A92140:107
A free disputation against pretended liberty of conscience tending to resolve doubts moved
A free disputation against pretended liberty of conscience tending to resolve doubts moved by Mr. John Goodwin, John Baptist, Dr. Jer. Taylor, the Belgic Arminians, Socinians, and other authors contending for lawless liberty, or licentious toleration of sects and heresies. / By Samuel Rutherfurd professor of divinity in the University of St. Andrews.A free disputation against pretended liberty of conscience tending to resolve doubts moved by Mr. John Goodwin, John Baptist, Dr. Jer. Taylor, the Belgick Arminians, Socinians, and other authors contending for lawlesse liberty, or licentious toleration of sects and heresies. / By Samuel Rutherfurd professor of divinity in the University of St. Andrews.
London: printed by R.I. for Andrew Crook, 1649
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.
Answ. It is in some respect commendable that heretics be candid and ingenuous to declare, even, what their heretical judgement and indictment of conscience leads them to believe, but a full liberty to question, in the Synod, whether there be a God, or no, or whether Christ dyed for sinners, ought not to be,1 for that is license, and heretical license: a point controverted any may question: and these, that Act. 15. held necessity of circumcision, might seek resolution of their arguments and doubts, but under pretext of liberty free of fear and danger, they have not liberty to sin; that is, after they are or may be, (if wilfulness stood not in their way) inwardly convinced, they have not liberty obstinately to press sophisms against the truth, for this is an undeniable principle, liberty to sin is fleshly license not liberty.
Answ. It is in some respect commendable that hereticks be candid and ingenuous to declare, even, what their hereticall judgement and inditement of conscience leades them to beleeve, but a full liberty to question, in the Synode, whether there be a God, or no, or whether Christ dyed for sinners, ought not to be,1 for that is lycense, and hereticall lycense: a point controverted any may question: and these, that Act. 15. held necessitie of circumcision, might seeke resolution of their arguments and doubts, but under pretext of libertie free of feare and danger, they have not libertie to sinne; that is, after they are or may be, (if wilfulnesse stood not in their way) inwardly convinced, they have not libertie obstinately to presse sophismes against the truth, for this is an undenyable principle, libertie to sinne is fleshly lycense not libertie.
- 1Liberty to question every thing is licence.Liberty to question every thing is lycence.