A92140:801
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.
4. This monopolizeth the nature and name of the true Church to only Sectaries that profess they are ready to suffer for their conscience, and do totally disclaim persecution, that is, for liberty of conscience: so this opinion shall be the only essential, not and constituent form of the true Church, and shall exclude the sound faith of all fundamentals, and the doctrine of the Law and Gospel. The vilest Heretics living, holding this one Article of Baptists faith, shall be the only true Church; and this opinion shall unite men and societies formally to Christ their head, and yet it is no matter of faith; except Libertines say, none are capable of faith and salvation, but such as hold this opinion. Hence it must follow all these named Calvinists, all the Reformed Churches, all the Churches and Saints in New England, all the ancient Brownists, the old Non-conformists, who all disclaimed toleration and licence of conscience, must not only not be the true Church, but the malignant Church of such as profess that which they call Persecution; yea and since they detest and abhor liberty of conscience as Atheistical. All these Saints must be uncapable of saving faith, and necessarily damned, because being professed persecutors, and totally disclaiming toleration, they are in the judgement of this Baptist, such as have no capacity (without Gods infinit• mercy and ⟨p. 347⟩dispensation, converting them to such Libertinism) to be hewne out and squared to such a head as Christ, for contrariorum eudem est ratio.
4. This monopolizeth the nature and name of the true Church to onely Sectaries that professe they are ready to suffer for their conscience, and doe totally disclaime persecution, that is, for liberty of conscience: so this opinion shall be the only essential, not and constituent form of the true Church, and shall exclude the sound faith of all fundamentalls, and the doctrine of the Law and Gospell. The vilest Hereticks living, holding this one Article of Baptists faith, shall be the onely true Church; and this opinion shall unite men and societies formally to Christ their head, and yet it is no matter of faith; except Libertines say, none are capable of faith and salvation, but such as hold this opinion. Hence it must follow all these named Calvinists, all the Reformed Churches, all the Churches and Saints in New England, all the ancient Brownists, the old Non-conformists, who all disclaimed toleration and licence of conscience, must not onely not be the true Church, but the malignant Church of such as professe that which they cal Persecution; yea and since they detest and abhor liberty of conscience as Atheisticall. All these Saints must be uncapable of saving faith, and necessarily damned, because being professed persecutors, and totly disclaiming toleration, they are in the judgement of this Baptist, such as have no capacity (without Gods infinit mercy and