A92140:777
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 26: Whether punishing of Seducing Teachers be persecution for Conscience.
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.
Answ. 1The very like the Donatists objected; so Cresconius Grammaticeus, Quisquis Christianum persequitur, Christi inimicus est, 2whoever persecutes a Christian is an enemy of Christ, Augus. l. 3. contra a Cresconium c. 51. answereth, Verum dicis, •• non in illo persequitur, quod Christi est inimicum, neque enim Dominus in servo, pater in filio, maritus in conjuge cum sine utrique Christiani, non debent persequi vitia Cbristianae contraria veritati, an vero si non persequuntur, non rei negligentiae merito teneluntur? ⟨p. 335⟩It is true, saith he, He is an Enemy to Christ, who persecuteth a Christian, if he do not persecute in a Christian, that, which is enmity to Christ, yet are not the master, father, husband, not to persecute in servant, son, and wife (if they be Christians) sins contrary to Christian truth, and if they persecute not these sins, are they not justly guilty of the negligence of their brethren's souls? So also Augustine distinguisheth a two fold persecution, de unit. Eccl. c. 20 & Psal. 100. Had these men given us one letter of Scripture for their bastard definition of persecution, we should not stumble to hear Tongue-persecutors and Railers, and Hand-persecutors say so; but we go from them to our Saviours words, Matth. 5. 12. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you (not for an erroneous and bloody conscience, as Libertines define it) but falsely for my sake. Persecution that the Scripture condemns, is persecution, for righteousness ••d truth, such as the true Prophets suffered for the truth, Matth. 5. 12. for Christs names sake, Luke 21. 17. Matth. 19. 29. for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus,