman Laws and Edicts be as perfect as the word of God for then the Romans Laws must command reward and praise all good that the Ruler or any power ordained of God doth command this is most false they did not command the saving of the lives of the innocent British in this Island that never injured them but commanded to kill them they did not in their Laws command their under-Rulers Pilate and others to protect innocent Christians to justifie and absolve Jesus Christ but to condemn and murther them though they gave all that was due to Caesar and their Laws did not forbid all evill that the Judges and Ministers of God are to execute wrath against all murthering of innocent men in thousands and most unjust and bloody warres against Nations that never wronged them and they forbad not the spreading of errors and heresies against the Gospel that came to their eares and made them that they had no cloake for their sinne Joh. 15. 21 22. for Paul brought the Gospel to them and it is a begging of the question that the Roman Emperours ought not to have made Laws against spreading of heresie and they were a terror to those that preached the Gospel and had their conversation among the Gentiles blamelessely and so these Emperours did not as the Ministers of God ought to doe nor would the Apostle undertake or be surety for Nero the Objector undertakes for the text that in which the Holy Ghost will not bear him out that he shall give praise and reward for well-doing all the well-doing that the text saith the Minister of God by his office is to reward the Roman Magistrate did abhorre and persecute if the Apostle undertake those that doe well shall have praise from the Roman Magistrate if hee doe as a lawfull Magistrate then cannot the text be meant of the Roman Magistrate as he actually misgoverned and abused his power for then hee was a terrour to those that preached orthodox truths and worshipped dumbe Idols and by Lawes and Edicts honoured and rewarded heathen Priests that were not so good as Baals Chaplaines and doth Paul undertake if the Saints at Rome would turne Priests and servers of the Roman Gods that they should doe well and have praise from the Roman Magistrate for by the Roman Law the Roman Rulers were to reward and praise such as did well in this sense 2. Nor doth Paul undertake they shall have praise from the Roman Magistrate if they doe well according as the Roman Lawes speakes of well-doing for then Paul should undertake they should have praise from the Roman Magistrate for that which is evill-doing which Paul would never undertake because killing of innocent men in unjust warres to conquer and inslave free States by the Roman Lawes was well-doing and praised and rewarded by their Laws as wel-doing But this was to Paul and in it selfe evill-doing and robbery and makes the Holy Ghost to exhort to Romish and falsely so called well-doing CHAP. XVIII The place 1 Tim. 2. 1. 2. for coercive power over false Prophets cleared Argument XII THat which we are to pray we may have from the Magistrate by his office that is his office to doe because prayers must be in faith and grounded on the word of God But we are to pray for Kings and all that are in Authority that with the sword they would guard Religion and the Church of God from wolves false teachers and those that think they do God service when they kill us Joh. 16. 1. that we may saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 2. 2. lead a quiet a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty Nor can a Magistrate procure a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and honesty as a Magistrate but by his sword nor can he with meer words of mouth onely exhort as a Magistrate the foxes not to destroy the vines and wolves not to slaughter 〈◊〉 sheep except he coerce false teachers and Idolaters because upon the occasion that Micah and his mother made a molten image and an Ephod and imposed it on their house the Holy Ghost saith Judg. 17. 1 2 3 4 5. v 6. In those dayes there was no King in Israel but every man did that which was right in his owne eyes hence it is cleare that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse a naked permission from the Magistrate to serve God is not enough or that he suffer no man to do theSaints violence but if wolves be permitted to teach what is right in their own erroneous conscience and there be no Magistrate to put them to shame Judg. 18. 7. and no King to punish them then godlinesse and all that concernes the first Table of the Law must be marred and the intrinsecall end of the Magistrate which is a peaceable life in all godlinesse is not attainable in an ordinary providence nor will it help to say Paul commandeth prayers to be made for the Magistrates that were then heathen who being ignorant of Christ could conferre nothing to godlinesse but meerly negatively that they persecute not the godly for their conscience nor permit others to persecute them for Paul will have us to pray for their conversion that they may become Christian Magistrates and come to the knowledge of the truth and then they doe more then negatively procure peace to the Church for as Magistrates now converted they are to praise and reward and promote to the dignity of Judges men fearing God Deut. 1. 17. yea and fearing God as the Scripture doth describe the fear of God and so to reward Christian well-doing Rom. 13. 3. therefore Christian Kings as Kings are to send such to promote them to bear rule over the people 2 Pet. 2. 14. That so they may be 〈…〉 by the King for the punishment of evill doers and for the praise of them that doe well 2. Nor is it true that Paul will have us in that place to pray onely for heathen Kings and that as heathen as Libertines suppose that wee may have negatively peace under them they being excluded from all exercise of their Magistraticall office in or about matters of Religion for Paul commands us to pray for Kings and all that are in Authority and it is cleare some in authority and divers in Neroes court were converted to the Christian faith Phil. 1. 13. Phil. 4. 22. Nor is the prayer for Kings to be restricted to the Kings and Rulers of that present age when Paul wrote that but for all Kings to be converted and who shall beleeve and
the Lord instamped his divine Image of making just Lawes upon any nomethetick power of the most free and Independent Kingdome on earth so as the breach of lawfull promises Covenants Contracts which are against the Law of God of nature of nations should or can be the subject matter of any nomethetick power for God gives no power to make unjust decrees The pretended liberty is against the Articles matteâ— and ends of the Covenant a Parliamentary power interposed for the not punishing of deformity as touching many Religions must destroy the commanded nearest uniformity of the one only true Religion 2 Nor can they defend the one onely reformed Religion of Scotland commanding the Magistrate the Minister of God to use the sword against false teachers who give liberty to all Religions 3 Nor can the word of God bee our rule of Reformation except this rule be one and injoyne one only true Religion and forbid tolleration of all others 4 There can be no way so prevailing to promote cherish and foment Heresie and what is contrary to sound doctrine as for publique authority by law to permit it except wee would praise and reward such fleshly wayes 5 The Lord cannot be one nor his name one in both Kingdoms when by Law multitudes of names wayes and Religions are tollerated 6 Many Religions suffered must be contrary to the true religious liberty of Christian States and Churches when men are licenced to professe slavery and bondage to the efficacy and power of errour to beleeve professe and disseminate lies and blasphemies in the name of the Lord. 7 Many false wayes of religions doth in the Scripture argue a change of Gods for these that are no Gods which Heathens doe abhorre Jer. 2. 9 10 11. and a multiplying of Gods according to the number of each Sect and Societie Jer. 2. 28. and a manifest countenancing of Scepticisme of many Gods and of no God since then the Parliament not onely as Christian men but as a Parliament and as Magistrates have sworne the Covenant they must sweare each one of them to defend his owne Religion Familisme Arrianisme Antinomianisme which he beleeves to be the true religion and that as a Magistrate with the sword of God and so to oppose his fellow members with his Parliamentary power how then can the Parliament command others or ingage themselves to the Lord their God to indeavour the preservation of the one reformed Religion in Scotland that we and our posterity may live in faith and love for this is many faiths professedly different and that the Lord may delight to dwel in the midst of us and this is many Gods in the midst of us and that we shall indeavour the extirpation of heresie superstition prorpanenesse and whatsoever shall be found contrary to sound doctrine It is not every Parliament man who by law may be of any Religion oblieged by the oath of God to endeavour the extirpation of the true Protestant Religion since to him who is a Familist and Antinomian it is heresie and contrary to sound doctrine Are not Papists though known Papists to be Judges and Members of Parliament why should they be debarred for their Religion and they must by this oath indeavour the extirpation of Heresies and Hereticks that is of Protestanâ—s 8 The foresaid licentiousnesse is contrary to the indeavour to preserve the Rights Liberties of Parliaments and just power and greatnesse of the King now both King Parliaments and all Rulers have the sword committed to them to defend the Church against Seducers Wolves Hereticks false Teachers and by the sword are to stand against the violation of mercy righteousnesse and the peace of humaine societies and so against such as from meere grounds of conscience serve God in sacrificing their children to God promiscuous use of wives a part of the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free community of goods robing the just owners of their inheritances and possessions because the word saith the meeke shall inherit the earth lying and denying of our Religion before men For should the Magistrate kil the father whose only conscience nothatred which is the only essentiall ingredient to make killing of our neighbour without lawfull authority that murthering of our brother which by the law of God and Man is punishable with death Deut. 19. 11 12 13. c. 4. 42. c. 19. 4. and the sword of the Magistrate not any hatred I say or desire of revenge towards his sonne whom he loves as tenderly as Abraham did Isaack presseth out of meere religious obedience to God to offer his sonne to God in a sacrifice he should not punish a murtherer but offer violence to the conscience of his father since the word of God condemneth this as false worship not as murther yea as superstitious adding to the Word and as wil-worship Deu. 4. 31 32. Jer 7. 30 31. 9 Divers Religions being contrary to Christ and the one truth of the Gospell of their owne nature raise fire and sword betweene brethren and the mother against the daughter in law and must be a seminary of factions and devisions which is distructive to the unity in our Covenant Micah 7. 5 6. Matth. 10. 34 35. Luke 5. Verse 51 52. Gen. 3 16. 10 By which it cannot be possible we should defend one another in this common cause of Religion except a reconciliation be made betweene the seed of the woman and the serpent 11 And many being of divers Religions must need give themselves to a detestable indifferency and newtrality as touching the Common cause of God Since it cannot be the common cause of God but of Sathan and of forcing conscience by persecution to them Many men yea it s the cause of God to many to hate and persecute the Gospell by this 12 By which meanes every man may resile from this blessed union and conjunction so far must he be from zealous and constant continuing therein all the dayes of his life for Parliamentary authority frees them to imbrace any new Religion contrary to the Protestant Religion 13 And to what Church Sect or Religious societie can the Christian Magistrate be a nurse-father by his office is it not to the one onely true Church of Christ that professeth the sound faith certaine the Scripture saith as the sonnes of strangers shall build the wals of the true Church so Kings shall minister unto her Esay 60. 10. And she must sucke the brests of Kings Esay 6. 16. which evinceth that Kings as Kings are by their Office to doe some princely and royall acts of justice and favour for the good of the true Church and true Religion then must either the King by Office be indifferent and newtrall to all other Religions and Sects which must be inconsistent with his duty as nurse-father to the Church Esay 49. 23. whose part it is that according to his place he take care that the children sucke not poyson for milke or he must be newtrall to all Religions except to
our Saviour and his Saints have drunke the same cup. Hence he citeth to no purpose Scriptures but two and fourtie in number of the persecutions to follow the Lords Disciples for the Gospel and that it is proper to the world to persecute and to the Saints to be persecuted and hated for righteousnesse and that such as are persecuted and 〈◊〉 â—â—sallow all persecuting for matters of Religion as the greatest stumbling block to the propagation of the Gospel must necessarily be the true Church and 〈◊〉 of Christ none else having a capacitie without Gods infinite mercie and dispensation of being ever hewed out and squared as members sutable to such a head contrâ—riorum eadem est ratio since the true Church must needs be persecuted that must needs be a false Church which persecutes the true one for though this false Church be persecuted likewise yet in regard it cannot be both true and false that persecuted Church must needs be the only true one which doth not persecute others but that the argument may be compleat and full it had much need for it is weak and unstable as water as in the mouth of two witnesses unto this evidence of reason Let me adde a Scripture proofe Viz. we brethren true Christians as Isaac was are the children of promise but as he that was born after the flâ—sh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit 〈◊〉 so it is now Gal. 4. 28 29. yet since it is better if the will of God be so that we suffer for wâ—ldoing then for evill doing 1 Pet. 3 17 howevâ—r these Ishmalites are powerful prosperous prevaile against us and have the world at will for the present yet let us comfort our-selves that God hath chosen the dispised and poore rich in faith c. We close this Chapter with their doom and ours neverthelâ—sse what saith the Scripture Câ—st out the bondwoman for the son of the bonâ—woman shall not be heire with the son of the free-woman so then we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free Gal. 4. 30 31. So of that sort is the heedlesse Quaerist to the Assembly of Divines If the Magistrate as a Magistrate have a power from Christ to punish such as he is perswaded in his conscience are erroneous and hereticall or because he differs in Religion from the Magistrate then Queen Mary and her Parliament did well in burning the Martyrs for differing from her established Religion Answ 1. The man as an Anabaptist citeth Matth. 5. 39. 40. Whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheâ—k turn to him the other Volkelius an arrand Socinian cryes down Lawes and Judges and all warres under the New Testament and maketh this a new Commandement not warranted in the Old Testament as if the hating of our enemie and revenge were commanded in the old and forbidden in the new Nay sâ—ith he what heavenly ravished and blessed Spirit will tell me what these Scriptures mean Mat. 39. 40. 41 42. as if none were heavenly and blessed Spirits that knew the meaning of the Scriptures but Volkelius Chellius Socinus and other Socinians and Anabaptisâ—s I answer Socinus and Volkelius are these blessed Spirits that can shew the meaning of these words and tender Lettice for your lips But see your Socinian dream and theirs refuted by Poliander and Joan. Peltius for Christ in the New Testament does no where contradict Moses Law nor refute Moses but he refuteth the false glosses which Scribes and Pharisees put on Moses Law For 1. Christ never saith It was said by Moses but I say the contrary But it was said of old by the unlucky Elders and Fathers of Scribes and Pharisees which these wretched Doctors and their sons said Eye for eye and thou shall not kill and thou shall not commit adultery As is cleare 1. Because loving of our Enemy was forbidden by Moses and in the Old Testament as in the New as I proved before revenge is forbidden Prov. 20. 22. Deut. 32. 35. Shedding of bloud is forbidden Gen. 9. 6. as well as by our Saviour Matth. 26. 52. 2. Because Christ saith Matth. 5. 20. I say unto you except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees he saith not except it exceed the righteousnesse of the Law of God commanded by Moses in the Old Testament Yee shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven And as Christ condemneth unjust anger so is it condemned aâ— murther and accursed in the Old Testament Gen. 49 7. 2 Chro. 28. 9. Daniel 3. 13. Prov. 14. 16. Gen. 27. 45. Est 1. 12. Prov. 15. 1. Prov. 19. 11. c. 27. 4. Eccles 7. 4. Esa 7. 4. Amos 1. 11. 1 Sam. 17. 28. 1 Sam. 20. 30. Prov. 14. 17. c. 29. 22. c. 21. 19. c. 22. 24. and forbidden in the sixt Commandement before Christ had that Sermon Matth. 5. And the forbidding of rash and sinfull anger is no new Commandement but more frequently condemned in the Old Testament then in the New And the like may be proved of heartlusting Prov. 6. 25. Lust not after her beauty in thine heart Gen. 6. 1. Job 31. 1. Jer. 5. 8. 2 Sam. 11. 2. Job 24. 15 16. Job 31. 9. All which places and many others in the Old Testament condemne lusting after a woman in the heart no lesse then Christ condemns it 3. Christ refuteth Socinians and Anabaptists Matth. 5. 17. Think not I am come to destroy the Law c. 18. For verily I say unto you till heaven and earth passe one jot or one title shall in no wise passe from the Law till all he fulfilled But if Christ oppose his new Precepts to the Law of Moses as Velkelius saith he must utterly destroy the Law of Moses and substitute a more perfect Law in the place thereof But Libertines as Joh. Baptist here would have heresie forbidden in the Old Testament and punishing of false prophesying commanded there But heresie must be Innocency and Righteousnesse in the New Testament and to be punished for false teaching in the old was to suffer for ill-doing but now in the New saith Baptist to be punished for false prophesying is to suffer for well-doing and he citeth 1 Pet. 3. 17. as if it were the will of God that Sectaries suffer for well-doing that is for Familisme Socinianisme Antmomianisme Popery Idolatry butchering of children to God as some Anabaptist Parents have done and for preaching Doctrine that eateth as a Gangrene 2 Tim. 2 for blaspheming and denying the Resurrection of the dead as Hymeneus did for he that suffereth for all these out of meer conscience suffereth for well-doing as Peter saith if we beleeve Joh. Baptist 2. But how shall Mr. Baptist prove Christ foretelling the Apostles should be persecuted for the preaching of the truth of God and the Gospel that these Apostles and the Anabaptists that now are must looke in like manner to be persecuted for the Gospel that is for Familisme Socinianisme all the
not hypocrisie and sin for this argument may as well prove the Magistrate should neither forbid nor punish murther nor command abstinence from murther to an unrenewed man for an unrenewed man cannot but abstaine from murther in a sinfull way and his abstinence from murther in order to the spirituall Law of God is no better then the oblation of Swines bloud and the cutting off of a dogs head to God Esa 66. 1 2. as is all externall obedience of either Tables of the Law first or second without faith and spirituall inward morall principles and heart-obedience and Mr. Williams cannot answer this argument but by the principles of Anabaptists Familists and Enthysiasts who say all outward Ordinances Ministery Preaching Sacraments yea Preachers and Magistrates who command outward obedience to God are unlawfull now under the New Testament So Mr. Dell denies all Reformation but heart-reformation Other reformation beside this in the heart I know none and Gospel-reformation onely mindeth the reformation of the heart then away with Preaching Laws the Sword Synods Gospel-reformation saith he is inward layes hold upon the heart soule and inner man and changes and renewes that doth not much busie it selfe about outward formes or externall conformity but onely mindes the conformity of the heart for when the heart is right with God the outward formes cannot be amisse Christ saith touching the worship of the New Testament God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth he speakes not one word of any outward formes so that God in the Gospel-reformation aimes at nothing but the heart So the father of the Familists impure H. Nicholas If I could give all my goods to the poor c. if I have not love it is not any thing to me that is whosoever hath not Christ he is without God and without righteousnesse in this world I mean the being like Christ which is conceived through the power of the Holy Ghost and not any ceremoniall Christ which one man speaketh to another or promiseth to another through his ceremoniall service which he out of his prudency according to his fleshly minde setteth up O no The worke or begetting of God commeth not so â—lenderly to passe as men now at this time teach each other out of their unregenerate Spirit he meaneth by men now at this time Protestants who conjoyne Pauls planting and the watering of Apollos with the working of the Spirit whereas this Impostor taketh him to the latter and railes against the former as a ceremoniall and fleshly Christ See more of this in Del Theologia Germanica Rise and Reigne of Antinomians Bullinger Calvin Towne the Antinoâ—ian Salâ—marsh Upon this ground Samuel Gortyn right down denies all Magistracy learning books Libraries Lawes and he hath reason so to do for Magistracy because it is a carnall Ordinance cannot produce inward and spirituall repentance therefore Magistrates upon the same ground cannot coerce nor punish hereticks since heresie is a spirituall evill which cannot be remedied by a sword of steal for God onely can enlighten the minde 3. If therefore this argument be good neither can the externall preaching of the word be a lawfull Ordinance for God onely gives repentance the preaching of the Word without the Spirit can but produce a carnall repentance and the Bounder may cry downe all preaching of the word if he but change the word Magistrate into the word Preacher or Ambassadour for this course of Preaching by men may lay a stumbling I speake in his words in every mans way to prophane the things of God by doing them out of obedience to men that are but earthen vessels not to God If he say that is by accident because men look to men as men and not to God whose word men carry So say I mens abstaining from doing violence and murther which the Magistrate forbids may infer God hath given no power to the Magistrate to forbid murther and adultery for men may so prophane the sixt Command and abstaine from murther because the Magistrate forbids it not because God forbids it in the sixt Commandement And the preaching of the word may be art downe errours so long as a man sound in the faith preacherâ— but when there ariseth a corrupt teacher a â—â—araâ—h that knew not Joseph errours shall walke on every side and that not by permission but by commandement Now this is the reasonlesse reason of the 〈◊〉 against the coercive power of Magistrates these men argue ever from the abused power of a Magistrate and from persecution to provâ— hereticks ought not to be punished as if punishing of false teachers were persecution which they can never prove But to goe on That cannot be the way of God which necessarily inferreth the darkeness inevidence and inextricable difficultie of understanding the Scriptures But such is the way of Libertie of Conscience Ergo. The Proposition is clear for if God hath not sufficiently cleared the way to heaven but left a Testament that men may expound to be the pathway to life eternall and the just contrary a pathway to life eternall then shall men know certainly no safe way to life eternall and the Scriptures shall not make men inexcusable contrary to Hos 5. 2. and 8. 12. Psal 19. 7 8 9 10. Ezek. 3. 5 6. Luke 16. 29 30 31. Joh. 20. 31. and 15. 22. 2 Tim. 3. 15 16. Psal 119. 9. Prov. 3. 21 22 23. Deut. 31. 28 29. Matth. 11. 21 22 23. 24. 2. Papists shall be in better case then we for though they say that the Scriptures are darke and obscure and admit of themselves divers and contrary senses so that we cannot bottome our faith on them yet the juridical interpretation of the Church is to men a ground of faith and that is the ground of faith which the Church giveth as the only true sense of Scripture The Assumption is clear because Libertines suppose that the sense of Scripture can be undeniably known to none what is to one saint a ground of faith the just contradicent to another is a ground of faith and what sense to one Saint is an Article of saving faith to another is a damnable Heresie and both are to be tolerated neither corrected nor punished for since neither are infallible neither can deserve rebukes or rods nor punishment civill or Ecclesiasticall because knowing of the word of God in Scripture is not in our freewill but natural and whatsoever sense the word offers to the understanding true or false the man cannot be guilty in receiving the false sense because he is not punishable therefore as Libertines argue and what then should hinder but Jewes may be saved in their sense of the old Testament who yet deny Christ to be come in the flesh nor are they to bee rebuked far lesse to be punished by God or man therefore because 2 Cor. 3. in reading of the Old Testament a vaile
sect 2. The conditions that Libertines require to be in a Synod Liberty to question every thing is lycence Remonst Apo. c. 1. fol. 41. The Church though not infallible may determine infallible points Apol. in Pref. et in declar in Pref. A Confession Covenant or Synodicall de 〈◊〉 a secondarie rule of faith Remonstr in vindic l. 2. c. 6. fol. 126. Note Ibid 133. A ministeriall and publike and a Christian and private judgment and faith and how they differ Remov 16. 〈…〉 〈…〉 That Confessions ought to be onely in expresse Scriture words is another false principle of Libertines Roman Vindi l. 2. c. 6. 135. 13. 〈◊〉 post quam acceptavit decretum 〈◊〉 illo â—â—â—tius quam ea lege quatenis quamdia 〈◊〉 in 〈…〉 indicat ill deffâ—â—â—rum Ancient bonds of Liberty of Conscience 〈◊〉 Apol c. 25. 291. The end of Synods is not to remove heresie by any means good or bad 〈◊〉 to ciuil heresie so effectually as these heresies shall never be heard of in the world againe Remon c. 25. Apol. 294. The necessitie of Synods Pastors subject the disobedient to wrath yet are not lords over the conscience ergo neither are Synods lords over the conscience for that fol. 2â—5 Error of conscience 〈◊〉 from â—â—igation of obedience Apo. 25. f. 226. The subject of a Synod not a Sceptick conjecturall truth as Libertines suppose The sense of Scripture from Synods beleived truly to be infallible though Synods consist of men who are not infallible as an earthen pitcher doth contain gold and precious Rubies and Saphires in it though there be no gold in the matter of the pitcher but onely clay 2. Cor. 4. 7. How a true decision of a Synod is ever the same and not retractable Remon Though all truths be peremptorily decyded in the word yet is there need of a Ministeriall and declarative decision of men because teachers may deceive and these that are taught are ignorant and dull Anabaptist dimâ—ed interpretation of Scriptures as 〈…〉 〈…〉 Anabaptist l 3. c. 11. Daâ—â—aut Anabaptistis Scripturiram â—â—terpretatiâ—rem recitari evangelium debere 〈◊〉 verbi a 〈◊〉 ut cuique liberium sit prosuo Spritu hoc est prosua voluntate â—â—â—dine interpretaâ—i 〈◊〉 non esse verbum Dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 7. Men are to come to Synods not as Nullifidians but as ingaged for truth Synods may impose upon others and how Ancient Bonds or Libertie of Conscience stated c. 10. Sect. 3. p. 74. 45. The conditional imposing of Synods consisteth well with trying of all things what Libertines say on the contrary is nought 〈…〉 〈…〉 16. 75. Pastors are are not out of their calling nor Apparitours nor tale-bearers if they complaine to the Magistrate of hereticks and all evâ—â—-doers Opinions cannot be compelled not the 〈◊〉 or will in the 〈…〉 â—he question is whether the 〈…〉 Shame and fear of rebâ—kes by Pastors and Church censures have the same compulsorie in 〈…〉 false teachers that the feare of publick punishment by the Synod hath Church censures are as compulsâ—rie on the Conscience as coercing by the sword Some externall actions of unjustice sâ—â—wing from meere Conscience are punished justly without any note of persecution by grant of Libertines and why not all others also 〈…〉 bonds pag. 12 Lactan. Inst l. 5. c 14 quid 〈…〉 quod 〈…〉 fieri 〈◊〉 libido 〈…〉 Tertullian ad Scapulâ—â— Humani juris naturalâ—s potestatis est unâ—cuique quod putavertis colerâ— nâ—â— alii prodostâ—nt oâ—est alterius Religio Sed nec Religionis est cogere Religionem quae sâ—ont◠〈◊〉 debeâ— non 〈◊〉 How Religion may be compelled how not One mans Religion remaining in the minde and will may hurt or benefit the man himself not any others but true Religion as it comes forth iâ— to acts of teaching may coine and winne the souls of others and false Religion may subvert the faith of others The Magistrate does not command Religion acts as service to God but rather forbids their contraâ—â—â—â— as disserâ—â—â—â— to Christian societies How â—ertull and Laâ—â—antâ—â—s are to be expounded of forcing to heathen Religion Though we can compell none to Religion it follows not that the Magistrate may not punish there that 〈◊〉 others to a false Religion Lactanâ—â— 5. c. 20. non est opus vt 〈…〉 cogi non potest 〈◊〉 potius quam verberibuâ— res agenda 〈…〉 Distringant hostes Religionis Christianae aciâ—m ingeniorum suertâ—â— si ratio corum vera est offeratur parati sumus audire si doceaâ—â— Tacentibus certè nihil credimus sicut ne saevientibus quidem cedimus imitentur nos aut rationem rei totius exponant nos enim non illicimus ut ipsi objectant sed docemus probamus ostendimus itaque nemo a nobis retinetur invitus imutilis est enim deo qui devotione ac side caret tamen nemo discedit ipsa veritate retinante Lactan 〈◊〉 longè diversa sunt Carnificina pictas nes potest aut veritas eum vi aut justitia eum crudelitate conjungi Ibid. Sed ut in ipsa Religione sic defensionis genere falluntur Defendenda eâ—im Religio est non occidendo sed monen lo alij codices moriendo non sevitia sed patientia non scelere sed fide Lactant. speaks of compulsion without all teaching These that are without the Church are not to be compelled 〈…〉 〈…〉 punish heâ—â—â—ides so so he should not punish murtherers The Magistrate may by the sword curb five impediments that keep men from embracing the truth according to Augustine Answer to Doctour Adam Stewart Impotencie of free will objected by Mr. John Goodwine no reason why the Magistrate ought not to punish seducing teachers as of old the Donatists objected State of the question more strictly proposed It may as wel he said because there be no expresse laws against murtherers parricids sorcerers Sodomites in the new Testament more then against false teachers that therefore Socerers are no lesse then hereticks to be tollerated De vivendis Christianorian animus in fide illibata tom 1 l. 1. c. 10. The number of Fundamentals An saving disposition of faith to beleeve all truths revealed though the man be ignorant of many may consist with the state of saving grace Calv. epist ad Martinum Shallingium an 1557. Three things among these that are to be believed things simply necessarie 2. simply profitable 3. by consequence necessary how the papist erre in these Joan. Durens in consulta Theologica p. 14 15. Some Consequences necessary Builders of hay and stubble on the foundation may be saved and these that fall in murther and adultery out of infirmity may be also saved yet there is no consequence ergo the Magistrate should tollerate both Obstinacie in Ceremonies after full information deserveth punishment These that err in non-fundamentals may deserve to be punished To teach the necessity of circumcision not an error formally and primarily but by consequence fundamentall and the contrary truth
the false Religions of Jew Papist Indian American who receive the letters of it Mr Iohn Goodwin Hagiomast sect 28. p 38 39 denieth that any now living on earth hath the Scriptures or any ground of faith but that which is made of mens credit and learning Though the meanes of delivering to us Scripture be fallible yet it neither followeth that these meanes are the foundation on which our faith is resolved or that the Scripture it self is not infallible Tannerus disp 1. de fide c. 5. as 1 Bellarm. l. 2. de concil c. 12. Staplâ—ton doctrin princip l. 8. c. 21. ultima resolutio fidei non est in Deum revelantem simpliciter sed in Deum revelantem ut sic id est per ecclesiam c. Val. dis 1. de fide q. 1. p. 1. Sect 10. p. 38. col 1. Card. de Lugo de side spe dis 1 sect 5. n. 56. Malderus de object fidei q. 1. art 1. sect 10. p. 6. Suarez de fid disp 3. de object forma fidei sect 10 pag. 9. dis 9. dub 8. concl 4. Lod. Maratius tom 2. tract de fide dis 17. iect 2. n. 6. Duvilliusde object fidei l. 2. q. 1. litâ—e d. Fr. Silvius Professor Duaceâ—sis m. 22 q. 1. art 1. Lod Casâ—ensis Capucinus Curis Theol. tom post tract 15. dis 1. s 3. Reasons to prove that we have divine certaintie that the Books of the old and New Testament that we now have are the word of God contrary to Mr Goodwins Assertion That we have no warrant so to say but mans credit and authority As Matth. 2. 5. Matth. 4. 4 6 7 10. Matth. 11. 10. Matth. 21. 13. Matth. 26. 24. Mark 14. 21. 27 Mark 1. 2. Luke 2. 23. Luke 4. 4. 8. 10. Luke 7. 27. Luke 19. 46. Joh. 6. 31. 45. Joh. 12. 14. Act. 1. 20. Act. 7 42. Act. 13. 33. Act. 15. 15. Rom. 1. 17. Rom. 2. 24. Rom. 3. 4. 10. Rom. 4. 17. Rom. 8. 37. Rom. 8. 13. Rom. 11. 8. 1 Cor. 1 19. 31. â— Cor. 2. 9. 1 Cor. 3. 19. 2 Cor. 4. 13. 2 Cor. 8. 15. Rom. 12. 19. Rom. 15. 3. 1 Cor. 14. 21. Gal. 3. 10. 13. Gal. 4. 22. 27. Heb. 10. 7. 1 Pet. 1. 16. Luke 24. 14. Rom. 15. 4. 1 Cor. 10. 7. 2 Cor 9. 9. Luke 4. 17. Joh. 2. 17. Rivet to 1. contra tract 1. 46. Whitaker to 2. de authoritate Scrip. l. 3. c. 7. Calvin Comment in Act. 17. Hagiomast Ser. 36. p. 47. Dr. Taylors liberty of prophesying Sect. 4. p. 73 74 75 c. Liberty of Prophesie Sect. 11. p. 171. The knowledge of God is commanded and the minde is under a divine Law as well as the will and the affections The trying of the two Missals of Gregory and Ambrose by a miracle was meer folly Liber of Prophe Sect. 12. p. 185 186. The causes of heresie All ignorance of things revealed in the word though most speculatively are sinfull errours The Place 1 Cor. 3. 11 12 13. expounded and vindicated from the glosses of Adversaries Dr. Taylors mistake of heresie What vinciblenesse must be in heresie Dr. Taylor maketh the opinion of Purgatory no heresie and groundlesly Of errours how they are sinfull in matters revealed in Gods word Liber of Proph Sect. 12. n. 6. Liber of Proph n. 6. N. 7. Simple errours of things revealed in Gods word are condemning sins Ob. 1. Sect. 13. How opinions are judicable and punishable For the Father to kill the son upon a meer religious ground is no murther nor punishable by Libertines way Sect. 13. n. 5. Bloodie Tenet c. 95. p. 145 146. The Magistrates ministry is civill not spirituall Bloodie Tenet 16. 148. The Laws of Artaxerxes Cyrus Darius Nebuchadnezzar ratifying the Law of God by civil punishments were their Magistraticall duties How fear of civill Lawes may work men to soundnesse in the faith Bloodie Tenet page 129. Artaxerxes made lawes by the light of nature to restrain men from Idolatry Bloody Tenet c. 97. p. 152. From punishing of false Teachers it followeth not that the Jewes and all the Idolatrous Heathen should be killed Bloodie Tenet c. 113. p. 107. Bloody Tenet cap. 98. The considerable differences between punishing such as rebell against the first Tables of the law in the old Testament and now in the new and their swearing of a Covenant and ours Obj. 8. Bloody Ten. c. 1â—8 p 197. Circular turnings from Protestanisme to Popery proves nothing against punishing of seducers Obj 9. Bloody Ten. c. 120. p. 202. Dr. Taylor Liber of pro. Sect. 13 n. 10. Ancient bounds c. 6. 1. p. sect 26. The objection of a carnall way by swords as no fit means to suppresse heresie answered The objection from carnall weapons and forcing of conscience and contradictions involved inforcing the elicit â—nâ—ernall acts of will and understanding c. as strong against laws in the old Testament as in the New The Law Deu. 13. Lev. 24 c. was not executed upon such onely is sinned against the light of his conscience and the Law of nature and upon whom the immediate response of the Oracle fell as false Prophets No need of a Law-processe judge witnesses accusers or inquiring in the written Law of God if an immediate oracle from heaven designed the false Prophet in the Old Testament Ecclesiasticall and civill coaction do both worke alike upon understanding and will Ancient bonds c. 2. page 7. Errors against supernaturall truth are not rebukeable because not punishable contra Vaticaâ—us contra libel Calvin â—n 12. Vaticanus coâ— libel calvi ad not So si interficis qua sic loquitur ut sentit intersieis propter veritatem â—am veritas est dicere quae senrits Psal 15. beatum pronunciat eum qui vere dicit quae habet in animo Libertines make all blasphemers all seducing Prophets of Baaâ— priests of Heathen Gods if they speakâ— what a conscience 〈◊〉 with a 〈◊〉 Iron doth 〈◊〉 unto them to be true Prophets and to dwell 〈◊〉 them 〈◊〉 of the Lords House 〈◊〉 15. Bloudy Tenco c. 35. p. 59. In four sundry considerations sins are censured Augus Epis 48 ad Vincen The Magistrate is subject to the just power of the Church and the Church to the just power of the Magistrate neither of them to abused power and the word of God in point of conscience supreme to regulate both How the Jews suffered heathen Idolaters to dwell amongst them Baptist c. 6. p. 3â— 35. Joh. Baptist would have us selfe selfe carefull of being carried 〈◊〉 with false and strange doctrines because we are elected to glory and the chosen cannot fall away then of other abominable sins Joh. Baptist and Libertines teach that liberty of conscience is a way to finde out truth When the holy Ghost forbids us to beleeve false Christs and to receive Antichristian teachers into our houses he bids us also receive them as Saints and beleeve them by the way of Libertines Libertines make the judging of Hereticks to be Hereticks a bold intruding into the Lords caâ—â—net counsell Ancient bounds cap. 6. sect 1. Reas 14. p. 30. Bloodie Tenet Mr. Nicholas Loâ—kâ—er ser 1. Col. 1. preface to the reader Liberâ—ines say God hath deâ—â—red Heresies to be Varietie of judgements in Gods matâ—eâ—s is a grief to Paul and the godly Ministers Gal. 5. 20. 1 Tim. 3. 1 2. 2 Tim. 2. 17. 2 Thes 2. 17. 1 Tim. 6. 5. Rev. 2. 20. Acts 20. 30. Ier. 23. 27 32. Zach. 10. 1. Lam. 2. 14. Necessitie of Toleration 1647. qu. 53. Borrowed from Bloodie Tenet The punishing of heresies investeth not the Magistrate in a headship over the Church The intrinsecal end of the Magistrate or of his office is not the conversion of Souls August lib. 3. cont perm cap. to Quis enim tune in Christum crediderat Imperator qui ei pro pietate contra impietatem leges ferendo servitet quando adhuC illud propheticum esset quare fremueâ—unâ— Gentes c. Libertines make Preaching and commanding to receive and beleeve and professe the Truth a monopolizing of the truth A twofold obligation the word spoken or preached lay on the hearers one objective another ministeriall Private men have not the like warrant to prescribe what Ministers should beleeve and practice as Ministers have to prescribe to private men Argum 19. Libertie of conscience maketh every mans conscience his Bible and multiplies Bibles and sundry words of God and rules of faith All Hereticks are in a safe way of salvation according to the way of Libertines