A92140:685
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.
But 3. This argument of Gamaliel, and Mr. Goodwin, must conclude that we must not smite with the tongue, or argue by the Scriptures of God against any false way. 1. It is dubious to us as to the Pharisees, and to all Christian Magistrates who are infallibly in no Gospel principle, and so they ⟨p. 286⟩cannot in faith draw the sword where the certainty of faith does not lead them,1 for fear they fall upon Giant fighting against God, in lie• of acts of justice. But so neither should Vatica•••, M•mus, C•lsus, Mr. Go•dwin, nor any smite with the tongue Presbyterians, Socinians, Antiscripturians, or fight against their way by Scripture arguments, because their way may be the way of truth, as well as yours, and to fight against any truth of God, when ye know not, but it may be truth of God, is a fighting against God, and so all preaching, all writing against Heretics shall be a fighting against God, for it is no more lawful to fight morally then physically against God, or his truth, and that without faith and infallibility, for to reproach any precious truth of the spirit in Saints, and call it a lye, must be to reproach God and his Son Christ, as to deny any truth of God before men, is to deny God and Christ before men, Matth. 10. 32. Mark. 8. 38. Luk. 9. 26. 2 Tim. 2. 12, 13.
But 3. This argument of Gamaliel, and Mr. Goodwin, must conclude that we must not smite with the tongue, or argue by the Scriptures of God against any false way. 1. It is dubious to us as to the Pharisees, and to al Christian Magistrats who are infallibly in no Gospel principle, and so they ⟨p. 286⟩