A92140:742
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.
for they persecuted the true Prophets and Apostles that spake in the name of the Lord; as Herod beheaded James, Acts 12. and apprehended Peter. Nero persecuted Paul, and ⟨p. 313⟩Domitian confined John to the Isle Patmos for the Word of God. To which I answer, That the Argument is not drawn simply from the practice of Heathen Magistrates, but from the light of nature, that teacheth all Magistrates, Heathen and Christian, to punish public impostors, false Prophets and liars, as most pernicious enemies to the peace of all humane Societies. And if the Law of nature and Nations dictate to all Societies, That deceivers, and such as raise false reports and lies upon earthly Judges, should be punished; far more is it a principle of the Law of nature, that public liars, and such as speak lies in the name of the Lord, and deceive and seduce the souls of father and mother, King and Ruler, and of all ranks of men in the Society, should not be tolerated in the society. And what though Emperors and Kings have abused the power that God gave them for the truth, to persecute the servants of Christ for the truth, it follows not, but they had just power, as the Ministers of God, to punish seducing Prophets, as well as other ill-doers, by the law of nature and Nations. And this I take is holden forth by Job, 131, 26, 27, 28. who being under no Judicial Law, obliging the Jews, but a Gentile, and so in this led by the Law of nature and Nations, maketh Idolatry and worshipping of the Sun and Moon,2 to be an iniquity to be punished by the Judge. That this is not an iniquity to be punished by God (as if heresy be innocency, as Libertines say, it must neither be punished by God nor man) but by the Judge on earth is clear. For 1. the expression, v. 28. varies only in the number from that which is v. 11. Now there Job saith of Adultery [Greek or Hebrew] & ipsum iniquitas Judicum. 3And ver. 98 [Greek or Hebrew] etiam hoc iniquitas Judie is. The English Divines do well observe,