A92140:244
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.
6. The sense of this (Try all, and hold that which is good) must be, Try and search the true senses of divine truths, and then having tried and believed, hold the truth, and believe it for a day, and yield to the light of the just contrary to morrow, and having found a contrary light, try that the third morrow, and yield to another new and contrary light the third morrow. Now the Holy Ghost must command doubting by that means, and doubting till we lose faith, and find it again, and lose it again in a circle, and if we must try all things, and try all spirits, the Bereans must try their own trying, and their own doubtings and believing, and so into infinite; and when they find Christ to be in Pauls doctrine, and that of Moses and the Prophets, yet must they try and doubt, and believe the doctrine of the ⟨p. 81⟩Prophets and Apostles, and of the Holy Ghost, with the Libertines reserve, waiting when the Holy Ghost shall give himself the lye, and say, I moved you to believe such a truth, and such an article of faith the last year, but now after a more deep consideration, I move you to believe the contrary, yet so as ye leave room to my new light.
6. The sense of this (Try all, and hold that which is good) must be, Try and search the true senses of divine truths, and then having tryed and beleeved, hold the truth, and beleeve it for a day, and yeeld to the light of the just contrary to morrow, and having found a contrary light, try that the third morrow, and yeeld to another new and contrary light the third morrow. Now the Holy Ghost must command doubting by that meanes, and doubting till we lose faith, and finde it againe, and lose it againe in a circle, and if we must try all things, and try all spirits, the Bereans must try their owne trying, and their owne doubtings and beleeving, and so into infinite; and when they finde Christ to be in Pauls doctrine, and that of Moses and the Prophets, yet must they try and doubt, and beleeve the doctrine of the ⟨p. 81⟩Prophets and Apostles, and of the Holy Ghost, with the Libertines reserve, waiting when the Holy Ghost shall give himselfe the lye, and say, I moved you to beleeve such a truth, and such an article of faith the last yeare, but now after a more deepe consideration, I move you to beleeve the contrary, yet so as yee leave roome to my new light.