A92140:270
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.
All the Arguments of Libertines against the definition of an Heretic,1 tend to prove that there is not such a thing as an Heretic in the world As if a robber arraigned upon his head before a judge, would say, there is no such thing in the world as Robbery, it is a mere fiction, or their reasons ⟨p. 105⟩partinary, which we say is the formal reason and essence of heresy,2 is only in the heart, and known to God only, and therefore, since neither the Church, nor the Magistrate know the heart, we must leave it to God, all mens judgements of the heart are uncertain, and deceiving conjectures, no man of set purpose desires to do evil, but when he knows he does evil, no man persuades himself that he erreth, when the matter is about eternal salvation, therefore it is not lawful to charge any heretic that he acts malice against his light, charity persuadeth another thing, 3and who knowingly (saith Minus Celsus) and willingly sins against the known truth, his crime is not properly heresy, but the sin and blasphemy against the holy ghost for whom we are not to pray, and is a sin that shall never be pardoned, and therefore it is in vain to accuse this man of heresy.
All the Arguments of Libertines against the definition of an Heretick,1 tend to prove that there is not such a thing as an Hereticke in the world As if a robber arraigned upon his head before a judge, would say, there is no such thing in the world as Robbery, it is a meere fiction, or their reasons ⟨p. 105⟩partinary, which we say is the formal reason and essence of heresie,2 is onely in the heart, and knowne to God onely, and therefore, since neither the Church, nor the Magistrate know the heart, we must leave it to God, all mens judgements of the heart are uncertain, and deceiving conjectures, no man of set purpose desires to doe evill, but when hee knowes he does evill, no man perswades himselfe that he erreth, when the matter is about eternall salvation, therefore it is not lawfull to charge any heretick that he acts malice against his light, charity perswadeth another thing,