A92140:654
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
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.
The Honourable Houses must intend a quite other thing then pretended liberty, when they according as they are obliged by the Treaty of both Kingdoms pass an Ordinance that the Covenant be taken throughout the Kingdom of England, and Dominion of Wales,1 and their names to be returned to the Houses, who shall refuse. And an Exhortation is framed by the Assembly for taking the Covenant, which was approved by the Houses, and Printed by a special Ordinance, to wit,2 That no faithful English heart be afraid to join with our Brethren of all the three Kingdoms in this solemn League, as sometime the men of Israel (although under another King) did with the men of Judah at the invitation of Hezekiah, 2 Chro. 30.—And as Ezra and Nehemiah, Ezra 10. Neh. 9. drew all the people into a Covenant ⟨p. 275⟩without any special commission from the Persian Monarchs (then their Sovereigns) so to do, 3albeit they were not free Subjects but Vassals. And the two Kingdoms jointly declare that not only Papists, and Popish Recusants, and Irish Rebels that are actually in Arms against the Parliament, shall look for no favour, but be punished as Traitors, but also all Neutralists, all the ignorant and simple that were seduced, or compelled to take Arms, all of the Scottish Nation mis-led through private respects, all dividers between the King and his Parliament, if they would expect pardon and favour, should speedily take the Covenant, and join heartily and really in the defence of this Cause. Nor can the examples of Ezra, Nehemiah and Hezekiah be good Divinity then, and bad now, or the plea of not forcing the conscience be then weak, but now strong, except we dream that Parliaments by a Nomothetic power can alter divine truths;4 which we are unwilling to believe of the Parliament of England.