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scripture_n	faith_n	word_n	write_a	3,171	5	10.6412	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76316	An examination of the chief points of Antinomianism, collected out of some lectures lately preached in the church of Antholines parish, London: and now drawn together into a body, and published for the benefit of all that love the holy truth of God, / by Thomas Bedford B. D. Vnto which is annexed, an examination of a pamphlet lately published, intituled The compassionate Samaritan, handling the power of the magistrate in the compulsion of conscience: by the same author.	Bedford, Thomas, d. 1653.	1647 (1647)	Wing B1668; Thomason E370_15; ESTC R201292	67,960	90

Scripture of the Old Testament and New by the Law and Testimony And by it they know that they are not misguided because if any of them that peep and matter that pretend Visions and Revelations speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in them These men though they do not plainly speak out their meaning yet would have us to understand them that the Spirit did by Enthusiasms and Revelations move them and guide them so infallibly that they need not the Scripture nor the instruction of the Ministry which what is it else but to revive and call up again that abomination of the Familists long since condemned to Hell the place of its just desert Just I say for take away the written Word of God and then every fancy of a dreaming Elder and doting Sister shall be the Rule of mens godly conversations Object A Law may be acknowledged and a written Law and yet not the Law of Moses not the Moral Law What then why the Law of Christ not the old but the new Commandment the precepts taught by Christ and his Apostles Well but the question is Whether that the subject matter of this new Commandment and of the old be not in both the same viz. Teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts to live righteously godly and soberly in this present world If so Then why should it not be indifferent to alleage the precepts of Moses and the Prophets to prove and press a duty of holiness as the precept of Christ and his Apostles ex gr. If we be agreed that it is the duty of a justified person to honor his Father and Mother what need we jangle about words and quarel about quotations whether we press it out of Exod. 20. or from Eph. 6. since both Texts do preach and press the same duty Is it not the same God who spake to the Fathers by the Prophets and to their Children by Christ and his Apostles Nay more do we not see it that those Precepts of holiness which by our blessed Saviour and his Apostles are taught in the New Testament are taken out of Moses and the Prophets yea and pressed upon the Conscience by this reason Because it is the Law and the Prophets What can be more plain then that Text of our Savior Mat. 7. 12. Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you do ye so unto them for this is the Law and the Prophets So Saint Peter Be ye holy in all maner of conversation for it is written Be ye holy for I am holy 1 Pet. 1. 16. mark that Because it is written By it you see that the Apostle presseth a duty by a Text of Scripture fetcht from the Law So Saint Paul Eph. 6. 1 2. presseth the duty of obedience upon Children and proveth it to be right by citing the 5. Commandment of the Moral Law What will these men say to that Text of Saint James Jam. 2. 8. If ye fulfil the Royal Law ye shall do well But if ye have respect of persons ye commit sin and are convinced of the Law as Transgressors What convinced as Transgressors and yet not bound to obedience Is there any Transgression where no obligation to obedience And is the Moral Law notwithstanding all this abolished Hath it none Office in the time of the Gospel Are we false Teachers who in imitation of Christ and his Apostles do call men to the practise of these holy duties which we finde contained in the Law No we teach the truth of God and in the right way of God Except it be that Christ and his Apostles were ignorant of the way or except these men have received a new Gospel and another dispensation of the grace of God hitherto unknown and unrevealed CHAP. II. Touching the Motives of the Law whether these also be abolished So that to propose the expectation of reward as an invitation to good works and to deter men from sin by the fear of punishment be altogether inconsistent with the Doctrine of Grace NOt only the precepts of the Law are bequarrelled by those men but also the Arguments of perswasion In doing good-works and living a godly and holy life we must not at all look to any Reward from God But must do good works meerly in reference to Gods Glory and the good of others Otherwise our service will be meerly mercenary Grant indeed that we must do good works for these ends Grant also That in the obtaining of these ends there is a full Satisfaction to a Godly and a Gracious Heart And yet why may we not encourage our selves to cheerfulness in our Obedience by having an eye to the Recompence of Reward which God hath gromised Doth not the Scripture propound a Reward for our encouragement And why doth the Scripture propound it but that we should believe it and by believing be put forward to work cheerfully Is it not set down as an act of Moses Faith and a point of his praise That he had an eye to the Recompence of Reward Heb. 11. 25. Doth not the same Apostle shew this That our blessed Saviour by the Joy that was set before Him did stir up himself to go on cheerfully to the end of his undertakings Heb. 12. 2. Nay is not this in part acknowledged by Dr. Crisp he having set down this for a Doctrine That the laying of sin upon Christ is the Lords own Act giveth this reason for it Because none else could give to Christ a proportionable reward And Christ had an eye to some good consideration and for the proof of this he citeth Heb. 12. 2. And God saith he to put him on propoundeth rewards unto him c. Now then if thus it was with Christ why may it not be lawful for the Christian to help his weakness by having an eye to the recompence of reward Will they say that this sevice is mercenary So they do indeed but without any just reason mercenary service is commonly measured by carthly profits and preferments when a man so looketh at them that where there is no hope of such a reward he doth let fall the duty to which he is called Self-seeking is then unlawful and sinful when Self is the ultimate end of our desire But he that in feeking the good of his body and soul serveth Christ i. e. so desireth his own good that he may serve Christ is acceptable to God and approved of man This being so Why are we blamed for pressing men to holiness and encouraging them in it by putting them in minde of that reward which is provided These men flye out upon such exhortations This is not to preach Free-grace this is to bring in Popery and to teach men to hang their Salvation upon their merits to expect their reward for their Works sake No such matter it is not Popery to preach the expectation of a reward upon the conscionable performance of duties enjoyned If it be surely Christ and his

God set down the Text of Scripture and revealed the same to the Church of God he confirmed it by his works from Heaven by Miracles which did convince the world that it must needs be the Word of God which was accompanied with such mighty and miraculous operations so when God will by the Spirit speak to the soul the Application of a Text for comfort he doth make way for the credit of it by the work of the Spirit the work of grace upon the soul If not believe it not the spirit of truth is a spirit of holiness There is no truth in that word which speaks comfort to that heart in which is not wrought the work of Holiness Consequently Thy sins are forgiven in the heart of a Drunkard Swearer Whoremonger is not the voice of the Spirit The work and the word of the Spirit go together Nay so evident is this that the Doctor having sought to establish this Revelation of the Spirit as a principle that may not be disputed and that cannot be demonstrated doth yet in the close come in with this Yet something more for the Spirit doth give men to credit what he speaketh His meaning I conceive to be That by this work of the Spirit by which mans heart is framed to receive the Testimony of the Spirit and to believe it by it doth it appear that it is the Spirit of God which witnesseth their Adoption so then it is the voice of the Spirit that saith Thy sins are forgiven and it is evidenced to be the voice of the Spirit because he frameth the heart to believe it It cannot be denied but that it is the Spirit that giveth Faith to believe it nor is it doubted but that if this perswasion do come from the Spirit it doth afford comfort but still the question is Whether this be the work of the Spirit or not of the other viz. The work of sanctification there is no doubt which if it do not accompany that work of perswasion I much doubt whether it be not an over bold presumption 2. Touching Faith This is delivered by the same Author 1. That the Scripture doth authorize Faith to give full evidence concerning Interest in Christ 2. That this evidence of Faith is not Revealing but a Receiving evidence viz. As it taketh possession of what the Spirit Revealeth and doth rest upon it This Faith saith he brings with it unquestionable evidence full assurance and what needs a man look farther The spirit within thee saith Thy sin is forgiven Faith receiveth it and sits down satisfied here is thine evidence saith he and thou hast thy portion For why the Text of Saint John saith He that believeth hath the witness in himself q. d. He hath as much as can be desired when he hath believing in himself And he that believeth not hath made God a lyar q. d. If when God hath spoken man will not sit down with Gods bare Word but seek for signs and marks drawn from his own works this man hath made God a lyar The sum of all returns to this That this act of Faith receiving the Testimony of the spirit that is when the soul doth rest in it without any farther doubting that this I say is the evidence of our Adoption and Justification so then ask him how do you know that sin is pardoned His Answer is because I believe it and rest satisfied in this perswasion And is not this I pray you a very satisfying evidence It is so because I believe it is so In this way what prophane person is there in the world who may not conclude for himself if he will but force upon himself this perswasion Object Nay but it is not meant but of a perswasion which the Spirit hath wrought in the Heart If God saith he hath given thee to believe it this is thy evidence Sol. Yea but how shall I know whether God hath given me this perswasion or that Satan hath suggested it into my Heart Doth the Spirit of God take a man out of the Dunghil of filthiness and instantly without any work of washing and cleansing speak to him that word of comfort pronounce him pardoned and work in him the full preswasion of it or if he do speedily and as it were suddenly work him to this ful perswasion Doth he not at the same instant work a change upon his will and affections by which that light that is set up in the understanding may be discerned to proceed from the Spirit of God Surely thus we have learned Christ and thus we teach The Spirit of God doth work upon the whole soul and all the faculties at once and equally Understanding and Will Conscience and Affections Nor is there mroe light of saving knowledge in the one then there is heat of holines in the other That Faith which doth not purifie the heart and cleanse the conscience is not a saving Faith such a perswasion of pardon is but a presumption that of S. Iames remaineth an everlasting Truth Faith without works is dead Object That Faith saith he is not dead where the whole essence of Faith is Sol. True but wherein consisteth that essence of Faith This is nothing but the eccho of the Heart saith he to this voice of the Spirit Grant Faith to be the eccho of the Heart to the voice of the Spirit though this indeed be but one act of Faith yet by the voice of the Spirit we understand not that suggestion of Remittuntur but the whole Text of Scripture comprehending Precepts Promises Threatnings in all which there is indeed an eccho of the Heart by Faith Psal. 27. 8. But in this the Antinomian is farther off then the Papist The essence of Iustifying Faith doth neither consist in this eccho to the Text of Scripture nor in that eccho to that word of Revelation but in an act that cometh in between them ex gr. The Text of Scripture saith He that believeth shall be saved Is man justified by believing this for a truth or rather by doing that duty which the word Believeth doth intimate viz. The act of confidence and affiance in Christ Again the Spirit saith Thy sins are forgiven Is man justified because the believeth this word Surely no He must have it before the word that saith so be a word of Truth So then the first eccho goeth before the other doth follow after The right act of justifying Faith whence it is so named is that intermediate act of confidence and affiance Understand me to speak of these acts of Faith as first second third in the order of Nature not in the distance of time In the order of Nature justification doth not go before Faith but follow upon it Nor is man justisted because he doth perswade himself that so it is To wade no farther in this Argument By this I suppose it is evident That the new way of evidencing by the word of the Spirit and the subscription of Faith cannot lay the Ground of

else Saint Paul was deceived He saith If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye Rom. 8. 13. and again He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption Gal. 6. 8. If you will exempt him from all possibility of sinning and from all possibility of living after the flesh Then I grant he need not fear death and Hell But if such only be true Believers I suppose you must go out of the World to seek for your true Believers Consequently since it cannot justly and truly be said either that Believers need not the threats of the Law or that they need not fear them it is fit that they should hear them and have them pressed upon the conscience The threats I say and therefore much more the precepts and duties of the Moral Law This we teach and thus we practise For by Faith we do not make void the Law nay we do establish it saith the Apostle Rom. 3. 31. Our Faith in Christ doth give us an interest in the Promise of life and salvation But our Conformity to Christ in holiness and the daily growth and increase thereof is that which doth by degrees fit and fashion us for it Well therefore saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having therefore these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthines of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God CHAP. III. A brief Answer to the Arguments of H. D. by him brought to prove Justification before Faith i. e. before the act of Believing Arg. 1. INfants are justified yet do they not believe Rom. 10. 17. therefore some are justified before they believe Answ. This Instance of Infants is not to the point in hand as not in the case of Apostacy and falling from Grace maintained by the Arminians * So neither in this point of Iustification before Faith maintained by the Antinomians For why That Iustification which is in question consisteth in the Remission of actual Transgressions Not so that which Infants receive in their Infancy They are as yet guilty of no more but Original Sin And it is enough for them that the guilt of that is removed of Actual Sin they shall then receive the Remission when they stand in need of it and are fitted for it Objection But whatsoever Infants do receive they receive it without Faith Sol. Hic aqua haeret And Divines do not all agree in expediting themselves Some do not stick to affirm That Infants have Faith I grant it is an hard matter to prove the Negative viz. That Infants have not Faith That Text of Rom. 10. 17. Faith cometh by Hearing is not fully to the purpose If Hearing be restrained to the Ear then all that are born deaf are excluded if extended to any way of acquainting man with the will of God even by the workings of the Spirit who shall exclude Infants As hard a matter it is to prove that Infants have Faith especially if Faith be defined by knowledge perswasion or confidence It is said of Iohn Baptist that he was filled with the holy Ghost This sheweth that Infants are capable of the Spirit but it doth not thereupon follow that they do believe Because though in its actings the Spirit depend not upon the faculties of the soul and their fitness yet doth it not usually prevent them Nor be the actings of Grace ordinarily found but where Age hath added some perfection to the Abilities of Nature All that can be said in this point is this That Infants do receive together with their Iustification the principle of Faith viz. The Spirit of Faith as he is called 2 Cor. 4. 13. This is that which some do call The Seed of Faith or Seminal Faith nor can the term be refused since it is grounded on the phrase of Scripture 1 Pet. 1. 23. and Iohn 3. 9. And so it may be said that Infants have Faith as they have Reason in Actu primo though not in Actu secundo in the seed though not in the flower And this is enough to make them capable of that Iustification which they receive in their infancy consequently though they have it without and before actual Faith yet not before Seminal Faith not before the seed the root the Spirit of Faith 2. Arg. He that is in Christ is Iustified and so Iustified before he do believe Because none can believe before he be in Christ Faith is the fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. Answ. Grant indeed None can believe before he be in Christ though that Text do not prove it yet he may believe so soon as he is in Christ and full as soon for time as he is Iustified and for order before he be Iustified for understanding whereof know That in the first moment of our Vnion with Christ the Soul hath a Communion of all that floweth from Christ both for Grace and Glory But how In the vertue and power of a Root and Seed from this Union floweth both Grace to enable the soul to do good actions and also Glory to crown and reward each good act that is wrought but each in his own order Ex. gr. The plant engrafted into the stock receiveth from it both sap and fruit Or thus from the vertue of life in the soul doth proceed a power both of Feeding and of Growing not both of them in the same maner for Feeding cometh as an Act Growing as an Effect yea an Effect of this Act so is it here To Believe and To be Justified come from our Union with Christ as indeed all that we have and all that we hope for is from him and without him we can do nothing And in that Union are they folded up as in the root and seed But still to be considered in their natural order in which one is the cause of the other and therefore to be considered in order of Nature before the other what say we that Glorification no less then Iustification doth flow from that Union will you then say that he that is in Christ is glorified yea glorified before he do believe Surely no As none is glorified before he be Iustified so neither is he justified before he be called Rom. 8. 30. In which call if Faith be not included it will not be effectual Thus every thing trust be considered in its own order All these Grace and Glory Faith and the Fruits thereof are rolled up as in a Root and bestowed upon us in our first Union but the explicite production and application of each to the Christian soul is in a just order 3. and 4. Arg. All the Elect of God are Iustified before God for why They cannot be charged with any thing Rom. 8. 33. Their Sins are taken away Isa. 53. 6. Ioh. 1. 29. 1. Pet. 2. 24. And this before they believe For some of them do not yet believe Answer All the Elect of God even they that yet have no being in the World yet when they are look't upon as justified

failing is when he cometh to answer that Question How shall I know that this is the voice of the Spirit A needful Question Because Satan may and doth transform himself into an Angel of light and deceive the soul This is saith he the usual way of men if the Word did bear witness to this particular voice of the Spirit in me then I could be satisfied But if the Word do not bear witness to this voice of the Spirit I dare not trust it The usual way Nay is it not the only way In the Old Testament thus it was all Revelations were to be examined by the written word Deut. 13. 1. Isa. 8. 20. And is it not so also in the New-Testament See that Text of our Savior Ioh. 16. 13. He that is the Spirit shall lead you into all Truth How so For saith Christ He shall not speak of himself but what he shall hear that shall he speak And what is that which the Spirit heareth Is it not that which is already contained in the scriptures So then no Revelation of any Doctrine no nor the Application of it which is not consonant to the Scripture is to be thought to proceed from the spirit but whatsoever is pretended to be revealed by the Spirit doth so far forth call for Faith as is agreeable to the Scriptures Well not to quarrel needlesly nor to be too strict in terms he doth alow it for a truth The Spirit of the Lord never speaks to the heart of a Believer but he always speaks according to the Word of grace revealed But then he addeth two limitations which spoil all 1. That by the Word we must not understand the Law but the Gospel And this I conceive is put to choke them who seek for signs and marks of Inherent Qualifications 2. That you must not make the credit of this voice of the Spirit to depend upon the Word i. e. to receive credit from it And why not Because saith he if you say that the Word is of greater credit then the Spirit wanteth something in it self of credit as if a man were trusted for a sureties sake But this saith he must not be alowed God never intended that any thing should be of such credit as to give credit to the Spirit The issue of all returns to this That the Testimony of the Spirit is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} self-sufficient as the principles of Arts and Sciences which are indemonstrable and must be received as altogether unquestionable and the meaning thereof is this If any urge how shall I be satisfied that this voice thus speaking is the voice of Gods Spirit his Answer is It is so because it is so Or thus I know it because the Spirit saith it So unwilling are these men that the Revelations and Illuminations on which they build their comforts should be searched into too far Object Nay you will say his meaning is I know it because the Spirit speaketh according to the Word Sol. If so Then he must recant what he said That it doth not depend upon the Word And well he may For howsoever the Truth of what the Spirit speaketh doth not depend upon the Word yet the credit of it doth The Scripture is already known and received as the Word of God And what cometh after it must borrow credit from it St. Peter speaking of the voice which they heard in the Mount saith yet We have a more sure Word of Prophecy 2 Pet. 1. 19. How more sure But because it was already received as the undoubted Word of God And so to them and in their Apprehension it was a more sure Word But to draw nearer to the point Doth this voice of the Spirit saying to an ungodly man Thy sins are forgiven doth it speak according to the Scripture True indeed the Scripture saith God justifieth the ungodly God hath reconciled the World unto himself But is it therefore alowed for any one to say I am an ungodly man I am one of the World therefore I am justified I am reconciled Is there then any Universal Reconciliation and Justification taught in the Text of Scripture I mean any such Reconciliation that is absolute and irrespective That Reconciliation is so far wrought by Christ indefinitely for the World of mankinde that whosoever will come in and lay hold upon Christ by Faith shall not perish this is revealed None other do I know or acknowledge Is it not rather taught us in the Scripture That before there can be any conclusion of comfort to the soul by the particular Application of the Gospel Promises any I mean more then this conditional If I will come in also I may as well as others there must come in the work of the sanctifying spirit purifying the soul and conscience and working in it those inherent Qualifications to which the Promise is made and upon which dependeth the conclusion of that practical syllogism which bringeth comfort The Text of Scripture saith They that Repent and Believe They that are lead by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God Then that renewed and sanctified conscience saith I do Repent and Believe I am lead by the Spirit therefore And so this conclusion thus deduced if the immediate Testimony of the Spirit manifested by an Heavenly impression and irradiation upon the soul if it come in with his attestation to confirm it we may not doubt of the truth thereof because now indeed it speaketh according to the Word and doth confirm that particular conclusion which was comprehended in the general Text of Scripture For where the Text of Scripture hath not a Quicunque for the Proposition there the Testimony of the Spirit that concludes for hic ille doth not speak according to the Word Object You will say to me there is a Quicunque in that of Isa. 55. 1. and Rev. 22. 17. Whosoever will and our Saviour Joh. 6. 37. Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Sol. I grant it No doubt but the Gospel doth hold out Christ to all none exempted Jew nor Gentile But how As a Physitian to cure them not as an Husband to receive them into union with him Or if you will as a Husband to take them into the Bed of love But not till he hath purged them and fitted them for his Bed is it not for this that the Scripture doth call upon sinners to wash and cleanse their hands and hearts Isa. 1. 15. Jam. 4. 8. To separate from the Wicked 2 Cor. 6. 17. with infinite other Texts of Scripture all of them calling upon us to labor for the work of the Spirit upon the soul that so we may finde the fruits of union and communion with Christ and by that work of the Spirit felt in the heart we way be assured that the word of the Spirit speaking comfort to the soul and assuring the conscience of pardon is the word of truth and worthy of belief For as when

so he may comply with that duty of Obedience which he oweth to Authority Not so the other He neither grieveth nor prayeth but pleaseth himself and pleadeth against Authority yea and censureth their proceedings as if all the world were bound to learn of him and subscribe to what he hath concluded And is it fit that such a man should by the pretence and plea of Conscience thus palliate his affected ways and yet escape the just lash of Authority The second Argument NO sort of men can presume of an unerring spirit for evident it is that all of them Fathers Councels Parliaments have been grossly mistaken nor are the presnet times exempt from error Why then should one sort compel the other in as much as hereby hazard is run that he who is in the error may be the constrainer of him who is in the truth Ans. Grant the truth of what is laid for the ground viz. That none are free from error according to that of Rom. 3. Nor can any one presume of an unerring spirit And yet I deny the inference viz. That therefore one sort may not compell the other For why Though no man may presume of such a spirit yet they that are of God may comfortably expect the conduct of the spirit Psal. 25. 14. Joh. 16. 13. Again though none may expect to be guided by inspiration yet by the manuduction of that Rule which the Spirit of God hath fitted and perfected for the Church of God by this I say may the man of God expect to be throughly furnished 2 Tim. 3. ult. Now then might the Prophets and Apostles who were guided by an infallible spirit might they be alowed to compel them that were contrary minded which is evident both by the president of Saint Paul 1 Tim. 1. ult. and also by the mans Argument For if they that want it may not because they want it then they that have this infallible spirit may compel because they have it might they be alowed And may not the Pastors of the Church who have a Rule which is no less infallible Is not the Text of Scripture as infallible a Rule of Direction to the Church of God in present as the Inspiration and Revelation was to the Prophets and Apostles If not why is that exchanged for this Is the spirit less careful of the Church now then in times past Lesse careful I mean to lead it into all truth I may grant indeed that the Inspiration and Revelation did carry with it a more active impression of light upon the understanding of the Prophets and Apostles to evidence the truth of what they received But the Question is not so much whether that way had not greater evidence but whether this way hath not as great assurance Things concluded by reason and received by Faith have in them no less assurance then things perceived by sense though not so great evidence So then In those things whereof the Pastors of the Church are infallibly assured by the text of Scripture that they are not deceived they may even by vertue of the Authors Argument use compulsion to restrain the violence of them that oppose the truth of God Object But of all ways compulsion is the most unlikely to beget unity of minde and uniformity of practise Sol. Compulsion is not used to this end but onely ex consequenti as the suppression of different judgements and practises may conduce to unity and uniformity It is a vain thing to think that by fines and imprisonments the Magistrate doth seek to perswade men to piety and honesty No his primary and proper end is to suppress the contrary As the weeding of the Garden doth not make the seeds to grow yet in removing impediments and making room it doth accidently prosper their growth So is it here Object But Club-law causeth prejudice against what is so propugned Sol. It may be so in some and for a time Yet God who is wiser then man by his own practise hath given us to see that when the way is hedged in with thorns and when the Back doth smart under the Rod the ear is opened to discipline and instruction So that though the Rod do not directly convince or perswade yet it hath its efficacy in the way and work of preparation The third Argument TO compel me to do contrary to my Conscience is to compel me to sin Because whatsoever is not of Faith is sin Of Faith i. e. Whereof I am not certainly perswaded that it is lawful But the Magistrate ought not to tompel any one to sin therefore Not to do contrary to his Conscience nor to worship God in a way of the justness whereof he is not perswaded nay is perswaded that it is unlawful Ans. True indeed The Magistrate ought not to compel any one to sin understanding the Proposition of Malum in se of that which is simply evil in it self Not so if we speak of Malum ex accidenti of that which is accidentally evil Evil to me because of a misguided Conscience ex gr. Nebuchadnezzar did ill by threatnings to compel the People to worship the Golden Image So that second Beast mentioned Rev. 13. did ill in causing them to be killed who would not worship the Image of the first Beast Verse 15. Not so the Magistrate in compelling a Papist or a Separatist to come to Church Because though this may be evil to him in respect of his unperswadedness yet is it not evil in it self Again It is not fit that the Magistrate do forbid what is good in it self or lay a restraint upon what God hath commanded It was Darius fault to restrain prayer Dan. 6. 7. And the Scribes and Rulers sinned in forbidding the Apostles to preach in the Name of Jesus Act. 4. 19. But lawful enough it is for the Magistrate to forbid the doing of something which is only good by consequence So likewise to lay restraint upon what is only lawful because not prohibited ex gr. if a man will say This is a truth and therefore I will speak it and publish it Or if he say This is just and fit to be done and therefore I will do it The Magistrate may put in a bar of restraint and punish him that shall transgress For neither is every truth to be published at all times and in all places nor is every man alowed to do every thing that is lawful and good And as for things that are not prohibited by God but left at large who knoweth not but that the use of them is to be regulated and ordered by the advice and direction of Authority The Commandments whereof though they binde not the Conscience of and by themselves yet whoso doth make no Conscience of them sinneth against God whose precept it is to be subject to the power not only for wrath but even for Conscience and for the Lords sake Rom. 13. 5. 1 Pet. 2. 13. Now as touching the power of the Magistrate in matters of Religion