A78005:57
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…
A vindication of Mr Burroughs, against Mr Edwards his foul aspersions, in his spreading Gangræna, and his angry Antiapologia. Concluding with a brief declaration what the Independents would have. / By Jer: Burroughs.A vindication of Mr Burroughes, against Mr Edwards his foule aspersions, in his spreading Gangræna, and his angry Antiapologia. Concluding with a briefe declaration what the Independents would have. / By Jer: Burroughes.
London: printed for H. Overton, 1646
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Ans. What a babble is this? who would spend his time in replying to it? If M. Edwards his valour in dispute may be judged by this, we need never fear encountering with him. I say that in matters of Religion as distinct from matters of civil justice, there the Magistrates power extends not beyond the Churches: and he comes and tells us that an erroneous conscience may account ⟨p. 17⟩matters of State, matters of Religion, what then? if he accounts them to be matters of Religion, does this alter the nature of the thing? what ever he accounts, yet if he does offend against civill justice, he is to be punished; and whatsoever the Magistrate accounts, yet if the thing in its own nature be not against civill justice, but only against some rule of Religion, surely he is not to punish in his way, further then the Church may in her way; who speaks of what one man accounts, or what another man accounts, the things must be judged according to what they are in their own nature: if M. Edwards his threatening Piece do no better feats then his Animadversion and Reply to M. John Goodwin hath done, that which he judges an Error remains still a Truth, he must blot it out of his Catalogue of Errors, his conscience must tell him there is one Error less then his reckoning: but I would be loth to be writing or waiting till Master Edwards his conscience be convinced, or if it be, till he confesses it to be.
Ans. What a bable is this? who would spend his time in replying to it? If M. Edwards his valour in dispute may be judged by this, we need never feare encountring with him. I say that in matters of Religion as distinct from matters of civil justice, there the Magistrates power extends not beyond the Churches: and he comes and tells us that an erroneous conscience may account ⟨p. 17⟩matters of State, matters of Religion, what then? if he accounts them to be matters of Religion, does this alter the nature of the thing? what ever he accounts, yet if he does offend against civill justice, he is to be punished; and whatsoever the Magistrate accounts, yet if the thing in its owne nature be not against civill justice, but onely against some rule of Religion, surely he is not to punish in his way, further then the Church may in her way; who speaks of what one man accounts, or what another man accounts, the things must be judged according to what they are in their owne nature: if M. Edwards his threatning Peece doe no better feats then his Animadversion and Reply to M. John Goodwin hath done, that which he judges an Error remaines still a Truth, he must blot it out of his Catalogue of Errors, his conscience must tell him there is one Error lesse then his reckoning: but I would be loth to be writing or waiting till Master Edwards his conscience be convinced, or if it be, till he confesses it to be.