A92140:597
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 21: Of the Samaritans, and of no compelling of Heathens. How the Covenant bindeth us.
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. The words by all lawful means and ways, which ⟨p. 254⟩this man puts in Italian letters, 1and says are left out by the Author, whom he refutes, may soon be left out, for they were never in the Covenant. The man will defend the Covenant, and apparently hath sworn it, but I think he hath scarce read it, for these words are not in the Covenant, let him read againe. Turpe est doctori cum culpa redarnit ipsum.
Answ. The words by all lawfull meanes and wayes, which ⟨p. 254⟩this man puts in Italian letters, 1and says are left out by the Authour, whom he refutes, may soon be left out, for they were never in the Covenant. The man will defend the Covenant, and apparently hath sworne it, but I thinke he hath scarce read it, for these words are not in the Covenant, let him read againe. Turpe est doctori cum culpa redarnit ipsum.
- 1The Author of the Ancient bonds an ignorant prevoricator in the Covenant.The Author of the Antient bonds an ignorant prevoricator in the Covenant.
2 He swears to bring the Churches to nearest uniformity according to his place, but when this man defends the toleration of all the sects in England, Socinians, Arians, Familists, for he writing anno 1645 when above twenty sundry Religions in England came to the streets, he excepts not one in all his Treatise, but calls them all the godly party, Saints, Brethren, the Godly, and owns them so, in his preface and whole book. He must grant there is no uniformity in faith, discipline, worship, by the word of God, for if all these be Saints, Godly, and holy Brethren, they have all one faith, and are saved, but let him tell me, by the next, if he can answer, whether there is a nearest, or any uniformity in faith, worship and government, between Presbyterians and Socinians, Familists, Antinomians, and Seekers, yet this man swears to endeavour the nearest conjunction and uniformity amongst all the Saints who are to be tolerated, but let him say, if he hath, in this case ingenuity or learning, what nearest uniformity he knows amongst all these, whether the Covenant should not oblige a Libertine to endeavour the widest contrariety and deformity of religious amongst these, and to plead for forbearance of them all as he expoundeth it.