A free disputation against pretended liberty of conscience tending to resolve doubts moved

Answ. All this is very nothing, 1. Approbation and submission to truth is no royal power. Isaiah giveth a paternal and fatherly power to the King in Church matters, when he saith, He shall be a nurse-father. Now all he gives in these two former points, to wit, approbation of, and submission to truth, is no more then any tradesman or son owes to the Church: So Isaiah makes the King a father; this author makes him a son subject to the Church, which subjection I deny not in another consideration, but that as a nurse-father he should approve the truth, and submit thereunto, as all the members of the Church, makes him both a father and a son; a commander, and a humble submissive obeyer in the same consideration, which is most contradictorious and uncongruous, for he must speak of him as a Ruler, or else he saith nothing. The third thing which is, protection to the true Church is nothing to the purpose; for that he owes to them as subjects, not as they are serving God in the duties of the first Table, for the King by this man can neither command them nor forbid them, by his Magisterial or coactive power to serve God, or not to serve him, in the duties of the first Table, and by the true Church that the King owes protection to, the Author meaneth not the Church that is in it self sound and true, but the Church that seemeth and appeareth so to the conscience of the Magistrate though most erroneous. Now this is the Church of Seekers and Anabaptists, but suppose the Magistrate or Commander in war be a Familist, a gross Anabaptist; the Author will not say, That he ought to protect the Church assembled to worship God, and to excommunicate and deliver to Satan such as subvert the faith of many, and say the Resurrection is already past, or that he ought to protect an Assembly of Divines that are for Presbyterial Government, and the truth that Calvin and our Reformers delivered: These are to him Antichristian Synagogues; or if he owe them protection, he ought to offer violence with his sword, to Anabaptists, such as rose in Germany under John Becold of Leydon, that out of mere principles of Religion, killed ⟨p. 323⟩all that were not of their way, and to displace, imprison, and confine Presbyterians.

Answ. All this is very nothing, 1. Approbation and submission to truth is no royall power. Isaiah giveth a paternall and fatherly power to the King in Church matters, when he saith, He shall be a nurse-father. Now all he gives in these two former points, to wit, approbation of, and submission to truth, is no more then any tradesman or son owes to the Church: So Isaiah makes the King a father; this author makes him a son subject to the Church, which subjection I deny not in another consideration, but that as a nurse-father he should approve the truth, and submit thereunto, as all the members of the Church, makes him both a father and a son; a commander, and a humble submissive obeyer in the same considration, which is most contradictorious and uncongruous, for he must speak of him as a Ruler, or else he saith nothing. The third thing which is, protection to the true Church is nothing to the purpose; for that he owes to them as subjects, not as they are serving God in the duties of the first Table, for the King by this man can neither command them nor forbid them, by his Magisteriall or coactive power to serve God, or not to serve him, in the duties of the first Table, and by the true Church that the King owes protection to, the Author meaneth not the Church that is in it self sound and true, but the Church that seemeth and appeareth so to the conscience of the Magistrate though most erronious. Now this is the Church of Seekers and Anabaptists, but suppose the Magistrate or Commander in war be a Familist, a grosse Anabaptist; the Author will not say, That he ought to protect the Church assembled to worship God, and to excommunicate and deliver to Satan such as subvert the faith of many, and say the Resurrection is already past, or that he ought to protect an Assembly of Divines that are for Presbyteriall Government, and the truth that Calvin and our Reformers delivered: These are to him Antichristian Synagogues; or if he owe them protection, he ought to offer violence with his sword, to Anabaptists, such as rose in Germany under John Becold of Leydon, that out of meer principles of Religion, killed