A92140:603
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.
Then is the Magistrate according to his place and calling, which is to bear the sword, to compel with the sword, the extirpation of Popery, Prelacy, Heresy and Schism, and what hath the Author gained by this gloss, which I conceive is the true gloss? except he mean the Magistrate, as the Magistrate should lay aside his sword and fall to prayers, requests, obtestations, that heretics would lay aside their errors and preach sound doctrine, but now he doth so pray and request, not according to his place, as a Magistrate, but according to his vocation as a Saint and a Christian, which yet crosses the Covenant, and makes the Parliament not as the supreme Court of Judges to take the Covenant, but as so many private Christians.
Then is the Magistrate according to his place and calling, which is to beare the sword, to compell with the sword, the extirpation of Popery, Prelacy, Heresie and Schisme, and what hath the Author gained by this glosse, which I conceive is the true glosse? except he mean the Magistrate, as the Magistrate should lay aside his sword and fall to prayers, requests, obtestations, that hereticks would lay aside their errours and preach sound doctrine, but now he doth so pray and request, not according to his place, as a Magistrate, but according to his vocation as a Saint and a Christian, which yet crosses the Covenant, and makes the Parliament not as the supream Court of Judges to take the Covenant, but as so many private Christians.
2 If so, the Judges are not in their respective places to ⟨p. 258⟩take the Covenant, nor endeavour the extirpation of heresy, because that is against the word of God, but then by what authority or calling did the Parliament cast out old Usurpers, the Prelates, cashier the Service book, Ceremonies, Alters and Crucifixes? Either as a Parliament, and so by the sword: is not here yet the Prelates conscience squeezed to the blood? is not here highest violence done to the consciences of high alter men and adorers of crucifixes? Why to them more then to Families? But if this was done by reque••, and word of butter and oil from the Parliament and Committee-men, then are Ordinances of Parliament but mere requests to the Subjects. But it is protestatio conraria facto.