A92140:177
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.
Again La••antius saith false Religion cannot be compelled, but he denies not that Christians may punish blasphemies in true religion. 2. he denies we may propagate the Gospel among Pagans with the sword: 1both which points we teach. There […] (saith he) of force and injury, because Religion cannot be compelled, the business is to be transacted by words rather than blows, that there may be willingness. Let them (enemies of the truth) draw the sword or sharpness of their wi•• if their reason be good, let it be produced: we are ready to […], if they teach (nothing more clear then that he speaks of the Pagans that would force Pagans worship on Christians: we believe nothing of their Religion whilst they are silent, as we cannot yield to them while they rage against us, let them imitate us, and declare the reason of the whole matter, for we (Christians) do not allure, as they ⟨p. 53⟩(Pagans) frequently object to us, but we teach, we prove, we demonstrate:2 therefore none by us are kept against their will, for he is unprofitable to God who wants devotion and faith: and yet no man departs from us when the truth detains him.
Again La••antius saith false Religion cannot be compelled, but he denyes not that Christians may punish blasphemies in true religion. 2. he denyes we may propagate the Gospel among Pagans with the sword: 1both which points we teach. There 〈…〉 (saith he) of force and injurie, because Religion cannot be compelled, the business is to be tran•acted by words rather than blowes, that there may be willingnesse. Let them (enemies of the truth) draw the sword or sharpnesse of their wi•• if their reason be good, let it be produced: we are ready to 〈…〉, if they teach (nothing more cleare then that he speaks of the Pagans that would force Pagans worship on Christians: we beleive nothing of their Religion whilt they are silent, as we cannot yeeld to them while they rage against us, let them imitate us, and declare the reason of the whole matter, for we (Christians) doe not allure, as they