A92140:825
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.
Answ. The Sword produceth no repentance at all, for external repentance is no repentance either in name or thing,1 the Lord commandeth indeed external repentance, but Precepts are not given to the outward man, as to the adequate and proper object of the Commandment of God; the Magistrate indeed forbiddeth speaking of blasphemy, and teaching of lies in the name of the Lord; but he forbiddeth not teaching of lies, or abstinence from blaspheming in a spiritual, but in a carnal co-active by force of the sword, and external way, because he cannot punish the spiritual and internal ways, and manner of external obedience, and therefore he cannot under pain of bodily censure, command and forbid these ways of obedience, so the Magistrate forbiddeth murder, but God, not the Magistrate forbiddeth murder, or commandeth abstinence from killing, out of mercy and love to our neighbour; for the Magistrate cannot punish heart-hatred of our neighbour, or rash anger, but in so far as it comes out to his senses, in striking, maiming, or opprobrious speeches; and these he can forbid, and censure and punish. So we say the Magistrate is but a piece, or a bit of an Ordinance (though both lawful and necessary, Rom. 13. for our good) to reform the outside, & to work outward reformation, and when he commandeth the outward man, and saith, Swear not, blaspheme not, speak not lies in the name of the Lord, kill not, steal not under the pain of feeling the stroke of the Sword: he commands not sinning, for though he forbid only external abstinence from sins that troubles the outward man, without any spiritual and internal right way of abstaining, he commands not sin and hypocrisy, pierce, and kindly, and properly.
Answ. The Sword produceth no repentance at all, for externall repentance is no repentance either in name or thing,1 the Lord commandeth indeed externall repentance, but Precepts are not given to the outward man, as to the adequate and proper object of the Commandement of God; the Magistrate indeed forbiddeth speaking of blasphemy, and teaching of lyes in the name of the Lord; but he forbiddeth not teaching of lyes, or abstinence from blaspheming in a spirituall, but in a carnall co-active by force of the sword, and externall way, because he cannot punish the spirituall and internall wayes, and manner of externall obedience, and therefore he cannot under paine of bodily censure, command and forbid these wayes of obedience, so the Magistrate forbiddeth murther, but God, not the Magistrate forbiddeth murther, or commandeth abstinence from killing, out of mercy and love to our neighbour; for the Magistrate cannot punish heart-hatred of our neighbour, or rash anger, but in so far as it comes out to his senses, in striking, maiming, or opprobrious speeches; and these he can forbid, and censure and punish. So we say the Magistrate is but a peece, or a bit of an Ordinance (though both lawfull and necessary,