A92140:496
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
Chapter 16: Prophesies in the Old Testament, especially Zach. 13. 1, 2, 3, 4. 5, 6. for punishing f…
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.
Its true, that Da. Chytreus and Melanchthon acknowledge a confutation of errors by words, but Chytreus in the same place on this text, goeth farther, they shall confute false teachers (saith he) as Asa removed his own mother from worshipping of Idols. 1But how? 2 Chron. 15. 16. He removed her from being Queen, because she had made an Idol in a grove. This removing was not a moral confutation by words, but a compulsory, by royal authority, which is essentially coactive and in order to the sword. Deodate, and the English Divines, call it a representation of the spirit of knowledge and discretion, but they add, and zeal in Christs true Church to discern false doctrines and to oppose them, how? By not only refuting them by the word, but by censures of excommunication and rebukes. The Objector might have read forward, ver. 6. One shall say, if it appear that he hath passed through the Churches discipline, because he hath been a seducer, he shall confess it, and give God the glory, approving of the Churches severity, used for his correction. The Objector, as we have heard, rejects ecclesiastical coercing of false teachers as well as civill. Which Diodate and those Divines acknowledge: nor do they exclude the Magistrate as he doth; he addeth Grotius a reconciler and an apostate and calleth the number of five very late writers, the best expounders on the place of Zechariah. With his leave, Calvin, Gualther, Piscator, Junius, Daneus, five ⟨p. 217⟩for five, and twenty and twenty, and four as good (many of them esteemed better) have written the contrary. I have not time now to levy Hosts and Armies of writers. But its the Objectors best to be silent of Divines, and to quit the cause too, for he sayeth nothing to a purpose. But what Socinians and Sectaries joining with Serveiur, Castalio, Minus Celsus, Vaticanus, Acontius, Episcopius, and the Belgic Arminians against Calvin and Beza, hath said (with favour of his learning) twice, better if they were translated into the English tongue. Nor must we with sharp rebukes, and piercing words, like sharp swords pierce through Heretics: for our Libertines tell us, Christ spake words of honey and butter to apostate Samaritans, and the servant of the Lord must be gentle.
Its true, that Da. Chytreus and Melanthon acknowledge a confutation of errours by words, but Chytreus in the same place on this text, goeth farther, they shall confute false teachers (saith he) as Asa removed his owne mother from worshipping of Idols.