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

Answ. More severity, and a stricter tutorage to be over the Church in non-age, and under Pedagogy, we grant, Gal. 4. 1, 2, 3. But that is in regard of Ceremonial hedges, laws, and days, but it is to beg the question, to say that moral transgressions are destructive, if not more, to Christian societies now as then, such as blasphemy, idolatry, heresy, that were punished with the sword then, must now be more loosed from all bodily punishment in any kind, then murder, sorcery, adultery, perjury. For the comparison of a milder Government under Jesus, then under Moses, cannot stand in fencing some moral transgressions utterly from the sword, and in leaving others less weighty, under as bloody punishments as ever they were. When no reason from the word of truth, can be given, why the murderer should dye by the sword, now and then, but blasphemy, and offering the sons to Molech, as the Indians do now, was then by the law of Nature, a dis-worship, or a false worship, punishable in Jews and heathen, but now it is not in any punishable by the sword at all. 2. The sword did not force the conscience of any then, more than now, nor could it cudgel an Idolater, or a blasphemer, into the sound faith then, more then now, and weapons of the Prophets in the ⟨p. 190⟩Old Testament, as well as the Apostles in the New, were not carnal but spiritual, and mighty through God.Prophets, as Prophets, no more used the sword against mens consciences of old, than Christ, his Apostles, and Ministers do now, Mat. 28. 19, 20. And as Christ saith now, preach the Gospel, but kill none, use neither staff nor sword, nor miraculous power to destroy heretics, or burn Samaria, so he said to his Prophets, speak my word to Israel and Judah and the Nations, to Nineveh and others, but kill none, and use the sword against none of the rebellious who will not hear, that they may be converted.

Answ. More severity, and a stricter tutory to be over the Church in non-age, and under Pedagogie, we grant, Gal. 4. 1, 2, 3. But that is in regard of Ceremoniall hedges, laws, and dayes, but it is to begge the question, to say that morall transgressions are destructive, if not more, to Christian societies now as then, such as blasphemy, idolatry, heresie, that were punished with the sword then, must now be more loosed from all bodily punishment in any kind, then murther, sorcery, adultery, perjury. For the comparison of a milder Government under Jesus, then under Moses, cannot stand in fencing some moral transgressions utterly from the sword, and in leaving others lesse weighty, under as bloody punishments as ever they were. When no reason from the word of truth, can be given, why the murtherer should dye by the sword, now and then, but blasphemy, and offering the sons to Molech, as the Indians doe now, was then by the law of Nature, a dis-worship, or a false worship, punishable in Jews and heathen, but now it is not in any punishable by the sword at all. 2. The sword did not force the conscience of any then, more than now, nor could it cudgell an Idolater, or a blasphemer, into the sound faith then, more then now, and weapons of the Prophets in the