and certainly know that she erreth not in her decisions yea though it fall out she erre not yet ought not to take power to her selfe to command others to beleeve that to be true which she beleeves or to impose silence upon others who cannot in conscience acquiesce to what they command Answ There is some-thing true in this there is a two-fold judgement one saving and Christian common to all by which both shepheard and sheep beleeve and its true of this that the sheepe are no more to stand to the judgement of shepheards thâ—â— the shepheards to the judgement of the sheepe in point of Christian beleeving which sure is common to both shepheard and sheepe for the alone authoritie of God speaking in his word And so the Doctor beleeves not as a Doctor but as a Christian But secondly there is another judgement that is ministeriall officiall and authoritative and this is terminated not on Christian beleeving but supposeth a ministeriall beleeving that what the shepheard teacheth others God revealed to him first and is put forth in a ministeriall and officiall judging either in Synods or in publick Pastorall Sermons and authoritative but ministeriall publishing the will and mind of Christ Mal. 2. 7. They shall seeke the Law from his mouth Heb. 13. 7. 17. That way the people depends upon the Ministeriall judgement of Synods and Pastors but it s most false that Pastors depends on their Ministeriall judgement who are sheepe and that there is a like and equall power in shepheards and sheepe and its false that though the Church beleeves she erres not and doth not erre yet the Church may not command and in Synods Ministerially and with all authoritie rebuke such a pervert soules Act. 15. 22. And that Doctors may not as the Heraulds and Ministers of Christ rebuke men sharply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they may be sound in the faith Tit. 1. 12. For Pastors and Synods teach fundamentals of faith ministerially to the people and by hearing of them is faith begotten in the hearers and they may command exhort rebuke with all long suffering 2. Tim. 4. 1 2. 2 Tim. 2. 14. stop their mouthes Tit. 1. 11. and authoritatively enjoyne them silence Act. 15. 22 23 24 25. Act. 6. 4. Though they cannot by reason of an erroneous conscience or a conscience burnt with an hot iron acquiesce to the determination of a Synod Yea though they bee unruly vaine talkers and deceivers they must be commanded to bee silent Nor must the Church and Angels of the Church of Thyatira Ephesus or Pergamus suffer Jezabell to seduce not â—avening wolves to devoure the flock nor their word to eate as a Caâ—ker For this judgement authoritative as it is in the head of the Church Christ as in the fountaine and onely Law-giver so it is Ministerially onely and by way of office in the Elders as the will and mind of the King is in the inferiour Judge the Ambassadour or Herauld not in the people And the people are obleiged to obey those that are over them in the Lord who watch for their soules as those who must give an account But there is no ground to say the shepheards are obleiged to stand to and obey the ministeriall and officiall judgement of the people and of this it is said he that heareth you Ministers of the Gospel not the people heareth me he that dispiseth you dispiseth mee And this is more then a priviledge of order and honor which one Christian hath above another in regard of eminencie of graces gifts and of wisdome experience and age it is a priviledge of office to speake in the name of the Lord and yet it is inferiour to a priviledge of law because the Lord onely imposeth lawes upon the Conscience for it is a middle judgement lesse then Legislative Supreme and absolute over the Conscience this is in none save onely in the King and head of the Church and is Royall and Princely Yet is it more I say not more excellent it not being saving of it selfe as in beleevers than a priviledge of meere honour and order for though it lay no more bands on the Conscience to obtain faith because it is holden forth by men it having no influence on the Conscience because of men whose word is not the formall object of faith yet hath it an officiall authoritie from Pastours which is not meerely titularie so as they may ministerially and officially command obedience to their judgement as far as it agrees with the mind of Christ no farther and when it is disobeyed may inflict censures which private Christians cannot doe and putteth these who disobey under another guiltinesse then if private Christians did speake the same word to wit not onely in a case of disobedience to the second command but in a state of disobedience to the fift command formally as not honouring father and mother where as to disobey that same word by way of Counsel in the mouth of a brother though it be the breach of the fift command also Yet not in such a manner as when we refuse to heare the messenger of the Lord of Hoasts and his judgement as a messenger of God is publique and bindes as publike to highest obedience to the fift command but as it is a judgement of faith common to the Doctor with other Christians it bindes as the minde of God holding faith in the second Commandment what wee are to believe Armmians The word of God is sufficient for the deciding of controversies its cleare what neede it there of decision if men acquiesce to the decision of God as it lyes in Scripture if the word of God expresse the sense of God or if it have need of interpretation why is there not a free interpretation left to every manâ—â— doe we think that our words are clearer than the word of God we doe a â—â—nithic injury to the word of God if we believe that How much better were it if we would nourish peace and concord leaving interpretations free to every man It is most sure to containe our selves within the speaking of the holy Scripture and the forme of words of the holy Ghost and that no man be troubled who shewes himself willing to containe himself within these Answ Here is a meere fluctuation and Septicism even in fundamentals and the faith of them for all interpretation of Scripture is rejected there is no destinction in fundamentals or no fundamentals for in principles of faith that Christ is God and man and dyed for sinners the Scripture is most plaine and what need then of our interpretation then let Arrians and Secinnians beleeve him to be God man and to die for sinners in their sense the Familists in a contrary sense the Georgians in another contrary sense the Papists in a third the Protestants in a fourth and so as many heads as many faiths every sect and man must have some sense else his faith is non-sense and if
he erre from the sense of the Holy Ghost the Scripture is no Scripture if it be believed in a sense contrary to the Scripture to him who so believes and so his faith is no faith but a vaine night-phancie and seeing the word of God gives us but one faith and one truth and one Gospel if interpretations be left free to every man these Libertines gives us millions of faiths with millions of senses and so no faith at all Secondly They give us two decisions one made by God and another by the Church contrary to Gods that has no rule but every mans private judgement and free phancie as if the decision of controversies made by the Church in Synods which we suppose is not divided from that of Gods were some other thing then the decision of the Holy Ghost speaking in the word and declared by the Church in a ministeriall way and if it be any other than this it is not to be received nor a lawfull decision ministeriall of a Synod but to be rejected Thirdly if there be no need of a decision to expone the word because the word is clear if we wrong the word of God if we think our words are clearer that Gods it is true if we had eyes to see and apprehend the minde of God in his word without an interpretation then all ministerie and proaching of the Gospel is cried downe by this what have any to doe to expone the first principles of the Oracles of God to the Hebrews c. 5 â— or what need they teach exhort preach in season and out of season What needeth the Eunuch a teacher or Cornolius Peter or Saul Ananias to teach them had they not the Scriptures if Timothie the preachers that speake the word of the Lord to the Hebrews Philip Peter Ananias think their words clearer than the word of God they doe a great injurie to the word of God or if they beleeved their words were clearer than the words of Esaiah and the Prophets and they did that which was not necessary if they opened and expounded the Prophets and decided controversies for they should have acquiesced to the decision of God as it lyeth in the Scripture and not have preached but read the Prophets and left it free to the hearers to put on the words of Scripture what interpretation and sense they thought best Fourthly That no Confessions ought to be but in expresse words of Scripture shall free all one and consequently all Churches from obedience to that which Peter commands 1 Pet. 3. 15. Be readie alwayes to give an answere to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with â—â—eeknesse and fear When Stephen Acts 7. and Paul Acts 26. were accused of heresie and speaking against Moses and the semple they made a confession of their faith not in words of Scripture but in deductions and necessary consequences drawne from Scripture and applyed to themselves and these in Nehemiahs time who wrote and sealed or subscrubed a Covenant did not write and seale the expresse Decalogne and ten Commandements 〈◊〉 the words of the Covenant of Grace I will be thy God and the God of thy seed but entered into a curse and into an Oath to walke in Gods Law which was given by Moses the servant of God and to observe and to doe all the Commandements of the Lord our God and his judgements and his statutes and that say they we would not give our daughters to the people of the Land nor take their daughters for our sons and if the people of the Land bring ware or victuals on the Sabbath day to sell that we would not buy it of them Nehemiah c. 10. v. 29 30 31 32 33 34. c. compared with Nehe. c. 9. v. 38. Which words are not a confession nor Covenant in expresse Scripture save that they are historically insetted in the Cannon of the Scripture by the Holy Ghost In which sense the law and decree of Nebuchadnezzar Daniel 6. And of other heathen Kings as Daniell 3. 29. 30. Ezra 1. 2 3. c. 7. 11 12 13 14. c. Are Scriptures but they are not the expresse words of the Law for there is nothing in the expresse Law touching the Sabbath of not buying ware and victual from the heathen of the land that Nehemiah speakes of which warranteth us to enter in the like Covenant and make the like Confession of faith to defend and stand to the Protestant Religion and that Christ was God and man and man in one person and that we shall not buy ware or victuals from the Anabaptist and Familists of England who trample on the Sabbath day though these be not expresse words of Scripture It is true Libertines say men have made Apologies and confessions of faith for their own defence as Steven and Paul but they injoyned not these by authoritie and command as a rule of faith upon others and wrote them not as a fixed standard of the faith of others and that warrants no Church to impose a faith upon others Answ 1. This will prove that as one man accused of heresie may publish a confession of his faith which may cleare his innocencie and the soundnesse of his faith to others and remove the scandall according to that of 1 Pet. 3. 15. And by the same reason Independents Libertines Familists Antinomians Anabaptists and all the Sects of England upon the same ground that the Albigenses went upon should by some Confession and Covenant give an account of their faith and hope with meeknesse and feare And what particular persons are obleiged to doe that Churches when they are slandered as unsound in the faith are oblieged to doe and so I looke at a forme or confession of faith as a necessary Apologie for clearing of the good name of a Church defamed with Heresies and new sects but for the imposing of this Confession upon others these others are either Neighbour-Churches or their own Members As concerning neighbour-Churches they have no Authoritie over them Yet may they declare that Familists who say Christ is not come in the flesh are the Spirit of the Antichrist and for these of their own Church if they goe out from them and separate to an Antichristian side after the example of the Apostles and Elders they may command them to abstaine from such and such hereticall opinions and after they have convicted them as perverters of souls proceed to excommunication against them as refusers to consent to the forme of wholesome words as may be prooved from Math. 18. 15 16 17. c. Rom. 16. 17 1 Thes 2. 13 14 15. And other Scriptures as Reve. 2. 1 2 3. v. 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20. Now that it is not sufficient that they be put to subscribe a confession of faith in onely scripture words is cleare 1. because the Jews will sweare and seale the old Testament in their own sense but their sense makes the old
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
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.
and Orthodox meaning of the word not sufficient p. 66 Divers pious conferences betwixt us and Lutherans ibid. They hate God and love blasphemies in the consequence who obstinately hold them in the Antecedent p. 68 They may be false Teachers and so punishable who erre not in fundamentals p. 73 Divers things not fundamentaly believed with certainty of faith p. 75 Beleeving of truths revealed of God with a reserve blasphemous and turneth beleevers into Scepticks and Nullifidians p. 77 Beleeving with a reserve against the motion of the Holy Ghost p. 78 Beleeving with a reserve against the stabilitie of faith ibid. Against the trying of all things and spirits inioyned by the Holy Ghost p. 79 Faith with a reserve against our prayers for knowledge and growing therein p. 81 The Holy Ghost bids us not beleeve with a reserve p. 82 To beleeve with a reserve contrary to our doing and suffering for truth and faith p. 83 Two distinctions necessarie touching controverted points p. 85 Some things of their own nature not controversall yet the deductions from them to our blind nature are controversall ibid. Fundamentalls of faith most controversall to our blind nature p 86 Chap. 7. What opinions may be tollerated what not Some far off Errors may be tolerated p. 97 Schisme and actuall gathering of Churches out of Churches cannot be tolerated p. 98 The place Rom. 14. willing us to receive the weak no plea for toleration p. 100 Phil. 3. 15. Let us walke according to the same rule c. nothing for toleration p. 101 Chap. 8. Whether Heresie be a sin or a meer error and innocencie whether an Heretick be an evill doer Libertines make Heresie a meer innocent and unpunishable error of the mind p. 101 Heresie is a sin as wel as Idolatry though we could neither define Heresie nor Idolatry ibid. Heresie proved to be an hainous sin ibid. The Holy Ghost contrary to Libertines supposeth undeniablie that Hereticks are known and so they are not known to God only when he bids us beware of them avoid them bid them not God speed p. 105 Pertinacie may be and is known to men p. 106 Heresie a wicked resisting of the truth and yet not the blasphemie against the Holy Ghost p. 107 Libertines say that an Heretick dying for his Heresie hath no 〈◊〉 Conscience but a spirituall and heavenly end p. 108 The vain glory of the Devils Martyrs who die for Heresie p. 111 Spirituall stupidity and malice both together in Hereticks and Sâ—tâ—â—s Martyrs p. 113 Some ignorance consists with the sin against the Holy Ghost p. 114 Chap. 9. Of Libertie of prophecying of erroneous indictmâ—â—â— of Conscience that it is not our rule Who is an Heretick to Arminians Tit. 3. 10. p. 115 None to Libertines are Hereticks but such as professe a religion which they beleeve with perswasion to be false ibid Liberty of prophesying taken in a threefold sense p. 117 To desire false Prophets to cease out of the Land is no quenching of the Spirit p. 119 Chap. 10. Of indulgence in fundamentall or non-fundamentall errors How the Arminian Libertines doe define an Heretick p. 122 Hereticks to Libertines only such as deny things knowable by the light of nature p. 123 Diversitie of opinions among them ibid. The punishing of men for publishing of fundamentall errors and the indulgence of a Toleration yeelded to them though they teach all Errors in non-fundamentals a vain distinction and hath no groâ—â—â— in Scripture ibid. Some murthers non-fundamentall in David which yet are consistâ—â— with the state of salvation should as well be tolerated assome errors in non-fundamentals by the distinction of Libertines p. 124 Some non-fundamentals clearly in the word revealed not to bee beleeved with a reserve and others non-fundamentals with a reserve p. 126 Queries propounded to Libertines p. 128 Why may not the Magistrate lawfully spare the life of him who 〈◊〉 of a Libertine Conscience meerly sacrificeth his child to God or why should hee punish with the Sword some acts not desâ—â—â—ctive to peace in the Conscience of the punished and not all acts of the same kind p. 128 To compell men to â—oe against their Conscience that is to sin neither in Old or new Testament lawfull Deut. 13. and 17. p. 130 There is the same obligation the same formall reason so saith the Lord of beleeving non-fundamentall revealed and fundamentals and the same necessity of divine command not the same necessitie of means called necessitâ—s medii p. 132 Chap. 11. Of the obliging power of Conscience The State of the Question touching the obligation that Conscience layeth on us p. 134 Ancient bonds of Libertie of Conscience Sect. 2. Chap. 6. p. 26 p. 139 Though the Magistrate punish false Teachers it followeth not that he compells them to sin against their Conscience ibid. Gods way and manner of calling is no ground why the Magistrate should not punish false Teachers p. 141 Ancient bonds of Liberty of Conscience cap. 61 p. 26. p. 142 Who is the selfe-condemned Heretick Tit. 3. 10. ibid. Chap. 12. Arguments against pretended Toleration Toleration hath no warrant in the word p. 145 Toleration inferreth Sceptisme p. 146 Want of infallibility in the new Testament no reason for the toleration in the new Testament p. 148 Toleration is against faith hope comfort in the Scriptures p. 150 Toleration is against the Ministery of the word p. 151 Rulers by the fourth Commandment are to see all under them worship God p. 177 Proposals of the Armie under Sir Thomas Fairfax 12. p. 10. ib. Chap. 13. Magistracie and perpetuall Laws in the Old Testament warrant the civill coercing of false Prophets Rulers as Rulers not as typicall Rulers punished false Teachers with the Sword p. 177 Typicalnesse did not priviledge all the Kings of Judah and Israel to compell the Conscience and punish false Teachers as Libertines say p. 180 How typicalness priviledgeth men to such and such actions how not p. 181 Seducers punished by bodily death p. 182 Punishing of Idolaters and blasphemers of the Law of Nature p. 183 How warres that are extraordinarie in the manner and in some particular acts may be and are in the substance of the acts ordinarie ruler obliging us p. 184 The Law of God warranted by the Law teacheth that false Teachers and Hereticks are to be punished with the sword p. 185 The Law of Deut. 17. 2 3. for punishing of Idolaters p. 187 There was no consulting with the Oracle who should be put to death for his conscience in the Old Testament but an ordinarie pay of trying such evill doers by judiciall proceeding and hearing of witnesses ibid. The end of punishing of false Teachers with the sword is not their conversion to God ministers of the Gospel only labour in that field but the not perverting of souls and disturbing the safetie of humane societies p. 188 Sacrificing of Children to Molech punished with death by Gods Law not as murther but as spirituall whoredome ibid. Chap.
that men should believe because so saith a Synod But all the mysterie is though a Synod should determine a truth an hundred times according to the word yet if the conscience say it is no truth the determination of a Synod doth not obliedge at all say Libertines because the conscience according to the minde of Libertines is the nearest obleidging rule but any thing obleidgeth not to obedience and faith as it appears either true or good to our conscience for to kill the Apostles appears lawfull to commit adulterie and murther appeareth good to many yet are not men obleidged to kill the Apostles or to commit adulterie Armini If a thing be determined out of the word of God by a Synod then was that thing before determined in the word of God and yet that must be examined in a Synod which is supposed to be decyded in the word what need is there of a Synodicall examination of that which is supposed to be lyable to no errour for so must the word of God be examined Answ What the Bereans heard the Apostle Paul preach Act. 17. 11 12. was the verie Gospel determined in the Scriptures of the Prophets what then needed they try the Gospel or examine what is infallible in private among themselves more then in publick Synods this argument is against the Apostles rule Try all things and try the Spirits whether they be of God or not for sure these rules warranted them to examine Paul Peter and Johns doctrine and Spirits and finding them to be truths decyded in the word to receive them therefore after there is a Scripturall decision it doth not follow that there should not be a Declarative or Ministeriall decision by Synods and by pastours preaching the Gospel For this doth close subvert all Ministery and Preaching and all trying of the Spirits nor is it hence concluded that we examine the word of God as if it could be false but that we are both in private and in publicke to examine and try whether that which is proposed to us as the word of God be the word of God or no But wee examine and suspect the credit of men who may and can lye Secondly but this supposeth that what ever is brought under a Synodicall discussion is false or at least fallible which is a most false principle of Libertines and that nothing which is the word of God should fall under a Synodicall discussion to be tryed which is true thus farre the word of God as it is the word of God is not to be tried nor determined but in reference to messengers who are but sinfull men and can deceive and to our dulnesse and sinfull ignorance there is need that a Ministerie and Synods help us with declarative and misteriall declarations untill we be where they shall not need a Temple And what Libertines say the same said Anabaptists so Buâ—â—inger saith Anabaptists taught that the Evangelist should be recited without words casting it that is without preaching and that every man was free to interpret the Scripture as he will and that the interpretation of Scripture is not the word of God So that the peoples conscience and private sense is their Scripture and rule of faith we need not then Scripture every mans sense is his Rule which yet is not so good divinity as the heathen Melytus accused Socrates of and thought Socrates was worthie to die for that such as the people beleeveth to be gods he believeth to be nothing such but thinketh there be some new Dieties and was it a crime that Socrates thought the peoples lust was no good rule in divinitie Armini All should be admitted to Synods because Religion concerneth the Conscience of all or if it be confusion to admit all to come yet should no decision be except first all the Church be acquainted with the businesse Answ God never appointed all and every one to lay burdene and Directories or Lawes upon themselves as is cleare Act. 15. God keeps ever that order in his Church of some to teach and some to be taught of some to obey and some to be over others in the Lord that before Lawes bee made that concerne the conscience there should be a reference of all made to the people and they acquainted with reasons from the word of God before a decision we shall not condemn but it is nothing against us Armini These that come to Synods ought to be ingaged to be Church or to no Confession But every way free Answ Then such as convened in a Synod in the Church of Pergamus and Thyatira should not be principled in the faith of Christ and his truth against the deeds of the Nicolaitanes with whom fornication went for a thing indifferent or against such as hold the doctrine of Balaam or Jezabel they must all come as indifferent to absolve as to condemn the Nicholaitanes and the false Prophetesse Jezabel But Paul and Barnabus came to the Councell of Jerusalem as Members thereof being fore engaged to condemn Circumcision as not necessary to salvation and had preached against such a necessitie and yet were not byassed Voters in the Assembly and by this reason if Fundamentals be to be established in a Synod and the contrary errours to be refuted when Doctours come to a Synod they must leave faith and soundnesse of faith at home and come to the Synod with purpose to buy and bargain there for a new faith And let all men come thither as Scepticks and Nullifidians and goe so also away believing with a reserve that that the Synod hath determined may be a lie But as Arminians take true libertie of free-will to be an absolute power to doe ill or well stand or fall eternally so they judge that Libertie of prophecying is a Liberty to teach and believe Indifferently either lies or truth heresies or sound doctrine whereas libertie to doe ill in any sense is licentiousnesse not libertie Armini The question is not whether a man when he judges right can erre for who can affirme that but whither either a man or a Church who judgeth rightly according to the word of God have any law or power to command and injoyn others to receive and believe what they have rightly Judged and that without controversie for no man is obleidged to receive and beleive a truth which a Synod unanimously or for the most part hath truely judged because the Synod hath so judged or sayth so Answ But Libertines make such a question for they affirm that a Synod doth never judge so rightly but we must believe what they judge with a reserve and so that what they determine is false or may the next day be false Secondly we conceive that God hath given to some one single Pastour and farre more to a Synod of Pastours and Doctors a power to rebuke teach exhort with all authoritie 2. Tim. 41. 2. To charge Tit. 2. 14. them before the Lord. 1. Tim. 6.
Though I had all knowledge saith also though I had all faith yea though I gave my goods in the poore and my body to be burnt I am nothing that is I cannot bee saved or any other then a damned hypocrite that tinkles like gold and is but brasse now by this reason to give to the poore to believe omnipotency in miracles should not be commanded of God Davenentius thinkes a Generall confession of the Catholicke Church sufficient and that betweene us and Lutherans there is not required a confession in particulars controverted But it is true Lutherans and we agree in most fundamentalls but a confession in generall fundamentals when expounded and believed practically by each side as it must be must have contrary senses to each side now this way the Jewes and Samaritans both agreed there was one God and that the Messiah should come and that he should tell them all things yet one confession common to both that each might believe and be saved was not possible for Christ saith Johâ—â— The Samaritans worshipped they knew not what but salvation is of the Jewes And should Christians and Jewes agree in one generall confession drawne out of the Old Testament that there is one God that the Messiah is he that dyes for the sinnes of his people that the Decalogue it a perfect rule 〈◊〉 we could not sweare and subscribe that confession for 〈◊〉 expounded by the Jewes it could not be the doctrine of the Old Testament nor any part of the word of God but 〈◊〉 contradictory thereunto as any point of heathen Divinity for fundamentalls to some may be and are untruths to others even this that the Messiah Christ is the Saviour of the world both Iewes and we say but they meane one thing by Messiah we another so we cannot have one faith nor one confession I deny not but these were pious conferences that at Lipse an 1631. in which there were on the one side Matthias Hocus Polycarpus Leiserus Henricus Haffuerus on the other side Joan. Bergius Joan. Crotius Theophilus Nenbergius who went through the Augustine confession and agreed in the truth almost in all At the agreement or concord of Marpurge an 1529. were Luther Melanthon Osiander Brentius Stephanus Agricola who brake not the bond of peace with Zwinglius Bucer Hedion there present At the conference of Wittingberge an 1536. where were present Capito Bucerus Musculus and other grave Divines of higher Germany on the other side Luther Melanthon Pomeranus Cruciger in which Luther said brethren If ye teach and believe that the true body and true blood of the Lord is exhibited in the Supper quod hee perceptâ—o vere fiat and that truely or really there is a receiving thereof we agree as brethren but the truth is there were contrary faiths touching the presence of Christs body and blood in the Sacrament and therefore I humbly conceive all such Generall confessions as must be a coat to cover two contrary faiths is but a daubing of the matter with untempered mortar much dealing like this was in the Councell of Trent in which neither Papist nor Protestant was condemned and yet the truth suffered I speake not this as if each side could exactly know every lith and veine of the controversie for we prophesie but in part but to shew I cannot but abominate truth and falsehood patched up in one confession of faith for if two men should agree in such a bargaine A covenants with B to give him a ship full of spices B promises to give an hundreth thousand pounds for these spices A believes they are metaphoricall spices he gives B believes they are the most reall and excellent spices of Aegypt B promises a hundreth thousand pounds of field stones A expects good reall and true money this were but mutuall jugling of one with another It were another consideration if both sides agreeing in this Generall confession were ignorant and did neither know nor believe any sense that were destructive to the true and sound sense of the Confession for then they might be saved by or in one and the same faith of this General Confession whereas now the contrary senses of this Confession make them now not one Generall but two particular 〈◊〉 and contradictory faiths for the question is whether the side believing the Generall Confession with a sense in the consequence that destroyes the text have any faith at all of this Generall Confession For it is a question to me whether a Turke hath the faith of this point that there is a God since he believes positively so many blasphemous fooleries of this God as the Alcharon suggesteth and whether a Papist as a Papist believes Christ to be the onely one Saviour of sinners since withall he believes so many thousand Gods and true Christs to be at once in sundry places and so many blasphemies against the nature offices and essentiall properties of Christ as the Romish faith teacheth But ye will say it is not charity to say that Papists have not the faith of the one onely Saviour seeing he would dye for that point and for the consequences that there bee many Saviours if the monster of tran-substantiation stand yet he neither knows nor believes the logicall consequence nor the consequent but hates both to wit if the bread bee truely and really the Saviour that dyed on the crosse ergo how many hoasts and consecrated breads there bee there must be as many a thousand ten thousand Christs and Gods yea he would be burnt quick before be deny this truth there is but one onely Saviour the Son of Mary then if yee hang him or 〈◊〉 him for believing transubstantiation since he is otherwise a 〈◊〉 pious and just man ye hang him for the meere ignorance of a poore logicall consequence and for no blasphemy and the like may be said of Familists Antinomians and others who as they say are godly men and cannot see the logicall consequences and absurd blasphemies that you with your wit deduce from their doctrine for their souâ—e hates these blasphemies as much as you Ans I say not for believing tran-substantiation only men are to be hanged the question now is of bodily punishing hanging and burning quick are particular kinds of punishing in which I should be as sparing as another man but the question may draw to this whether the Laws of England Scotland be bloody and unjust that ordains seminary Priests and Jesuits whose trade it is to seduce souls to the whole body of Popery to bee hanged I conceive they are most just Lawes and warranted by Deut. 13. and many other Scriptures and that the King and Parliaments of either Kingdomes serve Christ and kisse the Son in making and executing these Laws 2. I see nothing said against bodily punishing of such as teach transubstantiation to others for the Idolaters and Seducers in the Old Testament believed the same way there is one true God Jehovah that brought them out
formall reason of beleeving both fundamâ—ntalls and non-fundamentalls is thus saith the Lord. For we are as much obliged to beleeve non-fundamentalls that are cleare as that there were eight persons saved in the Arke and the old world drowned with waters Sâ—dome burnt with fire as to beleeve fundamentalls that there is no name whereby men may be saved but by the 〈◊〉 of Jesus for the Authority of God speaking in his word and his Command doth equally oblige to both but there is no such necessity so absolute in beleeving non-fundamentalls as in beleeving these without the knowledge whereof wee cannot be saved but it never followeth that errours in non-fundamentalls published and taught to the ruine of the soules of many they having such a strong connexion and influence on the knowledge of fundamentalls are to bee tolerated since our sinning here doth as equally and strongly strike against the authority and expresse command of God at least in most things of that kinde as in points fundamentall and therefore the Magistrate who is to looketo the honour of God as a Christian and peace of societies in all is as much obliged to punish clearly opened non-fundamentall as fundamentall false doctrines CHAP. XI Of the obliging power of Conscience LIbertines bewilder themselves and the Reader both touching an erroneous conscience and the obligation thereof Mr. Williams saith Such a person what ever his doctrine be true or false suffereth persecution for conscience as Daniel was cast into the Lions den and many thousand Christians and the Apostles were persecuted because they durst not cease to preaâ—â— and practise what they beleeved was by God commanded But this is a foule mistake Daniel suffered not for conscience simply because he practised what he beleeved to be truth but because he practised what he truely congrâ—enter Dei voluntati revelatae congruously and agreeably to the revealed will of God he beleeved and the like is to be said of the Apostles not the conveniency and commensurablenesse of their practise and their conscience simply but their beleeving â—all modo such a way made their sufferings to bee sufferings for righteousnesse sake for then must we say that Paul persecuted with the tongue the Corinthians for their conscience 1 Cor. 15. 34. Awake to righteousnesse and sin not I speakeâ— it to your shame for some have not the knowledge of God Those that denyed the resurrection through errour of conscience said the dead shall not rise againe for Paul proves by strong arguments that the dead shall rise and so takes away the errour of their conscience why then puts he shame and reproach on them and names them fooles and void of the knowledge of God and such as beleeved in vaine it was not in their power to correct the errors of their conscience and if they maintained what they beleeved in conscience was true as by Pauls demonstrating the truth to their conscience is evident they were persecuted for righteousnesse if out of meere innocent and faultlesse ignorance they denyed the resurrection Paul should deale more gently with them then upbraid them as fooles and Epiâ—ures who said Let us eat for to morrow we shall dye if they did all beleeve the Resurrection and yet professed the contrary there was no need to take paines as he doth to prove it Saul killed the Gibeonites out of zeale to the children of Israel It is like the blinde ignorant zeale he had thinking the Covenant that Joshua made with them did not oblige the posterity was the cause of his murthering of them yet he suffered not in his sons that were hanged for that blinde zeale as righteous and following the rule of his conscience in that But touching an erring conscience the question is not whether an erroneous conscience doth so tye that we must do nothing on the contrary nor is the question whether the nearest actually obliging rule be conscience the Arminians tell us Though the word of God of it selfe and by it selfe have power to oblige yet it actually obligeth no man except it be understood and so is beleeved to bee understood after we use all possible diligence and prudence for no man is obliged to follow the true sense of the word against his conscience though it be erroneous but we thinke the word of God is both the farrest and nearest and the onely obliging rule and that the dytement of the conscience doth neither binde potentially nor actually but is a meere 〈◊〉 a messenger and an officiall relater of the will and mind to God to us and all the obliging power is from the word 〈◊〉 the messenger of a King and Judge is not the obliging 〈◊〉 that tyes the subject or the Heraulds promulgation of the Law is no obliging rule for promulgation of Heraulds is common both to just and to unjust lawes and certainly unjust lawes from a just Prince lay no band on the conscience or on the man farre lesse can the promulgation as the promulgation lay any bands on the conscience the word of a Messenger and Herauld is at the best but a condition or the approximation of the obliging power to us but all the obliging power is from the King and the Judge It is most false then that these Libertines say that the word doth not actually oblige except it be understood for the understanding information and indycement of conscience doth not adde any actuall obligation to the word that it had not before it onely is a Reporter to carry both the word and the actuall obligation to the man the Herauld promulgating the law addes no obligation actuall or potentiall to the law that it had not before onely it makes an union in distance and neare application and conjunction between the actually obliging law and the understanding knowledge of the person or subject who is obliged to keep the law though it bee true the fire cannot actually burne but as timber is cast to it yet the fire hath from its owne nature both potentiall and actuall burning not from the act of casting the timber in the fire nor is this a concludent reason no man is obliged follow how the true sense of the word against his conscience though erroneous ergo the erroneous conscience doth oblige or ergo actuall obligation to obedience is not from the word but from the conscience no more then this is a good consequence no man is obliged to obey the Law in it selfe iust contrary to the promulgation of an erring and mistaking Herauld ergo the mistaking Heraulds promulgation giveth to the Law actuall obligation over the subject for it onely followeth 〈◊〉 we are not to doe contrary to the actuall indicâ—ment of an erroneous conscience but not obliged to follow the erroneous conscience nor are we obliged to follow what our conscience saith is true and good because or upon this formall reason and ground that the conscience saith so more then we are to beleeve and practise what the Church or
the onely true Religion though he himselfe be an Arrian or Socinian or of opinion that all Religions are to be tollerated by the Christian Magistrate in which regard it would seeme such are not capable to be Magistrates in a Christian society 14 Nor can the Magistrate promote Reformation against all lets and impediments No not heresie which is a worke of the flesh if both he may take and give licence to all under him to professe what ever way shall seeme good to the dictates of an erronioâ—s conscience 15 No Church can indeavour according to our Covenant for the power and purity of Religion if any Jezabel any that shall seduce and tempt the flocke or any of them to Idolatry or abominable Heresies or make defection to Judaisme to Familisme which denyeth as the Antichrist doth that Christ is come into the flesh if they purge not out such leaven and withdraw not from them and deny not to them lodging as the word of God teacheth us Revel 2. 14. 20 21 22. Tit. 3. 10. Rom. 16 v. 17 18. 2 Thess 3. 14 15. 2 Tim. 3. 1 2 3 5 6 7 8. Tit. 3. 10. 1 Cor. 5. 5 6 11 12. 2 Joh. 10. 16. Nor can we give a more publicke scandall and just offence to the best Reformed Churches with whom we are to endeavour the nearest conjunction and uniformity in Religion then to cry against both their doctrine and constant practise in that they teach a necessity of both Civill and Ecclesiasticall censures against ravenous wolves who spare not the flocke and cease not with Elimas the Sorcerer to pervert the right wayes of the Lord. 17. And we dare appeale to the consciences of our brethren in England when we did willingly enter in the Covenant of God to dye and live sinke and swim give our lives with and for them in this common cause of God if they did not conceive our downeright and ingenuous sense and meaning of the Covenant to be against all such pretended liberty of Conscieâ—ce for which cause sundry of them joyning with us as friends yet did refuse to take the Covenant or if by the liberties of the Kingdomes or the true publicke liberty or any like word they did understand liberty of professing Socinianisme Prolacy Popery Familisme Heresie or any thing contrary to sound doctrine or if they did beleeve their brethren who in the simplicity of their hearts did rather chuse to suffer affliction with the people of God then injoy their owne pleasures and peace for a season or that the honourable Honses had any such sense when in the returne of the Parliament of England p. 6 7. in their Letters and Declarations they invited us to joyn in Covenant to endeavour an uniformity of Doctrine Worship and Discipline with them which senâ—e if any had for we shall beleeve the honourable Honses invited not us to ruine our selves and the Reformed Religion with any such argument shall not the Lord search out such double equivocation and jugling in the sacred Oath and Covenant of God nor doth the word of God evidence to the consciences of men that there be some few fundamentalls in which Arrians Familists Socinians Seekers Arminians Anabaptists c. agree and that the Magistrate is to punish such as professe and teach false doctrine in these but in all these other points that border with these fundamentalls both magistrates and Church are to leave men to their owne conscience to waste and destroy soules as they thinke good without any controle except in such smooth rebukes as Eli gave to his sonnes or exposing of the word of truth to mockery after admonition an hereticke is not to be instructed at all by the word nor doe we by our doctrine more make the sword of the Magistrate a spirituall meanes as touching mens consciences by which they are converted to the sound faith as concerning the duties of the first Table and doctrine of the Gospel because the Magistrate punisheth false teachers then Libertines doe make it a spirituall way of converting soules from murthers rapes sodomies robbery lying to a sound conversation in matters of the second Table who doe hold that the Magistrate beareth the sword for punishing of murtherers adulterers and such as faile against the second Table for in either the sword hath no spirituall influence on the conscience nor is it any thing an ordinance of God for converting of heretickes but to hinder perverting of the right wayes of God and for our externall right walking as touching the outward man in all the duties of both Tables that we hurt not one another in civill societies This new liberty destroyes all that the Parliament hath done said suffered for the Hononourable Houses doe professe before the everliving God the safety of Religion Laws and liberties to be the chiefe end of all their counsells and resolutions also that Scotland had lovingly invited them to a nearer and higher degree of union in matters of Religion and Church-government which we say they most willingly embrace and intend to pursue The Honourable Houses declare they have for the just and necessary defence of the Protestant Religion his Majesties person Crowne c. taken up Armes and appointed and authorised Robert Earle of Essex to be Captaine Generall The same was the end of the Kingdome of Scotland Now can it be dreamed that the end of either Kingdomes united by Covenant and compact in this warre was to spend lives and fortunes for liberty or licence to many Religions or can any say but the intent of the Houses at that time was to oppose never to countenance and tollerate as now professedly they do Brownists Anabaptists Familists Antinomians Socinians Arrians Seekers and Libertines who are for all Religions should not we have had bowells of iron if in charity wee had not beleeved our brethrens words oaths proâ—essions The Honourable Houses ingage the whole Kingdome of England to take the Covenant by their Commissioners in a Treaty betwixt the two Kingdomes which Treaty was ratified in the Parliament of England and both Kingdomes agree that no meanes was thought so expedient to accomplish and strengthen the union as for both Nations to enter into a solemne League and Covenant and a forme thereof drawne and presented to the Convention of Estates and Generall Assembly of Scotland and the two Houses of the Parliament of England and hath accordingly beene done and received their respective approbation and I. Proposition It is agreed and concluded that the Covenant presented to the Convention of Estates and Generall Assembly of Scotland and sent to both Houses of the Parliament of England to their brethren of Scotland and allowed by the Committee of Estates and Commissioners of the Generall Assembly be sworâ—â— and subscribed by both Kingdomes 〈◊〉 most 〈◊〉 and conjunction betwixt them for their mutuall defence against the Papist and Prelaticall faction and their adherents in both Kingdomes and for pursuance of the ends
not hypocrisie and sin for this argument may as well prove the Magistrate should neither forbid nor punish murther nor command abstinence from murther to an unrenewed man for an unrenewed man cannot but abstaine from murther in a sinfull way and his abstinence from murther in order to the spirituall Law of God is no better then the oblation of Swines bloud and the cutting off of a dogs head to God Esa 66. 1 2. as is all externall obedience of either Tables of the Law first or second without faith and spirituall inward morall principles and heart-obedience and Mr. Williams cannot answer this argument but by the principles of Anabaptists Familists and Enthysiasts who say all outward Ordinances Ministery Preaching Sacraments yea Preachers and Magistrates who command outward obedience to God are unlawfull now under the New Testament So Mr. Dell denies all Reformation but heart-reformation Other reformation beside this in the heart I know none and Gospel-reformation onely mindeth the reformation of the heart then away with Preaching Laws the Sword Synods Gospel-reformation saith he is inward layes hold upon the heart soule and inner man and changes and renewes that doth not much busie it selfe about outward formes or externall conformity but onely mindes the conformity of the heart for when the heart is right with God the outward formes cannot be amisse Christ saith touching the worship of the New Testament God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth he speakes not one word of any outward formes so that God in the Gospel-reformation aimes at nothing but the heart So the father of the Familists impure H. Nicholas If I could give all my goods to the poor c. if I have not love it is not any thing to me that is whosoever hath not Christ he is without God and without righteousnesse in this world I mean the being like Christ which is conceived through the power of the Holy Ghost and not any ceremoniall Christ which one man speaketh to another or promiseth to another through his ceremoniall service which he out of his prudency according to his fleshly minde setteth up O no The worke or begetting of God commeth not so â—lenderly to passe as men now at this time teach each other out of their unregenerate Spirit he meaneth by men now at this time Protestants who conjoyne Pauls planting and the watering of Apollos with the working of the Spirit whereas this Impostor taketh him to the latter and railes against the former as a ceremoniall and fleshly Christ See more of this in Del Theologia Germanica Rise and Reigne of Antinomians Bullinger Calvin Towne the Antinoâ—ian Salâ—marsh Upon this ground Samuel Gortyn right down denies all Magistracy learning books Libraries Lawes and he hath reason so to do for Magistracy because it is a carnall Ordinance cannot produce inward and spirituall repentance therefore Magistrates upon the same ground cannot coerce nor punish hereticks since heresie is a spirituall evill which cannot be remedied by a sword of steal for God onely can enlighten the minde 3. If therefore this argument be good neither can the externall preaching of the word be a lawfull Ordinance for God onely gives repentance the preaching of the Word without the Spirit can but produce a carnall repentance and the Bounder may cry downe all preaching of the word if he but change the word Magistrate into the word Preacher or Ambassadour for this course of Preaching by men may lay a stumbling I speake in his words in every mans way to prophane the things of God by doing them out of obedience to men that are but earthen vessels not to God If he say that is by accident because men look to men as men and not to God whose word men carry So say I mens abstaining from doing violence and murther which the Magistrate forbids may infer God hath given no power to the Magistrate to forbid murther and adultery for men may so prophane the sixt Command and abstaine from murther because the Magistrate forbids it not because God forbids it in the sixt Commandement And the preaching of the word may be art downe errours so long as a man sound in the faith preacherâ— but when there ariseth a corrupt teacher a â—â—araâ—h that knew not Joseph errours shall walke on every side and that not by permission but by commandement Now this is the reasonlesse reason of the 〈◊〉 against the coercive power of Magistrates these men argue ever from the abused power of a Magistrate and from persecution to provâ— hereticks ought not to be punished as if punishing of false teachers were persecution which they can never prove But to goe on That cannot be the way of God which necessarily inferreth the darkeness inevidence and inextricable difficultie of understanding the Scriptures But such is the way of Libertie of Conscience Ergo. The Proposition is clear for if God hath not sufficiently cleared the way to heaven but left a Testament that men may expound to be the pathway to life eternall and the just contrary a pathway to life eternall then shall men know certainly no safe way to life eternall and the Scriptures shall not make men inexcusable contrary to Hos 5. 2. and 8. 12. Psal 19. 7 8 9 10. Ezek. 3. 5 6. Luke 16. 29 30 31. Joh. 20. 31. and 15. 22. 2 Tim. 3. 15 16. Psal 119. 9. Prov. 3. 21 22 23. Deut. 31. 28 29. Matth. 11. 21 22 23. 24. 2. Papists shall be in better case then we for though they say that the Scriptures are darke and obscure and admit of themselves divers and contrary senses so that we cannot bottome our faith on them yet the juridical interpretation of the Church is to men a ground of faith and that is the ground of faith which the Church giveth as the only true sense of Scripture The Assumption is clear because Libertines suppose that the sense of Scripture can be undeniably known to none what is to one saint a ground of faith the just contradicent to another is a ground of faith and what sense to one Saint is an Article of saving faith to another is a damnable Heresie and both are to be tolerated neither corrected nor punished for since neither are infallible neither can deserve rebukes or rods nor punishment civill or Ecclesiasticall because knowing of the word of God in Scripture is not in our freewill but natural and whatsoever sense the word offers to the understanding true or false the man cannot be guilty in receiving the false sense because he is not punishable therefore as Libertines argue and what then should hinder but Jewes may be saved in their sense of the old Testament who yet deny Christ to be come in the flesh nor are they to bee rebuked far lesse to be punished by God or man therefore because 2 Cor. 3. in reading of the Old Testament a vaile
is over their heart and if it be injustice in the Magistrate to punish men for Errors which they cannot eschew can the righteous judge of the world punish them therefore Ergo In such Errors they are innocent and sin not and if this bee said what should hinder others to be saved by beleeving the contrary sense of the old Testament and the like may be said of the new Testament and so all Hereticks and Sectaries receiving the Scriptures as Pharisees Sadduces Herodians Papists Socinians c. shall be saved every man in his own Religion and the sense of this Eschew an Heretick to a Saint must be eschew the company of an heretick to another Saint it is Adhere to and converse with the same saint for he is no heretick but sound in the saith and it falsely supposed to be an Heretick and the Scripture upon this ground hath two contradictorie senses which being beleeved and practised must save and revealeth two contradictorie wills of God and every man may take Scripture as his minde apprehends it and whereas the Scripture makes it self the judge and determiner of all questions and controversies in religion This way leaves all questions to every mans conscience to the conscience of a Jew of a Turk of an American of a Papist the old Testament as expounded by a Jew is his Conscience the old and new Testament as the popish Church expound it is their rule of faith and the Scripture lifting up Christ and casting down Christ and speaking with a hundred divers and contrary tongues is every mans obliging rule and because there is no man infallible in taking up the right sense of the Scripture if yee controll the Jew or put him off his sense of the old Testament which yeelds him this faith Maries son is a false lying Prophet the Apostles and all the martyrs are but cousening Impostors yea domineer over the Conscience and force his faith because yee are not infallible ye may not condemn the way of any for yee know not but they be the wheat and you the tâ—res for ought that Scripture saith on either side Never man in this life is sure of his faith and salvation from Scripture and since the Jew may be wheat if ye would go to raze his faith you go to pluck up the wheat before the harvest and suppose we and all the Jewes were converted to the Christian faith and if we conceive Pauls prophecie concerning them Rom. 1â— to be fulfilled they shall be converted yet 1. we are not infallible but live upon our fancies and conjectures touching the meaning of Rom. 11. say Libertines 2. Suppose the fulness of the Gentiles be converted to Christ and we among them and all the Jewes and that in our daies the earth be filled with the knowledge of the Lord and that all the sons of Zion be taught of God and that the wildernesse blossome as a rose and the light of the moon be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun be seven-fold as the light of seven daies and that all the glorious prophecies in Isaiah Zechariah and the rest be fulfilled in our daies yet by the doctrine of Libertines all these are but to us for any certaintie we have night fancies and dreames of crazie and feaver-sick heads For Master John Goodwin undeniably the learnedst and most godly man of that way hath said in a marginall note of men for piety and learning I cannot admire enough The Vindicators call the denying of Scriptures to be the word of God a damnable Heresie and we have no certainty that the Scriptures of the old and new Testament which we now have either the English translation or the Originall of Hebrew and Greek copies are the word of God So then holding the Scriptures to be the Word of God in either of these two senses or significations of the words either translations or originall can with no tolerable pretext or colour be called a foundation of Christian Religion unlesse their foundations be made of the credit learning and authoritie of men Because there is need to wonder by the way at this Let the reader observe that Libertines resolve all our faith and so the certaintie of our salvation on Paper and Inke and Mr. John Goodwin will allow us no foundation of faith but such as is made of grammers and Characters and if the Scripture be wrong pointed or the Printer drunke or if the translation slip then our faith is goâ—e Whereas the meanes of conveying the things beleeved may be fallible as writing printing translating speaking are all fallible meanes of conveying the truth of old and new Testament to us and yet the Word of GOD in that which is delivered to us is infallible 1. For let the Printer be fallible 2. The translation fallible 3. The Grammer fallible 4. The man that readeth the word or publisheth it fallible yet this hindreth not but the truth it self contained in the written word of God is infallible I suppose four men who shall shew to a wife her Husband among ten thousands all four fallible and may mistake yet when they have brought the Husband to the wife it cannot follow that the Wife doth not certainly and as infallibly know her own Husband by his tongue voice countenance proportion of body and statute as one can know another without any danger of mistake so it comes to the eares of a man born blind Joh. 9. there is a Prophet called Iesus the Son of Marie who will infallibly and indeclinably restore sight to this blind man yet the fame and report by which this is carried to the mans notice and knowledge is fallible all men standing truly that which the Lord reporteth of them liars and such as can be deceived yet it is no consequence that Iesus doth restore the man to his sight in a way subject to miscarrying and declinably and upon a fallible hazard so as he may goe as blind from Iesus as he came to him Now in the carrying of the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles to our knowledge through Printers translators grammer pens and tongues of men from so many ages all which are fallible we are to look to an unerring and undeclinable providence conveying the Testament of Christ which in it self is infallible and begs no truth no authoritie either from the Church as Papists dreame or from Grammer Characters Printer or translator all these being adventitious and yesterday accidents to the nature of the word of God and when Mr. Goodwin resolves all our faith into a foundation of Christian Religion if I may call it Religon made of the credit learning and authority of men he would have mens learning and authoritie either the word of God or the essence and nature thereof which is as good as to include the garments and cloathes of man in the nature and definition of a man and build our faith upon a paper foundation but our faith is
not necessarie necessitate medij The tolleration of all who err in non fundamentals examined M. Iohn Goodwin hagâ—omastix sect 26. pag. 24. Queries proposed to Mr. Joh. Goodwin who asserteth a Catholicke toleration of all Religions upon the ground of weaknesse of free-will and want of grace 〈…〉 Augus 〈◊〉 dicu relinquâ—s liberâ— orbatrio cur enim non in homicidiis in stupris in quibuscunque 〈◊〉 facinoribâ—â— flagiciis libere arbitrio dimittendum to esse proclamas quae tamen omnia justis leg ibâ—â— comprimâ— utilissimuma â—â—ahiberrimuâ— est dedit quidem Deâ—â— homini liberani 〈◊〉 sed nec bonam Infruct â—osam nec malam voluit esse impunitam li. 1. Con. Gaudenti c. 19. secundum est as fallatissimas vanissimâ—sque rationes haberis laxatis atque dimissis humana licentia impuâ—â—sta peâ—cata omnia relinquentur 〈…〉 Most arguments of Libertines infer a Catholicke toleration in non-fundamentals as wel as 〈◊〉 fundamentals What deductions the spirit makes in the soule of an elect knowing but a few fâ—â—dam and going out of this life thou knoweth To know revealed truths of God is a commanded worship of God One Generall Confession of faith without a particular sense containing the true and orthodox meaning of the word not sufficient Divers pious conferences betweene us and Lutherans They hate God and love blasphemies in the consequence who obstinately hold them in the antecedent They may bee false teachers and so punishable who erre not in fundamentals Divine right of Church-government 1 Tim. 1. 3. 1 Tim. 5. 19 20. 1 Tim. 6. 3 4 5. 2 Job 10 11 1 Tim. 1. 3 4. 1 Cor. 3. Act. 2. Act. 11. 1 2 3 4. c. Divers things not fundamentally believed with certainty of faith Rom. in a 〈◊〉 f. 7 fides millinaria potest esse omnium pessima Beleeving of truths revealed of God with a reserve blasphemous and concerning beleevers in Scepticks and 〈◊〉 Beleevâ—ng wâ—th a reserve â—gainst the motion of the Holy Ghost Beleeving with a reserve against the stability of faith Against the trying of all things and spirits injoyned by the Holy Ghost Faith with a reserve against our prayers for knowledge and growing therein The Holy Ghost bids us not beleeve with a reserve To beleeve with a reserve contrary to our doing and suffering for truth in faith Two distinctions necessary touching controverted points Some things of their own nature not controversall yet the deductions from them to our blinde nature are controversall Fundamentalls of faith most controversall to our blinde nature Some far off errors may bee tollerated Schisme and actuall gathering of churches out of churches cannot be tollerated The place Ro. 14. willing us to receive the weake no plea for tolleration The place Philip. 3. 15. Let us walke according to the same rule c. nothing 〈◊〉 tolleration Remonstrant iâ— Apologia p. 40. P. 268. 〈◊〉 tuâ—a heresis 〈…〉 â—rrâ—r qui in merte errantis taâ—â—um lâ—cum habet â—rrer nec objectum nec causa punitionis est error enim merus erraâ—tem non egreditur ergo 〈◊〉 necoerâ—â—ri quidem potest animus hominis imprio humano non 〈…〉 humane 〈…〉 Apo. â—24 â— 28â— Libertiâ—es mâ—ke heresie a meere innocent and unpunishable error of the minde Heresie is a sin as well as Idolatry though we could neither desine heresie nor Idolatry Heresie proved to be an hainous sin Remonstrance Apol. 24. f. 283 Remon Apol. 24. f. 285. Minâ—s Celsus 〈◊〉 heretic coer seâ— â— f. 9 10 11 12. The holy ghost contrary to Libertines supposeth undenâ—â—â—bly that hereticks are knowne and so they are not knowne to God only when 〈◊〉 bâ—ds us beware of them avoid them bid them not God spâ—â—d Pertinacie may be is known to men Libertines openly contradict the holy ghost in that they forbid to judge false teachers to bee grievous wolves Remonst Apol. c. 24. 285 de maâ—iâ—ioso voluâ—tatis actu 〈◊〉 pertinaâ—ia que est formalis ratione hâ—resees 〈◊〉 nisi soâ—us â—oâ—e judicari potest humana omniâ— judicia de mente animoque alterius incerta sunt conjectura fallaces nisi cum quis quod malum esse novit facere vult nemo dedita opera erras aut errare se sibi pâ—rswadet cum de â—terna salute agitur quare fas non est invito alicui tribuere malitiam caritas aliud swades Heresie a wicked resisting of the truth and yet not the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost Libertiâ—es say that an hereticke dying for his heresie hath no evill conscience but a spirituall and heavenly end Tundite tundita Anâ—xâ—rchi follem Anaxâ—rchum enim non tundit Celsus ibid. The vain glory and malice of the devills martyrs who dye for heresie Fol. 18. Spirituall stupidity and malice both together in hereticks and Sathans martyrs Some ignorance consists with the sinne against the holy ghost Reâ—â—â—n apol c. 24. 280 281. Ve lelius de Arâ—â—n Arâ—ini P 4. l. 2. c. 4. n. 5 Who is an to Arminians Titus 3. 10. Nevi te esse primo genitum Satauae None to Libertines are hereticks but such as professe a Religion which they with perswasion beleeve to be false Liberty of prophesying taken in a threefold sense The words quench not the spirit vindicated from speaking for liberty of prophesying any thing Remon Apol. c. 24. Fo. 281 282 Spiritum ne extinguite id est spirituales verbi Dei sensus quos quis se habere a Spiritu Dei id est vel per inspirationem suggestionem Spiritus vel anxiliante Spiritu Dei sibi persuadet quo sensu vocem Spiritus videntur ipsi Apostoli aliquando accipere 2 Thes 2. 2. 1. Ioh. 4. 1. Qua quam alio sensu accipi potest Râ—mon Ap 282 To desire false Prophets to cease out of the land is no quenching of the Spirit Remon Apo. 282. Remon 16. How the Arminian Libertines do define an heretick Heretickes to Libertines only such as deny things knowable by the light of nature diversity of opinions among them The punishing of men forpublishing of fundamental errors and the indulgence of a toleration yeelded to them though they teach all errors in non-fundamentals a vain distinction and hath no ground in scripture Some murthers non-fundamentall â—n David which yet are consistent with the state salvation should as wel be tolerated as some errours in non-fundamentals by the distinction of Libertines Some non-fundamentals clearely in the 〈◊〉 revealed not to be beleeved with a reserve and others non-fundamentals with 〈◊〉 Queries propounded to Libertines Why may not the Magistrate lawfully spare the life of him who out of a Libertine conscience meerly sacrificeth his childe to Godâ— or why should â—e punish with the sword some acts not destructive to peace in the conâ—cience of the punished and not aâ— acts of the same kiâ—d To compell men to do against their conscience that is to sin neither in Old or New Test-lawfull Deut 13. Deut. 17. â—pan◠〈◊〉 Apo c. 25. f. 290. There is
by Presbyterians to take the Covenant as the Author saith p. 258 How Independents swore to defend the Presbyterian government and with tongue pen and sword cry out at it as tyrannicall antichristian and Popish p. 261 Libertines make Conscience not the Word of God their rule p. 262 How appearing to the Conscience makes not the word of God to be the obliging rule but only as touching the right and due manner of 〈◊〉 obliged thereby p. 2â—3 Chap. 22. The pretended Liberty of Conscience is against the National League and Covenant the Ordinances of the Parliament of England ingaged by Oath for a reformation of Religion 265 Chap. 23. The place Acts 5. 34. to wit the counsel of Gamaliel discussed and found nothing for Libertie of Conscience Mr. Goodwins unsound glosse touching the counsel of Gamaliel Acts 5. p. 2â—â— Gamaliels argument proveth as strongly that murtherers and adulterers should not be punished as that men ought not to bee punished for their Conscience p. 28â— The Argument of Gamaliel owned by Adversaries rendreth all 〈◊〉 fundamentals of the Gospel uncertain and Topick Sceptismâ—â— all the most well setled beleevers p. 285 Gamaliels Argument doth conclude that we are not to oppose by arguments and Scripture any blasphemous way against the gospel 286 Immediate providence is not the rule of our actions 288 Chap. 24. Whether punishing of seducing Teachers be inconsisâ—â—â— with the meeknes of Christ place Luk. 9. 54 discussed The Lords not burning Samaria with fire from heaven Luk. 9. is no colour for pretended Toleration p. 288 The case of Elias calling for fire from heaven and of the Apostles much different p. 289 The meeknes of Christ being extended to Publicans Extortioners and Harlots doth as well conclude such ought not to be punished by the magistrate is that false teachers ought not to be punished by him 291 By places from the meeknesse of Christ Socinians labour to prove the Magistrate is to shed no blood under the new Testament 292 Christs not breaking the bruised reed would prove that Hereticks are gracious persons though weak in saving grace and lovingly cherished by Christ if the place Isa 42. Mat. 12. 19 20 help the adversaries p. 293 Christs meeknes not inconsistent with his justice ibid. Rash judgement condemned 1 Cor. 4. 5 6. is nothing for pretended toleration p. 294 That many through the corruption of their own heart render hypocriticall obedience because of the sword proveth nothing against the use of the sword to coerce false teachers p. 29â— Matters of Religion â—ught to be inacted by the law of Princes Christian Rulers that such as contravene may be punished p. 299 Lawes of Rulers in matters of religion 〈◊〉 only bind the outward man ibid. The false teacher is to be sent to the Church and Pastors thereof that he may be convinced before he be punished p. 297 Chap. 25. Whether the Rulers by their office in â—â—der to â—â—nce are to stand to the laws of Moses for punishing seducing teachers ibid. How judiciall Laws oblige to punishment 298 Judiciall Laws were deduced from the morall Law p. 299 True cause of War with other Nations p. 300 Two Kingdomes becoming one body by a religious Covenant if it be mutuall the one part may avenge the quarrell of the Covenant on the other in case of breach p. 302 The new Altar erected by the two Tribes and the half beyond Jordan Josh 22. how a just cause of war ibid. Christian Princes Laws against Errors and Heresies p. 305 As Constantine gave out severe Laws against Donatists so did Julianus the Apostate restore Temples to hereticks and granted liberty of conscience to them that so he might destroy the name religion of Christians as is before observed so Aug. Ep. 166. â—d Donat. 309 God only determineth punishments for sin ibid. The punishing of a seducing Prophet is morall 301 The punishing of seducing Teachers is an act of justice obliging men ever and every where p. 311 False Teachers in seducing others apprehend the hand of divine vengeance pursuing them as other ill doers doe and so it must be naturall justice in the Magistrate to punish them p. 312 The punishing of false Prophets is of the Law of nature ibid. Idolatrie is to be punished by the judge and that by the testimonie of Job c. 31. who was obliged to observe no judiciall law but only the law moral and the law of Nature p. 313 How the Fathers deny the sword is to be used against men for their Conscience p. 315 Church censures and rebukes for Conscience infer most of all the absurdities that Libertines impute to us p. 316 That there was an immediate response of Gods oracle telling who was the false Teacher is an unwarranted forgerie of Libertines 318 If Heresie be innocencie seducing hereticks ought to bee 〈◊〉 and rewarded 319 The Magistrate as a Magistrate according to prophecies in the Old Testament is to punish Seducâ—rs p. 〈◊〉 What Mr. Williams giveth to the Magistrate in Religion 〈◊〉 sufficient ibid. Christian Kings are no more Nurse-fathers Isai 49. 23. 〈…〉 true Churches of Christ then to the Synagogue of Antichrist according to the way of Libertines p. 〈◊〉 The mind of divers famous Authors touching the parable of the 〈◊〉 p. 〈◊〉 The parable of the Tares considered p. 〈◊〉 Mr. Williams holdeth that the Prince owes protection to all Idolâ—trous and bloodie Churches if they he his Subjects p. 32â— How the Magistrate is to judge of Heresie p. 329 A Magistrate and a Christian Magistrate are to be differenced 〈◊〉 can or ought all Magistrates to judge of or punish all Hereticks p. 330 Whether peace of Civill societies be sure where there is toleration of all Religions p. 33â— Peace is commanded in the New Testament no word of 〈◊〉 of divers Religions nor precept promise or practise thereâ—â—â—â— p. 〈◊〉 No ground for abolishing of judiciall Laws touching that point ibid Libertines give us heathenish not Christian peace under many â—â—ligions p. 3â—â— Chap. 26. Whether punishing of Seducing Teachers be persecution for Conscience There is a tongue persecution condemned by Libertines themselves p. 〈◊〉 Libertines persecute others for Conscience p. 〈◊〉 Libertines ought not to suffer death for any truth p. 3â—â— The Lords patience toward sinners in the old Testament no Argâ—â—â—â— of not coercing false Prophets p. 34â— Hope of gaining Hereticks no more a ground of sparing them then of sparing murtherers who also may be gained p. 345 Whether to be persecuted for Conscience true or false he a note of 〈◊〉 true Church ibid. No new Commandments under the New Testament p. 〈◊〉 They that suffer for Blasphemie suffer according to the will of God in Peters sense by Libertines way p. 34â— Chap. 27. Whether our darknesse and incapacitie to beleâ—ve and professe together with the darknesse and obscuritie of Scripture be a sufficient ground for Tolaration Our inabilitie to beleeve is no plan for Toleration p. 350 Preaching of the Word without the Spirit
Doctor Hamond saith to abstaine from a thing indifferent as Marriage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as from a thing abominable or unlawfull is by Scripture and Councels condemned as sinfull Why Because to Marrie or not to Marrie is indifferent But he may remember that Papists forbid Church-men to Marrie doe they forbid it because Marriage which to them is a Sacrament is an abominable and unlawfull Sacrament I thinke no. Yet all our Divines say not onely the Manichaans but also the Papists are these who teach a doctrine of Devils 1 Tim. 2. while they forbid Marriage though not under the notion of a thing abominable So the Popish Doctor acquitteth the Papists and condemneth Protestants who so farre agree to have the adaequate rule of Conscience to be Gods will reveâ—led in his word that to make a religious Law to forbid Marriage and Meates and other things indifferent to them is a doctrine of Devils to all our Divines though they forbid them not as things unlawfull and under the notion of things abominable Vse If the conscience have an indictment against you from heaven and from the word of God which is the Law-booke of the Judge of all flesh Ergo We are to stand in awe of Conscience And looke how much goodnesse and true feare of God is in a Man as much feare of himselfe and reverence to his own conscience is within him For 1. to be holden even with the charges and writs of an erring conscience is obedience to the Law of nature as we would not be willing that a scout or a spie sent from a strange Land should see our nakednesse weaknesse folly securitie When the Conscience returneth to the Father of Spirits it can tell tales of men and can libell many pollutions of the flesh and spirit acted by the man while the Conscience lodged with clay and a polluted Spirit 2. Because Conscience is something of God a domestick little God a keeper sent from heaven a divine peece which is all eye all sense and hath the word with it in so farre it is to be reverenced and hath the reverenceth the King reverenceth the Ambassador in so farre as he carrieth along the Kings will he that honoureth the Lord must honour the servant 3. Salomon saith Prov. 15. 5. A foole despiseth his fathers reproofe but he that regardeth it is prudent Vers 10. He that hateth reproofe shall die To receive Instructions and rebukes from Conscience in so farre as they come from the Word of truth is spirituall prudence and he that turneth away his eare from his conscience shall die 4. As to submit to the Word is to submit to God so to offer violence to a divine truth is to wrestle with God and by the like proportion to stoope before Conscience carrying a message from God is to submit to God and to doe violence to the domesticke light and truth of God is all one as to wrestle with God 5. We count a tender Conscience such as was in Joshuah who did yeeld and cede to the Law of God and its threatnings a soft heart then to stand out as a flint-stone or an Adamant against the warnings of an inward Law must argue hardnesse of heart 6. There is nothing so strong and divine as truth a Conscience that will bargaine to buy and sell truth and will be the Lord and Conquerour not the captive and taken prisoner of the Gospel bearing it selfe on upon the soule in power and majestie hath his one foot on the borders of the sinne against the holy Ghost 7. It is like the man walketh not at randome but by rule who is not made all of stoutnesse and ventureth not inconsiderately on actions and wayes which undoubtedly are the seeds or eternity but feareth 〈◊〉 Paedagoge and teacher in so far as the law and will of the Judge of the world goeth along with him Vâ—e 2. Because the Word of God must be the rule of Conscience and Conscience is a servant and under-Judge onely not a Lord nor an Absolute and independent Soveraigne whose voice is a Law therefore an Iodolatrous and exorbitent rule of Conscience is here also to be condemned Conscience is ruled by Scripture but it is not Scripture nor a Canonicke book and rule of faith and conversation it often speaketh Apocriphâ— and is neither God nor Pope but can reele and totter and dream â—â—â—scribe more to conscience then is Just and to make new and hold opinions of God broad and venturous and daring affirmations the very Oracles of heaven because they are the brood as â—s conceived of an equall and unbyassed Conscience is presumption neere to Atheisme the grossest Idolatry is to make your selfe the Idol whâ—reas tender consciences suffer most persecution and are not active in daring there is extreame pride in such as lead families and are Christians in new heresies Some are extreamely sworne and devoted to Conscience as Conscience humility is not daringly peremptory Many weake ones pine away in feavours of sinistrous thoughts of Christ as if his love were cold to them Esa 49. 14. 15. and phancie an imaginary and a made-plea with Christ Oh he leveth any but me and because they make an Idol of the weak oracle of Conscience they make also an Idol of meeke Jesus Christ as if they would try if Christs love can be cold and his blood and bowels can act any more mercy to them The third is the office of Conscience in one generall It cometh under the name of Obligation But to come to particulars There be two sorts of operations of Conscience some illicite and imbred other imperate or commanded These which be Imbred are of two kinds 1. Such as conscience simply as conscience actethas in generall to oblige and in particular 1. To direct 2. To discerne 3. To exciâ—e Dirigere Discernere Impellere Others are such as issue from Conscience as good or ill as right or not right as these in well-doing 1. It approveth 2. It excuseth 3. It absolveth in ill doing it disalloweth and reproveth 2. It accuseth or chargeth 3. It condemneth These imperated operations of Conscience are such as Conscience acteth on the affections or commandeth the affections to act but are not properly acts of Conscience nor of the practicall understanding but acts of the affections resulting from the Consciences well or ill doing as to rejoice to grieve and check and the like But there be other acts that agree to Conscience in order to the assumption others in order to the Conclusion In order to the Assumption it specially doth beâ—re witnesse and testifie of its own acts both that the man hath done this fact And 2. of the quallitie of it that it is done against God the Mediator Christ free grace the word of reconciliation as a faithfull witnesse must not onely depone the fact but all the circumstances and quallities in so farre as they come under the senses of seeing and hearing and may
Testament to be the word of man not the word of God The Sadduces acknowledged the five books of Moses to be the word of God yet because they denyed the resurrection of the dead Christ argueth them Math. 22. 45. Ignorant both of the power of God asserted in the books of Moses and of the scriptures especially of that scripture which God spake out of the bush to Moses I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac c. Exod. 3. 6. Yet would the Sadduces have sworn and subscribed all the booke of Exodus as the undoubted word of God but when they denyed the resurrection sure these words I am the God of Abraham c. making the Covenant of grace to dye when Abraham dyed and Abraham to have perished in soule and bodie as they expounded it was not the word of God and Papists will subscribe the old and new Testament and the three Creeds the Nicene Creed the Creed of Athanasius and that which commonly is called the Apostles Creed Yet as they expound the word and these Creeds we say they transforme the word of God into the doctrine of devils and most abominable Idolatrie The greatest hereticks that were Arrius Nestorius Appolliuaris Macedonius the Treithite acknowledge the scripture to be the word of God and will sweare and subscribe the word of God and containe themselves intra sacra scripturae lâ—cutiones within the words of scripure But their faith is not the saith of the scripture and this makes ten thousand and millions of faiths where as the word faith there is but one faith For Arrius hath one faith Apollinâ—ris another Nestorius another and every heretick a faith according to the sense that he fallely puts on the scripture and all may sweare one Confession of saith in scripture-Scripture-words Arminians say no man after he hath received a decree of a Synod is longer oblieged to it nor upon any other condition but in so farre and so long as he judgeth in his conscience that it is true Answ This is meere Scepticisme and to make the conscience whether erroneous or not erroneous to be a bible and a rule of faith For though the erroneous conscience say it is service to God to kill the innocent Apostles John 16. 1. Yet the sixt commandement lyes upon these murtherers with equall strength thou shalt not kill otherwise they are nor guilty of murther For if a Synod decree to kill Peter and John because they preach that the Son of Mary is the Messiah is bloody persecution Then so soone as Scribes and Pharisees in their erroneous conscience for Libertimes make exceptions of no consciences an erroneous more than another nor erring in fundamentals more than of another shall judge it service to God to kill the Apostles they are loosed from the sixt commandement and no longer oblieged to this thou shalt not murther So the authour of the tractate called Armini Where mens scope is any way to remove controversies there is there no care or little at all of the trueth of God and where the externall peace of the Common-wealth is heeded precisely there peace of conscience is of none or of little value the truth is not there perswaded but crushed Ans The learned and renowned professors of Leiden answer the end of Synods is not by any means good or bad to remove controversies but to burie them by the power of the word 2. Onely externall peace separated from truth should not be intended but conjoyned with truth and peace of conscience 3. The end of Synods is not effectually and actu secundo to silence hereticks and gain-sayers of the truth nor is it Christs scope in convincing the Sadduces that the dead must rise Math. 22. to perswade the truth so as there shall never be on earth Sadducie again who denies the resurrection for in Pauls and in the Apostles time the Sadducies still denyed the resurrection after the Synod of Jerusalem Acts 15. There arose many that said we must keep the Law of Ceremonies but the end of Synods is to doe what may actu prime remoove controversies and silence Hereticks by clearing scripture and truth but the end is not to remove obstinacy that is not the scope of Synods nor of preaching nor of the scriptures but of all these are in the event as God blesseth them and concurreth with them the end of Synods is not to oppresse or deprive ministers the end of despised and obstinately refused truth is such Armini Synods should not ayme at setting up their own authoritie which in matters of faith is none at all such decisions are the heart of Poperie and makes all religion without Synods to be uncertain Ans Synods should take care that no man despise their Authority as Timothie is exhorted by Paul but their Authoritie in matters of faith is conditionall and so not nul 2. Synods are necessarie ad bene esse not absolutely for many are saved both persecuted Churches and believers who neuer had help of Synods to cleare their faith 3. But none more contend then Libertines doe for a faith as uncertaine as the weather which may change with every new moone The same also may be said of preaching and a ministerie which the Lord Jesus ascending on high gave for the edifying his body the Church that religion is uncertain without it For Pastors in publick should convince gainsayers and so remove heresies Tit. 1. 9 10 11. 1. Tim. 6. 3 4 as well as Synods and Libertines in their conscience know Protestant Synods Lord over the faith of none as if they took to themselves in fallibilitie as Popish Synods doe Armini Since Synods may erre how then place they religion in securitie Ans No otherwise then Doctors and Pastors doe place religion in security by teaching truth and refuting errors and yet they may erre Obj. But Pastours oblidge not men to receive what they say under paine of Censures as Synods doe Answ Vnder paine of divine if not Ecclesiasticall punishment and the one is that way as binding to the conscience as the other yea more for it is a greater obligation for Pastours to subject men to divine wrath if they receive not what they preach then for Synods to binde them onely to Ecclesiasticall censurers and yet none can say that Pastours exercise tyrannie over the conscience for the former Ergo neither can Synods justly he deemed Lords over the conscience for the latter Armin. Very often fewer and provinciall Synods doe 〈◊〉 mine more soundly then many and Occuminical Synods Answ That is by accident one Machaiah saw more that foure hundred prophets of Baal But this objection is against the saftie that is in a multitude of counsellers and in the excâ—llencie of two convened in the name of Christ above one Armin. Decision of Synods cannot oblidge men while they know that the decision was rightly made it is not enough to oblidge any to consent that that which is
that the sword is a kindly means to force outward performances for the Magistrate as the Magistrate does not command these outward performances as service to God but rather forbids the omissions of them as destructine to man for example a Physician commands fasting Pastors after the example of James commands fasting when judgements are on us the physician commands it in so farre as eating troubles the common societie of humours members and temper of the body and the Physician forbids eating so as he will have no more to do with the patient if he will disobey and so trouble the temper of the bodie which is the onely object the physician works on Pastors command fasting to be in sincerity for afflicting and humbling the soul under the mightie hand of God So the Magistrate forbids cutting of a veine or shedding of blood as a thing troubling the peace of humane societie yet his command is not a direct means of preventing diseases in the bodie of a subject and for healthie living But the Physician commands to cut a viene and to shed blood for health and to prevent a disease and sinnes neither against the Magistrate nor God in so doing so doth the Magistrate not directly command going to Church as a worship to God so as his commands have influence on the conscience as the Pastors commands have but he commands going to Church and hearing so as the omission of hearing harts the societie whereof God hath made him a civill and politick head in this latter sense must Lactantius Tertullian and others be taken otherwise these words the Religion of another does his neighbour neither good nor ill in rigour are not true the ill example of others in Idolatrie brings ill upon all the Church Deut. 13. 5. yea and the fierce anger of God v. 17. Again Laâ—â—antius saith false Religion cannot be compelled but he denyes not that Christians may punish blasphemies in true religion 2. he denyes we may propagate the Gospel among Pagans with the sword both which points we teach There 〈◊〉 saith he of force and injurie because Religion cannot be compelled the business is to be tranâ—acted by words rather than blowes that there may be willingnesse Let them enemies of the truth draw the sword or sharpnesse of their wiâ—â— if their reason be good let it be produced we are ready to 〈◊〉 if they teach nothing more cleare then that he speaks of the Pagans that would force Pagans worship on Christians we beleive nothing of their Religion whilt they are silent as we cannot yeeld to them while they rage against us let them imitate us and declare the reason of the whole matter for we Christians doe not allure as they Pagans frequently object to us but we teach we prove we demonstrate therefore none by us are kept against their will for he is unprofitable to God who wants devotion and faith and yet no man departs from us when the truth detains him But saith Celsus fol. 84. if in the time of Lactantius Christians killed men for their religion no man can doubt but Lactantius in these same generall words inveighs against Christians who would compell men to their faith against their will and that he abhorres the violence of ours against hereticks Answ These are of a wide difference to kill blasphemers and false teachers for spreading heresies and blasphemies and to compell them by warre and fire and sword to be of our Christian Religion As I hope to prove for the formers lawfull â—he later unlawfull It s true Lactantius speaks of all Religion true and false that we are to compell none with the sword to any Religion but he no where saith that the Magistrates may not kill open and pernicious seducers and false teachers who pervert others for the Magistrate is not to compell yea nor to intend the conversion of a pernicious seducer but to intend to take his head from him for his destroying of souls And Lactantius denyes Religion after it is begotten can be defended that is nourished and conserved in the hearts of people by the sword but by the word and Spirit Those are farre different tormenting and pietie saith he nor can violence be conjoyned with veritie nor justice with crueltie And again but as in Religion so also in defending of Religion they are deceived Religion is to be defended not by killing but admonishing others read by being killed not by crueltie but by patience not by wickednesse but by faith But here he speaks of defending in a hostile way by killing those that will not be of our Religion be it the Pagan religion and most develish not of defending the Christian professors from the infection of wolvish seducers by the sword of the Nurse-father of the Church who is to defend good men and to execute vengeance on evill doers For in all this Lactantius speaks of such a violence as is without teaching parati sumâ—s andire si doccant tacentibus certe nihil credimus But suppose some father were in that errour as Augustine was but retracted it though Augustine 〈◊〉 we may compell man to the faith yet 〈◊〉 of improper compulsion and of Donatists the such as are 〈◊〉 the Church whom he thinks the Magistrate on 〈◊〉 to punish which is not a compelling of the 〈◊〉 to the sound faith but an act of justice in punishing him for his 〈◊〉 of heresiâ—s to the perverting of the faith of others Upon these 〈◊〉 is Cyrilius saith Moyes Law is one and he Kingdom of Câ—â—â—t is wholly heavenly and spirituall and 〈◊〉 â—efore hath spirituall 〈◊〉 and spirituall armour and therefore a spirituall not a carâ—â—â— sword to punish the enemies of this Kingdom 〈◊〉 Christian men But he speaks of 〈◊〉 without the Church who as I constantly 〈◊〉 are not with warres and the sword to be compelled to 〈◊〉 the Christian Religion and therefore aâ—deth on the 〈…〉 did fight against Amorites Canaanites and 〈…〉 with 〈…〉 of iron but he speaks not of the Laws 〈…〉 24. and 〈◊〉 in which death was decreed for the false Prophet within the visible Church At 〈…〉 the fathers have 〈◊〉 with unsound Emperours who have tollerated 〈◊〉 Arrians and Jews but that is no law for us But the other point is that though these that are without are not to be compelled to embrace the true Religion it followeth nto that the Magistrate should not 〈…〉 Prophets or pernicious teachers such as Baals 〈◊〉 who openly 〈◊〉 the people of God to Idolatrâ—â— 1. Become the Magistrate cannot 〈◊〉 ought not to compell 〈…〉 lyars to be 〈…〉 it with their own as well as they must be such externally no more then he can compell them to inward fear love faith in God and to the externall performances 〈◊〉 But it doth not follow that therefore the Magistrate cannot command externall acts of mercie câ—â—astitie selfe-contentednesse and should not punish murther adulterie theft robberie perjurie for to punish these makes many
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
for morall honesty qualifying the conscience as a rule is not able to render the conscience a streight and perfect rule in supernaturall duties since it is but a naturall principle in us and that a most corrupt one by reason of sin and how then should it regulate us in all the wayes of the service and worship of God should it ever oblige us to beleeve in him who justifieth the ungodly 2. Againe the Lord maketh the Law and his revealed will in the word the rule of all our actions Deut. 5. 31 32. Deut 12. 31 32. Ps 119. 9. 2 King 10. 31. 3. If that which is called Liberty of prophesying be examined it is either a liberty of beleeving and teaching what is intrinsecally true according to the word now this they will not say for we deny not liberty to prophesie truth to all that are called to publish it Or secondly it is a liberty to prophesie what is false which is conceived to be false that is devillish licence not liberty sure God hath allowed no such liberty to men to prophesie falsely and to destroy soules in this meaning God hath no more allowed us liberty of prophesying false things then liberty of killing whoreing robbing or lying Or thirdly liberty of prophesying is liberty of prophesying truths or falsehood which yet are conceived to be truth not falsehood by those who prophesie nor hath God given so a liberty of prophesying for every true liberty of prophesying God hath given to his Prophets and Apostles if it bee a lawfull gift the use thereof is commanded and injoyned to us as the Arminians say it is in these words 1 Thess 5. 19 20. Quench not the Spirit despise not prophesying for they say the meaning of these words are Quench not the spirituall sense of the word which any man saith and perswadeth himselfe he hath from the Spirit of God that is either by inspiration or suggestion of the Spirit or by the helpe of the Spirit of God in which sense the Apostles seeme to take the word 2 Thess 2. 2. 1 Joh. 4. 1. Now all the liberty of prophesying is here set upon a brazen pillar of so it seemes to be and we say so it seemes not to be but God certainly will not have Nathan David Samuel Ezechiel in either Old or New Testament to extinguish the Spirit or to despise prophesying but God gave no liberty nor entered it ever in his heart to command such liberty of prophesying to his Prophets of old except we say that God gave to Nathan liberty to say to David Doe all that is in thine heart build thou the Temple and the Lord shall be with thee which was an untruth and that God bad Samuel say of Eliah he is the Lords anointed and gave him liberty to prophesie that which was false whereas the Lord saith to Ezechiel ch 2. Heare the word of my mouth and Jeremiah c. 1. 17. Arise and speake unto them all that I command thee and thereby bindes them up and denyeth all liberty of preaching or prophesying their owne word or their owne perswasions even under the notion of the word of the Lord and doubtlesse when Nathan exhorted David to build the Temple and Samuel said that Eliah was the Lords anointed they spake not that as their owne word but were perswaded that God revealed himselfe to them though both were mistaken grossely so Christ saith to his Apostles Matth. 28. 19 20. Goe preach teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you he interditeth them upon the same reason to bring any of their owne Commandements flowing from their owne Spirit under any pretence though they thinke them right though Peter should conceive to Judaize a little Gal. 2. was the minde of Christ and hee might preach it and practise it as the minde of Christ yet Peter and all the Apostles Matth. 28. are bound up they have no liberty of conscience to preach their owne videtur so it seemes for then should our faith be ultimately resolved into mens phansies and so thinketh our Reverend Saltmarsh or Wil. Del and not into the word of God Libertines say their Goddesse their Diana is strangled and fettered and the spirit it quenched if this liberty of prophesying be denyed to them but to restraine liberty of sinning and lying is no violence done to the spirit of prophesie but this exposition calleth the phansies of men the spirituall sense of the word of God as Familists and Antinomians in England father their dreames upon the Spirit of God So Peâ— Stairie who ordinarily preacheth the rovings of his own phansie taught 29. Oct. 1647. before the House of Commons after the Houses passed a brave Ordinance for Liberty of Conscience and Prophesying that the House should not oppose or resist any thing that pretended to Christ Now if he spake this to the House as a Parliament he forbad to hinder a Simon Magus an Hymeneus a Philetus a Jezabel a Jesuite to preach what he pleased for Jesuites pretend to Iesus both name and thing all the Familists Sotinians Arrians Libertines and false teachers who deceive if it were possible the very elect pretend to Iesus Christ and to the anointing If he spake to the people they are not by the word of truth nor all the Ministers in England to refute the false Teachers that pretend to Christ for to refute them were to oppose and resist them for if they pretend to Christ you know not since yee are not infallible but they may be teachers sent of God though they bee the most errand seducers that ever spake and so they are no wayes to be resisted who resist the truth 2 Quench not the Spirit must have this meaning Quench not the dreames of Independents Libertines Antinomians for they perswade themselves they have the Spirit of God and minde of Christ in all they speak 3 But this Quench not the Spirit is cherish entertaine the gracious motions and inspirations of the Spirit in your selves and despise not that is highly reverence the preaching of the Gospel separate not the Spirit and the Word for it is a litote where lesse is spoken but more intended as Esay 50. 5. Ioh. 6. 37. but this glosse yeeldeth this sense Despise not the Spirit that is beleeve what ever a godly preacher saith be it his owne dreames and rovings to be the word of God and reverence it for he perswades himselfe it is so and speaketh them as the oracles of God though they be his owne wind-mils and sparkles of his own vaine-glory For this not to quench not to despise is undeniably to beleeve these prophesyings as the word of God how then are we to try all doctrines and spirits if we are to take all for fiâ—st that comes into the net But since you are not infallible say Libertines it is an extinguishing of the Spirit to account that to be the spirit of Sathan which agreeth not with your spirit if
and perswasion nor yet in no faith in no perswasion And Augustine tells us the Donatists objected the same God compelleth none but hath given men freewill to obey him contr petil l. 2. c. 83. Epist 48. ad vincention Contr. Gaudentiâ—â— l. 1. c. 25 Contr. Cresc l. 3. c. 51. which I often re-minde the Reader of and the Donatists also said this compulsion makes hypocrites when they are compelled to goe to heare the word Augustine answers Although some that are compelled to beare remain hypocrites and counterfeit yet for these such as are sincere should not have been left ungathered in And for that of Gods calling to repentance he is but an ignorant senselesse man who wrote that booke The Spirit waits saith hee and violates not liberty If the meaning bee the Lord is long-suffering and patient and lets men goe on in their sins and in his owne time effectually calleth them this is a senselesse sense for God waits not on one out of his longanimity and forbearance lest he should force freewill for the freewill is ever alike impotent rebellious and refractory till God subdue it if the meaning be as another sense it cannot have The Spirit waites and violates not liberty that is the Spirit waites untill freewill be in a good blood and a congruous disposition to obey and then the Spirit for feare of forcing of it if he should come on it undexterously to worke it against the haire catcheth the opportunity when he sees it is not on a straine of rebellion and in a distemper and then he drawes the freewill without force the man I judge is innocent and uncapable of this schoolheresie of late Jesuits who devise a Pelagian congruous calling and this were nothing to the purpose and should neither have head nor feet to the matter in hand for the Spirit who can carry freewill though most rebelliously distempered his way is not afraid of freewills contradictorious opposing but can in every moment subdue freewill without forcing he never waites on for such a matter except there bee a time when freewill is to hard a party for the Spirit to yoake withall or when nature or some preparatory grace makes it easier for the Spirit to conquiesse consent at one time more then another 2. Gods not forcing of freewill is no rule to the Magistrate not to awe men to abstaine from perverting of soules for fear of the sword for by the same reason because Gods Spirit moves the Saints to be subject to every ordinance of 〈◊〉 Judge or good Law for the Lords sake and for conscience for hee must obey this Rom. 13. 5. 1 Pet. 2. 13. and the Spirit compells not in these more then in the others so this argument God must worke faith give repentance and make a willing people ergo the Christian Magistrate cannot with his authority doe it is all granted This is but a very rotten rush a straw Entbysiasts so argue God teacheth sufficiently ergo the Scriptuâ—â— and ministery of men are not requisite the discipline of the godly Magistrate cannot ascend so high as to have influence on the conscience and beget faith no more then the preaching of the word by the Ministers of the Gospel without the 〈◊〉 ergo the godly Magistrate cannot with the sword keepe the externall man in outward obedience to Gospel-ordinances it in no sort can can be a good consequence nor is it good divinity to say with Pelagians and Arminians that the calling of God extends no further then to arguments perswasions intreaties and threatnings for the calling of God extendeth further then to so much as man can doe in calling of sinners to repentance but men can act upon the minde will and reasonable soule by arguments perswasions intreaties and threatnings for all that is done by the Ministery of men But in effectuall calling of which we here speake it is certaine the Lord infuseth a new heart a new spirit 〈◊〉 efficaciously to the Son which is a further and higher 〈◊〉 of omnipotencies calling and drawing then all the morall perswasion by arguments intreaties and threatnings performable by men or Angels so this man is either an ignorant or a grosse Arminian Now from all this it is easie to expound that character which the Holy Ghost putteth upon the hereticke Tit. 3. 10. he is judged or condemned of himselfe that is the truth is so clearely opened to him or he may if he did not wincke and shut his eyes clearely see and beleeve the truth if he did not knowingly prudently and willingly resist the truth and therefore is condemned by his owne heart But Minus Celsus saith the words carry a farre other sense to wit That by sinning he is the authour of his 〈◊〉 condemnation because in chusing true Religion be thinkes he both made a right choice when he hath chosen a false Religion being deceived by his owne judgement he falleth into damnation which miserable man he hath created to himselfe and in which he chuseth to persist and therefore is to be esehewed So it is said the Jews judged themselves unworthy of eternall life but knowingly they judged not so of themselves but they did so behave themselves as if they made themselves unworthy of eternall life So I beleeve the hereticke is called selfe-condemned because he doth those things that renders himselfe worthy of damnation So Castalio or he is selfe-condemned that is he is damned though there were none to condemne him but himselfe So Erasmus Answ He is selfe-condemned who may be condemned by his owne conscience though for the present the conscience be burnt with a hot iron and the man will not permit it to summon accuse condemne no lesse then hee who is actually condemned of his conscience for it is a laudable act and a naturall vertue of the conscience to give sentence against a heresie when it ought so to doe as it is a vice of the conscience to be dumbe at heresies but if he love the truth though he cannot actually condemne the heresie hee is not selfe-condemned The hereticke saith Celsus is an innocent man and is not such a man as sins against light nor maliciously nor with an ill conscience nor is his end gaine pleasure nor an ambitious lusting after a name hee seeth none of these are attaineable yea it is his desire of life eternall and his â—eale that setteth him on worke and rather or he dishonour God and deny the knowne truth and sin against his conscience he had rather chuse torment and dye a martyr and drinke that direfull and bitter cup of death which was so terrible to Jesus Christ that it caused him to fall to the earth sweat blood and water So he fol. 14 15 16. which if it be true an hereticke is rather an innocent Angell then a guilty man condemned of his owne conscience Yet Minus Câ—lsus saith here he behaveth himselfe as one worthy of damnation and damned though none but himselfe
hairy mantle to deceive as the 4. v. holds forth and so he pretends a calling from God when he hath none 2. He prophesies not errors only but lies that hee knowes or may know except he were wilfully ignorant to be lyes 3. He speaks them in the name of the Lord and sayes he hath seene the visions of God and the word of the Lord came to me when no such thing was but he utters his owne phancies and hee that does these three deserves bodily punishment and if they bee lyes striking at the root of the Christian faith hee deserves to dye the death 2 The text will not bear that his father and his mother with their owne hands shall thrust him through without addressing themselves to the Judge But it is an allusion to the Law Deut. 13. His father and mother shall not pity him but cause him to be thrust through So Elias said to Achab Hast thou killed and also gotten possession When Achab with his owne hands had not killed Naboth but by his command and letter had procured that others should doe it so 2 Sam. 12. 9. Thou hast killed Vriah but it is exponed David procured that the Ammonites should kill Vriah David with his owne hand did not thrust him through The Answer is because the objector is like to be cumbred with this text he saith for I repeate not what I answered before the best exposition and fullest is His father shall pierce him through that is shall indeavour to take him off and deterre him from such a practice by laying before him the sentence of the death out of the Law Exod. 20. 5. 7. threatning if thou goe on thou shalt not live with God but shall be condemned he shall pierce him through with sharp and piercing words the word of God is compared to a two edged sword Psal 149. â—7 c. and ver 12. There is that speaketh like the piercing of a sword so Turnovins And the predictions in Scripture are spoken as performances Jer. 1. I have set thee over the Nations to root out c. That is to foreshew or threaten rooting out so Chytraeus They shall confute their wicked opinions c. Answ Though Turnovius expound piercing through by preaching death from the Law and terrifying yet since the Objector weakly and groundlesly as we saw will râ—strict this Prophesie to the Church of the Jewes and a poore short time when this zeale endured It must with his leave be meant in that day that is in the time of the Gospel as in other places it must be taken as Ier. 50. 4. v. 20. Ier. 31. 29. Ier. 33. 15. 16. Ioel 2. 29. Zach. 8. 23. for so prophesies of Christs Kingdome are expounded to have their accomplishment in Christs Gospel-Kingdome and then the Law piercing through and terrifying must be in use under the Gospel which is all we crave therefore the Objector adds to the words of the threatning thou shalt not live to wit before God and so leaps from the threatning of the sword of the Magistrate Deut. 13. which hee saith is the sense of the place to the second death and a dying before God 2. But let us have an instance where piercing through dying and wounding is put for Metaphoricall wounding with words to gratifie the Objectors erroneous sense wee cannot quit this place so for all the Text cryes for a reall piercing and killing 1. It is I grant an easie way to answer places of Scripture that can but bear a literall sense to change them into Metaphors so you may give to the Magistrate with some Anabaptists Rom. 13. a Metaphoricall sword and pay him metaphoricall tribute and give him metaphoricall obedience what more reason to make this a morall slaying and piercing with words then a morall or metaphoricall Idol or a metaphoricall false Prophet a metaphoricall uncleane spirit and passing out of the land These words thou shalt not live are words of the Law and the piercing through metaphoricall but those words againe Thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord are not metaphoricall but containe a proper truth such a complication is not in all the Scripture 2. The words in their literall sense are faire and easie and not to bee wrested to a spirituall or borrowed sense without ground it much lesseneth the zeale foretold to be under the Gospel and turnes a reall zeale over into words of threatning the Text saith the contrary his father shall thrust him through and this works so upon him that others shall really leave their false prophecying and shall say I am no Prophet but a Herdman now if the words be a Prophecie to be fulfilled only in the Jewes excluding the Gentiles as the Objector saith then is it no zeale at all but a most sinfull and unjust dispencing with the Law and a zeale far below the Law for the Law saith Deut. 13. If the seducing Prophet which were as neer to thee as a Brother Son Daughter or Wife in thy bosome thou must not smooth him and oyle him with sharpe words and meer threatnings yea but thou must act against him v. 8. Thine eye shall not pitie him thou shall not spare him neither shalt thou conceale him 9. Thou shalt surely kill him thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death Now this cannot be a metaphoricall putting to death but the Objectors metaphoricall and minatory piercing of him through with sharpe and piercing words imply necessarily that yee must conceale him and pitie him and not kill him nor stretch out any hand against him first or last to hurt him but only stretch your tongue against him and barely threaten him and terrifie him but let him live If the Prophecie be extended to Iew and Gentile under the Gospel which against the Text the Objector denies then it argues 1. That there is such a Law under the Gospel else if it be an unjust Law and out of date now under the Gospel the threatning and piercing through must bewith lying words and father must utter to the lying Prophet lies to terrifie him and say son if thou desist not from prophesying lies thou shalt be thrust through with the Magistrates sword and die according to the Law that is I foreshew and threaten according to the Law but it is an unjust and an out-dated Law to Libertines that obliegeth not under the New Testament that thou shalt be thrust through and die that is I fore-shew and prophesie a lie that thou ought to be put to death and persecuted for thy conscience whereas no such thing ought to be now when the Law Deut. 13. is worne out of vigor 2. It must follow that lying and false words uttered in a threatning manner must be the way to cause the false Prophet to bee ashamed of his vision and prophesying falsely no more but say I am no Prophet but an herdman Whereas the Holy Ghost sayth feare of thrusting through is the cause 3 If it
understands all the children of the devil ver 38. and those are the tares gathered and burnt in the fire ver 40. all things that offend and they which doe iniquity ver 41. That shall be casten into a furnace of fire where there shal be wailing and gnashing of teeth 42. and they are such as are opposed to the righteous who shall shine 〈◊〉 the sunne in the Kingdom of their Father Now 1. The righteous that shall shine in heaven are not the sonnd in the faith only opposed to hereticks except we say none shall be casten in the furnace but hereticks 2. Hereticks are innocent men say Libertines and not doers of iniquity as the â—ares are called v. 41. 3. Nor are hereticks the only children of the devill ver 38. And the ill seede sowne by the envious man and the onely seede of Sathan if the field bee the Church if wee would beleeve Libertines as it is not but exponed by one Saviour to be the world ver 38. Yet the false teachers would be but the least part of the visible Church in comparison of the ignorants the Atheists the murtherers adulterers and so not able to come up to compleate the visible Church as a company of good and bad that is of hereticks and true teachers for these would not make the quarter of the Church yet Christ makes all the Church of wheate and tares 4 Since the tares are all that worke iniquity it shall follow that the Magistrate by expresse command of God is to suffer all the children of the wicked one and all that worke iniquity all adulterers sorcerers paricides murtherers perjured persons traytors robbers theeves and all evill doers punishable by the Magistrate for sure all these as wel as hereticks are such as offend and work in iniquity in this Kingdom to grow and live till the end of the world then sure the Magistrate may goe hunt Goats and hang up his sword 5 If we sift every graine of the text we must say that the Magistrate makes a doubt Lord shall I draw the sword against bloody men and traytors And the Pastors and Church shal we cast out the leaven that leaveneth the whole lumpe and how carnall must they imagine the Lord to be who first went on a way of forcing the consciences of men and converting men by the bloody sword rooted out wheate tares in the old Testament and now is become a little more just and meek and will have the consciences of none to bee forced but all to grow to harvest Whereas the Rulers and Pastors make no such question but the godly wonder at a providence in God not in Magistrates that good and il should grow together But God rebukes mens carnall â—eale that murmure at his longanimity that he throwes not all the wicked in hell fire long before the harvest and burns not chaffe ere ever it grow to blade and makes not harvest ere summer be well begun 6 The danger that Libertines phancy to be in killing Hereticks is the taking them away being elect before they be converted which is as strong against divine providence that appoints the Magistrate to kill the murtherer without respect of persons not considering whether he be converted yeâ— or not to doe justice is the Magistrates duty election and reprobation are secrets that belong to the Lord. Nor doth Minâ—â— Celsus promoâ—â— their cause by saying the tares must signifie false doctrine as in the fâ—rmer parable an which this depends the seed is the word of God and Christ was sent in preach the Gospell Heb. 1. 1. to tell us all things John 4. 2â— a guide and leader of the people the councellor Esay 9. 6. in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col. 2. 3. Christ was no law-giver and when he speaketh of the conversations of men and their manners that is not from his cheif office which is to be a Prophet then ill seed must be bad doctrine Answ Reduce this to an argument and it shall runne madde 1. What the seed signifies in the former parable that it signifies here I deny the proposition the scopes of the parable are different In the former the ground is the heart of men but here the Ground is the World 2. In the former Christ expones the seede to be the Word Here hee expones it to bee the children of the Kingdome and of the wicked one 3. In the former there are not two seedes good and ill and two births but rather foure the wayside-men the thorny-men the rocky-men the good and fruiteful-hearers and here there be but two seeds the seed of wheate and of tares 4. The scope of the former is to show who heare fruitfully the Gospel who not this hath no such scope but to compose our rashnesse in quarrelling with God that he suffers the wicked to have the benefit of the soyle hedge sunne raine dew with the godly and to live untill harvest 2 He saith that which was Christs principall worke the preaching of the word of the Kingdome that must be meant here by the seed and wheate It is a false proposition and a connexion of hay and sand 2. Christ came to save the lost to give his life a ransome for many Ergo by this argument the good seed should hold forth the redeemed of God 2. The assumption is false to wit that Christ came to be a King yea and as principally to be a Priest to offer himself for the sinnes of the world to give his life for his sheep and goates must rather be meant by Wheat and Tares then any other thing 3 By this argument Christ should propons no Parables but all must aime at good seed and doctrine what say we then of the parable of the five Talents The theefe in the night Of the letting out of the Vineyard to those that killed the servâ—â—ts and the heire and brought forth ill fruite And many other parables respecting our Christian conversation and sober and vigilant walking rather then the doctrine of the Gospell though that bee the rule of all Christian walking And saith he by our sense if the tares signifie all wicked men then must all robbers and murtherers escape the bands of the Magistrate for the Lord bids let them grow till the harvest Answ Then must no blasphemer not a Julian nor any that should teach there is no God â—ee rooted out of the Church and State for we say pulling up is not necessary to be meant precizely of killing but rather of any punishing 2 That Let them grow till the Harvest say we is neither a charge nor a command given to Magistrate or Church touching censures to bee inflicted by men For Christ expones no where let them grow to any such meaning Libertines yeeld that sense and Calvin undeniably inferres by this all censures of Magistrate or Pastors are cut off and casten over till the day of judgement both the word in rebuking or
blaspheme murther betray and destroy the Saints and the innocent among which they live but according to their places they are to punish and hinder and impede the growing of tares but withall they are not impatiently to grudge and censure providence but to let them alone that is to let God alone and suffer him in that admirable disposall of affaires though wicked men be not fully purged out of Church and State till harvest and here is an argument to me that by the tares Christ must not meane corrupt doctrines but wicked men for it is a frigid and vaine interpretation to ascribe to our Saviour such a sense that he must suffer heresies till the harvest and when the harvest is come hee must send his Angells to gather heresies and binde them in a bundle and cast them into hell and so must he gather sound doctrines upon the same ground and send them to heaven whereas the words clearly beare that they be persons that doe offend and worke inquity that the Lord thus judgeth at the end of the world nor is the conceit of Celsus of worth that by a figure he understands by tares hereticks that are horne of corrupt doctrine for then Celsus shall first have no ground from the former Parable to expound the seed to be the word and the tares to be corrupt doctrine for then these words a certaine sâ—wer went to sow seed and as he sowed some fell by the side must have this sense if Celsus make this parable to agree with that in the signification of the word seed that the preacher of the Gospel went forth to sow seed that is to sow true and false teachers and some seed that is some false teachers fell upon the 〈◊〉 side c. which is non-sense 2 It is against the justice of God that Hereticks since they but simply erre and are innocent holy and so feare God that they had rather suffer torment and burning quicke and are commiseratione digni as say the Belgick Arminians Celsus and other Libertines should be for meer innocency and godlinesse gathered by the Angels in the harvest of the world and casten into the fire and furnace of everlasting vengeance I grant out of imitation of the fathers and particularly of Augustine who retracted his opinion touching hereticks and the coercing of them Divines use this expression hereseon zizania tares of heresie but aluding to rather then expounding the parable Celsus fol. 52. 53 Magistrates correcting faults doe not purge the Church of tares but punish the haiâ—ous crimes of wicked men and though ill doers repent and confesse their errour yet the Magistrates doe punish but if hereticks abjure their false doctrine the Magistrate pardons them Answ Nor do we expound the field to be the Church with Celsus but like better to follow our Saviour who expoundeth it to be the world and so the Magistrates punisheth societies 2 Nor is it inconvenient that the Churches nurse-father purge the Church in a politick way as his place may bear 3 It is true some crimes as murther the Magistrates punish with death and is to accept of no satisfaction Num. 35. 30. 31. because the taking away lifâ— It among things that cannot be repaired but it is not universally true in all cases that the Magistrate is not to forgive if the guilty man repent And though we could not determin that case of conscience whether the Magistrate should punish a blasphemer and a false teacher if he repent yet it follows not that he should not be punished who willfully goes on And the reason why hereticks repenting are to be pardoned by the Magistrates is because obstinatious persisting in an heresies makes a man an heretick punishable by death but if a blasphemer have perverted many soules and have presumptuously dishonoured the Majesty of God to me it is a question if the Magistrates ought to pardon him and though he be not put to death it is sure he ought by the Magistrate to be punished which is the thing we prove now Celsus Tares may bee turned into wheat and converted if the man bee killed hee is gone and past recovery Hereticks doth no ill but good to the wheate hee lives saith Augustine that either hee may repent or that a good man may bee exercised by him Some say variety of opinions in Religion are expressions of divine wisdome Answ A murtherer may be converted as well as a heretick and is nearer conversion then a man of a corrupt mind and a heretick that is to be rejected and no more taught and admonished as concerning the faith he is reprobate Tit. 3. 10. 1 Tim. 3. 5. 2 Nor doth he good to a beleever but as a gangreene and a pest to a wholesome body 3 And if he doe Good and be an expression of the wisdome of God by being an heretick why is he as chaffe casten in unquenchable fire as Libertines expound the Parable 4 If he should live that he may exercise the faith and patience of the Saints then should not the Kings of the earth burne the flesh of the whore nor the Magistrate take vengeance on murtherers for the faith and patience of the Saints is seen in their oppressions but no thanks to oppressors if hereticks must not be killed why did Muâ—cer Becold and our Anabaptists now in armes and having no enemy kill all the godly because they judge them wicked should they not be letter grow till the last harvest also CHAP. XXI Of the Samaritans and of no compelling of Heathens How the Covenant bindeth us LIbertines alledge Luke 9. 51 52 53. c. When Christ by a village of the Samaritans was rejected and denied lodging James and John say Lord wilt thou that we command 〈◊〉 come downe from heaven and consume them even as 〈◊〉 did But Christ rebuked them and said yee know not what manner of spirit yee are of for the Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them Then are we to spare the lives of those that refuse the true and sound doctrine of the Gospel yea who oppugne it and to admonish them Celsus saith this example is not proposed to compare the Samaritans with hereticks or the Apostles with the Ministers and the Magistrate but that the benigne and meeke engine of Christ in matters of Religion may be cleare and that we should abhorre cruelty in matters of Religion for if the Apostles had moved the same question touching heretickes at that time Christ would have given the same answer The Holland Arminians say if Christ suffered not his Disciples to conceive a desire of revenge from heaven from the onely love and zeale of Religion against the Samaritans that denyed lodging to him farre lesse must we beleeve that he will suffer that in matters of Religion for meere conscience any manifest violence should be exercised for Christ saith the spirit that leads you is raging vehement fiery the
speake de genere singulorum or did those that took the Covenant speak or meane that tolleration of all these Sects and Reformation and nearest uniformity can consist or that he and all these had this sense under-hand of these words according to the word of God that is as Socinians Libertines Familists Antinomians c. expound the word of God If so we must justifie the Jesuits equivocation and their oaths with mentall reservation for the sense of Prelaticall men and of those that goe for Heretickes and Schismatickes now as then to wit Socinians Libertines Arrians Familists and the rest were knowne Heretickes and Schismatickes and their Socinian Arrian Familisticall c. sense of the word of God was excluded in the second Article of the Covenant in these words We shall endeavour the extirpation of Popery Prelacy Superstition Heresie Schisme c. by this Jesuiticall sense we all sweare we shall endeavour to be perjured and to reforme each mans Religion according to his owne sense of the word and whereas in former times it was beleeved that Christ was God-man We Familists sweare to reforme Religion in the three Kingdomes in that part and to teach and professe that every Saint is so Godded and Christed that there is as much of the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelling in every Saint as in Christ so that there be as many Saints as many Christs and as many Gods manifested in the flesh as there be Saints for since liberty of conscience was then not professed and was a point holden by no Reformed Church yea not by the Church of New England the best Reformed Church as this man saith but detested by all it was presupposed that the true sense of the word of God was against it and Independents who then did sweare the Covenant knew our minde and did sweare the preservation of the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in doctrine worship and discipline against the common enemy and they knew Presbyteriall Government approves both of the censures of the Church and of the Magistrates sword against heretickes and therefore Turkes and Pagans would never have sworne a Covenant to endeavour uniformity in one Religion according to the word of God and after petition the Parliament to set up in England the widest multiformity that Sathan can devise and say they have sworne to endeavour the nearest uniformity in Religion and yet to preach and print and endeavour by the same Covenant and the word of God the rule of sworne Reformation the widest multiformity and that the Lord should be one and his name one in both Kingdomes and yet that the Lord be two or ten and his name that is the maners and kinds of Religions be two and twenty that Gods name may be divided amongst Socinians Arrians Familists Antinomians Anabaptists Seekers Antiscripturists Libertines Scepticks Enthysiasts Brownists Independentsâ— this is worse then a Popish implicit faith which we disclaim The other thing saith he left out which yet referres to all The Covenant is that hee that sweares shall by all lawfull wayes and meanes and according to his place and calling endeavour to performe the Covenant v. 13. to bring the Churches to uniformity and to extirpate heresie As for instance it is the godly Magistrates duty their place and calling to send forth Ministers to the darke places of the land and to set up lights to guide mens feet into the wayes of truth and peace and reclaime them from errors and he cannot be urged upon his calling to punish or compell gainesayers And the Minister is to doe it in his place by exhorting rebuking instructing but he is to goe no further he is not to deliver men up to judge and be an executioner Answ The words by all lawfull meanes and wayes which this man puts in Italian letters and says are left out by the Authour whom he refutes may soon be left out for they were never in the Covenant The man will defend the Covenant and apparently hath sworne it but I thinke he hath scarce read it for these words are not in the Covenant let him read againe Turpe est doctori cum culpa redarnit ipsum 2 He sweares to bring the Churches to nearest uniformity according to his place but when this man defends the tolleration of all the sects in England Socinians Arians Familists for he writing anno 1645 when above twenty sundry Religions in England came to the streets he excepts not one in all his Treatise but calls them all the godly party Saints Brethren the Godly and ownes them so in his preface and whole booke He must grant there is no uniformity in faith discipline worship by the word of God for if all these be Saints Godly and holy Brethren they have all one faith and are saved but let him tell me by the next if he can answer whether there is a nearest or any uniformity in faith worship and government betweene Presbyterians and Socinians Familists Antinomians and Seekers yet this man sweares to indeavour the nearest conjunction and uniformity amongst all the Saints who are to be tollerated but let him say if he hath in this case ingenuity or learning what nearest uniformity hee knowes amongst all these whether the Covenant should not obliege a Libertine to indeavour the widest contrariety and deformity of religious amongst these and to plead for forbearance of them all as he expoundeth it 3 But wee are saith he to indeavour by all lawfull meanes and wayes the nearest uniformity among the Churches and the onely lawfull way as he thinks is not by force but by rebuking instructing exhorting and by no weapons but onely by the word of God But since this Authour and all the Nation of Libertines goe upon this principle Religion is not to be compelled by force for we are not infallible and those whom we force as hereticks may be no hereticks for ought we know but as sound in the faith as our selves Then we have no faith nor any well-grounded perswasion of the word of God to refute them by the word and we refute them not of faith but sinfully and erroniously for they may be as sound in the faith as we our selves for ought wee know and this is a strong argument against morall wayes of gaining hereticks by the power of the word for if they may be sound in the faith and we the hereticks though we refute them by the word we may be perverting the right wayes of God and â—ight against Christ as Elimâ—s for Eliâ—â—s onely by morall wayes not by force or violence laboured to pervert the faith of Sergius Paulus and it is not apparent that Elimas was perswaded in his conscience that the Gospel Paul preached was the truth of God and so by no meanes lawfull or unlawfull by force or by the word of God are we to indeavour uniformity for our indeavouring is not of faith nor from the real grounds of the word but from meere opinions
endeavour the extirpation of Schisme and whatsoever shal be found contrary to â—ound doctrine c. be levelled onely against the Congregational men it was not faâ—re to draw them into a Covenant to destroy themselves It s disservice to the State to spoyle the State of so many Godly and brave men and seemes to be but the birth of that challenge against these men to bee the Sanballets and Tobia's of this present worke and is the highest breach of love Answ It is apparent the Congregationall men he meaneth are the Independents who would have their Churches gathered out of true Churches Who will not be called Schismaticks as if ensis and gladius were not one thing then this Author levelled these words against Presbyterians as the Schismaticks for where ever one Church is rent from another true Church one of the two is the Schismatick Church sure but the Author will not have Independents the Schismaticks then was it faire to levell these words in the Covenant against Presbyterians and draw them in a Covenant to destroy both their soule and body 2 The Congregationall men were not drawne but they came to another Kingdome with faire words to draw Presbyterians in a Covenant and said and swore to indeavour uniformity and yet practise this day multiformity of Religions and have put to the saile the blood of many gallant men in Scotland that so they may buy with their lives cursed Liberty of Conscience But will it not be bitternesse in the end 3. The Author hints at a story that fell out in the Assembly of Divines where I was witnesse Mr. Phi. Nye having sworne to endeavour the preservation of Presbyterian government in the Covenant was pleased in the face of the Assembly in the hearing of that renowned Generall of England for the time the Earle of Essex and many other honourable and noble persons to declaime against Presbyteriall government as formidable to States and free Kingdomes as of old some called Jerusalem the rebellious City and the Prelates the same way burdened the Generall Assembly of the Church of Scotland but Mr. Alexander Henderson a man for piety learning prudency and singular moderation from zeale not from the spirit of gall and wormewood as the Authour slanderously speaketh said they were the words of Tobiah and Sanballet to hinder the worke of Reformation now whether that worthy man spake what hath now come to passe let the godly Divines of the Assembly be judge 4. We know no service to the State done by these men but that they set up with the sword all the blasphemous and hereticall Sects and Religions that Th. Muncer or John of Leydon phancied contrary to the oath of God for they all professed they were for the Covenant many of them did sweare it with what conscience to perfome let Crumwel and others speake God will not be mocked which is such disservice to the State of England as cannot but draw downe from heaven the vengeance of the Lord and the vengeance of his Temple upon the land or was it fair when the Congregationall men did hide their conclusion of liberty of conscience would keepe that intended Idoll in the bottome of their heart and joyne in Covenant with Presbyterians and sweare against multiformity of Religions in words known to be contrary to the sense of those who drew up the Covenant contrary to sense and reason and the same words of the Covenant and now obtrude on us multiformity for uniformity 5. The Authour insinuates as much as not to give them liberty of conscience as a reward of their valorous fighting is disservice to the State But ingenuous workmen speake of their wages before they ingage in the work but to keepe up any word of liberty of conscience untill the worke bee ended and it come to disbanding is no fair bargaining but rather in plaine English either sell to us Law Liberties Religion and give them to us beside our arreares or we must be a perpetuall standing Army to governe England and manage Religion with the sword and to set up all Religions and destroy the Covenant and the Protestant faith and live upon the sweat of other mens browes The Covenant with a faire interpretation may be urged against Presbyterians and for the Congregationall way as well as otherwise The Covenant binds no man nor number of men to State or Church for their parts respectively to any paterne or degree of Reformation conformity or uniformity with other Churches but what shall satisfactorily to them and each of their consciences appeare to be according to the word of God and such a Reformation doe the Congregationall men desire pray preach endeavovr for and after in the pursuance of the Covenant as if there had beene no such outward Covenant obliging them would yee have men driven in droves to the Sacrament still and the pretious and the vile mixed and Idol-shepheards suffered and Bishops Courts and Consistories continued had these beene beaten downe had not we under God as a forlorne hope first given them battell how can ye say we hinder Reformation when we are for a further and purer Reformation your selves being judges you would â—it down on this side Jordan we would advance Siâ— you quiet if you will not helpe us as we helped you Answ When you of the Congregationall way that is of the Church way for none are Churches but you we are excommunicated and all else but your selves did sweare to endeavour the preservation of the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in doctrine worship discipline and government which to your consciences and all the Reformed Churches is Presbyterian can the Covenant be turned against Presbyterians as well as against you 2. You write and preach that the government Presbyterian is Popish Antichristian more tyrannicall then that of Babel of Aegypt so all your way and particularly Mr. Burton in his conformities deformity and your Independents in the Assembly yet you did sweare to endeavour its preservation and all the Independents in both Houses spake against it as tyrannicall and have voted to clog it with Erastianisme I would beleeve Erastus if he had sworne to endeavour the preservation of it better then your oath I think Pagans would not sweare to endeavour the preservation of any religious way which with tongue pen lawes and sword they endeavour to undoe and extirpate see if distinctions will defend it against the common enemy and whether these words according to the word of God expounded by you will save you from the quarrell and wrath of God for a broken Covenant Passe over the Isles and goe to Turkey to America and see if such a thing as this hath been 2. The Covenant bindes no man saith he to any degree of Reformation but what shall satisfactorily appeare to each mans conscience to be according to the word of God 1. Then the Reformed Religion in Scotland in doctrine worship and government according to the word of
God appeared once satisfactorily to your conscience to be according to the word of God for you tooke the Covenant yet ye say it is Antichristian it drives men in droves to the Sacrament it is the Bishops Courts and Consistories continued But yee did sweare to endeavour the preservation of their Reformed Religion according to the word of God the onely rule But if it was sworne to as the Reformed Religion was it not according to the word of God is it reformed and not according to the word of God or was these words according to the word of God A condition insinuating what is in the doctrine and discipline of the Reformed Religion of that Church not according to the word of God to that you did not sweare But so if the Turke should come and wage warre against Papists for their Religion and a heathen people that maintaines there bee more Gods then one and that the Old Testament is not the word of God should raise Armes against the Jewes you might as well swear you should defend the doctrine of the Church of Rome and the Religion of the Jewes against the Turke and those heathen people according to the word of God for sure these fundamentalls that Jewes and Papists hold in doctrine are according to the word of God and so you did swear no otherwise to defend the Reformed Religion of the Church of Scotland then that of the Church of England before these troubles arose for that ye swore to defend in so far as it agrees with â—â—e word of God yea so ye did sweare to defend any Religion of any Nation you never heard of according to the word of God if you say But we knew the Reformed Religion of the Church of Scotland therefore ye might sweare to it but yee know not all the Religions of any Nation you never heard of But if so then yee knew the Reformed Religion of Scotland to be according to the word of God then it appeared satisfactorily to your conscience so to be But did their fundamentalls against Familists Antiscripturists Socinians Arrians so appeare to your conscience to be according to the word of God and their Antichristian and tyrannicall Presbyteries that are but as you say Episcopall Courts and Consistories appear to be so and that satisfactorily to your consciences if so why judge ye Familists Socinians such as deny the Trinity and such as make all the Saints to be Christ and Godded with the indwelling fulnesse of God to be Gods manifeâ—â—ed in the flesh to be Saints brethren the godly party to be indulged then you must question the fundamentalls of the doctrine of Scotland and they did not satisfactorily appeare to your conscience to be according to the word of God And why did you simply without any limitation sweare to endeavour the preservation of the Reformed Religion you should have said truly Reformed Religion of the Church of Scotland and why did you sweare simply to the doctrine worship discipline and government of the Church according to the word of God when yee knew then as now their government was Antichristian and not according to the word of God and their doctrine even in fundamentalls not so sure but Socinians Arrians and the Saints your brethren the Familists may hold the contrary and bee tollerated as Saints and their doctrine though opposite in fundamentalls to ours may be as satisfactory truths to your conscience as ours of Scotland Confesse and glorifie God you sware the Covenant in a Jesuiticall reserved sense kept up in your minde as you insinuate pag. 66 67. and such as the words cannot beare 3. There is here a new Tricke put on the Covenant it bindes to no truth but what shall appeare satisfactorily to the conscience of each swearer to be according to the word of God If a Merchant promise and swear to a simple man to give him for such wares an hundred pounds he gives him but an hundred pounds Scotch whereas the wares are to the man as dear as an hundred pounds Starling is the Merchant absolved of his oath and promise if he pay him but an hundred pounds Scotch and say it appeares satisfactorily to my Antinomian conscience the 〈…〉 of no more value then a hundred pound Scotch and my oath and promise obligeth me to no more then satisfactorily appeareth to my conscience the onely rule of my obligation to be according to equity and justice and so you are fully paid with an hundred pounds Scotch So this Authour absolves us from all oaths and covenants though we sweare not to kill a captive taken in warre and sweare to adhere to the fundamentalls that there is one God Christ is the one onely Mediator God and man consubstantiall with the father yet if after you have talked with Saâ—marsh or put your faith in the power of the sophismes oâ— a cunning Jesuit he makes it satisfactorily appeare to your conscience that it is according to the word of God that the captive â—e killed â—e is a murtherer and there be as many Mediators as there be Saints in heaven and as many Christs Godded with the fulnesse of the Godhead as there be Saints of the family of love and so your oath to your fundamentalls obligeth you not and you are guilty of no perâ—ury though first you sware to the necessary truths of God and now ye turne apostate from both faith and oath Libertines infuse such a magick in your erroneous conscience that it is your onely rule and displaceth the Law of nature from all obligation or the word of God the onely rule of faith and manners you are tyed no longer by the oath of God then your weather-cock-conscience with this new Moon hath catched a new light you are as if there had been no such outward Covenant obliging you take it upon the word of this Gamaliel dormii securd in utramque aurem But though it be true nothing doth oblige but it must appeare to be according to the word of God that it may oblige in the right and due manner and way yet it is most false that it obligeth as it shall appear or quaâ—â—nus because it doth appear to the conscience to be the word of God for a quatenus ad omne valet consequentia Then every thing obligeth as it appears to be the word of God to the conscience most erroneous then are some obliged to murther the innocent Apostles for it appeares satisfactorily to their conscience to be the word of God and service to God so to doe Joh. 16. 1. and some are obliged to sacrifice their sons to God though they did vow and covenant the contrary in Baptisme for it appeares satisfactorily to their conscience it is according to the example of Abraham to offer their sonnes to God except God from heaven forbid them as he did Abraham 5. To Libertines no Covenants nor Oaths of the most lawfull things layes on any more obligation to performance then if these Oaths
oblieging us but an inward law in the mind beyond all ordinances must regulate us now under the Gospell The Honourable Houses in rules and directions for suspending from the Lords supper enumerating most of the fundamentals doe by divers Ordinances evidence they are by law to bee punished who professe or teach contrary to these And in rules for trying of Ministers before they be ordained though thousands now are constant Preachers without any ordination at all the Minister must be one that is able to defend the Orthodox doctrine contained in the Scriptures as the Scripture saith 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. 9 10 11. against all unsound and erronious opinions especially those of the present age such as these of Arrians Socinians Arminians Anabaptists Brownists Familists Antinomians Libertines Seekers c. Where the Houses mention the great duty lying on them to settle matters concerning Religion and the worship of Almighty God and have continually before their eyes the Covenant which they have so solemnly taken and in pursuance of the ends of the Covenant have removed the booke of Common-prayer with all its unnecessary and burdensome Ceremonies and have established the directory in the roome thereof and have abolished the Prelaticall hierarchy by Arch-Bishops Bishops and instead thereof have laid the foundation of a Presbyterian Government in every Congregation with subordination to Classical Provinciall and Nationall Assemblies and of them all to the Parliament Both Houses of Parliament and the Parliament of Scotland agree that the Kings Majesty take or at least approve and ratifie the Covenant and that all the Subjects of either Kingdomes sweare it What then shal become of the Covenant shall it not be buried if a law passe it shall be voluntary to men to take it or not to take it The Honourable Houses ordaine That any preaching or writing or maintaining such errours as doe subvert any Articles of the true Protestant Religion shall be excluded from the Lords Supper and in case of refusal to compear before the Eldership or obstinate persisting in the errour shall be imprisoned by the Justice of peace till he submit to order The Houses give thankes to the Commissioners of the Kingdome of Scotland that the Lords of privy Councell do so farre respect the welfare and peace of England that they are pleased to second the desires of the Generall Assembly of that Church for unity in Religion and uniformity in Church-government in his Majesties three Kingdomes We cannot thinke the Honourable Houses would passe an Ordinance for an universall Fast through all the Kingdome to seeke assistance from God to suppresse Heresies and Errours except the whole land be injoyned to take the name of God in vaine if it were not the will and minde of the Houses to detest liberty of conscience especially since in the Ordinance they mention the wonderfull assistance of God since their engagement in the Covenant in which they are to endeavour sincerely really and constantly the Reformation of Religion in doctrine discipline and worship and the extirpation of Popery Superstition Heresie Schisme and Prophanenesse and whatsoever shall be found contrary to sound Doctrine And that they are resolved to improve the utmost of their power that nothing be said or done against the truth but for the truth Now by the utmost of their power they must meane their Parliamentary power of the sword committed to them as the Ministers of God for that is their utmost and highest power otherwise all private men are to improve the utmost of their power for the truth In the Ordinance for Reforming of the University of Oxford the Honourable Houses ordaine to punish those that take not the Covenant or oppose the execution of the Ordinances of Parliament concerning the Discipline and Directory The Honourable House of Commons say their true and reall intentions are and endeavours shall be to settle Religion in the purity thereof according to the Covenant Nor can the Parliament loose men from the oath of God nor put any exposition on the Covenant other then the words naturally hold forth nor can any one Parliament obtrude any Law interpretation of the Covenant on the subjects different from the true sense and genuine meaning conceived by the Parliament of the other Kingdome since it is not the Covenant of any one single Kingdome nor can we say without mocking of God and dallying with the oath of God that the Covenant was conceived in any such doubtsome equivocall and two faced sense so as each Kingdome may sweare it according to their owne sense and the one sense for or not against the pretended liberty of conscience the other for it And both Kingdomes esteeme the end of the Warres an abundant reward of all that we can doe or suffer in this cause to settle Religion and we have resolved and decreed never to lay downe Armes untill truth and peace be settled in this Island upon a firme foundation for the present and future generations Then what ever Kingdome shall resyle from the Covenant to a detestable liberty of all pretended truths as they breake with God so must they breake with men seeing the two Kingdomes are mutually and reciprocally ingaged to one another in the meanes and the end and they must looke that the righteous God shall avenge breach of Covenant and such apostacie from his truth with the saddest and heaviest of judgements that we or our fathers have heard of the rumour whereof shall cause our eares to tingle The Honourable Houses professe an union in doctrine discipline and worship to be a more strong bulwarke against the bloody practises of Papist and deceitfull errors of other Sectaries and more profitable use of the Ministery Other Sectaries can be no other then such as swarme and abound in the Army and Kingdome And this diversity of Religions by tolleration utterly weakens yea and dissolveth the blessed union betweene the Kingdomes For the Houses say Religion cannot be altered in the one Kingdome without the other and the Lord would not have put it in the hearts of both Kingdomes if he had beene minded to destroy us They acknowledge that Religion is the band and foundation of the safety and happinesse of both Kingdomes When therefore God suffers it to enter into our hearts to breake our Covenant with God and our Brethren the Lord hath a minde to disquiet the inhabitants of England so as the fierce anger of the Lord and his jealousie must smoake against them as fire The Reverend Assembly of Divines give their sense of this pretended liberty to be against the will and minde of God in his word FINIS CHAP. XXIII The place Acts 5. v. 34. to wit the counsell of Gamaliel discussed and found nothing for liberty of Conscience THe most of the strength of Master John Goodwins Argument stands thus Theomachia ser 2. 11. This doctrine or way is either of men or of God saith Gamaliel If it
our Saviour and his Saints have drunke the same cup. Hence he citeth to no purpose Scriptures but two and fourtie in number of the persecutions to follow the Lords Disciples for the Gospel and that it is proper to the world to persecute and to the Saints to be persecuted and hated for righteousnesse and that such as are persecuted and 〈◊〉 â—â—sallow all persecuting for matters of Religion as the greatest stumbling block to the propagation of the Gospel must necessarily be the true Church and 〈◊〉 of Christ none else having a capacitie without Gods infinite mercie and dispensation of being ever hewed out and squared as members sutable to such a head contrâ—riorum eadem est ratio since the true Church must needs be persecuted that must needs be a false Church which persecutes the true one for though this false Church be persecuted likewise yet in regard it cannot be both true and false that persecuted Church must needs be the only true one which doth not persecute others but that the argument may be compleat and full it had much need for it is weak and unstable as water as in the mouth of two witnesses unto this evidence of reason Let me adde a Scripture proofe Viz. we brethren true Christians as Isaac was are the children of promise but as he that was born after the flâ—sh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit 〈◊〉 so it is now Gal. 4. 28 29. yet since it is better if the will of God be so that we suffer for wâ—ldoing then for evill doing 1 Pet. 3 17 howevâ—r these Ishmalites are powerful prosperous prevaile against us and have the world at will for the present yet let us comfort our-selves that God hath chosen the dispised and poore rich in faith c. We close this Chapter with their doom and ours neverthelâ—sse what saith the Scripture Câ—st out the bondwoman for the son of the bonâ—woman shall not be heire with the son of the free-woman so then we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free Gal. 4. 30 31. So of that sort is the heedlesse Quaerist to the Assembly of Divines If the Magistrate as a Magistrate have a power from Christ to punish such as he is perswaded in his conscience are erroneous and hereticall or because he differs in Religion from the Magistrate then Queen Mary and her Parliament did well in burning the Martyrs for differing from her established Religion Answ 1. The man as an Anabaptist citeth Matth. 5. 39. 40. Whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheâ—k turn to him the other Volkelius an arrand Socinian cryes down Lawes and Judges and all warres under the New Testament and maketh this a new Commandement not warranted in the Old Testament as if the hating of our enemie and revenge were commanded in the old and forbidden in the new Nay sâ—ith he what heavenly ravished and blessed Spirit will tell me what these Scriptures mean Mat. 39. 40. 41 42. as if none were heavenly and blessed Spirits that knew the meaning of the Scriptures but Volkelius Chellius Socinus and other Socinians and Anabaptisâ—s I answer Socinus and Volkelius are these blessed Spirits that can shew the meaning of these words and tender Lettice for your lips But see your Socinian dream and theirs refuted by Poliander and Joan. Peltius for Christ in the New Testament does no where contradict Moses Law nor refute Moses but he refuteth the false glosses which Scribes and Pharisees put on Moses Law For 1. Christ never saith It was said by Moses but I say the contrary But it was said of old by the unlucky Elders and Fathers of Scribes and Pharisees which these wretched Doctors and their sons said Eye for eye and thou shall not kill and thou shall not commit adultery As is cleare 1. Because loving of our Enemy was forbidden by Moses and in the Old Testament as in the New as I proved before revenge is forbidden Prov. 20. 22. Deut. 32. 35. Shedding of bloud is forbidden Gen. 9. 6. as well as by our Saviour Matth. 26. 52. 2. Because Christ saith Matth. 5. 20. I say unto you except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees he saith not except it exceed the righteousnesse of the Law of God commanded by Moses in the Old Testament Yee shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven And as Christ condemneth unjust anger so is it condemned aâ— murther and accursed in the Old Testament Gen. 49 7. 2 Chro. 28. 9. Daniel 3. 13. Prov. 14. 16. Gen. 27. 45. Est 1. 12. Prov. 15. 1. Prov. 19. 11. c. 27. 4. Eccles 7. 4. Esa 7. 4. Amos 1. 11. 1 Sam. 17. 28. 1 Sam. 20. 30. Prov. 14. 17. c. 29. 22. c. 21. 19. c. 22. 24. and forbidden in the sixt Commandement before Christ had that Sermon Matth. 5. And the forbidding of rash and sinfull anger is no new Commandement but more frequently condemned in the Old Testament then in the New And the like may be proved of heartlusting Prov. 6. 25. Lust not after her beauty in thine heart Gen. 6. 1. Job 31. 1. Jer. 5. 8. 2 Sam. 11. 2. Job 24. 15 16. Job 31. 9. All which places and many others in the Old Testament condemne lusting after a woman in the heart no lesse then Christ condemns it 3. Christ refuteth Socinians and Anabaptists Matth. 5. 17. Think not I am come to destroy the Law c. 18. For verily I say unto you till heaven and earth passe one jot or one title shall in no wise passe from the Law till all he fulfilled But if Christ oppose his new Precepts to the Law of Moses as Velkelius saith he must utterly destroy the Law of Moses and substitute a more perfect Law in the place thereof But Libertines as Joh. Baptist here would have heresie forbidden in the Old Testament and punishing of false prophesying commanded there But heresie must be Innocency and Righteousnesse in the New Testament and to be punished for false teaching in the old was to suffer for ill-doing but now in the New saith Baptist to be punished for false prophesying is to suffer for well-doing and he citeth 1 Pet. 3. 17. as if it were the will of God that Sectaries suffer for well-doing that is for Familisme Socinianisme Antmomianisme Popery Idolatry butchering of children to God as some Anabaptist Parents have done and for preaching Doctrine that eateth as a Gangrene 2 Tim. 2 for blaspheming and denying the Resurrection of the dead as Hymeneus did for he that suffereth for all these out of meer conscience suffereth for well-doing as Peter saith if we beleeve Joh. Baptist 2. But how shall Mr. Baptist prove Christ foretelling the Apostles should be persecuted for the preaching of the truth of God and the Gospel that these Apostles and the Anabaptists that now are must looke in like manner to be persecuted for the Gospel that is for Familisme Socinianisme all the
new Blasphemies now on foot in England are all these blasphemies the Gospel and whosoever suffer for monstrous heresies must they suffer as the Apostles did and must they lay claim to all the comforts that our Saviour hath bequeathed in his Testament to his Disciples who were to suffer for Christs sake and for righteousnesse then surely an erronious and a blaspheming conscience must be righteousnesse and to suffer for blasphemy and Satan must be to suffer for righteousnesse and for Christs sake for these Libertines say the Assembly of Divines teach Blasphemies Popery murthering of Saints for conscience So Baptist so Necessity of Toleration so Ancient Bounds 3. If such as are persecuted and disclaime totally persecution for conscience be the onely true Church and none but they then these Papists in England in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth who were onely persecuted in your sense of the word Persecution and wrote and petitioned against Persecution and totally disclaimed it are the onely true Church The like I may say of the Arrians in the Emperours times against whom most severe Laws and Edicts were made which to M. Baptist was direfull persecution and yet they totally disclaimed persecution for conscience and pleaded for Toleration So say I of the Arminians in Holland who alwayes plead for liberty of Prophesying and of Anabaptists and all the Sectaries in Germany when they first arose of the Familists and most rigid Anabaptists in New England and of all the vilest Sects Anabaptists Antiscripturists Socinians Familists c. in Old England Yea we may suppose all Papists Iewes and the most abominable Sects living where there are strict Lawes for the onely one true Religion to hold the opinion of totall disclaiming persecution for conscience for sure they are most capable of this opinion hence it shall follow that all these wretched Hereticks shall be the only true Church and body of Christ 4. This monopolizeth the nature and name of the true Church to onely Sectaries that professe they are ready to suffer for their conscience and doe totally disclaime persecution that is for liberty of conscience so this opinion shall be the only essential not and constituent form of the true Church and shall exclude the sound faith of all fundamentalls and the doctrine of the Law and Gospell The vilest Hereticks living holding this one Article of Baptists faith shall be the onely true Church and this opinion shall unite men and societies formally to Christ their head and yet it is no matter of faith except Libertines say none are capable of faith and salvation but such as hold this opinion Hence it must follow all these named Calvinists all the Reformed Churches all the Churches and Saints in New England all the ancient Brownists the old Non-conformists who all disclaimed toleration and licence of conscience must not onely not be the true Church but the malignant Church of such as professe that which they cal Persecution yea and since they detest and abhor liberty of conscience as Atheisticall All these Saints must be uncapable of saving faith and necessarily damned because being professed persecutors and totâ—â—ly disclaiming toleration they are in the judgement of this Baptist such as have no capacity without Gods infinitâ— mercy and dispensation converting them to such Libertinisme to be hewne out and squared to such a head as Christ for contrariorum eudem est ratio 5. Forme an Argument Mr. Baptist from your two Scriptures If to persecute for conscience be essentiall to such as are borne of the flesh and to be persecuted for conscience be essentiall to such as are born after the Spirit then to be thus persecuted and to disclaim totally persecution for conscience is an essentiall note of the true Church This Proposition can never be proved in your sense for to be persecuted for conscience that is for a well informed conscience which is sound in the faith of Articles of saving knowledge is indeed such an essentiall note and so we yeeld all but it is nothing for toleration but much against it but to be persecuted for conscience though erroneous and holding Judaisme Turcisme Arrianisme Papisme Familisme c. to be the true and saving way which is the sense of Baptist is no wise a note of such aâ— are born after the Spirit not doth any place of Scripture by the thirteenth consequence prove the same for Isaac was not persecuted by Ishmael for his erroneous conscience The Text sayes no such thing except Baptist make Isaac an Heretick and a false Prophet If Ishmael persecuted Isaac for his conscience which yet Baptist cannot prove from Scripture sure it was not for the hereticall conscience of Isaac nor will it help Baptist to say in the minde and conception of Ishmâ—â—l Isaac was an Heretick Answ How is that proved the Text sayes no such thing 2. We teach no such thing as that men should be punished by the Magistrate not because they are but because they seem only to â—e Heretickes or because Isaacs and Saints are Hereticks in our mind and conception but because they are so indeed as the Magistrate punisheth not justly a murtherer because he seems in the minde and conception of the Magistrate to be a murtherer but because he is a murtherer and is proved by faithfull witnesses to be a murtherer so is the Heretick proved to be a Heretick by the Magistrate and so convicted that he is self-condemned for we never make the Magistrates thoughts and his conception to be the rule of punishing an Heretick even as we are not to avoid an Heretick after admonition because he is an Heretick in our conception onely for our conception must not be the rule or formall ground of casting out any man from our society and avoiding of him but we avoid him because he is an Heretick in himself nor exhorts Peter any man to suffer for well-doing that is for his conscience or for his erroneous and hereticall conscience that is but an abusing of the word of God for he speaks not of suffering directly for onely Religion true or false though he exclude it not but saith 1 Pet. 4. 15. But let none of you suffer as a murtherer as a theefe as an ill-doer and in so saying he means that no man should as Elimas suffer blindnesse for perverting the faith of Sergius Paulus and I beleeve it will be a peece of labour for Libertines to prove that such opposers of the Gospel as Elimas and Hymeneus who suffered as ill-doers did yet know in their conscience the Gospel to be the onely saving truth and way of God and that against the warning of an illuminated conscience Elimas perverted the right wayes of God However to suffer here as a well doer by Baptists way is to suffer for an hereticall conscience defending and teaching lies in the name of the Lord If so such a well-doer if blasphemously unsound is to be thrust through and stabbed as an Impostor by the Lords
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
warrant Christ to offer up himself to God But upon the supposition of Libertines it 's no murther nor is it punishable at al because the father may yea lawfully ought to worship God according to the indictment of his conscience whither the conscience be right or bloody and erroneous and yet he is not punishable for blood-shed by their way for meerly and simply without any malignancy or hatred to the child he beleeves he ought to preferre his maker to his dearest childs life as well as Abraham and the conscience doth naturally and as under no Law simply beleeve it is the like service and worship that Abraham would have gratefully performed unto God if God in reward of that love had not forbidden him againe to kill his Sonne And this answer presupposes also that it is impossible for a father to have such a conscience as may stimulate and command to kill his son and that in the authority and name of God as he erroneously yea and as he invincibly holdeth as Socinians Familists Papists beleeve purgatory merits justification by workes who yet are not to be punished for their conscience according to Libertines Again there is no intrinsecall malignancy in the act of naticide or son-sacrificing but what it hath from the Lords Law forbiding to kill now those that killed their Sons to Molech yea to God as they thought strongly yea invincibly beleeved God commanded them to do him such bodily service as is clear from Jer. 7. 31. Jer. 15. 5. And that this is invincible ignorance I take the word invincible in the Libertines sense Libertines grant for in our condemning son-sacrificing they wil say we are not infallible Yea the understanding being spirituall cannot be restrained saith Dr. Taylor Sect. 13. n. 6. and no man can change his opinion when he will saith he ibid n. 7. and so should not be punished for it and n. 13. there is nothing under God Almighty that hath power over the soule of man so as to command a persuasion If hee be then perswaded that he ought to kill his Son he ought unpunishably so to do Lastly Doctor Taylor yeelds the cause when he saith that certaine known Idolaters may be punished with death or corporall inflictions For there is no Idolatry so grosse that strongly deluded consciences may not be carried invincibly I speake in the Libertine sense out of meer conscience to act Ergo some are justly punishable for their meer conscience and yet are not persecuted for conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If a man preach treason saith he his opinion doth not excuse If a man preach murther and preach that Christ was an impostor that the Scripture is a fable how can his opinion excuse in a great sin and not all sins CHAP. XXVIII Divers other Arguments for pretended Toleration answered DOctor Taylor objects from the Arminians he that persecutes a disagreeing person doth arm all the world to persecuâ—â— himself if he say he is no Heretick he is as confidently beleeved to be an Heretick as he beleeves his adversarie to be an Heretick if it be said every side must take their venture this is to make the Christian world a shambles Ans 1. Because sound and orthodoxe Magistrates punish Hereticks they doe no more arm Hereticks against them to punish them then they arme murtherers to punish them because no law of Conscience teacheth that a seducer is obliged to publish to others his erroneous opinion touching mansacrificing the unlawfulness of Magistracie under the New Testament Libertie of Conscience Familisme and the 〈◊〉 for then the Law of nature must teach men are obliged in conscience to sin and pervert others 2. They are obliged to beleeve that their Conscience must be a rule to others which two the Law of nature cannot teach since it is the just law of God If yee argue what Hereticks doe unjustly they persecute the sound in the faith and there is reciprocation of persecution amongst false Religions its true the Christian world is a shambles through the corruption of mens nature But if yee argue what Christian Orthodox Magistrates ought to doe they ought to punish only Hereticks and Seducers but they do not justly 〈◊〉 Hereticks and those of false Religions reciprocally against themselves for by this argument those that are just Magistrates and take away the life of Pirates Robbers 〈◊〉 of other Nations doe they therefore justly arme all Pirates and Robbers to take away their Lives I thinke not Obj. 2. Where the Christ or his Messengers charge the Magistrate to establish by his arme of flesh and 〈…〉 worship of God the beast indeed gets the power of the earth Rev. 17. Bloodie Tenent Answ Kisse the Son O Rulers Psal 2. The Kings of the earth shall lick the dust before Christ Psal 72. The Kings shall bring their glory to the new Ierusalem Ergo They shall guard the Law of God from violence 2. The Beast gets the power of Kings to bear down truth but this power of Kings shall burn the whore Rev. 17. 16. and act for Christ and his ordinances 3. Where reads Mr. Williams that Christ and his Messengers are to charge the Magistrate to give libertie to Wolves Boares Lions Foxes Serve your consciences O beasts in wasting the Mountain of the Lords House and in not sparing the flock the Nurse-father grants you libertie to waste the mountain of the Lord. Obj. 3. Artaxerxes knew not the Law of God which he confirmed how then could be judge it 2. In such fits and pangs of a terrifying conscience what lawes have Nebuchadnezzar Cyrus Darius Artaâ—erxes put forth for the Israel of God yet were they not charged with the spirituall crowne of governing the worship of God Answ That was their Error they knew not the Law of God but it was their dutie that they ratified it 2. Those Princes did their dutie as Magistrates in those Laws no matter what Conscience renewed or not renewed put them on to act the duties in the substance of the act were lawfull the corruption of nature they being unrenewed might vitiate the work and put them a working to act lawfully in the duties Saul as King did fight the battels of the Lord and led his people and that lawfully according to the substance of the work but God knowes his motives and end 3. This ignorant man never heares of a Magistraticall act to promote the worship of God in a civill way but he dreames of a spirituall tribunall given to the Magistrate which we abhorre as much as he for the materiall object of the Magistrates power though spirituall rendreth not his power spirituall as the Magistrate punisheth spirituall confederacie with Satan in Magitians and Sorcerers a Witch should not be suffered to live and Sodomie flowing from Gods judiciall delivering men up to a reprobate mind Rom. I. 28. and yet the Mastrates power is not spirituall nor terminated upon the consciences of men Not is this Argument
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.
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