A92140:906
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 28: Divers other Arguments for pretended Toleration, answered.
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. 1. I confess the swearing of the Covenant in Israel, and in National Churches, may hence be proved to differ. 1. As touching the external worship, for their seeking of God, and ours differed, they sought God in circumcision, Passover, Sacrifices, Feasts, Divine Ceremonies, but we do not so, 2. They sware the Covenant, 2 […]. 15. with blowing of Trumpets, Cornets, &c. We do not so. 3. A whole City that maintained a false Prophet against the sword of justice, Deut. 13. was destroyed, sacked, their very cattle and every thing in it accursed. We are not obliged to deaths and punishments, every way thus ceremonial as they: but as for the substance of the service; the swearing of an Oath, and Religious Covenants, being of the law of Nature, and the Punishing of Apostates from the doctrine of the Gospel, to which they have sworn (though the Gospel it self be far above natures law) must be from the Law of nature lying on us; we must by the same law be tied, as they, not to kill all not borne again, I hope the antitype is here of Mr. Williams foregoing, not of God, no word of Christ, saith that Christ chargeth to inflict bodily punishment on men by the sword of the Magistrate, because not borne again. Nor do we think that by small and great, here are meant sucking children who could not swear a Covenant, for the text restricteth the Covenant-breach to such as swear the Covenant, and where infants are to be put to the sword by the Magistrate in the Old Testament, as it is like, Deut. 13. 13, 14, 15. and 1. Sam. 15. 1. […] they are morally culpable before God, but not that we should mistake that sort of justice; no• to kill infants under the New Testament for the sin of their parents.
Answ. 1. I confesse the swearing of the Covenant in Israel, and in National Churches, may hence be proved to differ. 1. As touching the externall worship, for their seeking of God, and ours differed, they sought God in circumcision, Passeover, Sacrifices, Feasts, Divine Ceremonies, but we doe not so, 2. They sware the Covenant, 2 〈…〉. 15. with blowing of Trumpets, Cornets, &c. We do not so. 3. A whole City that maintained a false Prophet against the sword of justice,