A free disputation against pretended liberty of conscience tending to resolve doubts moved

Answ. ¹This vain argument of foolish men is against the Holy Ghost, not against us, for charity then must forbid us▪ to judge evil of our brother, or to beware of him, to avoid him, to admonish or rebuke him for heresy, for a sin known to God only, or to reject him, or to refuse him lodging in our house, or to bid him God speed, for you condemn him and flee and avoid him as an Heretic, and in so doing ye take Gods office on you to judge the heart, now when the Holy Ghost bids us admonish, rebuke, instruct with meekness: Heretics, if they will not be gained, reject and avoid them, doth he not clearly hold forth that Heretics may be known; When Solomon saith, go not by the door of the whore, make no friendship with an angry•man, be not companions with thieves and robbers, doth he not insinuate, that the whore and the angry man, and the thief may be known or would he say, the whore is only known to God, and charity forbids you to judge any wom•n a whore, or any teacher, who saith he would show you the str•ight way to heaven, and the way that he himself walketh in, and no man persuades himself that he erreth when the matter is concerning his own eternal salvation, and it is only known to God whether he be an Heretic or no, yet admonish him at an Heretic, and reject him and avoid his company as a Heretic. This is as much as if a Physician would say, it is impossible to any man to know, save God only, what ⟨p. 106⟩houses are infected with the pestilence, yet I counsel you, for your health, go not into any pest-house.

Answ. ¹This vaine argument of foolish men is against the Holy Ghost, not against us, for charity then must forbid us▪ to judge evill of our brother, or to beware of him, to avoide him, to admonish or rebuke him for heresie, for a sin knowne to God onely, or to reject him, or to refuse him lodging in our house, or to bid him God speed, for you condemn him and flee and avoyd him as an Heretick, and in so doing ye take Gods office on you to judge the heart, now when the Holy Ghost bids us admonish, rebuke, instruct with meeknesse: Heretickes, if they wil not be gained, reject and avoid them, doth he not clearly hold forth that Hereticks may be knowne; When Solomon saith, goe not by the doore of the whore, make no friendship with an angryman, be not companions with theeves and robbers, doth he not insinuate, that the whore and the angry man, and the theefe may be known or would he say, the whore is onely knowne to God, and charity forbids you to judge any womn a whore, or any teacher, who saith he would show you the stright way to heaven, and the way that he himselfe walketh in, and no man perswades himselfe that he erreth when the matter is concerning his owne eternall salvation, and it is onely knowne to God whether he be an Hereticke or no, yet admonish him at an Heretick, and reject him and avoid his company as a Heretick. This is as much as if a Phisitian would say, it is impossible to any man to know, save God onely, what