A90288:195
A sermon preached to the Honourable House of Commons, in Parliament assembled
A sermon preached to the Honourable House of Commons, in Parliament assembled: on January 31. A day of solemn humiliation. With a discourse about toleration, and the duty of the civill magistrate about religion, thereunto annexed. Humbly presented to them, and all peace-loving men of this nation. / By John Owen, pastor of the Church of Christ, which is at Coggeshall in Essex.A sermon preached to the Honourable House of Commons, in Parliament assembled: on January 31. A day of solemne humiliation. With a discourse about toleration, and the duty of the civill magistrate about religion, thereunto annexed. Humbly presented to them, and all peace-loving men of this nation. / By John Owen, pastor of the Church of Christ, which is at Coggeshall in Essex.
London: printed by Matthew Simmons for Henry Cripps, 1649
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.
2. The Blasphemer by that Law was not allowed his Clergy. Dye he must without mercy, no room being left for the intervention of Repentance, as to the removal of his temporal punishment. When once the Witnesses Garments were rent, he was Anathema: But in case of any Heresy, repentance, yea Recantation is a sure Antidote (at least for once, so it is among the Papists) against all corporal sufferings.
2. The Blasphemer by that Law was not allowed his Clergy. Dye he must without mercy, no roome being left for the intervention of Repentance, as to the removall of his temporall punishment. When once the Witnesses Garments were rent, he was Anathema: But in case of any Heresie, repentance, yea Recantation is a sure Antidote (at least for once, so it is among the Papists) against all corporall sufferings.
6. Neither doth that place in Zechariah, Chap. 13. v. 3. concerning the running through of the false Prophet, more prove or approve of the punishment of death to be inflicted for misapprehensions in the matters of Religion (and if it proves not that, it proveth nothing, for slaying is the thing expressed, and certainly if proofs be taken from the Letter, the Letter must be obeyed, or we force the Word to serve our Hypothesis) then that place of Joh. 10. He that entereth not by the door is a thief and a robber; which Bellarmine strongly urgeth to this very ⟨p. 45⟩purpose, because Thieves and Robbers, are so dealt withal, righteously: Bell. lib. de Laicis. cap. 21. If such deductions may be allowed it will be easy to prove, quidlibet, ex quolibet, at any time.
6. Neither doth that place in Zachary, Chap. 13. v. 3. concerning the running through of the false Prophet, more prove or approve of the punishment of death to be inflicted for misapprehensions in the matters of Religion (and if it proves not that, it proveth nothing, for slaying is the thing expressed, and certainely if proofes be taken from the Letter, the Letter must be obeyed, or we force the Word to serve our Hypothesis) then that place of