Selected quad for the lemma: sin_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A47927
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Toleration discuss'd by Roger L'Estrange.
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L'Estrange, Roger, Sir, 1616-1704.
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1663
(1663)
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Wing L1315; ESTC R7093
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72,161
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120
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finds himself Bound to do 't Conf. This Argument of yours takes in Pagans as well as Christians for They have Consciences as well as Wee and They are convinc'd that there is a God and that That God ought to be Worship'd so that to grant a General License is to Tolerate Paganisme Zeal But Paganisme is not within the Pale of the Question Conf. Why then no more is Conscience for if you exclude Pagans upon what Accompt is 't They perswade Themselves they are in the Right You think them in the Wrong and because of the Error of Their Way deny them the Exercise of their Opinions so that your Exception lyes to the Error not to the Conscience Scrup. But their Consciences are Erroneous Conf. They are so if You may be Iudges of Them and so are Yours too when You come to be Iudg'd by Us. Now tell me What Right have You to be Judges in your own Case any more then They in Theirs Ze. We have a Law to judge our selves by Conf. And They even without a Law do by Nature the things contained in the Law and are a Law to Themselves But to look nearer Home 'T is it seems among Christians only that you would have a Generall Toleration and That in my opinion helps ye not much for to uphold your Claim you must either maintain that there are no Erroneous Consciences among Christians or that Errour of Conscience is no Sin or else that Sin may be Tolerated Scrup. That there are Erroneous Consciences and that sin is not to be Tolerated I Grant ye but I do not take every Error of Conscience to be a sin understand me of Consciences labouring under an Invincible Ignorance Conf. 'T is very true the Formality of sin is the Obliquity of the Will but sin Materially consider'd is the Transgression of the Divine Law and Conscience it self becomes sinfull when it dictates against That Law Scrup. Can there be any sin without Consent or any Consent without Knowledge or any Knowledge in a Case of Invincible Ignorance The Transgression of the Law implies the Knowledge of it or at least the Possibility of knowing it without which it has not the Nature of a Law as to mee The Conditions Requisite to a Rule are These it must be Certain and it must be Known If it be not Certain 't is no Rule if it be not Known 't is no Rule to Us. I had not known sin sayes the Apostle but by the Law and in another place Where there is no Law there is no Transgression From whence the Deduction is clear that sin is not barely the Transgression of a Law but the Transgression of a known Law the Inconformity of the Will to the Understanding Conf. The Perversness of the Will being a Sin does not hinder the Enormity of the Judgment to be so too Untill the Law says your own St. Paul sin was in the World but sin is not imputed when there is no Law Briefly The Word of God is the Rule of Truth and All Disproportion to That Rule is Errour God's Revealed Will is the Measure of Righteousness and all Disproportion to That Measure is sin Now the Question is not Whether Imputed or not but whether a Sin or no and you cannot make Errour of Conscience to be no Sin without making the Word of God to be no Rule Scrup. I do not deny but it is a fin as to the Law but it is None as to the Person It is none constructively with Him that accepts the Will for the Deed. Conf. Can you imagine that any Condition in the Delinquent can operate upon the Force and Equity of the Law Because God spares the Offender shall Man therefore Tolerate the Offence David was Pronounc'd a Man after God's own Heart shall Authority therefore grant a License to Murther and Adultery Scrup. What 's David's Case to Ours You Instance in Sins of Presumption and the Question is touching Sins of Ignorance Conf. Your Patience I beseech you It may be Ignorance in him that Commits the sin and yet Presumption in him that Suffers it You cannot comprehend it perhaps but the Magistrate does and wherein You Doubt Authority is Certain I could lead you now by a Thred from the Toleration of all Opinions to the Toleration of all Practices and shew you the execrable Effects of giving way to the Impulses of Deluded Conscience But what needs That when Two words will dispatch This Controversie In Pleading for All Opinions you plead for all Heresies and for the establishment of wickedness by a Law Do ye think such a Toleration as This either fit for You to Ask or for Authority to Grant Ze. But is it not Pity considering our Duty is Obedience and not Wisedom that a Good man should be punished for not being a Wise Man Conf. And do not you think we should have fine work if a State were bound to make no Provision against Crafty Knaves for fear of Dis-obliging Honest Fools You 'l set no Trapps for Foxes for fear of catching your Lambs and Hunt no Wolves for fear some of your Currs should stumble upon a Sheep In short the Honest will Obey Good Laws and let not the Unwise pretend to Mend them As to the sparing of the Man even where 't were Impious to give Quarter to the Opinion I wish it could be done but how shall we separate the Errour from the Person so as to make a General Law take notice of it To Tolerate Both were Irreligious and it seems to Mee Impossible to sever them If you your self now can either prove the Former to be Lawfull that is to do evil that Good may come of it or the Latter to be Practicable I 'le agree with you For a General Toleration If otherwise I hope you 'l joyn with me Against it Ze. The Truth is I am not yet Resolv'd to Burn for This Opinion but what do ye think of a Limited or Partial Toleration Conf. I fear you 'l find That as much too Narrow for your Conscience as the other is too Wide but Wee 'l Try't however SECT III. Limited Toleration does not answer Liberty of Conscience Conf. WEE are already Agreed That a Toleration of All Opinions is a Toleration of all Wickedness and consequently Unlawfull Come now to your Limited or Partial Toleration which I take to be A Legal Grant of Freedom or Immunity to such or such a Sect or Way and to no Other Will a Toleration of This Latitude content ye Scrup. I See no other Choyce Conf. Would ye have it Granted in favour of the Conscience that Desires it or in Allowance of the Tolerated Opinion Scrup. With an Eye to Both that Nothing which is Grievous may be Impos'd on the One hand nor any thing which is Unlawfull Tolerated on the Other Conf. But what if the Subject shall accompt that Imposition Grievous which the Magistrate thinks Necessary or That Liberty Conscientious which the Magistrate