A86009:44
Wholesome severity reconciled with Christian liberty. Or, the true resolution of a present controversy…VVholesome severity reconciled with Christian liberty. Or, the true resolution of a present controversie…
Wholesome severity reconciled with Christian liberty. Or, the true resolution of a present controversy concerning liberty of conscience. Here you have the question stated, the middle way betwixt popish tyranny and schismatizing liberty approved, and also confirmed from Scripture, and the testimonies of divines, yea of whole churches: the chief arguments and exceptions used in The bloody tenet, The compassionate Samaritan, M.S. to A.S. &c. examined. Eight distinctions added for qualifying and clearing the whole matter. And in conclusion a parænetick to the five apologists for choosing accommodation rather then toleration. Imprimatur. Ja. Cranford. Decemb 16. 1644.VVholesome severity reconciled with Christian liberty. Or, the true resolution of a present controversie concerning liberty of conscience. Here you have the question stated, the middle way betwixt popish tyrannie and schismatizing liberty approved, and also confirmed from Scripture, and the testimonies of divines, yea of whole churches: the chiefe arguments and exceptions used in The bloudy tenent, The compassionate samaritane, M.S. to A.S. &c. examined. Eight distinctions added for qualifying and clearing the whole matter. And in conclusion a parænetick to the five apologists for choosing accommodation rather then toleration. Imprimatur. Ia. Cranford. Decemb 16. 1644.
London: printed for Christopher Meredith, 1645
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.
First, the Parable of the Tares is objected:1 Christ will not have the tares to be plucked up, but to grow together with the wheat until the harvest, Mat. 13. 29. 30. In this argument Mr. Williams in his Bloody Tenet putteth a great deal of confidence. But I am as confident to discover the strength of it to be less then nothing. For first he taketh the tares to be meant neither of hypocrites in the Church, whether discovered or undiscovered; nor yet of those who are scandalous offenders in their life and conversation, but only of Antichristian Idolaters and false worshippers: which is a most false interpretation. Christ himself expoundeth it generally, vers. 38. The good seed are the children of the Kingdom: but the tares are the children of the wicked one. And vers. 41. the tares are expounded to be all that offend, and which do iniquity. This being the clear meaning, it will follow undeniably, that if the Magistrate must spare those who are meant by tares in the Parable, then he must spare and let alone ⟨p. 16⟩all scandalous offenders, murderers, adulterers, drunkards, thieves, &c. when any such are discovered in the visible Church. But this cannot be the meaning of the tares in the Parable, saith Mr. Williams, chap. 24. that wicked livers, opposite to the children of God, should be understood. For then,2 saith he, when Christ saith, Let the tares alone, he should contradict other ordinances for the punishment of evil doers by the Magistrate. But this is a base begging of the question: for he well knew that those against whom he disputes hold that his exposition of the Parable contradicteth the ordinance of God for punishing Idolaters and Heretics, the question being whether this be not an ordinance as well as the punishment of scandalous livers. Besides, if the tares be Antichristian Idolaters, and they must not be plucked up, but suffered to grow till the harvest, as he expoundeth, this contradicteth other Scriptures, which say that the sword must be drawn against Antichristian idolaters, and they thereby cut off, Revel. 13. 10. and 17. 16