A92140:859
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.
Therefore what is truth in it self, and revealed to be truth in the Scripture, if it appear an untruth to another, the cause of that is not inculpable (as D. Taylor saith) as if the letter of the Scripture tendered it self dark and un•• plicable to us without our fault. But the wisdom of God (we believe) in the Scripture, is plain, to those that open their eyes, otherwise heresy should not only be no sin, contrary to the word of God, Tit. 3. 10. 1 Tim. 3. 1. 2. 1 Tim. 6. 4, 5. 2 Tim. 2. 16, 17, 18, 19. but an innocent apprehension of apparent truth, as there is no guiltiness in an eye vitiated with humours mis-apprehending colours that are white;1 and seeing them to be red when they are not so. And for that way of trying the two missals, they are but doting fools, that would choose either of them; for the word of God may judge them both to be corrupt and superstitious, and their trying which of the two was best, by a miracle, was a foolish and fantastical tempting of God, much like Chilingsworths deciding of controversies of Religion, by lottery, because Scripture, Reason, Councils, Fathers, Doctors, Tradition, are all insufficient, which sure is derogatory ⟨p. 373⟩to the worth and perfection of Scripture, which maketh the simple wise, Ps. 19. and must show the man that erreth, his error, if he shut not his eyes at light.
Therefore what is truth in it selfe, and revealed to bee truth in the Scripture, if it appeare an untruth to another, the cause of that is not inculpable (as D. Taylor saith) as if the letter of the Scripture tendred it selfe darke and un•• plicable to us without our fault. But the wisdome of God (we beleeve) in the Scripture, is plaine, to those that open their eyes, otherwise heresie should not onely be no sinne, contrary to the word of God,