A92140:518
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.
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 fig•ree 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 ⟨p. 225⟩doers, that perturb human societies, as spiritual wolves and lions that devour the flock, and those that think ill in their hearts, to all men of sound sense are punishable only by him that knows the heart, not by Judges.
6 To say the text speakes of evill doers, which appertaines 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 begge the question, for we say, false teachers, wolves in sheeps skins, woorying the flock, which may be knowne by their works, as a fig•ree is known from a thistle, by its fruit, are such evill doers. The text and law distinguisheth not, and mentioneth no more murtherers then false teachers. Therefore the text meanes all evill ⟨p. 225⟩doers, that per•urbe humaine societies, as spirituall wolves and lyons that devoure the flocke, and those that thinke ill in their hearts, to all men of sound sense are punishable onely by him that knowes the heart, not by Judges.
7 To say the light, and law of nature is the Judges only compass he must sail by, and that he must punish no sins, but such as are against the law of nature. 1. It pulls the book of the law of God, yea, the Bible out of the Kings hand, that contains greater deeps then the law of nature can reach, contrary to the word of God,