A92140:809
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
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. But are we in all these Scriptures that hold forth our impotency to believe, to think a good thought, to do the works of righteousness, mercy, truth, chastity, sobriety, prescribed in the second Table unable only to conceive sound opinions of God and eschew Heretical ways, and false Religions? Are we not also unable to abstain from murder, adultery, &c. without the supernatural grace of God? Yea all these places shall prove that the Ministry of men,1 Pastors and Teachers of the word, are as unlawful means of converting souls as the Magistrates Sword to bear down Heresi•• O (say they) preaching is an Ordinance of Christ, and a spiritual means ordained to convert souls, the Sword is nothing but a carnal humane device!
2. But are we in all these Scriptures that hold forth our impotencie to beleeve, to thinke a good thought, to doe the works of righteousness, mercie, truth, chastitie, sobrietie, prescribed in the second Table unable only to conceive sound opinions of God and eschew Hereticall wayes, and false Religions? Are we not also unable to abstain from murther, adulterie, &c. without the supernatural grace of God? Yea all these places shall prove that the Ministerie of men,1 Pastors and Teachers of the word, are as unlawfull means of converting soules as the Magistrates Sword to beare down Heresi•• O (say they) preaching is an Ordinance of Christ, and a spiritual means ordained to convert soules, the Sword is nothing but a carnall humane device!
- 1Preaching of the word without the Spirit is as unable to work faith as the sword, and the argument from our impotencle to believe, is as strong against the one as against the other.Preaching of the word without the Spirit is as unable to work faith as the sword, and the argument from our impotencle to beleeve, is as strong against the one as against the other.