A92140:786
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.
2. No men know (all men since the Prophets and Apostles sell asleep, being void of infallibility) assuredly what he believeth unto salvation, if any should deny there is a God or a Providence (as I fear there be too many practical and Judicial Atheists amongst us) he ought not by Prophesying or arguing to be plucked out of that estate, till harvest, but must with the clemency of Christ; here dears brother Atheist, you are a godly pious heretic, and have no God, but your conscience; and dare not for fear of your conscience believe, that there is a God, and I dare not rebuke you, but be going on in your Divinity; I have as little infallible assurance there is a God, as you have, there is no God, and neither you nor I are to be punished for our consciences.
2. No men know (all men since the Prophets and Apostles sell asleep, being void of infallibility) assuredly what he believeth unto salvation, if any should deny there is a God or a Providence (as I feare there be too many practicall and Judiciall Atheists amongst us) he ought not by Prophecying or arguing to be plucked out of that estate, till harvest, but must with the clemency of Christ; here dears brother Atheist, you are a godly pious hereticke, and have no God, but your conscience; and dare not for feare of your conscience believe, that there is a God, and I dare not rebuke you, but be going on in your Divinity; I have as little infallible assurance there is a God, as you have, there is no God, and neither you nor I are to be punished for our consciences.
3. Mr. Williams ought for no Religion venture his life to burning quick, for he cannot dye or cast away his life but ⟨p. 340⟩upon a conjecture,1 it may be there is a God, and it may be there is no God; for how dare he break the sixth Command and hazard his life, for a truth that may be a lye? So neither should any persecute, but in faith, that he is infallibly sure the man is a real heretic, neither should he be persecuted, for he is not infallible in the knowledge that he suffereth for, and so cannot suffer in faith, see for more of this, and the foregoing doctrine.