8 The foresaid licentiousness is contrary to the endeavour to preserve the Rights, Liberties of Parliaments, and just power and greatness of the King, now both King, Parliaments, and all Rulers have the sword committed to them to defend the Church against Seducers, Wolves, Heretics, false Teachers: and by the sword are to stand against the violation of mercy, righteousness, and the peace of human societies▪ and so against such, as from mere grounds of conscience serve God in sacrificing their children to God, promiscuous use of wives, a part of the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, community of goods; robing the just owners of their inheritances and possessions, because the word saith, the meek shall inherit the earth: lying and denying of our Religion before men. For should the Magistrate kill the father whose only conscience, no hatred (which is the only essential ingredient, to make killing of our neighbour without lawful authority, that murdering of our brother, which by the law of God and Man, is punishable with death, Deut. 19. 11, 12, 13. c. 4. 42. c. 19. 4. and the sword of the Magistrate) not any hatred (I say) or desire of revenge towards his son, whom he loves as tenderly as Abraham did Isaac, presseth out of mere religious obedience to God to offer his son to God in a sacrifice, he should not punish a murderer, but offer violence to the conscience of his father; since the word of God condemneth this as false worship, not as murder, yea, as superstitious adding to the Word, and as will-worship, Deu. 4. 31, 32. Jer, 7. 30, 31.
8 The foresaid licentiousnesse is contrary to the indeavour to preserve the Rights, Liberties of Parliaments, and just power and greatnesse of the King, now both King, Parliaments, and all Rulers have the sword committed to them to defend the Church against Seducers, Wolves, Hereticks, false Teachers: and by the sword are to stand against the violation of mercy, righteousnesse, and the peace of humaine societies▪ and so against such, as from meere grounds of conscience serve God in sacrificing their children to God, promiscuous use of wives, a part of the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, community of goods; robing the just owners of their inheritances and possessions, because the word saith, the meeke shall inherit the earth: lying and denying of our Religion before men. For should the Magistrate kil the father whose only conscience, nothatred (which is the only essentiall ingredient, to make killing of our neighbour without lawfull authority, that murthering of our brother, which by the law of God and Man, is punishable with death, Deut. 19. 11, 12, 13. c. 4. 42. c. 19. 4. and the sword of the Magistrate) not any hatred (I say) or desire of revenge towards his sonne, whom he loves as tenderly as Abraham did Isaack, presseth out of meere religious obedience to God to offer his sonne to God in a sacrifice, he should not punish a murtherer, but offer violence to the conscience of his father; since the word of God condemneth this as false worship, not as murther, yea, as superstitious adding to the Word, and as wil-worship, Deu. 4. 31, 32. Jer, 7. 30, 31.
