A92140:287
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.
Yea the Donatists killed themselves, and cast themselves down head-long from an high place, they did that (saith Mr. Celsus) out of obstinacy and malice to be avenged on Catholics, and bring them under the guilt of persecutors, which was an evil conscience in them, but there can be no evil conscience in an heretic dying for his opinion, an heretic dying for his opinion cannot have an ill conscience, he prays to God, commends his safety to him, acknowledgeth Christ his Son, his Redeemer and Saviour, sings hymns and praises in the midst of the flames of fire.
Yea the Donatists killed themselves, and cast themselves downe head-long from an high place, they did that (saith Mr. Celsus) out of obstinacy and malice to be avenged on Catholicks, and bring them under the guilt of persecuters, which was an evill conscience in them, but there can be no evill conscience in an heretick dying for his opinion, an hereticke dying for his opinion cannot have an ill conscience, he prayes to God, commends his safety to him, acknowledgeth Christ his Son, his Redeemer and Saviour, sings hymnes and praises in the midst of the flames of fire.
Answ. That is a conjecture that Donatists and Circumce••ions killed themselves to be revenged on Catholics, Augustine neither Ep. 61. nor Ep. 50. nor elsewhere makes mention of such an end they had, but because they believed it was happiness to dye for Christ; yea though so it were, praying and praising, and crying, The Temple of the Lord, will he say there can be no malice in thieves, murderers, adulterers, perjured persons, walkers after other Gods, and such as kill their sons to the devil in Top•e•, Jer. 7. 3, 4, 5, 9. 30, 31. and in bloody persecutors, who said the Lord be glorified, Esa, 66. 5. and ⟨p. 112⟩in these that think they do God service, in killing the Apostles of the Lord,