A92140:785
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. This argues a silly engine, for if it hold good against us, Search all Scriptures, Records, &c. no Tyrants, no Nero having the Sword to punish Patricides, Matricides, Sorceries, Adulteries, Sodomy, professed that they punished just men as just men, innocent men as innocent men; what then? Shall it follow Magistracy and the use of the sword is unlawful against any, because Tyrants oppress the innocent, not as innocent, but as seditious, traitorous, cruel, bloody men? Nor would I have Mr. Williams, so charitable to the Devil as to think he will not persecute Jesus as Jesus. I dare not determine much upon the Devils heart-reduplications, but if he be not involved in the sin against the Holy Ghost, and a burning malice against Jesus, because he is the Son of God, and the Saviour of man, I know not much. However Mr. Williams hath reason upon his grounds to think that none should be persecuted for conscience, because we are all Sceptics even in point of Salvation and Fundamentals, and not infallibly assured of either heaven or hell, and so he is wor•e then a Papist.
Answ. This argues a silly engine, for if it hold good against us, Search all Scriptures, Records, &c. no Tyrants, no Nero having the Sword to punish Patricides, Matricides, Sorceries, Adulteries, Sodomy, professed that they punished just men as just men, innocent men as innocent men; what then? Shall it follow Magistracy and the use of the sword is unlawfull against any, because Tyrants oppresse the innocent, not as innocent, but as seditious, traiterous, cruell, bloudy men? Nor would I have Mr. Williams, so charitable to the Devill as to thinke he will not persecute Jesus as Jesus. I dare not determine much upon the Devills heart-reduplications, but if he be not involved in the sin against the Holy Ghost, and a burning malice against Jesus, because he is the Son of God, and the Saviour of man, I know not much. However Mr. Williams hath reason upon his grounds to thinke that none should be persecuted for conscience, because we are all Scepticks even in point of Salvation and Fundamentalls, and not infallibly assured of either heaven or hell, and so he is wor•e then a Papist.