A92140:578
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 Nor is it inconvenient that the Churches nurse-father purge the Church in a politic way, as his place may bear.
2 Nor is it inconvenient that the Churches nurse-father purge the Church in a politick way, as his place may bear.
3 It is true, some crimes as murder, the Magistrates punish with death, and is to accept of no satisfaction, Num. 35. 30. 31. because the taking away lif• It among things that cannot be repaired,1 but it is not universally true in all cases, that the Magistrate is not to forgive, if the guilty man repent. And though we could not determine that case of conscience, whether the Magistrate should punish a blasphemer and a false teacher if he repent, yet it follows not that he should not be punished who wilfully goes on. And the reason why heretics repenting, are to be pardoned by the Magistrates, is, because obstinatious persisting in an heresies, makes a man an heretic punishable by death, but if a blasphemer have perverted many souls, and have presumptuously dishonoured the Majesty of God, to me, it is a question if the Magistrates ought to pardon him, and ⟨p. 248⟩though he be not put to death, it is sure he ought by the Magistrate to be punished, which is the thing we prove now.
3 It is true, some crimes as murther, the Magistrates punish with death, and is to accept of no satisfaction, Num. 35. 30. 31. because the taking away lif• It among things that cannot be repaired,1 but it is not universally true in all cases, that the Magistrate is not to forgive, if the guilty man repent. And though we could not determin that case of conscience, whether the Magistrate should punish a blasphemer and a false teacher if he repent, yet it follows not that he should not be punished who willfully goes on. And the reason why hereticks repenting, are to be pardoned by the Magistrates, is, because obstinatious persisting in an heresies, makes a man an heretick punishable by death, but if a blasphemer have perverted many soules, and have presumptuously dishonoured the Majesty of God, to me, it is a question if the Magistrates ought to pardon him, and