A92140:126
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. This is mere Scepticism, and to make the conscience whether erroneous, or not erroneous to be a bible and a rule of faith. For though the erroneous conscience say, it is service to God to kill the innocent Apostles John 16. 1. Yet the sixth commandment lies upon these murderers with equal strength, thou shalt not kill, otherwise they are nor guilty of murder. For if a Synod decree to kill Peter and John, because they preach that the Son of Mary is the Messiah, is bloody persecution: Then so soon as Scribes and Pharisees in their erroneous conscience (for Libertines make exceptions of no consciences, an erroneous more than another, nor erring in fundamentals more than of another) shall judge it service to God to kill the Apostles they are loosed from the sixth commandment and no longer obliged to this (thou shalt not murder.) So the author of the tractate called Armini.1 Where mens scope is any way to remove controversies, there is there no care or little at all of the trueth of God, and where the external peace of the Common-wealth is heeded precisely, there peace of conscience is of none or of little value, the truth is not there persuaded, but crushed.
Answ. This is meere Scepticisme, and to make the conscience whether erroneous, or not erroneous to be a bible and a rule of faith. For though the erroneous conscience say, it is service to God to kill the innocent Apostles John 16. 1. Yet the sixt commandement lyes upon these murtherers with equall strength, thou shalt not kill, otherwise they are nor guilty of murther. For if a Synod decree to kill Peter and John, because they preach that the Son of Mary is the Messiah, is bloody persecution: Then so soone as Scribes and Pharisees in their erroneous conscience (for Libertimes make exceptions of no consciences, an erroneous more than another, nor erring in fundamentals more than of another) shall judge it service to God to kill the Apostles they are loosed from the sixt commandement and no longer oblieged to this (thou shalt not murther.) So the authour of the tractate called Armini.1 Where mens scope is any way to remove controversies, there is there no care or little at all of the trueth of God, and where the externall peace of the Common-wealth is heeded precisely, there peace of conscience is of none or of little value, the truth is not there perswaded, but crushed.