A92140:517
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.
Answ. Not at all, for Christ useth the Christian Magistrate as his servant to beat the wolves from the flock, but not as King, mediator as God-man, head of the Church, for Christ Mediator as Mediator, works not by external violence, or, by the sword, in his mediatory Kingdom, Joh. 16, 36. If my Kingdom were of this World, mine own would fight for me. Ergo, it is but borrowed accidental help and service, that Christ hath in his mediatory Kingdom, from Kings, he works not as Mediator by fighting. Christ who is Mediator qui est Mediator acteth by believing Kings, not quâ Mediator as he is Mediator, the sword may procure good and peace to the mystical visible body, and immunity from spiritual errors. But this is a means to Christ as Mediator in the by, and at some times, not such as is the ministry of the word, 2 Cor. 10. 5. which is spiritual not carnal: though ministers be not sub-mediators, yet Christ as Mediator works and conquers in them, and by them. But I return.
Answ. Not at all, for Christ useth the Christian Migistrate as his servant to beat the wolves from the flock, but not as King, mediator as God-man, head of the Church, for Christ Mediator as Mediator, works not by externall violence, or, by the sword, in his mediatory Kingdome, Joh. 16, 36. If my Kingdome were of this World, mine owne would fight for mee. Ergo, it is but borrowed accidentall helpe and service, that Christ hath in his mediatory Kingdome, from Kings, he workes not as Mediator by fighting. Christ who is Mediator qui est Mediator acteth by beleeving Kings, not quâ Mediator as he is Mediator, the sword may procure good and peace to the mystical visible body, and immunity from spirituall errors. But this is a meanes to Christ as Mediator in the by, and at some times, not such as is the ministery of the word, 2 Cor. 10. 5. which is spiritual not carnal: though ministers be not sub-mediators, yet Christ as Mediator workes and conquers in them, and by them. But I returne.
6 To say the text speaks of evil doers, which appertains to the cognizance of the ordinary Magistrate (if it were not as ordinary to the Magistrate to be an understanding Christian as another man) is to beg the question, for we say, false teachers, wolves in sheeps skins, worrying the flock, which may be known by their works, as a figree is known from a thistle, by its fruit, are such evil doers. The text and law distinguisheth not, and mentioneth no more murderers then false teachers. Therefore the text means all evil