A92140:154
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. 1. There is no doubt, but trying all things 1 Thess. 5. relates to judgement and practice, nor is it more against the Ministerial and conditional imposition of a Synod, to you to try, then it is against the imposition and commanding power of the Prophets, Jeremiah, or others, or the Apostles, Paul Act 17. or John. 1 Joh. 4. 1. For Prophets and Apostles impose Scripture as Paul did Act. 17. on the Bereans; but conditionally after they find it agreeable to the Scripture, and the Prophets and Apostles, conclude by their vote and sentence, yet better you try as not try. For this argument is more against the Bereans trying of Paul who had Apostolic power to impose and place the poor Bereans in the place they were in before they tried, and so as good the Bereans not try Pauls doctrine, as try it; for they are concluded by Pauls vote, if they miscarry in their trying and find, though mistakingly and ignorantly (as this Gamaliel argueth) that Pauls doctrine is contrary to the Scriptures, are they not concluded under unbelief in refusing ⟨p. 41⟩the Gospel and in stumbling at the stone laid on Zion? sure they are. 2. If you approve Pauls doctrine, the imposition, or peremptory command of Paul to receive it, else he will shake the dust off his feet against you and leave death at your door, the imposition is not needless, but the commanding power in the Ambassador of Christ, be they one as a single pastor, or many, as a Synod, is not needless but useful and fruitful, and is the power of God and the savour of life in it self. Should an ignorant man say the Commanding Ministerial power of the Gospel which saith, except ye believe ye shall die in your sins, needless? when it bringeth forth fruit. Suppose Paul say to Elimas (as in effect he did) if thou wilt not believe, and cease to pervert others from believing, I will smite thee with blindness. If this imposing had wrought faith in Elimas, as by the grace of God it might, had this imposing been needless the man might as well say: because this tree brings forth fruit being digged and branched, and pruned, therefore digging was needless.
Answ. 1. There is no doubt, but trying all things