aggravate the fact and give light to the Judge and what testimony the Conscience giveth of the actions of man the like it is to give of the state and condition whether it be good or ill hence these acts of recognition As 1. Conscience doth its duty in reflecting on it self It tryes the mans actions and state hence these three words 2 Cor. 13. 5. try or tempt or pierce and dig into your selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many dig holes and windows in the conscience of others who never digged a hole in their own heart 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 examine what mettall is in your selves and actions men are unwilling to find oare or drosse in themselves and we are bidden 1 Cor. 11. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lead witnesses sentence and Judge our selves To these generals there is a second act which is called Psalm 4. 5. Speake with your heart You testifie little of the man that you never heard speake Men are frequently to converse with their heart by heart-communing and soule quaerees so you find out the by as and the weight that swaies with the heart Jer. 5. 24. Neither say they in their heare let us now feare the Lord our God Hos 7. 2. They say not in their heart that I consider all their wickednesse 3 There is laying of the Consience in its reflect act and the actions together Hag. 1. 5. Lay your heart upon your wales It is that which David saith Psalm 119. 59. I considered Heb. I thoughted my wayes 4. There is wandring and estrangement of a man from his own heart when he laies his case to heart he is said to return to his own heart 1 King 8. 47. If they shall be thinke themselves heb if they shall return to their owne heart or come home to their own heart in the land of their captivitie and repent then heare then Men are abroad in their thoughts and seldom at home with their own heart But of this act of witnessing of the Conscience it is of moment to know how by what Medium or way the conscience doth witnesse to man of his state that he is a childe of God in Christ whether God doth witnesse our state and condition to us by inherent quallifications in us Because we love the brethren because we have sincere hearts and ayme in all things to obey God Aâ—er 1. God speaketh by his owne works of Sanctification that we are in Christ 1 Joh. 2. 3. And hereby we know that we know him because we keepe his commandements 1 Joh. 3. 14. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the Brethren Now as God speaketh and revealeth his glory God-head power and eternitie by his visible works of creation so as we may gather by certainty of faith that God is glorious wise omnipotent eternall Rom. 1. 19 20 21. Psal 19. 1 2 3 4. Rom. 10. 17 18 19 20 Upon them grounds when we finde in our soules the works of that spirit that raised the Lord from the death as love to the brethren because brethren sincere walking with God and Christs life Gal. 2. 20. we may with the certainty of faith collect that we are the children of God and if the knowledge of our state in Christ from the works of Sanctification be but conjecturall and may deceive us and not a sufficient foundation of sound peace nor enough to make us unexcusable that from the sicknesse of inward heart-love which I feele in my owne soule to Christ I can have no divine assurance that I am in Christ and cannot be made inexcusable in not beleeving the spirit dwelleth in me by his acting and working then we cannot inferre Gods infinite wisdome omnipotencie and eternity from his works of Creation and I cannot be inexcusable if I beleeve not Gods wisdome and power from the works of creation is not the pertinacie of unbeleefe as damnable when I beleeve not God acting in his Spirit as sanctifying as when I beleeve not God acting in this first workmanship of Creation 2. In all the actings motions and walkings of the Holy Ghost in my soule in the stirrings of the New birth when the spirit of Jesus maketh a noise with his feet walking acting moving in love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse meeknesse temperance which are apples and blossomes which grow on the tree of life Gal. 5. 22 23. It were no sinne to me to sleepe and beleeve these were but imaginary dreames and phancied notions if I ware not to beleeve where these are the soule that findeth them undenyably is in Christ 3. The Saints comforting themselves in their godly sincere and blamelesse walking before God in love knew what they spoke and what spirit was in them and that they walked not after the flesh as men speake and phancie in a night dreame not knowing whether they be in Christ or not these were speeches of waking men whose wits were in action Psalm 26. 8. Lord I have loved thy habitation and the place where thine honour dwelleth Psal 119. 63. I am a companion of all them that feare thee and of them that keepe thy precepts vers 97. O how love I thy law it is my meditation all the day vers 103. How sweet are thy words unto my taste Yea sweeter then honey to my mouth vers 111. Thy Testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart vers 162. I rejoyce at thy word as one that findeth 〈◊〉 great spoile and the Church Cant. 2. 3. I sate downe under his shaddow and his fruit was sweet to my taste ver 5. Stay me with flagons and comfort mee with apples for I am sick of love Esay 26. 9. With my soule have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me I will seeke thee early And Ezekiah looking to his good Conscience saith Ezech. 39 3. Remember now O Lord that I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart So Paul 2 Cor 1. 12. For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicitie and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God we had our conversation in the world and more abundantly to you-wards Now if the Saints can thus speake with the light and perswasion of Faith before God and men to their owne solid peace and consolation then may they be perswaded by these fruits of the Spirit that they are branches growing in the Vine Christ else all these speeches are but delusions and phancies and they must speake no other thing of themselves as vessels of the grace of God then hypocrits 〈◊〉 reprobates may say of themselves For D. Crispe and also Libertines of New England whose doctrine subverts the Faith say there can be no marks of saving grace from whence we can draw either comfort or peace be it universall obedience stâ—â—rity love to the Brethren but it may bee
be reverenced ibid. Of obligation of Conscience and the acts therefrom resulting p. 10. Of witnessing of Conscience and self-reflection p. 11. The knowledge of our own state of grace may be had by the fruits of the spirit of Sanctification p. 12 Acts of Conscience in relation to the Conclusion p. 14. A Conscience good or ill p. 15. A good Conscience ibid Conscience the rarest peece that God made ibid. A tender Conscience p. 19. Who ingrosse the name of tender Consciences to themselves ibid. Of a scrupulous Conscience p. 21 The causes of a scrupulous Conscience ibid. Chap. 2. Conscience under Synods and how and that the Conscience cannot have absolute libertie in matters of Religion How a Synod compelleth p. 23. The Conditions that Libertines require to be in a Synod p. 24. Libertie to question every thing is Licence ib. The Church though not infallible may determine infallible points ib. A Confession Covenant or Synodicall decree a secondarie rule of Faith p. 25 A Ministeriall and publike and a Christian and private judgement and faith how they differ ibid. Libertines give us Sceptisme and Fluctuation for Faith p. 28 There is need of Interpretation and decision of Synods ib. That Confessions ought to be only in expresse Scripture words is â—â—â—ther false principle of Libertines p. 29 Ancient bonds of Liberty of Conscience p. 32 The end of Synods is not to remove heresies by any means good or bad or to crush Heresie so effectually as these Heresies shall never 〈◊〉 heard of in the world again ibid. The necessity of Synods p. 33 Pastors subject the disobedient to wrath yet are not Lords over the Conscience Ergo neither are Synods Lords â—ver the Conscience for that ib. The subject of a Synod not a Sceptick Conjecturall truth as Libertines suppose p. 34 The sence of Scripture from Synods beleeved truly to be infallible though Synods consist of men who are not infallible as an 〈◊〉 Pitcher doth contain gold and precious Rubies and Saphires in it though there be no gold in the matter of the Pitcher but only clay 2 Cor. 4. 7. ibid. How a true decision of a Synod is ever the same and not retractable p. 36 Though all truths be peremptorily decided in the word yet is there need of a Ministeriall and declarative decision of men because Teachers may deceive and those that are taught are ignorant and dull p. 37 Men are to come to Synods not as Nullifidians but as ingaged for truth p. 38. Synods may impose upon others and how ibid. Ancient bonds or Libertie of Conscience stated p. 40 The Conditionall imposing of Synods consisteth well with trying of all things what Libertines say on the contrary is naught ibid. Conditionall imposing proveth the imposeâ— to be no Lord of the Conscience p. 42 Chap. 3. The Church may complain of Hereticks p. 43 Pastors are not out of their calling nor Apparitors nor tale-bearers if they complain to the Magistrate of Hereticks p. 44 Chap. 4. The State of the question of compulsion of Conscience and toleration p. 46. Opinions cannot be compelled nor the mind or will in the elicite acts ibid. The question is Whether the Magistrate may compulsorily restrain the externall act of the outward man in religion ibid. Shame and feare of rebukes by Pastors and Church-censures have the same compulsorie influences on false Teachers that the fear of publike punishment by the Synod hath p. 47. Church censures are as compulsorie on the Conscience as coercing by the Sword p. 48 Some externall actions of injustice flowing from meer conscience are punished justly without any note of persecution by grant of Libertines and why not all others also p. 49 Ancient bonds of Libertie of Conscience p. 50 Discountenancing of men and negative punishing of them for their Conscience is punishing of them ibid. Ancient bonds p. 12. ibid. How Religion may be compelled how not p. 51 One mans Religion remaining in the mind and will may hurt or benefit the man himself not any others but true religion as it comes forth into acts of teaching may edifie and win others and false religion may subvert the faith of others ibid. The Magistrate does not command religious acts as service to God but rather forbids their contraries as disservice to Christian Societies ibid. How Tertullian and Lactantius are to be expounded of forcing to Heathen religion ibid. Though we can compel none to Religion it follows not that the Magistrate may not punish those that seduce others to a false religion ibid. Lactantius speakes of compulsion without all teaching p. 53 Those that are without the Church are not to be compelled ibid. Because the Magistrates compulsion makes Hypocrites it followeth note hee should not punish Hereticks for so he should not punish murtherers p. 54 The Magistrate may by the sword curbe such impediments that keep men from embracing the truth according to Augustine p. 56 Answer to Doctor Adam Stewart ibid. Impotencie of free will objected by Master John Goodwin no reason why the Magistrate ought not to punish seducing teachers as of old the Donatists objected ibid. State of the question more strictly proposed p. 57 It may as well be said because there be no expresse Laws against murtherers Parricides Sorcerers Sodomites in the New Testament more then against false Teachers that therefore Sorcerers are no lesse then Hereticks to be tollerated p. 57 Chap. 5. Of Fundamentals The number of Fundamentalls p. 59 A saving disposition of faith to beleeve all truths revealed though the man be ignorant of many may consist with the state of saving grace ibid. Three things among those that are to be beleeved 1. Things simply necessarie 2. Simply profitable 3. By consequence necessarie how the Papists erre in these page 60 Some Consequences necessary ibid. Builders of Hay and stubble on the foundation may be saved and those that fall in murther and Adultery out of infirmitie may be also saved yet there is no consequence Ergo the Magistrate should tollerate both p. 61. Chap. 6. Errors in non-fundamentals obstinatly holden are punishable Obstinacie in ceremonies after full information deserveth punishment p. 62 Those that erre in non-fundamentals may deserve to be punished ibid. To teach the necessity of Circumcision not an error formally primarily but by consequence fundamentall and the contrary truth not necessary necessitate medii ibid. The toleration of all who erre in non fundamentals examined p. 64. Queries proposed to M. Joh. Goodwin who asserteth a Catholike toleration of all religions upon the ground of weaknes of freewill and want of grace p. 61 Most arguments of Libertines infer a Catholike toleration in non-fundamentals as well as in fundamentals p. 64 What deductions the Spirit makes in the soul of an elect knowing but a few fundamentals and going out of this life who knoweth p. 65. To know revealed truths of God is a commanded worship of God ibid. One generall confession of faith without a particular sense containing the true
that may hinder love but let this wrangler answer whither it be more reall love to the murtherers soul to informe against him and more glory to God more peace to the familie or to be silent and let his brother run to hell and wrath lye upon the whole land It is but a losse of time to refute such weak foolerie against naturall reason far more contrary to sound Divinitie for if pastors informe against evil doers out of desire of revenge malice or hatred they ought not upon these grounds to rebuke any sins at all and we condemn the doing of good duties upon evill motives and principles CHAP IIII. The state of the question of compulsion of Conscience and tolleration THe question touching Libertie of conscience was never by us nor any man save Libertines themselves and ignorant Anabaptists both of old and late moved concerning internall libertie remaining within the soule as libertie to think understand judge conclude whither the Magistrate can force men with the sword to opinions and cudgell them out of some into other contrary judgements in the matters of God for the Magistrate cannot take on him yea nor the Church under the paine of censures compell any to think well of Christ or ill or Antichrist Yet most of the senslesse arguments of the times are drawn from the immediate subjection of the conscience to God from the nature of conscience Religion faith fear and the elicit acts of the soul which cannot be compelled yea in this meaning we think God can neither offer violence to minde understanding will or affections of love fear joy because all these clicit acts cannot slow from any principle but the internall and vitall inclinations of the soul though the devils be said to beleeve against their will yet not against the inclination of the understanding or desiring facultie All the question is concerning the imperated acts and these externall that is not touching opinions and acts of the minde but that which is visible and audible in these opinions to wit the speaking professed holding of them publishing teaching printing and known and externall perswading of others to be of our minde So that the question will come to this whither the Magistrates sword be to regulate our words that concerns our neighbour as that we lie not we forsweare not to the hurt of the life and credit of our neighbour that we slander not raile upon no man farre lesse against the prince and ruler of the people but whether the words we utter or publish of God though never such blasphemies and lies because they come from the conscience as if truths or words we speak for or against our neighbour did not slow from a conscience either good or ill be above or beyond all swords or coercive power of men It is clear the question must be thus stated for all the lawes of the old Testament which we hold in their morall equitie to be perpetuall that are touching blasphemies heresies solicitation to worship false Gods and the breach of which the Godly Magistrate was to punish command or forbid onely such things as may be proved by two or three witnesses and which husband and wife are not to conceale and from which all Israel must abstain for fear of the like punishment Deut. 1â— 8 9 10 11. Deut. 17. 5 6. Levit. 20. 1 2 3 4 5. But opinions in the minde acts of the understanding can never be proved by witnesses and such as neither Magistrate nor Church can censure Then we referre to all the Godly if Libertines and Anabaptists deal brotherly in affirming that Presbiterians persecute them because out of tendernesse of conscience they cannot come up to the light and judgement of their brethren in all opinions 2. There is a tolleration pollitick and Civil and spirituall or Ecclesiastick shame and fear in punishing heresies either by the Judge or the Church whither in civil or Ecclesiasticall censures rebukes Excommunication is an evil of punishment in both as is evident if we compare Judg. 18. 7. Where it is said There was no Magistrate in the land that might put them so shame in any thing Deut. 13. 11. With these places that speaketh of spirituall censures in the feare and shame of them as 1. Tim. 5. 19. Receive not an accusation against an Elder but before two or three witnesses then an Elder that is scandalous may incur shame of being accused and Mat 18. 17. let him be to thee as a heathen and a Publicane 1 Tim. 5. 20. them that sinne rebuke before all that others also may fear So the avoiding of Idolaters and Hereticks 1 Cor. 9. 11. Tit. 2. 10. â— Joh. 10. Gal. 1. 8. brings publicke shame on them 2. Thesse 3. 14. then looke what forcing power the shame the Magistrates can put Hereticks to and what compulsory 〈◊〉 it hath on the conscience and so should not be inflicted on men for their conscience and holding of heresies as Libertines say the same compulsorie power hath concionall rebukes of Pastors or private Christians and of admonition excommunication or the avoiding of the societie of false teachers either by the whole Church or by private Christians and the arguments proving the Magistrate cannot punish for conscience in his politick Spheare doe also prove that hereticks should be rebuked sharply that they may be sound in the faith contrary to Tit. 1. 13. and that we should neither admonish them nor avoid their company which is absurd so they be more ingenious Libertines who free false teachers and hereticks from both civil and ecclesiasticall censures than these who free them from civil and subject them to Ecclesiasticall censures for Ecclesiasticall compulsion hath no more influence on the conscience by way of teaching then politick or civil and the arguments taken from the nature of conscience is as strong to prove that the Church of Pergamâ—â— Ephesus Thyatira should suffer lyars false Apostles and seducers such as hold the doctrine of Balaam and Jezabel the deceiving Prophetesse who teach and professe according to their erroneous conscience contrary to Rev. 1. 2 3 14 20. as that the Godly Prince should suffer them nor can it be said that Church-censures are spirituall punishments and so work on the spirit and have instructing rebuking and exhorting going before but the sword is a bodily punishment and hath not instructing going before For I answer though these two punishments differ yet they agree that formally both are alike compulsory of the conscience and neither of them act upon the spirit by teaching and instructing as the word doth so as excommunication of a heretick should have instructing and convincing going before so should also the Magistrate presuppose before he strike with the sword that the false teacher hath been instructed and convinced and so he doth formally punish him with the sword for his pertinacious perverting of souls 3. Nor can it be replyed that men should not be punished for either opinions or for
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
under him and so to the conscience that they may â—â—errandly and indeclinably also command but they should remember when power of commanding comes out of God the fountain of authority now it looseth its absolute undeclinablenesse when it is in conscience or in any creature and it is onely conditionall and limited in the streames whereas it was absolute and soveraigne in the fountaine 2 In the case of an erroneous conscience standing in its vigorous thing the question is both what is commanded and what is good for these two are not contrary but agree well for the Lords command to Adam eate not of this fruit is to Adam the cause why the not eating is good and the cause of the obligation to what is commanded also but onely the obligation is ad modum facti non ad factum to the â—â—â—ner of doing that if we doe or abstaine we do it 〈…〉 in faith and perswasion without any jarring between the conscience and the object but there is no obligation to the fact On the regular way of doing I am never oblieged to obey God with an erring conscience or contrary to the inditement of an erring conscience 3 The material object being sin and forbidden by the law of God is an object by accident even when it is proposed by practicall reason if that reason be erroneous and misinformed as it is in this case the proposing of practicall reason doth not make that to bee good or commanded which of it selfe was neither good nor commanded but sinfull it may make it good in the manner of doing and obliege in the manner of doing but that is not our question but whether the practicall judgement and conscience remaining erroneous doth both ligare bind and obliege to the fact that is sinfull that is denied And though hee that is circumcised upon the supposall of a blind erring and Jewish conscience thinking the law of shaddowes obliegeth when the body Christ is come he is a debter to doe the whole Law and to eate the Passeover to sacrifice at Jerusalem to keepe the new-Moones c. But how is he debter He is this way debter what warrant he hath to be circumcised he hath the same warrant to keepe the Passeover to sacrifice that is he hath as good reason for to doe all or is as well obliged upon his false principles he goes on to keep all the law of ceremonies as to be circumcised or doe a part onely but he is erroneously and sinfully made by himselfe a debter to the whole Law but God made him a debter neither to the one nor to the other and in Gods Court though if he be circumcised he must be circumcised this way that is his conscience must dictate that Gods Law still in force commands him so to doe but this is but a necessity of supposition that falleth upon the manner of the doing not upon the fact for no Law of God warranteth him to be circumcised and no Law of God makes him debter to doe all the rest of the law of ceremonies he is obliged neither to be circumcised erroneously nor to abstaine from circumcision erroneously but to lay aside his erroneous conscience and to abstaine from circumcision according to the enditement of a well informed conscience So we easily answer that ignorant objection of phantasticall Sectaries in needlesse Pamphlets and Queries smelling of non-sense and selfe-conceit speaking they know not what If the sword be used against errours to suppresse them then must the Magistrate command and compell men of tender consciences to sinne and to doe against the light of their conscience for what is not of faith is sinne And the Spirit himselfe waites and violates not the liberty of the reasonable soule by superseding the faculties thereof but approves every truth to the understanding and moves the will without violence with a rationall force Shall man be more zealous for God then God is for himselfe God himselfe doth not force men but call them to repentance If the word calling be considered whether will it warrant any further meanes then arguments perswasions and intreaties make them as forceable us you can if you hold the feare of punishment over men it must be the feare of divine punishment c. Answ For 1. wee no where teach that the sword is a meanes of converting but the just vengeance that is inflicted by the Minister of God upon false teachers as upon other evill doers so it is not destinated by God for spiritual gaining and reducing of hereticks that may repent but for judiciall expiation of wrongs done to the flock and Christian society 2. This poore argument will conclude against all 〈◊〉 of Magistrates against murtherers bloody traitors for the Lawes of the Minister of God the King forbids the English Jesuit to stab his Prince and compells him to 〈◊〉 from King-killing and if this Jesuit abstaine from killing his Sovereigne Lord and abstain not in faith but against the light of his Jesuiticall and bloody conscience which dictates to him that he is a Protestant Prince and a heretick and he is obliged in conscience for the advancement of the Catholicke cause to stabbe him doth the supreme Magistrate compell this Jesuit to sin and doth hee force the Jesuits conscience for to doe in faith hath place in duties of the second Table as well as in the first and men out of conscience and in faith and moved by the Holy Ghosts gracious actings are to obey all lawfull commands of the Magistrate as to pay tribute to abstain from murther treason adultery robbing and stealing if they be subjects of tender consciences and why then should the Magistrate compell and force men to these duties which are to be done in faith and in a spirituall manner for sure the Spirit forces them not to doe these in faith so the command of the Magistrate moveth every Christian to practise and act of obedience to mens Lawes for conscience sake and the Spirit moves the whole powers of the soul both the understanding and the will without violence with a rationall force and why should the Magistrate then be more zealous for God then God is for himselfe and all this may be said against all Lawes in the Old Testament why should the Magistrate compell men against their faith and conscience not to beleeve not to practise any such seducing wayes as to say Come let us goe serve other Gods Should Moses be more zealous for God then God is for himselfe but the truth is the Magistrate as the Magistrate doth not meddle with the conscience not the manner of obedience to Law whether they be obeyed in faith or against the light of conscience that is nothing to him he commands but the externall actions preach no heresie no Familisme Sociâ—â—nisme under the paine of corporall punishment if Pastors obey this charge hypocritically not in faith it is their sin not the Magistrates he neither commands thus preach no heresie in faith
sword or censures for let it be most false in it self yet it is to him Truth and if you persecute him he suffereth for the truth for the Gospel for righteousnes sake and the Ministers have no more to doe to labour to recall and gain him from his opinions to the Truth then he hath to labour to gain Ministers from their opinion Hence I argue what ever opinion maketh every manâ— dictate of his conscience the true word of God and as many Bibles divers and contrary Gospels and words of God and contrary rules of faith and practises as there be divers opinions fancies dictates and apprehensions of conscience is a Godlesse and Atheisticall way But such is this opinion of Libertie of Conscience and Toleration Ergo c. The Proposition is undoubtedly true there being but one Gospel one Faith one truth as there is but one Christ and one Lord Ephes 4 5. and the Scripture hath but one sense that is true and the ground of faith otherwise this There is but one God to us should have one sense to the Treitâ—ites to wit There be three Gods because three persons it should have a contrary sense to another To us there is but one God in nature and essence and yet both should be the same truth to each man as he apprehends The Assâ—mption is manifest to those that will see by the grounds of Libertines because to every man that is the word of God which he phansieth to be the Word of God for otherwise the truth should be monopolized to â—ut or some few persons and this is the sense of the word of God and so the very Gospel and truth which this man beleeveth and of you punish him for it the man suffers for the 〈◊〉 for the word of God and if his neighbour beleeve the contrary that is to him the Word of God and if you punish him for it the man suffers for the word of God also and there bee two contrary Gospels and sundry truths and if there be two there may be two and twentie Bibles and contrary truths and so we have not the Old and New Testament but the letters of it and as many senses by this there be of Scriptures as many Bibles and as many sundry heads and various opinions of men Hence libertie of prophecying is lawfull and so libertie of Faiths of contrary Bibles and from this it is that which tendeth to unitie of faith as one Confession of faith or uniformitie of beleef is mocked by these men and every one that suffereth for his supposed truth is persecuted for the Word of God and so blessed because persecuted for the Truth and if blessed as our Saviour meaneth Matth. â— v. 11 12. They have a great reward in Heaven for so they expound the place Matth. 5. 11 12. All men then are saved in their own Religion and to be rooted and grounded in the truth is common to all Sectâ— and Hereticks and iâ— is to bee rooted and grounded in opâ—â—ions such as every man shall fansie to be truth and not to be moved from the truth is not to bee moved from opinions and not to be carried about with every winde of doctrine is to adhere with pertinacie to opinions were it Arrianisme Manichisme and if so all Religions are alike safe and all Sects Saints and all Hereticks because they follow their erronious consciences are innocent godly grounded on Truth Neither needeth Mr. Williams to prove that the place Rom. 13. is meant of the duties not of the first but of the second Table of the Law which we grant with Calvin and Beza but it followeth not That the Magistrates punishing of ill-doers and so of seducing Teachers is excluded for that punishing is a dutie of the second Table of the Law though the Object be spirituall as sorcerie is against the first Commandment and punished as ill doing Rom. 13. though sorcerie be a sinne formally against the first Table of the Law and why should the Magistrate punish one sin against the first Table and not all in so far as they are against the peace and safetie of humane Societies FINIS Errata PAge 2. line 6. read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 12. l. 22. them r. these p. 33. l. 5. but of all these r. but all these p. 23. l. 1. r. elicite acts p. 36. l. 13. And it is false that we are to beleeve that what Synods determine according to the Word of God must be fallible lyable to Error and an untruth because they so determine p. 56. in Margin r. thus The Magistrate may with the Sword coerce ibid. Five impediments that keep men from embracing the truth according to Augustine l. 10. for Guidentum r. Gaudentium p. 50. l. 19. Cyrillus p. 59. l. penult for worships r. Vorstius p. 62. for elect r. elicite p. 74. l. 2. for or r. are p. 82. l. 10. for this not r. this is not p. 101. l. 7. for now r. not p. 106. in margin for iâ—dicari r. judicare p. 109. r. religio p. 110. l. 28. for is r. are p. 199. l. 26. for thou r. that p. 201. l. 19. for is r. it s forâ—â—ssed â—â—ssed r. professe p. 206. l. 31. for abolish r. oblige p. 215. l. 17. for and father r. and the father p. 216. in margin r. confutaâ—unt p. 223. l. 32 for Quod nou in r. Quod non est p. 232. marg for no case r. in case p. 2â—0 l. penult r. impletionem p. 254. l. 6. r. redarguit p. 156. l. 13. r. Protestaâ—ts Fâ—â—ilists Arminians Seekers c. hold and beleeve must be the Dictates Gal. 2. 14. The name Conâ—â—â—ence Conscience the practical knowledge Conscience a power not an act or habit 〈…〉 Thomas 12. â— 19 aâ—t 5. Casetan ibid. Richard 2. â— 29. ar 1. 2. Grego de Valent. 12. q. 14. punct 4. Vasqu z. 12. disp 59 c. 1. Tannet tom 2 diâ—p 2. q. 4 dubâ— 4. What sort of knowledge is ascribed to the Conscience Of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of Conscience in relation to the Major Assumption and Conclusion of a Practicall Syllogisme The object of Conscience Hamond of Conscience pag. 3. Sect. 9. Conscience to be revereâ—ced 〈…〉 of Consâ—â—â—nce and the acts 〈…〉 Of witnessing of Conscience and selfe-reflection The knowledge of our own state of grace may be had by the fruits of the Spirit of Sanctification â—olion Serm. an 1643 pag. 428. 429 430. c. Acts of Conscience in relation to the Conclusion A Conscience good or ill A good Conscience Conscience the â—arest peece that God made A tender conscience Amesius de consci l. 1. c. â—5 n. 11. Conscientiae huic malae vel cordi diero opponitâ—â— conscientia tenera quae facilè afficitur verbe Dei 2 Reg. 22. 19. Ut in Josia Who ingrosse the name of tender consciences to themselves Of a scrupulous conscience The causes of a scrupulous conscience How a Synod compelleth â— Remonsâ— Apo. c. 25.