A92140:679
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 23: The place Acts 5. v. 34. to wit, the counsell of Gamaliel, discussed, and found nothing…
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.
2. The Argument is as strong in the matter of adultery, treason, bloody rebellion, and murder, against the lawful Magistrates power, coercing all disorders against the second table, as against Religion or a way of God or of men, by which we worship God, and therefore (as Beza saith) The man was no favourer of the Gospel, but feared the evil that might follow upon the displeasure of the Romans.1 And Piscator and *Gualther says well, It was an evil counsel, Gualther saith, Since the scope of Gamaliel was only to save the Apostles from present danger, they abuse this argument, who thereby shake all discipline civill and Ecclesiastical: For the Magistrate bears not the Sword in vain, and ought to extirpate Heresies by his Office. And Calvin saith, It was a sentence unworthy of a wise man, because that which is of God shall stand, Gamaliel's consequence is null, that therefore the Magistrate whom God armed with the Sword should do nothing against sin. The consequence is as strong, in murders, Parricides, Sedition, as in Heresies whatever ⟨p. 283⟩Vaticanus says in the contrary,3 applying this argument only to doctrine, and to plants that our heavenly father hath not planted. For,
2. The Argument is as strong in the matter of adultery, treason, bloody rebellion, and murder, against the lawfull Magistrates power, coercing all disorders against the second table, as against Religion or a way of God or of men, by which wee worship God, and therefore (as Beza sayth) The man was no favorer of the Gospell, but feared the evill that might follow upon the displeasure of the Romans.1 And Piscator and *Gualther saies well, It was an evill counsell, Gualther sayth, Since the scope of Gamaliel was onely to save the Apostles from present danger, they abuse this argument, who thereby shake all discipline civill and Ecclesiasticall: For the Magistrate beares not the Sword in vaine, and ought to extirpate Heresies by his Office. And Calvin saith, It was a sentence unworthy of a wise man, because that which is of God shall stand, Gamaliels consequence is null, that therefore the Magistrate whom God armed with the Sword should doe nothing against sinne. The consequence is as strong, in murthers, Paricides, Sedition, as in Heresies whatever