A92140:571
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 20: The parable of the Wheat and the Tares, discussed and cleared.
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.
2. God was severer then, in some Laws, to things, and to men also, as in commanding the cattle, and women with child to be put to the edge of the sword, because he would both give a document of moral justice for our imitation, and of typicalness of Justice, for our instruction; but in the kind of moral justice (for all typicalness is now ceased) the Lord is severer under the Gospel, then under the Law, as is evident, Mal. 4. 1, 2. Heb. 2. 1, 2. Luk. 23. 28, 29, 30. and no less jealous of his own glory now then at that time, and his wrath rages against walls, and houses, and senseless ⟨p. 245⟩creatures more now then at that time, see what desolation he hath wrought in Ireland, what eating of horses, of Infants, and of killed soldiers, hath been in that land, and in Germany? And what vengeance shall lye upon the stones, fields, of Romish Babylon? and this shall be done by lawful Magistrates, Kings, and others, Rev. 17. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. God did then deal more rigidly with a people whom he purposed to compel to fly to Christ. But that his mercy ebbs or flows, increaseth or decreaseth with the Moon, is new divinity. And it is true, God was more severe under the Old Testament in regard of typical severity, commanded by God to Magistrates, as to Saul, to kill the Amalekites, women and sucking children, but in regard of justice inflicted by himself, the impression of hell is more to be seen in destroying Townes that have been swallowed up by earthquake, men, women and children in extremity of famine, pestilence and bloody wars now, then under the Old Testament.
2. God was severer then, in some Laws, to things, and to men also, as in commanding the cattle, and women with childe to be put to the edge of the sword, because he would both give a document of morall justice for our imitation, and of typicalnesse of Justice, for our instruction; but in the kinde of morall justice (for all typicalnesse is now ceased) the Lord is severer under the Gospell, then under the Law, as is evident,