A92140:748
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.
3 Argument, That which was a mere judicial law, and not only in no force now, as touching any obligation to bodily punishment from the Christian Magistrate, is now under the Gospel, either a sin offensive to humane society Or, 2. No sin, but innocency, as some say, Or then 5. • thing lndifferent. If it be a sin offensive to humane society, and the people of God, to drive them away from the Lord their God, and an abomination that Israel should fear to do, in the days of Moses and before Christ came, as is clear, Deut. 13. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. It must be so now: for since it is not a Typical, but a moral sin, it is at all times, and in all places to us, and now, and to them, and then, an abomination.1 Ergo the Argument of the holy Ghost being perpetual, that it is destructive to humane society, the Lord must provide the same, or as effectual means, for the remedying thereof. But if the Christian Magistrate have no place or power to repress such abominations, but Israel may seduce men after false gods, and not fear the stroke of […] sword, then hath the Lord left the Church to the lust of ravenous Wolves that destroy the flock, and hath left these wolves to the Lords immediate hand of judgement: for rebukes, Church-censures are not to be used against them, upon the same ground that the sword should not be drawn against them, by the ground of Libertines: ⟨p. 317⟩for rebukes and Church-censures do. 1. Force the conscience no less than the sword. 2. They beget Hypocrites. 3. Are as contrary to the law of meekness and gentleness of Christ and his servants, who used no such way to gain the Samaritans, and other gain-sayers, as the sword is repugnant to Christs meek administration, who did not use either sword, crying, rebukes, or excommunication, against broken reeds, though both these may be used against Seducers in great gentleness and tenderness toward their souls, by fathers in State or Church. 4. They are no less against liberty of prophesying, believing with a reserve to believe the contrary, than the sword.
3 Argument, That which was a meere judiciall law, and not onely in no force now, as touching any obligation to bodily punishment from the Christian Magistrate, is now under the Gospell, either a sin offensive to humane society Or, 2. No sin, but innocency, as some say, Or then 5. thing lndifferent. If it be a sin offensive to humane society, and the people of God, to drive them away from the Lord their God, and an abomination that Israel should feare to doe, in the dayes of Moses and before Christ came, as is cleare,