A92140:880
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.
Object. 1No Christian is to be put to death for his opinion, which doth not teach impiety or blasphemy. If it plainly and apparently brings in a crime, and himself doth act it, or encourage it, then the matter of fact, is punishable, according to its proportion and malignancy; as if be preach Treason, and Sedition, his opinion cannot excuse, because it brings in a crime, a man is never the less Traitor, because he believes it lawful to commit Treason, and a man is a murderer, if he kill his brother unjustly, although he think to do God good service in it; matters of fact are equally judicable, whether the principle of them he from within or without; and if a man could pretend to innocency in being seditious, blasphemous or perjured, by persuading himself it is lawful, a gate were opened for all iniquity.— I deny not but certain and known Idolatry, or any other sort of practical impiety, with its principiant doctrine ought to be punished, because it is no other but matter of fact, but no matter of mere opinion; no errors that of themselves are not sins are to be persecuted by death or corporal inflictions.
Object. 1No Christian is to be put to death for his opinion, which doth not teach impiety or blasphemy. If it plainly and apparently brings in a crime, and himselfe doth act it, or incourage it, then the matter of fact, is punishable, according to its proportion and malignancy; as if be preach Treason, and Sedition, his opinion cannot excuse, because it brings in a crime, a man is never the lesse Traytor, because he beleeves it lawfull to commit Treason, and a man is a murtherer, if he kill his brother unjustly, although he thinke to doe God good service in it; matters of fact are equally judicable, whether the principle of them he from within or without; and if a man could pretend to innocency in being seditious, blasphemous or perjured, by perswading himselfe it is lawfull, a gate were opened for all iniquity.— I deny not but certaine and knowne Idolatry, or any other sort of practicall impiety, with its principiant doctrine ought to be punished, because it is no other but matter of fact, but no matter of meer opinion; no errours that of themselves are not sins are to be persecuted by death or corporall inflictions.
- 1Ob. 1. Sect. 13.