A92140:243
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.
I would assume, But whether there be a God, and but one God, and all fundamentalls or non-fundamentalls, be divine truths; yea, and whether fornication be sin, and plurality of wives, and community of goods, and spoiling of wicked men of their wives, and their lands, and possessions, as the Israelites spoiled the Egyptians, are such truths that we must try before we receive, believe, and accordingly believe and practice; ergo, the Magistrate is to tolerate fornication, plurality of wives, spoiling of men of their possessions and goods, and community of goods, but the conclusion is absurd and blasphemous, and against the Law of nature; for if there be no Magistracy, nor violence to be done to ill-doers under the New Testament, neither must we defend our own lives, nor fly, nor resist injuries, but turn up the other cheek to him that smites the one, and if a man take your cloak, give him your coat also, according to the sense that Anabaptists put on the words; yea and cut off your hands and feet, pluck out your eyes, if they cause you to offend and shed your own blood, which is the greatest and most unnatural violence that is.
I would assume, But whether there be a God, and but one God, and all fundamentalls or non-fundamentalls, be divine truths; yea, and whether fornication be sin, and plurality of wives, and community of goods, and spoyling of wicked men of their wives, and their lands, and possessions, as the Israelites spoyled the Aegyptians, are such truths that we must try before we receive, beleeve, and accordingly beleeve and practice; ergo, the Magistrate is to tolerate fornication, plurality of wives, spoyling of men of their possessions and goods, and community of goods, but the conclusion is absurd and blasphemous, and against the Law of nature; for if there be no Magistracy, nor violence to bee done to ill-doers under the New Testament, neither must we defend our owne lives, nor flye, nor resist injuries, but turne up the other cheeke to him that smites the one, and if a man take your cloake, give him your coat also, according to the sense that Anabaptists put on the words; yea and cut off your hands and feet, plucke out your eyes, if they cause you to offend and shed your owne blood, which is the greatest and most unnaturall violence that is.