A92140:602
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. Nor do we plead for absolute identity in doctrine, and worship,1 but endeavour it we ought. But how I pray you doth the Magistrate (for that I had almost forgot) send Ministers to rebuke, exhort and reclaim men from their errors, but not compel gainsayers? The Magistrate (I am sure) sent not Paul and Barnabas; it was not so from the beginning, in the Apostolic Church there were no Parliament-Ministers. But it may be the Author means a political civill sending of Ministers to extirpate heresies. But be it so, all Magistratical sending of Magistrates is a commanding of them by the sword in a compulsive way, that they go preach against Familism, Socinianism, Arianism. But if so, good Sir remember ⟨p. 257⟩your self, the Magistrate, as the Magistrate doth not request, and morally by the power of the word (for he hath not any such spiritual armour, I conceive, for his warfare) entreat, and say, good Pastors, I beseech you go preach against Del, Randal, Saltmarsh and other Familists, and extirpate their heresies; private men so send Pastors, but as a Magistrate he must say, I command you go preach against these heresies, under the pain of bearing the vengeance of my sword, now if the Pastors reply, Good Master Judge, we cannot do that, for we think Familism a new glorious discovery of spirit, and Mr. Saltmarsh hath beaten out of the Scriptures, new sparkles of glory and flowings of free grace, Familism is no heresy. If the Magistrate notwithstanding by his place and calling send these, and command them to go and extirpate Familism, doth he not compel the consciences of these pastors he sends? what do ye then talk of no compelling? for what ever the Magistrate by his place doth command which is lawful, if Ministers or any other refuse to obey, he may use the sword against them. Ye cannot say, if it be a matter of conscience he cannot compel them to do it by his place: then (say I) by his place he cannot command them neither. Beside that, this answer is, directly against the words of the Covenant, if every man in like manner. Art. 2. Be to endeavour the extirpation of Popery, Prelacy, Heresy and Schism, in his several places and callings, as the Author saith, this refers to the whole obligation of each person respectively.
Answ. Nor do we plead for absolute identitie in doctrine, and worship,1