A92140:800
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.
3. If such as are persecuted, and disclaim totally persecution for conscience, 1be the only true Church, and none but they, then these Papists in England in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth who were only persecuted (in your sense of the word Persecution) and wrote, and petitioned against Persecution, and totally disclaimed it, are the only true Church. The like I may ⟨p. 346⟩say of the Arians in the Emperors times, against whom, most severe Laws and Edicts were made, which to M. Baptist was direful persecution, and yet they totally disclaimed persecution for conscience, and pleaded for Toleration. So say I of the Arminians in Holland, who always plead for liberty of Prophesying, and of Anabaptists, and all the Sectaries in Germany, when they first arose, of the Familists and most rigid Anabaptists in New England, and of all the vilest Sects, Anabaptists, Antiscripturists, Socinians, Familists, &c. in Old England. Yea, we may suppose all Papists, Jews, and the most abominable Sects, living where there are strict Laws for the only one true Religion, to hold the opinion of total disclaiming persecution for conscience (for sure they are most capable of this opinion) hence it shall follow that all these wretched Heretics shall be the only true Church and body of Christ.
3. If such as are persecuted, and disclaime totally persecution for conscience, 1be the onely true Church, and none but they, then these Papists in England in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth who were onely persecuted (in your sense of the word Persecution) and wrote, and petitioned against Persecution, and totally disclaimed it, are the onely true Church. The like I may ⟨p. 346⟩say of the Arrians in the Emperours times, against whom, most severe Laws and Edicts were made, which to M. Baptist was direfull persecution, and yet they totally disclaimed persecution for conscience, and pleaded for Toleration. So say I of the Arminians in Holland, who alwayes plead for liberty of Prophesying, and of Anabaptists, and all the Sectaries in Germany, when they first arose, of the Familists and most rigid Anabaptists in New England, and of all the vilest Sects, Anabaptists, Antiscripturists, Socinians, Familists, &c. in Old England. Yea, we may suppose all Papists, Iewes, and the most abominable Sects, living where there are strict Lawes for the onely one true Religion, to hold the opinion of totall disclaiming persecution for conscience (for sure they are most capable of this opinion) hence it shall follow that all these wretched Hereticks shall be the only true Church and body of Christ.