are to believe Nazianz. Orat. 5. de Theol. perinde ea qua ex Scripturis colliguntur atqui ea qua scribuntur What is in Scripture by consequence is Scripture the ignorance of the Resurrection which was in Scripture to the Sadduces by consequence onely was an ignorance of the Scripture 〈◊〉 22. 29 30 31. and a soul condemning errour It is a question yea no question to die denying the resurrection is to die without saith happily to die ignorant of it having never heard the Gospel is not so high a sinne but who can say such can be saved August serm 30. de verbis Apost Si negent equalem negant filium si negant filium negant Christum si negant Christum negant in carne venisse Origen l. 2. de peccat c. 34. all Christians faith stands in these two that the first Adam destroyed us the second saves us errours about justifying saith and errours touching historicall faith are farre different The foundation is Christ and none but he 2. the gold builded on the foundation is the doctrine of Christ and a created thing yet simply necessary to be believed 3. the hay and stubble that is builded on it must be vanities and fooleries believed yet of themselves such as extinguish not saving faith and love no more then sins of infirmitie are inconsistent with saving faith then both the mans hay and stubble and his sins of infirmitie against the second table may be burnt and the man saved but it follows not the Church and Magistrate should therefore not punish or censure the builders of hay and stubble upon the foundation but should tollerate them for a Godly man as David and Peter may fall in adulterie in treacherous murther and denyall of Christ yet it follows not that the Magistrate should tollerate and not punish murther and adulterie in a Christian societie and that Paul should not sharply rebuke and if need be farther proceed to the censure of the Church if Peter either deny his Lord though out of infirmitie and fear or if he Judaize and looke awry to the Gospel CHAP. VI. Errours in Non-Fundamentals obstinately holden are punishable YEe must beare one anothers infirmities and restore these that fall with the spirit of meeknesse Gal. 6. 1. and yet not tollerate their errours and forbear to admonish and also shaâ—ply rebuke them and if need be the Church and Magistrate may proceed to further censures to excommunication and the use of the sword for justice is not contrary to meeknesse nor one fruit of the Spirit contrarie to another He 〈◊〉 spareth the rod hateth the childe yet should not a father be cruell to his childe nor is his correcting contrarie to fatherly compassion but not correcting is crueltie to and hatred of the childe and the like we are to think of the punishments and censures of the Nurse father of the Church and of the Church There be some things of doubtfull disputations that the weak in knowledge cannot conceive and yet are to be instructed in meeknesse and received as brethren Rom. 14. 1. 2. but if these same weak after sufficient instruction when the Ceremonies of Moses law became deadly and unlawfull as they were then indifferent would needs be circumcised abstain from meats and keep the whole Ceremoniall law whatever should be said on the contrarie and would compell others to be circumcised and pervert the souls of many even after the date of the indifferencie of these things is expired Paul then is so farre from giving place for an hour or betraying Christian libertie Gal. 2. or from bearing with them that he withstandeth them to their faces and wisheth that such as trouble others so were cut off and might bear their judgement Gal. 5. 10. 11. which clearly holdeth forth what ever the meaning of these words be that Paul though these that would teach others they must be circumcised were worthy to bear their judgement and to be punished for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importeth And it shall be a work of difficultie to prove that to be circumcised was necessary to salvation and these that so taught Act. 15. and Gal. chap. 5. did teach an errour of it self fundamentall and that subverted the faith who ever then would be circumcised fell from Christ Gal. 5. as Paul saith but that was by consequence sure it was not an errour in terminis fundamentall as this Christ is not the Saviour of mankinde onely it was an errour that by consequence subverted the foundation and was a falling from Christ by consequence and a comming again under the debt of the whole law and of salvation by the law which was ever impossible and to say it was necessary to salvation necessitate medij so as all the Galathians who received Christ and the Gospel and would have plucked out their eyes for Paul who died ignorant of this point who ever will now be circumcised is fallen from Christ were eternally damned and dyed out of Christ is a groundlesse saying there was a glorious Church in Galatia before Paul wrote that epistle to them for he wrote it upon occasion of their being seduced who were made believe the necessitie of circumcision and it is clear Paul would not have written that of circumcision if that errour had not been sowen among them by false teachers if therefore such as were made beleive that had not beene bewitched to believe the necessitie of Ceremonies for justification they being in Christ should have been saved by faith though this controversie in terminis had never come to their ears whither are believers justified by faith onely or must they also be circumcised and keep the Law that they may be justified and saved And sure many are now in our dayes which is more glorified who never knew but onely virtually and implicitely that to be circumcised or to keep Jewish dayes is not necessary to justified persons yea sure many in Britaine are saved who never knew this fundamentall truth 2. Act. 15. it is cleare that some taught the brethren except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses ye cannot be saved the contrary truth is no expresse fundamentall truth because a fundamentall truth expressely necessary is so necessary necessitate medij as without the knowledge thereof we cannot be saved Now these teachers knew that the Apostles and Elders and Saints at at Jerusalem were not circumcised so and they knew believing Gentiles were not circumcised at all and yet they knew the Apostles were not damned they knew all children dying before the eight day were not damned they must then hold that Circumcision was onely necessary to salvation by way of precept and the brethren that believed and so if they had dyed in that state had undeniably been saved were ignorant of this and v. 7. there was much disputing among believers yea among the Apostles who were not ignorant of fundamentals and undoubtedly had saving faith long before Math. 16. 17. 18.
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
Because he rebuketh them for being dull of hearing which is opposite to being teachers of the word of truth to others which must insinuate they were to have faith and not conjecturall and fluctuating opinions of the things they were to teach 2. He reproves them for that they had not their senses exercised to discerne good and ill and that they were unskilfull in the words of righteousnesse 3. He exhorteth them chap. 6. 1. to be carried on to perfection beyond the principles of the doctrine of Christ Now to be carried to know all except some fundamentalls and principles with a reserve and a doubting of the truth is not to have the senses exercised to discern good and ill nor to be skilfull in the word of truth nor to goe on to perfection but to stand still as in a horse-mill and be at the same perfection of knowledge in knowing and beleeving all even fundamentalls say some or all non-fundamentalls say other Libertines with a reserve and a resolution to judge them all falsehood and lyes 9. It argues the word of God of obscurity and darknesse as not being able to instruct us in all truths and renders it as a nose of wax in all non-fundamentals histories narrations c. in which notwithstanding the Scripture is as evident plaine simple obvious to the lowest capacities in most points except some few Prophesies as it is in fundamentalls and layes a blasphemous charge on the Holy Ghost as if hee had written the Scriptures upon an intention that we should have no assured and fixed knowledge no faith but a meere probable opinion a conjecturall dubious apprehension of truths with a reserve to beleeve the contrary as if the Lords purpose had beene that we should all be Scepticks and dye doubting and how then can God in justice punish any man for not beleeving and doing the will of our Master and Lord If it bee unpossible even by the light of the Spirit to know his will in whole as some say and in the most part as others say yea it must not be our sinfull darkenesse in that wee cannot beleeve most of the matters of God but with a reserve but it is the will and command of God we doe so and how shall we know the second faith contradictory to the former to be the minde of God and not the first and the third and not the second and the fourth and not the third and so to the end since we are to beleeve all the foure with a reserve and all to our dying day with a reserve for the word is alike dubious now as in Pauls dayes and since the Apostles charge us to beleeve and be comforted in beleeving the truths which they beleeved not as Apostles but as Christians and as fellow-Citizens with us we must say that the Apostles also beleeved with a reserve which is blasphemous 10 All our practises according to fundamentals or non-fundamentals must bee in faith that is with a perswasion that what we doe is according to the revealed will of God otherwise we sin Rom. 14. 23. and are condemned in all we doe But if this faith with a reserve be the rule of our practise we can do nothing in faith but with a resolve upon doubting so what you doe may as possibly be murther idolatry stealing lying as obedience to God yea you must beleeve that what you do to day is lawfull but yet so as to morrowyou must beleeve upon a new light that it is unlawfull and sin yea and this makes the erroneous conscience the rule of your faith and practise for if the holy ghost command you to beleeve such points with the faith of a reserve he must command you to practise according to the present faith that he commands you to have of those truths But the present you have may be the beleife of a lye and a blasphemous untruth and so the ten Commandements should bee a rule to no man But his erroneous conscience if then he beleeve that it is such acceptable worship as God craved of Abraham that you sacrifice your Sonne to God you beleeve it with a reserve and you are to practise it with a reserve and oblieged to practice what you are oblieged to beleeve but you are oblieged to beleeve with a reserve that it is acceptable service to God to sacrifice your child to him for it is a non-fundamentall not clearly determined in the word as least it is contraverted by many that goe for godly people Now if so God shall obliege men to sin and not to sin to doe his revealed wil and not to doe his revealed will in the same commandement which were blasphemous now that we are to practise according to our faith of reserve I prove by the doctrin of Libertines for they teach a man is to suffer death and any torment rather then that he say there bee three persons in one God and two natures and one person in Christ and that Presbyterian Government is lawfull that the Christian Prince is to punish false teachers if he beleeve in his conscience though hee is to beleeve with a reserve and doubt somely that these are truths contrary to the word of God then is his faith with a reserve which may be the faith of a lye his onely oblieging rule of his practise according to the way of Libertines I confesse hee is rather to suffer death then to professe any doctrine contrary to the dictates even of an erroneous conscience because he should choose afflictions rather then sin But when we are commanded faith with a reserve as they say we are commanded to beleeve a lye which is blasphemous and what we are commanded to beleeve by the Lord in his word that must be an oblieging rule to our practice and so must we be oblieged to sin nor can it be said to offer your child to God in a sacrifice is against the light and a cleare Law of nature and a fundamentall errour for in this dispute Libertines arguments are for a toleration of all whether they erre in fundamentalls or non-fundamentalls nor can they determine what is of their owne naturall are controversall and disputable to humane reason and what not for we either speake what are de facto actually controverted in all the Christian world or what be those that in regard of their disproportion to humane reason of their owne nature may be controverted 2. Or we speake of those which are not controversall amongst Christians who acknowledge the Old and New Testament to be the word of God and what are not clearely determined in the word and touching the former there is nothing we know not controverted in the Christian world except that there is a God and that is also controverted two wayes Atheists so farre winke though nature cannot no not in devills and godlesse men run it selfe starke blinde as they deny there is a God out of malice 2. They cavill at all arguments brought to
am bâ— ye shall dye in your sins and he that beleeveth not is condemned already He chargeth no man guilty of unbeleefe that heareth the Gospel for simple not beleeving But then we are commanded to beleeve no truth that God speaketh to know no truth but onely to know it with an inclination of heart love and will toward the Commander and so the minde and understanding faculty the noblest and most excellent peece in the soule must be left lawlesse and free in its operations from all hazard of guilt or sinne 2. If this Argument be good sinnes of infirmities and of weaknesse must be no sin Idle words cannot come in reckoning in the last day contrary to Matth. 12. 36. for God forgives crimes Ergo he will not call us to an account for our venialls If this conclude any thing the strongest understanding cannot pretend immunity from being deceived Ergo simple ignorance of the things of God is no sin I may argue no man can pretend to be free of sin in the inclination of the heart and originall guiltinesse Job 4. 4. Ps 51. 5. Gen 8. 21. Prov. 20. 9. 1 Joh. 1. 8. 10. Eccles 7. 20. Ergo sin is no sin originall sin sins of infirmities are no sins Object No Christian is to be put to death for his opinion which doth not teach impiety or blasphemy If it plainly and apparently brings in a crime and himselfe doth act it or incourage it then the matter of fact is punishable according to its proportion and malignancy as if be preach Treason and Sedition his opinion cannot excuse because it brings in a crime a man is never the lesse Traytor because he beleeves it lawfull to commit Treason and a man is a murtherer if he kill his brother unjustly although he thinke to doe God good service in it matters of fact are equally judicable whether the principle of them he from within or without and if a man could pretend to innocency in being seditious blasphemous or perjured by perswading himselfe it is lawfull a gate were opened for all iniquity I deny not but certaine and knowne Idolatry or any other sort of practicall impiety with its principiant doctrine ought to be punished because it is no other but matter of fact but no matter of meer opinion no errours that of themselves are not sins are to be persecuted by death or corporall inflictions Answ 1. The Doctor mocketh when he saith No meer opinions are to be persecuted That was never in question a meer opinion is a meer act of the minde within the walls of the soule and can be knowne to no man for neither Magistrate nor Church can judge of invisible and hidden acts of the soule so he sayes nothing 2. The simple apprehension of God to be a fourfooted beast is by the Apostle Rom. 1. esteemed Idolatry and a mentall changing of the glory of the incorruptible God into the glory of a corruptible creature and the profession thereof must then be the profession of manifest Idolatry and so punishable yet it is a profession of a meer opinion but I confesse of a most Idolatrous opinion not of a fact otherwise by this learning of Libertines there can be no sin in simple apprehensions of God though most prodigious and monstrous what is blasphemy is as controverted and as unjudicable as simple errour Servetus his naming the blessed Trinity a Cerberus or three-headed dog blasphemed say we I thinke Doctour Taylor will not say so then by his way blasphemy must be as unjudicable as heresie and to him the formall of it is within in the heart 3. If matters of fact be punishable according to their proportion and malignancy then speaking lyes in the name of the Lord and teaching and professing malignant doctrine contrary to the doctrine of godlinesse that Christ thought it no robbery to be equall and consubstantiall to God that God is one in three persons and to teach any thing contrary to what God hath said in his word as that there were not eight persons in the Arke with Neah must be punishable the contrary whereof the Doctor saith here for every breach of a Commandement is malignancy and punishable when it hurteth humane society especially 4. Can a man be the lesse hereticall and his society the lesse detestable then that he thinks his heresie is sound doctrine for thoughts cannot change the nature of actions 5. To kill a man is indifferent of it self it may be done in justice it may be done in injustice but if a man kill his son and offer him to God neither hating nor envying nor grudging at the safety of his son only upon this meer opinion that he expresseth an act of love to God above that he beareth to his son as Abraham did then by this way he sinneth not this son-slaughter is not murther nor punishable but a simple errour For 1. It may be said by Libertines the act of killing is indifferent of it selfe 2. If he hate not his son and lye not in wait for him it is no murther Deut. 4. 42. Deut. 19. 46. He is not worthy of death for as much as he hated him not in times past Nor can killing be called a vertuall hating or essentially an hatred of our brother for then it were impossible for a Judge to kill a man and not to hate him As every breach of the Law of God is essentially an hatred of God and a vertuall hatred of God for simple killing of our neighbour is not murther by Gods reasoning but killing of him in hatred rage anger or desire of revenge Nor can it be said that hating forbidden in murther by the Law of God includes a loving of him and a saving of his life when it is in our power to save it as it is in the fathers power who sacrificeth his innocent Son to God to save his life Answer I deny not but it is murther for they teach that a man may publish that which by consequence destroyeth the faith of fundamentals and so subvert the faith of others which to do is a sin but because the man followeth the dictment of his erroneous conscience it is no sin to the man that so teacheth yea he may innocently suffer persecution for his conscience thus erroneous yea and dye a martyr for it Ergo if the following of an erroneous conscience shall make a lesse sin to be no sin but innocency it shall make a greater sin to wit killing of his son to his heavenly father no sin and so he may lawfully do it Nor wil it suffice to say to offer a man to God and kill him is against the light of nature and vincibly a sin what then if the man beleeve he is commanded to kill him his erroneous conscience must bind as the offering of whole burnt offerings to God to us is a sin against the light of nature in regard the law of nature can no more warrant it then it can
in hypocrits in a Jew following the righteousnesse of the Law Rom. 10. 1. and renouncing Christ Surely if works of saving grace speake another thing then hypocrites and devils may have then first holy walking is no ground of comfort and a good conscience hath no more to yeeld David Job Ezechiah Paul the Apostles and Martyrs when they suffer for Christ and his truth and are in heavie afflictions and chaines then it can yeeld to the viledest of men 2. A man a Christian shall never findeâ—ny grounds of certainety of his adoption in any thing save in the hidden decrees of Election and reprobation and in some immediate testimony of a Spirit which may be a great doubt to many who walke as many Antinomians doe according to the flesh 3. All their rejoycing in simplicity and godly sincerity 2 Cor. 1. 12. is emptie phancies and delusions for they rejoyce in that in which hypocrites and reprobates may have is deepe a share as they But that there is also some immediate testimony of the Spirit though never seperated from the fruits of the Spirit I hope to prove elsewhere The last act of Conscience is in relation to the Conclusion which is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or judgement of all from whence flow the acts of approving or improving excusing or accusing condemning or absolving from these as the Conscience doth well or ill arise 1. Joy called a feast in which the soule is refreshed not the phancie 2. Upon a solid ground a bottome that cannot sinke from that which is well done 2. Consolution which is a joy in tribulation 3. Faith going from what the man doth well to a generall To these that walke according to this rule peace 4. Hope that the Lord who hath promised will doe the soule good in the latter end these foure issue from a good Conscience from approving and â—â—â—cusing But the affections which flow from improving and â—â—cusing and condemning are 1. Shame whence the man 〈◊〉 displeased with what he hath done this is good when it looketh onely or most to the sinne or ill when most to the punishment 2. Sadnesse 3. Distrust or unbeliefe 4. Feare 5. Dispaire 6. Anger vexation or the worme that dyeth not it is no wonder that a greater number of troublesome affections â—low from the one then from the other evill is fecound and broody The 4. which I proposed is the second circumstance of the Text which draweth in the rest and it is a conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 free of stones or blocks that neither actively causeth my self nor others to stumble nor passively is under a reatus or guilt before God called a good Conscience to which is opposite an evill conscience Now the Conscience is good either in regard of integrity a cleane a good a pure conscience or secondly in regard of calmenesse and peace to this latter is opposed a Conscience penally evill or troubled of which no more the good Conscience is either good in Judging or recta or vera the contrary of this an erring Conscience which I speake of after the other or good in a morall quallity In this meaning the Conscience is good which is first sprinkled with the blood of Christ from dead workes to serve the living God Heb. 9. 14. For by Christ must the guilty be purged that there may be no more Conscience of sinnes Hebr. 10. 2. This is the Conscience which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good 1 Tim. 1â— 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 purged and washen Hebr. 10. 2. in regard the great spot of guiltinesse is taken away and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 1. 5. cleare pure terse like a Christall glasse and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebr. 13. 18. good and honest or beautifull and faire a good Conscience is a comely resplendent lovely thing and it is a Conscience in the text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 void of stumbling there is a Conscience that wants feet and is lame and halteth and is alwaies tripping stumbling falling to this is opposed a Conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 10. 22. let us draw neere with a true heart with full assurance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being sprinkled in the heart from an evill Conscience and to this is opposed a polluted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conscience Tit. 1. 15. The wisdome of God in creating the world is much and most seene in creating so rare a peece as the soule and the most curious peece in the soule is that lumpe of Divinitie the Conscience it is the likest to a chip and 〈◊〉 of God though it be not a part of the infinite Majestie yet it smelleth more of God then the heavens the sunne the starres or all the glorious things on earth Precious stones Saphires Rubies or Herbes Roses Lilies that the Lord hath made now whâ—n the floure and crown of the whole creation which is the spirit is corrupted it is the fowlest thing that is when the Angelâ— the sons of the Morning fell and their Conscience the Spirit of the purest and most glorious Spirits was polluted with guilt though infinite grace could have cured this rare peece yet infinite wisdome as it were giving over the cause and Grace and Mercie standing aloofe from the misery of Angels a Saviour is denyed them and Justice worketh the farther on this noble peece the Conscience of these fallen Spirits to destroy them God would not stretch out one finger to repaire their Conscience but when the Conscience of man was polluted because Grace has ever runne in this channell to worke upon free choise and arbitration to save Men not Angels and of Men these and these not others therefore the Lord fell upon a rarer worke than Creation to redeeme the choisest peece of creation to wash soules and to restore consciences to a higher luster and beauty then they had at the first Now what ever God doth no man can doe it for him an infinite agent cannot worke by a deputie and among all his works none required more of God of the Artifice of Grace and mercy wisdome deepenesse of love then to wash a polluted Conscience there was more of God required to mend and sodder the Jewell than to make and preserve it The blood of Bulls and Goats cannot be spoken of here now to make Conscience againe fundamentally good there was need that the most curious art of free grace should bee set on worke to act a greater miracle on this choisest peece then ever was before or after to make the conscience good an act of attonement and expiation to satisfie infinite Justice must passe and by shedding of and sprinkling on the Conscience the blood of God the Conscience onely and no other way known to Men or Angels could be restored Vse We professe that the morrall washing of the out-side of the cup hath nothing in it of a good Conscience morrall honestie alone can no more inherite the Kingdome of heaven then
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
17. to lay on burdens and decrees Act. 15. 28. c. 16. 1. And that all that heare them believe and receive as true what they speak in the Name of the Lord according to that he thâ—â— heareth you heareth me he that despiseth you despiseth me 〈◊〉 that will not hear an Ambassadour as an Ambassadour speaking from his Master and Prince refuseth to hear the Prince that 〈◊〉 him yet we say not that they are to be heard without controversie as they object that is peremptorily absolutely as if their word were the very Oracle of God but they are to be heard but not but after trying and searching and not but conditionally in so farre as they carrie the minde of God along with them so that there may be an appeal to the Scripture place left for examining and trying of their doctrine whether it be so or not Another Libertine saith it is in vaine said Try all things of a Synod may impose for either the tryall relates to a particular judgement to be made and that judgement to a practice to be confirmed or not if not as good not try if I try onely for tryals sake and if when I have tryed I am but where I was to will I must be concluded by others vote and imposition if yea then to what purpose is the imposition for if I approve it the imposition is needlesse if I reject 't is fruitlesse Answ 1. There is no doubt but trying all things 1 Thess 5. relates to judgement and practice nor is it more against the Ministeriall and conditionall imposition of a Synod to you to try then it is against the imposition and commanding power of the Prophets Jeremiah or others or the Apostles Paul Act 17. or John 1 Joh. 4. 1. For Prophets and Apostles impose Scripture as Paul did Act. 17. on the Bereans but conditionally after they finde it agreeable to the Scripture and the Prophets and Apostles conclude by their vote and sentence yet better you trie as not try For this argument is more against the Bereans trying of Paul who had Apostolike power to impose and place the poore Bereans in the place they were in before they tryed and so as good the Bereans not try Pauls doctrine as try it for they are concluded by Pauls vote if they miscarry in their trying and finde though mistakingly and ignorantly as this Gamaliâ—l argueth that Pauls doctrine is contrary to the Scriptures are they not concluded under unbelief in refusing the Gospel and in stumbling at the stone layed on Sion sure they are 2. If you approve Pauls doctrine the imposition or peremptory command of Paul to receive it else he will shake the dust off his feet against you and leave death at your doore the imposition is not needlesse but the commanding power in the Ambassadour of Christ be they one as a single pastour or many as a Synod is not needlesse but usefull and fruitfull and is the power of God and the savour of life in it selfe Should an ignorant man say the Commanding Ministeriall power of the Gospel which saith except ye beleeve ye shall die in your sins needlesse when it bringeth forth fruit Suppose Paul say to Elimas as in effect he did if thou wilt not beleeve and cease to pervert others from beleeving I will smite thee with blindnesse If this imposing had wrought faith in Elimas as by the grace of God it might had this imposing been needlesse the man might as well say because this tree brings forth fruit being digged and branched and pruned therefore digging was needlesse But he supposeth vainly that imposing and commands issuing from Synods under penalties and censures are contrary to trying all things because imposing concludes men under censures though they trie the decrees of Synods to be unjust but the imposing of Synods is conditionall not absolute as Libertines suppose for after Synods impose if beleevers after trying and due examining shall finde that truely and really the decrees are beside or contrary to the word of truth the imposing neither is a just Imposing not any imposing at all For neither Prophet nor Apostle nor Angel from heaven nor Church can lay commands upon men imposing or binding under pain of censures to that which is unsound and false or unjust or wicked and if people shall finde their decrees truly to be so after tryall they have power to reject them And 3. the last part of the Argument if I reject the imposing command of a Synod It is fruitlesse is a poore one like the wit of the Authour For if I reject these imposing commands when just and lawfull they are fruitlesse to me and the favour of death as the despised Gospel is But not simply fruitlesse on Gods part is the argument supposeth except the Authour with Arminians dreame that God intendeth obedience in all lawfull Ordinances but he cometh short of his end in the Reprobate But Ordinances are not fruitlesse to God for they prosper ever in the errand they are sent for Esay 55. 11. 2 Cor. 2. 16. 17. If they render men unexcusable they are not fruitlesse for they cleare the Justice of God 2. They that have Right saith the Authour and power of imposing are Lords of my faith but so are not any men the Apostles themselves assumed it not for by faith ye stand Take away a Christians Judicious faâ—th and you take away his legges his standing under him Answ So doe all the ignorant and heady Libertines in England argue but not one of them had a head ever to prove this consequence For the Apostles had Ministeriall right to impose and command in the name of the Lord under paine of censures yet are not either Prophets or Apostles lords of mens faith but Ministers and mere servants it is just as if you would say such a Justice of peace imposeth that is commandeth you obey such lawes under penalties ergo this justice of peace takes on him to be Soveraigne Prince and King over these whom he thus imposingly commandeth 2. This imposing takes not away judicious beleeving all is a beggerly suiting of the question If imposing were a commanding that wee receive absolutely what they say be it good or ill without examining the argument were concludent as God himself requires Abraham to kill his sonne Abraham was without examination to give absolute obedience and this proveth God to be Lord of the conscience for knowing his word to bee his word wee are not to examine it by the Scripture or Law of nature because if we know who speaks we are not to examine what is spoken But though we know who speaks among Creatures be it a Prophet an Apostle an Angel yet must we examine both who speaks and what is spoken 3. In vaine saith he did the Bereans try the Apostles doctrine and unduelie were they commended if that doctrine were imposed upon them Answer It follows onely in vaine did the Bereans try Pauls
hypocritically peaceable chast content with their own true in their word as well as punishing false teachers and hereticks maketh many hypocritically sound in the faith So Augustine contra Petilian l. 3. c. 83. 2. There is no ground in Scripture to say that because the Canaanites erred against the duties of the first table onely that therefore israel was to destroy them in warre For Joshua 11. 26 27 28. the contrarie is clear Joshua made warre with them because God having hardened their heart they came out in battle against Israel and so the cause of the warre was not Religion and their madnesse of Idolatrie though on the Lords part it was a provoking cause but violence in invading an harmelesse and innocent people so Ioshua and Israel compelled them not to embrace the true Religion then from thence it cannot follow therefore no lawes were to be made against the false Prophets and blasphemer And if that consequence was null then it cannot be strong now So we say under the new Testament we cannot bring in to the faith the Heathen and Pagans by violence and the sword it follows not Ergo no blasphemer within the visible Church should be forced 3. violence and the sword is no means to work men to subjection to Christ it follows not Ergo because the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but spirituall 2 Cor. 10. 5. 6. the Apostle should not say shall I come unto you with the rod or in love or in the spirit of meeknesse 1. Cor. 4. 21. and therefore he should not deliver any to Sathan 4. nor is this a good consequence because the fear of bodily death or punishment by the sword cannot convert therefore it cannot terrifie men from externall blasphemie and tempting of others to false worship for the externall man his words solicitations doe ill by teaching and his actions not the inward man or the conscience and the soule is the object the Magistrate is to work on For neither under Moses more then now could the sword convert men to the true Religion yet bodily death was to be inflicted on the seducer then as now Deut. 13. 11. And all Israell shall hear and fear and shall doe no more any such wickednesse as this is among you and afflictions work the same way now Rom. 13. 3. for rulers are not a terrour to good works but to the evil wilt thou then not be afraid of the power doe that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same There be five pull-backs that keep men even in heresie and in a false way as may be collected out of Augustines writings from which by the terrour of just lawes they may be affrighted from seducing of others as 1. fear of offending men especially those of their own way 2. an hardning custome in a false way 3. a wicked sluggishnesse in not searching the truth of God 4. the wicked tongues of enemies that shall traduce them if they leave heresies 5. a vaine perswasion that men may be saved in any Religion See Augustine epist 114. ad Vincent epist 48. epist 50. ad Bonifacium contra Petilianum l. 3. c. 83. lib. 3. contra Cresconium cap. 51. contra Guidentum l. 1. c. 19. lib. contra Parmen c. 10. contra Gaudent l. 1. c. 24. de unitate Eccles c. 20. epist 166. And so that which the Objector Mr. John Goodwine long agoe objected is easily answered that the Magistrate cannot in justice punish that which is unavoydable and above the power of free-will to resist but such are all heresies and errours of the minde For this might well have been objected against that most just law Deut. 13. why should God command to stone to death a seducer that tempts any of his people to worship false Gods because such a man is sick but of an errour in the minde he beleeves he does service to his God whom he beleeves to be the true God in so doing and had the heathen and Jews under Moses more strength of free-will and more grace to resist Apostacie Blasphemie wicked opinions against the true God then we have now under the Gospel And the Lord hath expressely said Deut. 13. 11. Israel shall feare bodily death and doe such wickednesse no more now this was not Ceremoniall or typicall fear but meere naturall feare sufficient to retract and withdraw men from externall acts of seducing and blaspheming which is all that the Magistrate can doe 2. this is the verie objection of Donatists and Augustine answers truely By this answer the Magistrate should not punish murtherers and adulterers for they have not grace to resist temptation to murther certainly the Spirit of Revenge and of whoredoms must be as strong above free will as the Spirit of errour and lies Achab then sinned not in beleeving the lying Prophets who deceived him and it was not in his power to resist the efficacie of lying inflicted on him for his former sins And what sinnes the Magistrate punisheth he doth punish as the formall Minister of God Rom. 13. and so this is the Pelagian Arminian and Popish objection against God and free Grace as much as against us 3. the wickedest seducer is punished for his externall acts of false teaching and seducing which may and must be proved by witnesse or confessed by the delinquent before he can justly punish him but not for any mind-error which is obvious neither to judge nor witnesse Then the true state of the question is not whether the sword be a means of conversion of men to the true faith nor 2. whither heathen by fire and sword are to be compelled to embrace the truth nor 3. whither violence without instruction and arguing from light of Scriptures should be used against false teachers nor 4 whither the Magistrate can punish the opinions of the mind and straine internall liberty But whither or no ought the Godly and Christian Prince restraine punish with the sword false teachers publishers of hereticall and pernicious doctrines which may be proved by witnesse and tends to the injuring of the souls of the people of God in a Christian societie and are dishonourable to God and contrary to sound doctrine and so coerce men for externall misdemeanours flowing from a practicall conscience sinning against the second table as well as from a speculative conscience to borrow these tearmes here when they professe and are ready to swear they performe these externalls meerely from and for conscience For since false teachers and hereticks in regard of the spiritualnesse of their sinne are the worst of evill doers and such as work abomination in the Israel of God and there is no particular lawes in the New Testament for bodily coercing of Sorcerers Adulterers Thieves Traitors false witnesses who but speak lies against the good name of their neighbour not against the name of God nor against Sodomites defilers of their bodies with beasts perjured persons Covenant breakers liars
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.
infallible beleeve it with a reserve say the Independents and with leaving place to a new light so as you must believe it to day to be a truth of God to morrow to be a lye the third day a truth the fourth day a lye and so a circle till your doomsday come so as you must ever beleeve and learne never come to a settlement and establishing in the truth but dye trying dye doubting dye with a trepedation and a reserve and dye and live a Scepticke like the Philosophers that said they knew nothing and I thinke Libertines cannot but be Scepticks and there is more to bee said for the Scepticisme of some then the Libertinisme of others 5. Would these Masters argue formally they must say what ever doctrine we are to try before we receive it that we may uncompelledly receive and beleeve it after tryall that ought to bee tolerated by the Magistrate in doctrine and practice or profession sutable thereunto before men I would assume But whether there be a God and but one God and all fundamentalls or non-fundamentalls be divine truths yea and whether fornication be sin and plurality of wives and community of goods and spoyling of wicked men of their wives and their lands and possessions as the Israelites spoyled the Aegyptians are such truths that we must try before we receive beleeve and accordingly beleeve and practice ergo the Magistrate is to tolerate fornication plurality of wives spoyling of men of their possessions and goods and community of goods but the conclusion is absurd and blasphemous and against the Law of nature for if there be no Magistracy nor violence to bee done to ill-doers under the New Testament neither must we defend our owne lives nor flye nor resist injuries but turne up the other cheeke to him that smites the one and if a man take your cloake give him your coat also according to the sense that Anabaptists put on the words yea and cut off your hands and feet plucke out your eyes if they cause you to offend and shed your owne blood which is the greatest and most unnaturall violence that is 6. The sense of this Try all and hold that which is good must be Try and search the true senses of divine truths and then having tryed and beleeved hold the truth and beleeve it for a day and yeeld to the light of the just contrary to morrow and having found a contrary light try that the third morrow and yeeld to another new and contrary light the third morrow Now the Holy Ghost must command doubting by that meanes and doubting till we lose faith and finde it againe and lose it againe in a circle and if we must try all things and try all spirits the Bereans must try their owne trying and their owne doubtings and beleeving and so into infinite and when they finde Christ to be in Pauls doctrine and that of Moses and the Prophets yet must they try and doubt and beleeve the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles and of the Holy Ghost with the Libertines reserve waiting when the Holy Ghost shall give himselfe the lye and say I moved you to beleeve such a truth and such an article of faith the last yeare but now after a more deepe consideration I move you to beleeve the contrary yet so as yee leave roome to my new light 7. The sense also of these Lord enlighten mine eyes that I may know thee with a suller evidence not of Moon-light but of Day-light or as of seven dayes into one bee this Lord open my eyes and increase my knowledge grant that thy holy Spirit may bestow upon my darke soule more Scepticall conjecturall and fluctuating knowledge to know and beleeve things with a reserve and with a leaving of roome to beleeve the contrary to morrow of that which I beleeve to day and the contradicent of that the third day which I shall beleeve to morrow and so till I dye let me Lord have the grace of a circular faith running like the wheels of the wind-mill for the growing knowledge we seeke of God as in a way of growing ever in this life till grace be turned into glory 2 Pet. 3. 18. if our growth of knowledge stand as Libertines say in a circular motion from darknesse to light and backe againe from light to darknesse like the motion of a beast in a horse-mill so as I know and learne and beleeve this topicke truth of faith to day I unknow I unlearn and deny it to morrow as an untruth And againe I take it up the third day as a truth then we seeke in prayer not settled and fixed knowledge and a well-rooted faith of truths to beleeve them without a reserve or a demurre to senâ— way the opinion I have of this non-fundamentall or fundamentall truth as a grosse mistake and to welcome the just contrary opinion as a truth And againe to send it away upon a new light c. now this is but a mocking of God to pray for his Spirit that wee may barter and change opinions with every new Moone for our prayer for new light is not that the Holy Ghost would teach us faith and opinion of truths and falsehoods in a circle but that God 1. Would give the Spirit of revelation to see Gospel truths with a cleare revelation of faith 2. That hee would be pleased to cause that light by which we see the same ancient Gospel-truths shine more fully with a larger measure of heavenly evidence 3. That our light may so grow into the perfect day that we see new deductions consequences and heavenly new fresh conclusions from the former truthe of God But by scepticall faith we pray that God would give us a contrary new light to get a new faith of truths formerly beleeved contradicent to the word of God and to that faith which produced joy yea joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1. 7 8. and glorying in tribulation and sweetnesse of peace Rom. 5. 1 2 3. for this not the light of the Moone turned in the light of the Sun or of the Sun as seven dayes in one but light turned in night darkenesse the truth in a lye and the Spirit of truth made the father of lyes 8. The Apostles never bid us know any truth of God with a reserve Libertines biâ—lus the Apostles and the Holy Ghost in them bids us know assuredly that Jesus is Christ the Lord they exhort us to bee rooted and established in the faith Col. 2. to be fully perswaded of all both fundamentalls and the historicalls of the birth life miracles words facts death sufferings and buriall resurrection ascention c. of Christ as Luke exhorteth Theophilus Luke 1. 1 2 3. yea the Apostle clearely Heb. 5. exhorteth to the faith of many points concerning Christ beside the first principles of the Oracles of God that of Catecheticke points fit for babes who have not stomachs to beare stronger food v. 12. 13. 1.
what not and then we walke according to the same rule which must be most contradictory to the 〈◊〉 of the Holy Ghost and therefore Libertines durst 〈◊〉 draw a formall argument for tolleration out of these or any other places but bring us such reasons as by the nineteenth consequence comes not up to the purpose for by the glosse of Libertines Let us walke according to the 〈◊〉 rule must be Let us practise and walke for it cannot be meant â—f heart-opinions according to the known rule conceived by our conscience to be right though it may be wrong and sinfull and so let us be circumcised and make a faire shew in the flesh as the false Apostles did for if some beleeved circumcision and the Law to be necessary for justification then Paul must bid them walke contrary to their light and then the perfect had attained light to practise unlawfull Jewish ceremonies CHAP. VIII Whether heresie be a sin or a meer error and innocency whether aâ— hereticke be an evill doer WHat is naked and meere simple heresie say the Belgick Arminians but a meere device or is heresie onely error say they which hath place in the minde of him that erreth nor is error sufficient to constitute a thing heresie nor if it were is it the object or cause of any punishment a meere error does not goe out of 〈◊〉 that erreth he that erreth cannot be punishedâ— the minde of man is not lyable to any command onely God commandeth 〈◊〉 thoughts are free from paying tribute to men pertinacy is not of the nature of heresie nor blasphemy nor if they were can heretickes therefore be punished nor doth sedition make heresie punishable so they make heresie nothing but a name who say they can say an hereticke is an evill doer evill doers confesse their evill deeds and know them to be worthy of punishment by the Law of God and man heretickes deny they are hereticks or that they have any bad opinions or that they blaspheme they professe the contrary that they are ready to dye an hundreth deaths rather then they should blaspheme theeves steale that they may steale heretickes seduce not that they may seduce but that they may reduce men to a better minde and 〈◊〉 them from 〈…〉 So 〈◊〉 Oelsut also de heretâ—â—i◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. f. 5 6. Asser 1. But 1. Though neither we nor Libertines could define Idolatry nor murther nor adultery yet sure the Law of God condemneâ— Idolatry murther adultery 〈◊〉 sins this is the custome of juglers and sophisters who deny there is such a thing as robbing or hedge-robbers why what 〈◊〉 hedge-robbing you cannot define it and not one of twenty agree with another what hedge-robbers are therefore there is not such a thing as an hedge-robber Nor doe sorcerers confesse they are sorcerers nor can you tell what so 〈◊〉 it and there is not such a thing in the world so many 〈◊〉 Asser 2. Heresie is not a meere error nor innocency but a hainous transgression against God 1. Because Paul Gal. 5. ver 19 20 21. reckoneth heresies among the workes of â—he flesh with Idolatry witchcraft envy strife and sedition then it is a worke of the devill and of sinfull flesh 2. That which God permitteth that those that are approved may be made manifest in the Church of Christ that must be a sinne but such is heresie 1 Cor. 11. 19. 3. Grievous wolves not sparing the flocke false Prophets and false Christs who deceive if it were possible the very elect such as make their Disciples twofold the children of the devill theeves and robbers who come to steale and to kill and to drinke the blood of soules these who subvert whole houses and whose word eat as a gangreen are not innocent and simply erring men nor is their error simple error but a high trangression against God but such are heretickes Act. 20. 29 30. Mat. 24. 24. Mat. 23. 15. Joh. 10. 8 9 10 Tit. 1. 11. 2 Tim. 2. 17. 4. These who are deceivers and deceived unruly and vaine talkers to be rebuked sharpely that they may be sound in the faith and these whom we are not to receive into our houses nor bid them God speed least we be partakers of their evill doings these of whom we are to be aware lest they insnare us and whom we are after once or twice admonition to reject and from whom we are to turne away must bee such as doe more then simply erre in minde and their errors being so pernitious must come out of him that erreth and subverteth whole houses and lead 〈◊〉 women captive laden with divers lusts and must be subject to commands of those that are in place since they are to be sharply rebuked are not innocent but doe grievously sinne and are punishable But such are hereticks Tit. 1. 11 12 13. 2 Joh. 10. 11. 2 Tim. 4. 15. Tit. 3. 10. 2 Tim. 3. 5. 5 Such as doe evill and that as false teachers and resist the truth at James and Jambres resisted Moses and doe Paul and the faithfull preachers of the Gospell much evill in perverting soules and in withstanding the gospel as Alexander the copper-Smith did who subvert whole houses lead soules captive deceive many who speake words which eate the soules of many as a Canker and subvert the faith of many though they deny they doe evill or seduce any or that they intend to seduce any are evill doers not innocent But such are Hereticks who privilie bring in damnable heresies and make merchandize of men with faire words and buy and sell soules 2 Pet. 2. 1 2 3 4. 2 Tim. 3. 8. 2 Tim. 4. 14 15. 2 Tim. 3. 6. 2 Tim. 2. 17 18. 6 These cannot bee innocent nor free of all commands rebukes punishment whom the holy Ghost stiles proud perverse disputers men of corrupt minds destitute of the truth 1 Tim. 6. 4 5. False Christs Matth. 24. 24. Deceivers Tit. 1. 11. Men of corrupt mindes reprobate concerning the faith 2 Tim. 3. 8 9. Whose folly shall be made knowne to many who are selfe condemned as knowing if they would not winke and shut their eyes at noone-day that they deceive and are deceived Tit. 3. 10. 7 These and many other things in these seducing teachers doe evidence that heresie and seducing teaching of Hereticks are not a simple disease in the mind since they are willingly ignorant 2 Pet. 3. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as such as beleeved Baal to be God and worship him are such of whom the Lord saith Jer. 9. 6. Through deceit they refuse to know me saith the Lord. The Holy Ghost saith they doe much evill resist the truth buy mens soules as if they were Merchants are perverse disputers are proud unruly talkers all which showeth that their will hath an influence in their knowledge and mind All the Arguments of Libertines against the definition of an Heretick tend to prove that there is not such a thing as an Hereticke in
Commandement as it is probable it is true and acceptable and worship to God and though it were false worship it is as probable that to punish it is a sacrilegious invading of Gods place as it is an act of justice in the Magistrate 4. If the Magistrate must beleeve as the Libertine doth doth and teacheth him what he will if it were King and Parliament and all the Judges in Britain if they be of the faith of Libertines what conscience have they to take away the â—ead of a father who sacrificeth his onely childe to God upon meere religious principles what warrant have they before the tribunall of God to cut off his head as a peace-breaker rather then to spare his life as a sacrificer and a devout and zealous whether it be blinde zeal or no the Libertine Magistrate hath nothing to do to judge worshipper of God whether or no hath the Magistrate who in that case killeth aâ— innocent man according to his own libertine-conscience greater respect to false peace in a humane society then to true piety and innocent walking with God which forbids him to punish any thing that is onely to the subject he punisheth a meere devout worshipping of God 5. Upon the same ground should not the masse and all the broad worship on earth be tolerated since it hath farre lesse connexion with disturbance of peace then the Anabaptists children-killing worship of God 6. If the formall is ratio the onely formall reason and cause why the Magistrate is to use corporall coersion against none now under the New Testament but is to suffer every man to worship God as he best pleaseth because the worship of the New Testament is more spirituall the Law-giver Christ a meeker Mediator then Moses and there is no warrant now to hinder any man or lay bands and coactive violence upon Christs free subjects with force of sword to restraine them in one worship more then another what reason an Anabaptists offering his son a sacrifice to God should be restrained in his sacrificing more then in other acts of worship is not the man persecuted for his conscience is not this a carnall and no New Testament way of restraining him when he is restrained by the sword is not the onely word of God and no weapons that are carnall the way of rescuing men from all false worship and the onely way 7. Nor can the bloodinesse and cruelty of that worship be a sufficient ground why the Magistrate may restraine the conscience of the devout worshipper for who ought to sit as Lord Judge above the conscience of this father and sentence the worship as destructive to peace or the worshipper as a bloody man his conscience is under the New Testament and the Lord his onely judge But by the light of nature that the father kill the sonne to God 〈◊〉 murther and â—ruelâ—y But I answer if it be gratefull worship to God it is no more cruelty then to burne a beast to God and you are to suppose that a godly Anabaptist hath warrant from God for that worship as well for burning of beasts and offering yearely thousands of bullocks and sheep to God in memory of Christ once already sacrificed for sinners and that there is in it neither cruelty to beasts nor hurt to the Common-wealth that the Magistrate can restraine for though there be no reason at all for the worship ex natura rei if we consider the worship it selfe yet there is such reason to tolerate the worship so as if the Magistrate restraine he tyranniâ—eth over the conscience and a bloody conscience is a conscience as uncapable of violence and as immediately in the New Testament subject to God onely not to the sword as a good conscience then if the sword can straine no conscience as conscience how can it squeeze a conscience wading in bloody son-butchery more then any other conscience 8. If the Magistrates punishing of any for his conscience be a violent compelling of him to sin to worship or to forbeare worship against his conscience how will Libertines cleare Magistracy in the Old Testament from being intrinsecally a sinfull ordinance for the Magistrate in the Old Testament in stoning to death the seducing Prophet and the blasphemer must compell him to sin against his conscience and to professe Jehovah not Baal was the true God whereas the seducer believed in his conscience the contrary since to compell men to sin is intrinsecally sinfull let Libertines answer the query if God ever in Old or New Testament could command sin or if there was ever such a thing heard that a Magistrate might by his office command men to sin or then punish them 9. Let Libertines answer if Arminians extend not liberty of prophesying as farre as mens lusts can carry them in these words But to suffer every man say they to 〈◊〉 publickly in Religion every thing iâ— perilous Why for either that which 〈◊〉 asserteth is true or false if it be true why admit we is not why doe we imprison the Author thereof this injury reflects upon God the Author of truth if it be false the truth shall easily overcome â—â—ar of it self it shall melt like was before the Sunne if ye offer violence 〈◊〉 it yee strip Religion of its glory and furnish oyle to errâ—â—â— Whether is not reason as strong to refute errours fundamentall as non-fundamentall whether if ye offer violence to truth in fundamentalls as well as in non-fundamentalls yee strippe Religion and truth of its glory and furnish oyle to errour They goe on and tell us Wee need not ever bee in learning these that are clearely determined in the word for they are cleare open and of undoubled truths in the Scripture in other points not fundamentall a Christian is ever a disciple and a searcher not that he doth ever doubt and hesitate but because though for the present he neither doubt nor hath cause of doubting yet can he not be sure of these points with such a certitude which is free of all danger of errour and therefore he is often to examine these according to the rule that cannot erre and so it is enough before God that he may be said ever to learne and to come to the knowledge of the truth as far as frailty in this life can permit Answ 1. There is then no stability of faith but in two or three points in which all Papists Latherans Antiâ—â—niâ—arâ—ans Arrians Socinians Libertines Familists Sabellians Nestorians Macedonians Arminians Antinomians Seekers Fâ—thystasts Anabaptists c. agree and make one true Church beleeving what is necessary for salvation and holding the foundation Christ and we have no divine faith of the miracles that Christ wrought that the old world perished with waters which God speakes as clearly in the word as he doth fundamentalls But Libertines should distinguish the formall reason of beleeving truths which breedeth an obligation and the necessity of beleeving for the one onely
Magistrates judges of what is truth and heresie since the generallity of Magistrates yea of men are ignorant thereof and uncapable in questions of doubtfull disputation 2 Say that the Synod were equally divided whether Presbytery or Independence be the way of God or say the major part which is ever the worst determine amisse what shall the Magistrate do and the evill doer Rom. 13. cannot be he that doth evill without limitation or thinks evill but pro subjecta materia But he that doth evil whereof ordinary Magistrates heathen or Christian are competent judges which is manifestly of politicall consideration as that which is contrary to the light and law of nature as whoredome adultery murther theft unjustice sedition treason Answ 1. This argument is against the wisdome of God in appointing Magistracy as well as against us for there be a world of questions of doubtfull disputation what is according or what contrary to the light and law of nature in murther medicine usury polygamy incest marriage contracts false witnesse and these are so controverted yea and there be matters too hard in judgement for ordinary men between blood and blood plea and plea stroake and stroake Deut. 17. 12. no lesse then in matters of Religion and to erre in taking the life of a guiltlesse man in any subject is as great misgovernment as can be though I dare not charge God with it as the Objecter doth 2. When the Holy Ghost forbiddeth the Master of every Christian family and there must be a far larger number of heads of families then Christian Magistrates to owne a hereticke as a guest or to salute him 2 Joh. 10. and commandeth Christians not to eat with an Idolator 1 Cor. 7. 11. to reject an heretick Tit. 3. 10. to avoyd false teachers that creep into houses 2 Tim. 3. 5 6. and such as cause divisions contrary to the doctrine of the Gospel Rom. 16. 17 18. sure he supposeth they have knowledge to judge what is error and heresie what is truth otherwise he commands us to turne our backs on such as the blinde man casts his club May not one say This is against the wisdome of God in the government of Christian families and societies to interpose our judgement in doubtsome disputations to judge who is the hereticke and to be avoyded who is the sound beleever 3. The uncapability of Magistrates and most men to judge here is the want of infallibility such as the immediately inspired Prophets had then it s against the wisdome of God that we try the spirits and doctrines and beleeve them for if the generality of men let alone Christian Magistrates be uncapable of fundamentall truths they cannot judge them to be truths nor heresies except they be infalibly and immediately inspired by this argument it is then against the wisdome of God to bid any beleeve the Gospel but the Prophets and Apostles 4. The Magistrate being a Christian should see with his owne eyes and judge the Presbytery worthy of his politicke sanction and though Synods divide or erre the error and uncertainties of men that are accidentall to all Ordinances are no rule to Magistrates on earth and by this reason which hath as much force against preaching the Gospell as against the Christian Magistrates politicall judging when Ministers are divided and the equall halfe or the major part preach Arrianisme Socinianisme Familâ—â—â—e c. and the lesser number sound doctrine the Objecter needs not aske under which of their shadows shall the Magistrate repose for peace and safety I inlarge the question and let the Objecter answer under which of their shadows shall all their hearers repose for faith and establishment in the truth And I answer call no man Rabbi let Magistrates and others receive the truth in love and let him answer when foure hundred Prophets say to Achab goe to Ramath Gilead fight and prosper and one Michajah saith goe not left thou be killed under which shall Achab repose shall then Achab heare the voice of the Lord in no Prophet because foure hundred speake lyes or shall not foure hundred Michajahs declare the minde of God to the Prince because so many false Prophets speake the contrary 5. It s true Ill-doers here must be such as Magistrates generally may judge but not all ill-doers false Prophets or the like Magistrates as Magistrates are to judge ill-doers but it followes not that all Magistrates whether Heathen or Christian are to judge all ill-doers whether Gospel-seducing teachers or murtherers for there wanteth a condition in heathen Magistrates for the want whereof they cannot actually and in the capacity of heathens judge false teachers Arrians Socinians and the like not because they are not essentially Magistrates as well as Christian Magistrates but because they want the knowledge of the Gospell even as inferiour Judges are as essentially Judges in Israel as the Priests and the great Sanedrim at Jerusalem and may judge of their office between blood and blood but if it be a controversie too hard for them between blood and blood and the party be willing to appeale these inferiour Judges cannot actually judg that controversie but it must go to the Sanedrim Deut. 17. 12. 13. So a father as a father whether heathen or Christian and a Master of a family by his place the like I say of a husband a Tutor a Doctor in their respective places are by their place and relation to teach their children and servants the principles of the doctrine of the Gospel by these places Gen. 18. 18 19. Exod. 12. 26 27. Ps 78. 4 5 6 7. Joel 1. 2. Prov. 4 3 4 5. Eph. 6. 4. 2 Tim. 3 14 15. Deut. 6. 6. 7. yet while they are heathen fathers and heathen masters they neither can nor are obliged actually to teach any thing of the Gospel they never hearing of the Gospel are obleiged not to beleeve in a Christ of whom they never heard Rom. 10. 14 15 16. and those that Christ was never preached to are not condemned for Gospell-unbeliefe Joh. 15. 22. But for sinnes against the Law of nature Rom. 2. 12. 13 14 15. Rom. 1. 19 20 21 22. and the like must wee say of Judges whether heathen or Christian though in the state of heathenish they never having heard of Christ freeth them from an obligation of actuall punishing Gospell hereticks yet as Judges their office is to punish such but neither heathen Princes nor heathen fathers masters husbands tutors and teachers of Schooles are obliged to an actual exercise of all and every Magistraticall fatherly masterly maritall and tutory Gospell-duties toward their underlings and pupills if they live in a Countrey where they are invincibly ignorant of the Gospell if the Lord by no providence send Preachers of the Gospell to them And how shall they beleeve in him of whom they never heard And how shall they judge hereticks sinning against a Gospell of which they never heard Let no man stumble at this
Taylors sentence we are not rest much upon the Fathers whether they be for or against liberty of conscience For course to be taken with Pagans to speake by the way all that Lactantius l. 5. c. 20. Tertulli ad Scapâ—lam c. 2. Augustine ser 6. de verb. dom c. 7. cont lite Petitian lib. 2. c. 83. we approve and what famous Schoolmen 〈◊〉 Thomas Bannes Durandus Paludâ—â—â— Richardus 〈…〉 Paluda and that of Augustine sâ—â— 6. de verb Dom. c. 7. Glandiendum est Paganu ut audiant veritatem in Christianis vero secanda putredo Pagans must be allured and not compelled by Warres to the faith Because the just cause of Warre must either be an open breach of Nations against the Law of nature for it must be a finne of which a multitude may easily be or are convinced of as is cleare in the Aâ—â—lekites and all the Nations who invaded Israel Josh 11. v. 19 20. or then in a visible Church it must be for manifest Apostacy from the Covenant of God and 〈◊〉 Religion as the new Altar supposed to be erected by the two Tribâ—â— and the halfe against the only one Altar commanded by God See Cavarruvias in Regnum paccatum part 2. sect 4. Setus in 4. distin 5. 4. 1. art 10. Molina de Justitia disp 106 and Bannâ—s 11. g. 10. art 11. saith that Paul the third defined well that the Westerne Indians being capable of life eternall were true Lords of their possessions and could not be justly deprived thereof To tollerate Jewes openly blaspheming Christ or to receive them in the Common-Wealth cannot be allowed or to suffer them to have Synagogues In regard they blaspheme the God we are in Covenant with and doe no lesse deny him then Goliah and Senacharib did 2. But simply seduced Jewes are to bee instructed for there is a peculiar prophecy touching the Jewes Rom. 11. Jer. 50. 5 6. That they shall bee brought in to know Christ and beleeve in him 3 Argument That which was a meere judiciall law and not onely in no force now as touching any obligation to bodily punishment from the Christian Magistrate is now under the Gospell either a sin offensive to humane society Or 2. No sin but innocency as some say Or then 5. â— thing lndifferent If it be a sin offensive to humane society and the people of God to drive them away from the Lord their God and an abomination that Israel should feare to doe in the dayes of Moses and before Christ came as is cleare Deut. 13. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. It must be so now for since it is not a Typicall but a morall sin it is at all times and in all places to us and now and to them and then an abomination Ergo the Argument of the holy Ghost being perpetâ—all that it is destructive to humane society the Lord must provide the same or as effectuall means for the remedying thereof But if the Christian Magistrate have no place or power to represse such abominations but Isreal may seduce men after false gods and not feare the stroke of 〈◊〉 sword then hath the Lord left the Church to the lust of â—avenous Wolves that destroy the flocke and hath left these wolves to the Lords immediate hand of judgement for rebukes Church-censures are not to be used against them upon the same ground that the sword should not be drawne against them by the ground of Libertines for rebukes and Church-censures doe 1. Force the conscience no lesse than the sword 2. They beget Hypocrites 3. Are as contrary to the law of meeknesse and gentlenesse of Christ and his servants who used no such way to gaine the Samaritans and other gaine-sayers as the sword is repugnant to Christs meek administration who did not use either sword crying rebukes or excommunication against broken reeds though both these may be used against Seducers in great gentlenesse and tendernesse toward their soules by fathers in State or Church 4. They are no lesse against liberty of prophecying beleiving with a reserve to beleeve the contrary than the sword For how can we in the name of the Lord rebuke threaten eterned wrath deliveto Sathan seducers more than the Magistrate can use the sword against them yea or refute their errors in the name and authority of Christ or strike with his rod since wee are not infallibly perswaded more than these we call Seducers for they may upon the same grounds call us Seducers threaten us with eternall wrath and deliver us to Sathan in the same name and authority that the sound Church proceedeth against them for neither side had the infallibility of divine authority in a reflex knowledge more than others by the Doctrine of Libertines 5. They are no lesse contrary to growing up in knowledge and new light for contrary reasons and rebukes and threatnings are as apt to expell new light and to reduce the Seducer to old darknesse for any certainty of perswasion any of the sides have for both may see beside their book and dreame the moone is made of wax by this way and instructing of teachers that see but on this and the yonder side of truth with eâ—â—s of flesh as they say is as uneffectuall a remedy against Teachers as the sword 6. Since the sword and stoning when used by the Jewes Deut. 13. presupposeth infallibility What warrant doe our Lords of licence of conscience give us that all the Commons and Lads and Girles that lifted a stone against the Seducer had Prophâ—ticall infallibility or that every wife to whom her husband might say Let us go and follow Baal and Dagon for sure the Zidâ—nians and Philistines are a people taught of God as well as we was infallible in her knowledge and unerrable and the husband an erring Seducer according to the principles that masters of licence would lead us on for there must be a response given to all and every one to beleeve this is the Seducer from the light of Moses law else they had no more right to stone the Seducer then the Seducer to stone them For as wee may erre in persecuting true Prophets I hope so did the people kill the Prophets and stone them that were sent Matth. 23. 27 and 2 Chron. 36. 16. they mocked and misused the Prophets of God and did as foully erre in persecuting as now we under the Gospell Yet Mr. Goodwin gives to the Jewes an infallibility of an Oracle to tell them who was the man to be stoned as a Seducer But let him answer these Queries 1 Did the Oracle speak immediately to all the actors in the stoning I thinke no then the Oracle spake to the Priest only To Pashur then the Officers had but the word of Peshur to put Jeremiah in the stockes and the people had but the Priests word for stoning the man 2 Query Were the people infallible in discerning the Priest to be a true relater of the mind of God
mouth Zach. 13. Lastly Baptist is so charitable of all Saints that are not for liberty of conscience as that he makes it their doom to be cast out as Ishmael and to have no share in Christ or in the Gospel But Baptist if you judge us and be not infallible you take the Lords throne upon you and you judge us before our day which is to you a strong argument against liberty of conscience c. 3. pag. 14. Know ye we are selfe-condemned and saw you Gods secret book and saw our names dashed out of the book of life and that we are inrolled with Ishmalites Take the beam out of your own eye CHAP. XXVII Whether our darknesse and incapacity to beleeve and professe together with the darknesse and obscurity of Scripture be a sufficient ground for Toleration AS Mr. John Goodwin the Lord pardon his perverting of Soules led the way from Arminian principles who teach with Socinians that 1 To know is not in our power which he and they borrowed from Aristotle but wickedly understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And 2 Arminians taught that God by an irresistible power works illumination in the minde So opinions not being in our power the Magistrate can have no power over men to coerce them from spreading of heresie Hence Baptist the Bounder the Stormer and other Libertines M. Goodwin speaks for That which is not in our power to doe or not doe and is wrought in us by supernaturall grace and by God onely we are not punishable by the Magistrates sword but to beleeve to repent to be sound in the faith is wrought in us by supernaturall grace and by God onely Baptist heaps together but eighteen Scriptures produced against Pelagians Papists Arminians and his brethren Socinians and old Anabaptists that no man can come to the Son except the Father draw him the naturall man understands not the things of God c. And I am sure he is ignorant of the conclusion for we professe the sword is to be drawn against no man because he repenteth not or beleeveth not c. Hence Baptist spitting out with other Antinomians his venome against us though no matter excepting the sin of it if he wronged not Christ and his truth For when a weak Christian a disciple of Servetus Socinus an Apostate denying the Lord Jesus to have come in the flesh and all the Scriptures to be the word of God tyred of longer imprisonment and death shall say You say well but how shall I prevaile with my selfe to beleeve what you say Thus reply these miserable comforters Yeeld obedience to what is taught you meditate on it often desire to beleeve it and God in time will bring you to beleeve it Then poore Popery why art thou evill spoken of and this is a lie why It is the Spirit that teacheth us to pray Abba Father This is merit and supererogations ground-stone Answ 1. What if a man void of the Spirit cannot pray ergo we should not advise him to pray Is it Popery to advise him so to doe or to pray when he wants the Spirit sure Peter taught no Popery to Simon Magus a man as void of the Spirit as any Socinian or Familist a man in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity Act. 8. 22. Repent therefore of this thy wickednesse I conceive this is yeeld obedience to what is taught you and meditate on it and your evill wayes and change your minde and pray God though thou hast no Spirit of Adoption more then a Familist who makes you beleeve hony words or the very Spirit given to his Anointed ones such as they onely if perhaps the thoughts of thine heart may be forgiven thee and whom does the Lord command Ezek. 18. that they would make a new heart I conceive such as were as unable to doe it as to make one haire white or blacke as the Bounder saith and this is our advice not because we thinke they can do it without the Spirit of Christ more than those that move the question Act. 2. 37. What shall we doe to be saved Act. 9. 6. Act. 16. 30. But if unconverted they may be humbled and convinced that they are in a lost condition And I confesse if Antinomians will advise them to beleeve and pray though they have not the Spirit and to pray as they can and beleeve as they can and without any preparative work of the Law or sense or knowledge of sin or sicknesse for Christ immediately and forth with beleeve Christ dyed for thee obstinate Socinian and wrote thy name in the booke of life and beleeve thy election to life Baptist is a miserabâ—e comforter and how he censureth this Its Gods absolute will and pleasure you should beleeve and that you must necessarily beleeve upon perill of damnationâ— which he saith is our Catechisme I understand not except he shew us a conditionall Commandement to beleeve the Gospell and a conditionall election and reprobation suspending Gods decrees on what we are foreseen to doe and except he deny the threatnings in the Gospel which shall finde out an unbeleever Joh. 3. 18. 36. If the man be a weak Christian or a weak beleever when the advice of yeelding obedience praying desiring to beleeve is given him appearingly he would have weak Antinomians and all anointed ones loosed from all precepts rule of obedience and have them under no rule but the immediate impulsion of the Spirit which if it be his mind he should have set it down and must prove a miserable Comforter in so teaching 2. But are we in all these Scriptures that hold forth our impotencie to beleeve to thinke a good thought to doe the works of righteousness mercie truth chastitie sobrietie prescribed in the second Table unable only to conceive sound opinions of God and eschew Hereticall wayes and false Religions Are we not also unable to abstain from murther adulterie c. without the supernatural grace of God Yea all these places shall prove that the Ministerie of men Pastors and Teachers of the word are as unlawfull means of converting soules as the Magistrates Sword to beare down Heresiâ—â— O say they preaching is an Ordinance of Christ and a spiritual means ordained to convert soules the Sword is nothing but a carnall humane device I answer it is an humane device of converting souls to shed the blood of their bodie but it is to beg the question and not to prove it to call it a humane device to punish ill doers and false Teachers who pervert the souls of many 2. I speak to the Argument the only preaching of the word it alone without the Spirit can no more make an hair white or black or draw us to the Son or work repentance in sinâ—â—rs then the sword of the Magistrate can work repentance What can man doe saith the Bounder Is it not God that must give repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth So say I what
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
with humours mis-apprehending colours that are white and seeing them to be red when they are not so And for that way of trying the two missalls they are but doting fools that would chuse either of them for the word of God may judge them both to be corrupt and superstitious and their trying which of the two was best by a miracle was a foolish and phantasticall tempting of God much like Chilingsworths decyding of controversies of Religion by lotry because Scripture Reason Councells Fathers Doctors Tradition are all insufficient which sure is dâ—rogatory to the worth and perfection of Scripture which maketh the simple wise Ps 19. and must shew the man that erreth his errour if he shut not his eyes at light Dr. Taylor saith Covetousnesse is often is cause of heresie Thebulis quia rejectus ab Episcopatu â—ierosolymitano turbare capit Ecclesiam saith Egesippus in Eusebius Tertullian turned Montanist for missing the Bishopricke of Garthage after Aggrippinus and so did Montanus for the same discontent saith Nicephorus Novatuâ— would have been Bishop of Rome Donatus of Carâ—â—age Arriâ—s of Alexandria Aerius of Sebastia Socrates said Asterius did frequent the Conventicles of the Arrians nam Episcopatum nliquem ambiebat Let the errour be never so great if it be not against an arâ—â—cle of the Creed if it be simple and have no confederation with the personall iniquity of the man the opinion is as innocent as the person though perhaps as false as he is ignorant and therefore shall burne though he himselfe escape The man cannot by humane judgement be counted an heretick unlesse his opinion be an open recession from plaine demonstrative authority which must needs be notorious voluntary vincible and criminall or that there be a palpable serving of an end accidentall and extrinsecall to the opiâ—ion but these ends spirituall are hard to be discerned The opinion of Purgatory though false being neither fundamentally false nor practically impious is no heresie Ans 1. I am not so uncharitable of Tertullian as Dr. Taylor for Aerius he maintained no heresie I hope Episcopacy is no article of faith 2. I know no errour in the matters of God speculative but the Lord forbids it in his word If every thing written be written for our instruction fundamentall or non-fundamentall as all the Scripture 〈◊〉 we are under a commandement of God we I say who live in the visible Church are to know all and beleeve all things written be they fundamentall or no for God hath written them all for us Ergo the ignorance of any thing written is a sin and a breach of a command and so 〈…〉 errour Happy are these that know and do Now under doing I comprehend the faith of the Trinity and the most of articles touching Christ which do practically concern me because I sin if I doe not both know and beleeve them else they are written as Aristotles Acroamaticks the ignorance of which in an unletteâ—ed man I suppose is no breach of a divine command and I conceive the ignorance of the Stories in the old and new Testament of Pauls leaving his cloak at Troas is a sin in all within the visible Church for that the Holy Ghost hath written these not for the instruction of one but of all who heare or may heare of them within the visible Church 2. No error except of the Article of the Creed is arraigned as Heresie by the Doctor but he meaneth by error ignorance and mis-beleif both for I hope the Doctors charitis will not send all to hell many godlie there may be who have much ignorance of God who know not or are simply ignorant of some of the twelve Articles of the Creed and of some of the ten Commandements if therefore error here doth include not beleeving as heresie must necessarily doe the pertinacious mis-beleeving and denying of many Stories in the Bible as of the deluge dividing of the red Sea preserving of Ionah alive in the whales belly raising of Lazarus if obstinacie be added must be no lesse Heresie and an open belying of the God of truth then the denying of an Article of the Creed for the authoritie of God who commands us to know the one as well as the other is in both despised when we are ignorant of either 3. It is to beg the Question to say that any Error in the matters written to us in our Lords Testament which so much concerneth both our knowledge and practise can be simple Errors and have no confederation with personall iniquity for it is as much as if not to read our Husbands love-letter from end to end or to cause to read it if it comes to the wives hard were not our sin against our husband Christ whereas to be ignorant of any thing in it and mis-beleeve it is sinfull ignorance and naturall blindness so the Doctor makes sin so innocent as to have no consideration with sin 4. To say the opinion shall burne though himself â—â—cape is to expound the place 1 Cor. 3. 11 12 13 14. most corruptly in a nâ—w glosse of the Doctors own as if hay and stubbâ—â— that is vaine and unprofitable opinions that are builded upon the foundation Christ were not sinful opinions in the matters of God when as they are hay and stubble to be bâ—ent 1. Because they are against a Commandment that every man is to take heed how or what he is to build on the foundation v. 10. but he that builds hay and stubble obeyes not that Commandement but let every one take heed how hee buildeth thereupon 2. Building hay and stubble that is vain and fruitless opinions upon the foundation is privatively opposed to building of gold silver and precious stones vers 12. but that is a work of faith and such a work as shall abide and have a reward v. 14. 3. The work that shall be brought to judgement and made manifest so as it shall be burnt with fire and shall be judged to bee a fruitlesse work must be sin But the building of 〈◊〉 and stubble upon the 〈◊〉 Christ is such a work v. 13 14 15. And that the man himself shall be saved because that by faith he is builded upon the foundation Christ but the work burnt with fire will no more prove that the building of hay is not sin then that Peters jâ—daizing and Davids adulâ—â—ry and murther were not fins because Peter and David are saved for the Apostle there compares the Apostles to builders as before he compared them to 〈◊〉 v. 6 7 8 9. and the preaching of doctrine to a building and he makes Christ the foundation of the building and two sorts of super-structures good doctrine and that is gold and silver and vain and unedifying Toyes added to the doctrine of Christ 〈◊〉 hay and stubble Now he makes the judgement that trieth all doctrine to be fire whether it be the last judgement or fierie afflictions it is no great matter our good doctrine
will bide the tryall of the fire and not be consumed and the man rewarded for his so building and bad doctrine will be burns and not abide the Lords fire when it is tryed for false doctrine will vanish in the day of tryall and yeeld the sower of such doctrine no comfort yet he himself keeping the foundation Christ shall be saved but he shall be â—eded and 〈◊〉 afflicted for his fruitlesse building so the day seems to be the day of tryal and fiery persecution coming on all the Preachers of the Gospel to try theâ— and their doctrine as Rev. 3. 10. the place smels nothing of pâ—â—gatoâ—ie fire and the most judicious interpreters even Esâ—ins 〈◊〉 Papist â—â—pounds iâ— well of the Lords trying of the sons of Levi Mal. 3. 5. I will not say Amen to Dr. Taylor that to count a man an heretick his opinion must be a plaine upon recession from demonstrative authority which must needs be voluntary vincible and criminall for the Sadduces were wilfull obstinate hereticks in denying the resurrection of the dead a principall Article of faith yet it is not clear that their opinion was an open recession from demonstrative authority The Doctor will not call Christs argâ—ing God is the God of dead Abraham Ergo the dead must live againe Matth. 22. demonstrative We may have as much naturall blindnesse as we can hardly see the truth of Christs ascention to heaven and comming againe to judge the quicke and dead by demonstrative authority from Scripture yet those in the visible Church denying these Articles of faith are Hereticks though there may be degrees of voluntarinesse and obstinacy in Hereticks 6. That there must be vinciblenesse in all heresie is anobiguous in the Doctors sense for by vinciblenesse I take he means such vinciblenesse whereby none by their owne industry and strength of freewill may if they be not wanting to that grace which is denyed to none as Arminians say attaine to the light of such consequences as hereticks wilfully deny If this be his meaning he is a friend to Pelagius 2. If he take vincible as opposed to invincible ignorance he Popishly then saith that the Scripture offereth to us many things whereof we may be invincibly ignorant Now invincible ignorance Protestants acknowledge onely in matters of fact or of Gospel-truths never so much as in the letter revealed as Heathens may be invincibly ignorant of Christ and their ignorance not be sinfull as Joh. 15. 22. and Jacob was invincibly ignorant in lying with Leah instead of Rachel There can be no such vinciblenesse or invinciblenesse in an Heretick that hears the Gospel for who ever heare the Gospel and yet remaine ignorant their ignorance is not invincible Nulla est invincibilis ignorantia juris 7. The opinion of Purgatory though it were no heresie as the Doctor saith and bringeth no argument to prove it yet is not simply a finlesse errour in such as know or ought to know since the Scripture is before their eyes that 1. There is no word of God to warrant it 2. Since the word in the Parable of Lazarus and the rich Glutton sheweth us what abideth all men immediately after they dye that the bodies of all goe to the earth and one way or other are buried and the souls either to heaven or hell and this he saith of all mankinde 1. Because all receive either their good things or their evill of suffering in this life 2. All men are such as if they beleeve not Moses and the Prophets will not beleeve though one rise from the dead 3. Christ should be unperfect in this place and in all other places who should not tell us of a third doom befalling some after they are dead and buried where their bodies that were instruments of sin as the rich gluttons tongue was of gluttony should be tormented for their veniall sinnes yea and Purgatory dwells door-neighbour with covetousnesse if the Doctor remembers that Soul-masses to Romish Masse-mongers as well as Durges Requiems Mâ—sses are not a little gainfull 8. Nor is there any errour of things revealed by the wise Lawgiver in Scripture which is meerly speculative in order to Gods end his glory It is no lesse derogatory to the Lawgivers glory not to beleeve A Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and there is one God in three persons then to kill our Brother though the former be more speculative farther from the experiments of humane affairs as he speaketh and more difficult and remoter from humane observation then the other Object 1. Errours are then saith he made sins when they are contrary to charity or inconsistent with a good life or the honour of God Answ Not to beleeve what God saith is inconsistent with his honour for nothing intrinsecally is inconsistent with the honour of God not the eating of the tree of knowledge no simple act of loving fearing beleeving all are inconsistent with or agreeable to the honour of God because he commands or forbids them Object 2. No mans person is to be charged with the odious consequences of his opinion though the doctrine may be therefore charged because if he did see the consequences and then avow them his person is chargeable with them Answ The very opinion it selfe may be a blasphemy by consequence though the man see it not to be blasphemy will the Doctor say Hymeneus and Alexander did make shipwrack of faith and blaspheme because they said the resurrection was past Yet Paul 1 Tim. 1. 19 20. chargeth the persons with blasphemy and can the Doctor deny that Hymeneus and Philetus increased unto more ungodlinesse and that their word did eat as a canker in saying that the resurrection was past which yet Paul chargeth on them 2 Tim. 2. 15 16 17. and those that taught circumcision are charged as perverters of soules Act. 15. yet they but perverted soules by consequence The like may be said of such as Paul said tell from Christ and lost all benefit in Christ if they were circumcised Gal. 5. 2. It may be they would retract the heresie if they saw the blasphemies to follow by strong consequence and it may be not since they are selfe-condemned But sure the Lord chargeth the persons of men as making God a lyar who beleeve not his truth and he chargeth Epicurisme Let us eat and drinke for to morrow we shall dye 1 Cor. 15. on the persons that deny the resurrection and if the doctrine be a lye I wonder how these that lye of God since God commandeth to know and beleeve whatever he saith in his word can be innocent Object If no simple errour condemne us before the throne of God since God is so pitifull to our crimes that he pardons many de toto de integro he will far lesse demand an account of our weaknesse the strongest understanding cannot pretend immunity from being deceived Answ Then though Christ said Joh. 8. Except ye beleeve that I
2. Will yee compell their consciences with the Sword c. Answer your owne arguments Libertines 10. Object Is not this Babels confusion to punish corporall or civill offences with spirituall or Church censures or spirituall offences with corporall or temporall weapons Bloody Tenet Answ To inflict bodily punishment for Sorcery makes not the Magistrate a Church-officer as he fondly phansieth all sinnes against God who is a Spirit or spirituall and by this reason the Church of Thyatira should not censure the fornication of Jezabel and her followers nor the Corinthians the Incestuous man with excommunication which is a corporall offence to speake so contrary to 1 Cor. 5. whereas all publicke sinnes as sinnes against God are punished by him with bodily and spirituall plagues as it pleaseth him 2. These same sinnes as they are scandalls that offend the Church are punished with Church-censures 3. These same as they disturbe the peace of the State doe also deserve to be punished by the sword though I take not on me to determine curiously whether the Magistrate punisheth sins formally under the reduplication as they trouble the peace of the State or as they dishonour God the highest Judge it may be there is something of both in this reduplication 4. These same sinnes are rebuked by private Professours as they are stumbling blocks to them Hos 2. 1. plead with your mother neither is it against the nature of perswasion to bee drawne to means of sound beleeving by mens Laws as I observed before from Augustine for feare of punishment may cause men to hear the word of truth which otherwise they would never have heard Epis ad Vincen. 48. Alii dicant nesciebamus sit esse veritatem nec eam discere volebamus sed nos ad eam eognoscendam metus fecit intentos quo timuimus ne fortè sine ullis rerum aeternarum lucris damno rerum eternarum feriremur gratias domino qui negligentiam nostram stimulo terroris excussit ut saltem soliciti quaereremus quod securi nunquam nosse curavimus 11. Object What if the Magistrate in punishing heresie differ from the Church and strike with the sword for that which the Church thinkes no heresie what shall the Church doe then and what if the Church judge that to be heresie and exhort the Magistrate to punish that as heresie which the Magistrate in his conscience judgeth to be no heresie What shall then the Magistrate doe Answ Though there be reciprocation of subordinations that the Magistrate in an Ecclesiasticke way be subject to the Church power yet not to an abused Church power and the Church in a Civill way be subject to the Magistrates power yet not to the Magistrates power tyrannically used but to the power that is from God and as used for God and common justice in the one Court and the word of God in the other is supreme Empire judge that either must follow 12. Object Did not the people of Israel suffer the Gentiles to stay in their land and enjoy their own Religion without troubling of them Answ It is like they did but if they did right in tolerating Idolatry for which the land spewed out the inhabitants is a question 2. They might 1. Suffer them till they were first instructed and then convinced that Religion might not be forced on them 2. They could not suffer them in that land to blaspheme the God of Israel lest a common guilt should fall upon all Jos 22. 16 17 18 19 20. 3. Since the people were never to partake of other mens sins they were to argue against them and rebuke them and endeavour the gaining of their soules 13. Ob. The Elect cannot finally and totally fall away from Grace and perish as the Scripture saith Joh. 6. 37. c. Why then should we be so fondly jealous lest the people of God should be carried away with every winde of doctrine as to suppresse each opinion supposed to be erroneous so as to run the hazard of sileucing the most saving truths of putting to death Gods dearest Saints reducing soules to such a posture as if we be in ignorance and errour we must be uncapable of ever comming out of either Answ A foolish argument without head or foot 1. We are to be afraid of every sinne our Lord hath bidden us beware of though the Elect cannot perish since he that chooseth to the end chooseth to the meanes and to both immutably and irrevocably without shadow or change else this argument will prove we need not be afraid to whore murther oppresse or the most hainous transgressions for these sinnes cannot more prejudge the chosen of their state of grace and certainty of glory then being carried about with every wind of doctrine and unsound opinions continued in and published to pervert others doe argue that we are of the number of those that are ever learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth 2 Tim. 3. 7. and are unstable and unlearned perverting the Scriptures to our own destruction 2 Pet. 3. 16. given over to strong 〈◊〉 to beleeve a lye 2 Thess 2. and damned for not beleeving the truth v. 11 12. the heart not being stablished by grace Heb. 13. 9. like children tossed too and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men whereby they lye in wait to deceive not speaking and not professing the truth in love that so we may grow up in Christ even in him in all things which is 〈…〉 Eph. 4. 14 15. All which prove that to be finally seduced is a certaine marke of reprobation as Matth. 24. 23 2◠◠Tim. 2. 16 17 18. 19 20. and the Spirit that teacheth us 〈◊〉 are not to be afraid of falling from the state of grace 〈◊〉 salvation though we fall in such sins as the spirit of Antichrist and of curst Familists who turne the grace of God into wantonnesse who abuse the doctrine of election of grace 2. He makes God to bring us into an inevitable necessity of either being carried about with every wind of doctrine to beleeve lyes or then run the hazard of losing most saving truths and of putting to death Gods most dearest Saints But what warrant hath he thus to make God the author of sinne or to teach that divine providence doth lead us into an inextricable perplexity and necessity of sinning so that whether we do this or not doe it we must sin 3. What Scripture maketh the beleeving of lyes a certain hazard of losing most saving truths Is there no way of comming to the knowledge of the truth and the sparing of the lives of Gods most deare Saints but by beleeving truths which may be lyes and corrupt doctrine a word that eateth like a canker Is there no way to come to Gods harbour but by sayling in the Devills boat sure this is no way of Gods devising but of Sathans forging 4. Is then cursed Toleration a
way to spare the bloud of the Saints and not resisting the blessed Spirit in them then we cannot punish hereticks and men of corrupt mindes but we are in hazard to resist the Saints and kill the Spirit in them then when the Holy Ghost forbids us to beleeve false Christs Matth. 24. which is a resisting of their spirit we know not but he bids us beleeve the word of truth in Gods dearest Saints since for any knowledge we can have not to beleeve these false Christs it may be they are Gods dearest Saints whose words we refuse to beleeve then in one and the same Commandement of Christ which is beleeve them not he bids us beleeve their word and resist not the Spirit of truth in Gods dearest Saints and when Tit. 3. 18. he forbids us to keep company with an heretick but avoid him and 2 Joh. 10. receive not an impostour into your house he bids us run the hazard of avoyding a Saint and of refusing to lodge in your house Gods deare childe 5. What if Gods dearest Saints beleeve and publish an heresie and the doctrine of Familisme then they are to be pardoned because they are dear Saints But let Libertines answer the Query why should Indulgence and Toleration be yeelded to a Saint that speaks lyes in the name of the Lord more then to a wicked man who also doth prophesie lyes if both may fall in the same heresie with the like pertinacy for a time if we be not respecters of persons they no lesse deserve both to be punished then when both commit adultery and murther 2. Why lying of God and speaking words that eat like a gangrene and beleeving a lye deserveth rather an indulgence in a Saint then murthering whoring oppressing And why but we may tolerate all the Saints because they are Saints as well as some sinne no lesse yea more dangerous then these that are not to be tolerated for to infect the flocke with lying doctrine is more hurtfull to the Church then the example of adultery or murther in a Saint if toleration of all wayes and liberty of professing or publishing whatever tenets or doctrines seem good to a man in his owne eyes though to the perverting of the faith of many be a means of finding out many precious truths as Libertines say then hath God commanded all men to speake all kind of lies against God his Son Christ heaven hell the resurrection the last judgement the immortalitie of the soul though most pernicious to soules for God commandeth all meanes of finding out truth for it cannot be said he commands all lawfull meanes for Libertines hold that to professe and publish what the most erroneous conscience dictates to be the truth of God though it be black heresie is to speak the truth as an Indweller in the Lords holy hill Psal 15. so saith Vaticanus and all the Libertines who make the conscience right or erroneous the rule of the Christian mans walking not the word of God and in so doing the Lord must by the Libertines doctrine command men to speak lies in the Name of the Lord and must command Hereticks and Saints to pervert the soules and the faith of one another and make one another children of perdition and not spare the flock but devour and hunt soules and so shall the Lord command sinne 6. How doth non-toleration and libertie of beleeving every spirit seeming to us to be of God bring men in a posture of uncapabilitie of being delivered from error and ignorance the word never maketh a libertie to beleeve lies a way to be delivered from error The way to be delivered from error is to be humble and fear God and he shall teach us his waies Psal 25. 9. 14. Joh. 7. 17. 2 Thes 2. 11 12. Baptist ibid. God will have the meanes used by every man according to his own light and knowledge that he may be fully perswaded in his own conscience and no man knowes Gods cabinet counsell Ergo We cannot be competent judges of other mens consciences who are Hereticks who not Answ God will have the meanes used by every man according to his own light I distinguish according to his own light and conscience as a necessarie condition that must be in all right judging it is most true for he sins grievously who in judging goeth contrary to the inditement of his own conscience and so God will have the meanes used by every man according to his own light and conscience as his obliging rule which layeth a law and a tie upon him to beleeve and professe that is most false for the word of God not every mans conscienceis the obliging rule of his actions as is proved 2. The conclusion is most false for though we are not to judge who are elect and who reprobate because we are not upon Gods Cabinet counsell yet do we not intrude upon Gods secrets to judge who is an Heretick or a false Teacher or who sound in the faith by his doctrine examined by the law and the Testimonie for how can God say Beware of the false Prophet Matth. 7. 15. if it were arrogancie and an intruding upon Gods Cabinet counsel to judge a false Prophet by his doctrine to be a false Prophet how can we avoid an Heretick more then a Saint if we may not lawfully judge an heretick to be an Heretick Obj. 14 The Holy Ghost not only foresaw there would but determines there must be heresies and its expedient for the exercise of love and the discoverie of truth and the Professors thereof are not Errors as well as afflictions a part of Christs discipline then let it have its perfect work till it be cured by its proper remedie the sword of the Spirit It s not said there must be murtherers as it is said there must be Heresies Some seem so to be in love with new opinions as they extoll them one a very worthy Preacher saith variety of faces is not an affliction but matter of much admiration to behold So varietie of judgements simplie considered is not a grief but a glorie to me to behold when one spirit of grace and heavenlinesse is in them all for I count it a glasse of Gods own making wherein to behold his manifold wisedome Answ 1. There is no question but God hath wise and noble ends why he permits Heresies but we no more can Orthodoxly say That God determines Heresies then that God determines that sin must be for Heresies are sins now wee say not soundlie That God determines or decrees sins shall be sine adjecto he determines to permit sin 2. God determines Heresies must be so he determines that murthers adulteries oppressions must be it then shall follow the Christian Magistrate by this Argument does tolerate murthers oppressions as he tolerates heresies but the conclusion is grosse because Heresies are the Churches affliction and so are bloods and oppressions of the Saints shall then Christian Magistrates tolerate