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
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
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
fundamentals and many other truths yet sure the whole should be a Kingdome devided against it selfe 〈…〉 destroyeth peace much 〈…〉 the devisions of one and the 〈◊〉 Church of 〈◊〉 though they pretended not to be different Churches for those that said they were of Paul professed they could not be disciples of Peter but he sharpely rebuked them 〈◊〉 man and such as devided Christ and by consequence must say Paul was crucified for them and was their redeemer and so if obstinately they had proceeded 〈◊〉 that separation Paul would have none on to higher censures of the Church farre more could he not endâ—â—e gathering of true Churches out of true Churches which is the professed practise of Independents and yet both sides pretending the spirit of descerning could say the spirit testifies to my soule that Paul is the onely called preacher and the other nay but to my discerning Cephaâ— or Peter is the onely man that I can heare or follow And a third nay not any on earth nor any ministery wil I acknowledge but Jesus Christ whom the heavens must containe till the last day 〈◊〉 my onely onely preacher now if a Jezabel come in and say no ministry is to be heard but Christ and turne away all from hearing the word and not suffer Sergiur 〈◊〉 or any other to hear Paul or any godly minister sure Jezabel should be a perverter of the right wayes of the Lord and so not 〈◊〉 suffered 4 As touching opinions more manifesty erronious aâ— Justine Martyâ— his saving of men 〈◊〉 of they used the light of nature wel though they were ignorant of Christ the Montanisme of Tertullian and his way of damning 〈◊〉 mariage which the very Jesuit Toleâ—uâ— commiteur in Joan. Said he wrote contro fidem Catholicam against the Catholick faith and Augustine his condemning of all in 〈◊〉 dying without Baptisme and Origen his 〈◊〉 at a soâ—â— of purgatory after death the greek fathers their presidence of good works and faith as the causes of predestination their Pelagâ—â—nisme and Semi-pâ—lagianisme touching menâ— freewll beginning and meeting Gods grace especially hard sayings of Chrysostome Gregâ—â— Nyssyâ—â—â— and others and the 〈…〉 Hieronymus nostrum est incipere dei 〈◊〉 〈…〉 extolling of the Bishop if Rome for personall gifts their orations of 〈…〉 to the Martyrs dead without 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with that doubtsome condition if there be 〈◊〉 feeling of our affaires in the dead which was the ground worke of invocation of Saints it is a question and to be proved whether the Church and Christian Magistrate when thâ—â— were any should tollerate these for some opinions to truths are as brasse so as we cannot put a stamp of necessity of edification on them and some are peeces of gold and foundation stones so other truths are neare of blood to fundamentalls and pinnings in the wall though not foundations and because the want of them may hurt the 〈◊〉 they must goe as peeces of current silver Onely two or three objections must be removed As 1. Rom. 14. They erred against a Law of God who kept dayes and abstained from meaâ—s conceiâ—ing that the conscience of Gods Law did injoyne such a practises whereas there was no such Law now the Apostle was perswaded there were no creatures uncleane now but to him who through error of conscience believed they were uncleane v. 14. Yea the earth bring the Lords they might eat swines flesh or meats though sacrificed to Idols without conscience of a Law 1 Cor. c. 8. c. 10. yet Paul is so far from censuring such weake ones that he bidâ— receive them as brethren and not trouble them with thorny disputations Answ Paul bids receive them ergo he bids tollerate them all together it follows not he will have them informed that there is no such divine Law that presseth them and so a morall tolleration of not refuting their error is denyed to them 2. He bids receive them in a practice in it selfe for that time indifferent for 1 Cor. 8. 8. Neither if they did eat were they the better nor if they did not eat were they the worse but onely erroneous in the manner because of the twilight and sparklings of the light of the Gospell not fully promulgated to the Jewes Will it follow that the Jewes should be tollerated still and perpetually to circumcise and keepe the Ceremoniall law and to teach others so to doe for Libertines contend for a constant and perpetuall tolleration of all Jewish and sinfull practises Ob. 2. Paul speaking of Ceremonies Ph. 3. 15. saith Let us therefore as many to be perfect be thâ—â— minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveale even this unto you 16. Neverthelesse whereunto we have attained let us walke by the sâ—me rule let us minde the same things Answ This is the onely Magna Charta abused for liberty of conscience which yet crosseth it but favours it now Paul giveth two rules neither of them are for tolleration but against it the one is for the minde within the other for the practice without for the former he willeth all the perfect to minde this that is to endeavour Pauls one thing and to be followers of him v. 17. forgetting that which is behind and pressing toward the marke and if any be otherwise minded in the matter of circumcision if he minde the journey toward the garland God shall cleare his doubts to him there is nothing here for Libertines except we say let all the godly minde to walke toward the garland by practising circumcision as if that were the way and by tollerating of others to practise Jewish Ceremonies and if they be otherwise minded God shall reveale their error but in the meane time we are to suffer them to minde that for the which Paul saith their end is destruction their belly their God and they are dogs and evill doers v. 19. 2. 3. as for the other rule of practise v. 16. If it plead for Libertines the sense must be as far as we have obtained the minde of Christ let us practise that is let us be circumcised and teach and professe and publish to others all the heresies and blasphemies that seeme to us to be true doctrine according to this rule and let us minde the same thing let us contend for the garland and walking according to our conscience our onely rule and practising unlawfull ceremonies and publishing and professing all the heresies we can we minde the same crowne and garland Now except walking according to the rule be restricted to carefull and diligent practising of these things in which we all agree which must exclude a practising or publishing of doctrines controverted and that we should abstain from practising and publishing of opinions in which we agree not nothing can be extorted hence in favour of tolleration Our brethren say Let us gather Churches out of true Churches and separate our selves from true Churches and preach Familisme Antinomianisme Arrianisme and
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
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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
will bide the tryall of the fire and not be consumed and the man rewarded for his so building and bad doctrine will be burns and not abide the Lords fire when it is tryed for false doctrine will vanish in the day of tryall and yeeld the sower of such doctrine no comfort yet he himself keeping the foundation Christ shall be saved but he shall be â—eded and 〈◊〉 afflicted for his fruitlesse building so the day seems to be the day of tryal and fiery persecution coming on all the Preachers of the Gospel to try theâ— and their doctrine as Rev. 3. 10. the place smels nothing of pâ—â—gatoâ—ie fire and the most judicious interpreters even Esâ—ins 〈◊〉 Papist â—â—pounds iâ— well of the Lords trying of the sons of Levi Mal. 3. 5. I will not say Amen to Dr. Taylor that to count a man an heretick his opinion must be a plaine upon recession from demonstrative authority which must needs be voluntary vincible and criminall for the Sadduces were wilfull obstinate hereticks in denying the resurrection of the dead a principall Article of faith yet it is not clear that their opinion was an open recession from demonstrative authority The Doctor will not call Christs argâ—ing God is the God of dead Abraham Ergo the dead must live againe Matth. 22. demonstrative We may have as much naturall blindnesse as we can hardly see the truth of Christs ascention to heaven and comming againe to judge the quicke and dead by demonstrative authority from Scripture yet those in the visible Church denying these Articles of faith are Hereticks though there may be degrees of voluntarinesse and obstinacy in Hereticks 6. That there must be vinciblenesse in all heresie is anobiguous in the Doctors sense for by vinciblenesse I take he means such vinciblenesse whereby none by their owne industry and strength of freewill may if they be not wanting to that grace which is denyed to none as Arminians say attaine to the light of such consequences as hereticks wilfully deny If this be his meaning he is a friend to Pelagius 2. If he take vincible as opposed to invincible ignorance he Popishly then saith that the Scripture offereth to us many things whereof we may be invincibly ignorant Now invincible ignorance Protestants acknowledge onely in matters of fact or of Gospel-truths never so much as in the letter revealed as Heathens may be invincibly ignorant of Christ and their ignorance not be sinfull as Joh. 15. 22. and Jacob was invincibly ignorant in lying with Leah instead of Rachel There can be no such vinciblenesse or invinciblenesse in an Heretick that hears the Gospel for who ever heare the Gospel and yet remaine ignorant their ignorance is not invincible Nulla est invincibilis ignorantia juris 7. The opinion of Purgatory though it were no heresie as the Doctor saith and bringeth no argument to prove it yet is not simply a finlesse errour in such as know or ought to know since the Scripture is before their eyes that 1. There is no word of God to warrant it 2. Since the word in the Parable of Lazarus and the rich Glutton sheweth us what abideth all men immediately after they dye that the bodies of all goe to the earth and one way or other are buried and the souls either to heaven or hell and this he saith of all mankinde 1. Because all receive either their good things or their evill of suffering in this life 2. All men are such as if they beleeve not Moses and the Prophets will not beleeve though one rise from the dead 3. Christ should be unperfect in this place and in all other places who should not tell us of a third doom befalling some after they are dead and buried where their bodies that were instruments of sin as the rich gluttons tongue was of gluttony should be tormented for their veniall sinnes yea and Purgatory dwells door-neighbour with covetousnesse if the Doctor remembers that Soul-masses to Romish Masse-mongers as well as Durges Requiems Mâ—sses are not a little gainfull 8. Nor is there any errour of things revealed by the wise Lawgiver in Scripture which is meerly speculative in order to Gods end his glory It is no lesse derogatory to the Lawgivers glory not to beleeve A Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and there is one God in three persons then to kill our Brother though the former be more speculative farther from the experiments of humane affairs as he speaketh and more difficult and remoter from humane observation then the other Object 1. Errours are then saith he made sins when they are contrary to charity or inconsistent with a good life or the honour of God Answ Not to beleeve what God saith is inconsistent with his honour for nothing intrinsecally is inconsistent with the honour of God not the eating of the tree of knowledge no simple act of loving fearing beleeving all are inconsistent with or agreeable to the honour of God because he commands or forbids them Object 2. No mans person is to be charged with the odious consequences of his opinion though the doctrine may be therefore charged because if he did see the consequences and then avow them his person is chargeable with them Answ The very opinion it selfe may be a blasphemy by consequence though the man see it not to be blasphemy will the Doctor say Hymeneus and Alexander did make shipwrack of faith and blaspheme because they said the resurrection was past Yet Paul 1 Tim. 1. 19 20. chargeth the persons with blasphemy and can the Doctor deny that Hymeneus and Philetus increased unto more ungodlinesse and that their word did eat as a canker in saying that the resurrection was past which yet Paul chargeth on them 2 Tim. 2. 15 16 17. and those that taught circumcision are charged as perverters of soules Act. 15. yet they but perverted soules by consequence The like may be said of such as Paul said tell from Christ and lost all benefit in Christ if they were circumcised Gal. 5. 2. It may be they would retract the heresie if they saw the blasphemies to follow by strong consequence and it may be not since they are selfe-condemned But sure the Lord chargeth the persons of men as making God a lyar who beleeve not his truth and he chargeth Epicurisme Let us eat and drinke for to morrow we shall dye 1 Cor. 15. on the persons that deny the resurrection and if the doctrine be a lye I wonder how these that lye of God since God commandeth to know and beleeve whatever he saith in his word can be innocent Object If no simple errour condemne us before the throne of God since God is so pitifull to our crimes that he pardons many de toto de integro he will far lesse demand an account of our weaknesse the strongest understanding cannot pretend immunity from being deceived Answ Then though Christ said Joh. 8. Except ye beleeve that I
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.
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