A vindication of Mr Burroughs, against Mr Edwards his foul aspersions, in his spreading…A vindication of Mr Burroughes, against Mr Edwards his foule aspersions, in his spreading…

Ans. When I have a mind to play at Brawl and Wrangle, I will take up his glove. He hath given an experiment of his wrangling faculty in the maintenance of the charge he gives me of being guilty of the 150. Error, mentioned in the first part of his Gangraena, namely, Whatsoever errors or miscarriages in Religion the Church should bear withal in men continuing them still in communion with them, these the Magistrate should bear with, continuing them in the Kingdom or Commonwealth, in the enjoyment of the liberty of subjects, this with M. Edwards is a huge error: Whereas he passes almost all his other errors without any animadversion, he must needs have one here, he cannot pass so foul an error as this without confuting it presently, see what his Confutation is: Those (says he) who out of conscience are not satisfied in taking up Arms against Armies raised by a Prince, the Church will not deal with for this, but the Magistrate may. To this M. John Goodwin answered, that I before had said that in matters of civil justice between man and man, there the plea of conscience would not free a man from punish-went if he offends; but for matters of Religion, there what ever charge the Magistrate hath over men, it is not more then the charge the Church hath in its kind; therefore where the Church should bear with men, the Magistrate should. Now the man comes in with his refutation and instances in a business of taking up Arms, as if this did not come under the Head spoken of before, namely, the matters of civil justice, not a matter of Religion, as distinct from civil justice: and his Reply is only this, as if an erroneous conscience did not make things the Magistrate accounts matters of State, matters of Religion, and the Magistrate also reckon many things to be matters of State, which many consciences account high matters in Religion.

Ans. When I have a mind to play at Brawle and Wrangle, I will take up his glove. He hath given an experiment of his wrangling faculty in the maintenance of the charge he gives me of being guilty of the 150. Error, mentioned in the first part of his Gangraena, namely, Whatsoever errors or miscarriages in Religion the Church should beare withall in men continuing them still in communion with them, these the Magistrate should beare with, continuing them in the Kingdome or Commonwealth, in the enjoyment of the liberty of subjects, this with M. Edwards is a huge error: Whereas he passes almost all his other errors without any animadversion, he must needs have one here, he cannot passe so foule an error as this without confuting it presently, see what his Confutation is: Those (sayes he) who out of conscience are not satisfyed in taking up Armes against Armies raised by a Prince, the Church will not deale with for this, but the Magistrate may. To this M. John Goodwin answered, that I before had said that in matters of civil justice between man and man, there the plea of conscience would not free a man from punish-went if he offends; but for matters of Religion, there what ever charge the Magistrate hath over men, it is not more then the charge the Church hath in its kind; therefore where the Church should beare with men, the Magistrate should. Now the man comes in with his refutation and instances in a businesse of taking up Armes, as if this did not come under the Head spoken of before, namely, the matters of civil justice, not a matter of Religion, as distinct from civil justice: and his Reply is onely this, as if an erroneous conscience did not make things the Magistrate accounts matters of State, matters of Religion, and the Magistrate also reckon many things to be matters of State, which many consciences account high matters in Religion.