A92140:91
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.
4. The Formalis rates of all good Conscience, as conscience, Conscience acteth not on by-respects, but for conscience, Rom. 13. 5. Wherefore ye must be subject not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. Conscience then doth all by […], and faileth by compass, and considereth the […] not of the clouds, but of the stars which […] regularly; whereas the ⟨p. 18⟩evil conscience, Levit. 26. 15. is said to play the reprobate in Gods testimonies. [Greek or Hebrew] to cast away, to loath, it is called, jer. 6. 30. reprobate metal which no man would choose; there is Conscience that walketh contrary to God, Levit. 2•. 21. [Greek or Hebrew] in occursu, there is a defect of the Letter [Greek or Hebrew] the word is from a root that signifieth to meet in the way, or to rafter or plank an house, where board is joined with board, some will join issue with God, as if they had hardened their heart against him, and were nothing afraid to meet him, and join battle with him, as if they were good enough and strong enough for God, as one rafter in a house is apt to join with another, there be some froward ones, who wrestle with God. Psalm. 18. 27. With the froward, with the wrestler who boweth his body, thin wilt wrestle. But a good Conscience knoweth God better then so, and is a mass of heavenly light, and therefore joined with faith unfeigned. 1 Tim. 1. 5. and vers. 19. Timothy is exhorted to held faith and a good Conscience, as if they failed both in one vessel: if faith sink, a good Conscience cannot swim▪ much more might be added of a good Conscience, but our care would be to keep Conscience, as we would do a Jewell of gre•• price, and as we do a watch of Gold, a meat or straw will interrupt the motion of a watch, it cannot be violently moved; when Grace and the blood of atonement oileth the wheels of Conscience they move sweetly and equally. Some times its secure or dead, or (which is the extremity of sleep, as death is superlative and deepest sleep) feared or burnt with a hot iron; when the man hath sinned God out of the world, first as fools do,