A92140:945
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. A foolish argument without head or foot. 1. We are to be afraid of every sin, our Lord hath bidden us beware ⟨p. 399⟩of,1 though the Elect cannot perish, since he that chooseth to the end, chooseth to the means, and to both immutably and irrevocably without shadow or change, else this argument will prove, we need not be afraid to whore, murder, oppress, or the most heinous transgressions, for these sins cannot more prejudge the chosen of their state of grace, and certainty of glory, then being carried about with every wind of doctrine, and unsound opinions continued in and published to pervert others, do argue that we are of the number of those, that are ever learning, and never come to the knowledge of the truth, 2 Tim. 3. 7. and are unstable and unlearned, perverting the Scriptures to our own destruction, 2 Pet. 3. 16. given over to strong […] to believe a lye, 2 Thess. 2. and damned for not believing the truth, v. 11, 12. the heart not being stablished by grace, Heb. 13. 9. like children tossed too and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men, whereby they lye in wait to deceive, not speaking, and not professing the truth in love, that so we may grow up in Christ, even in him, in all things, which is […], Eph. 4. 14, 15. All which prove that to be finally seduced, is a certain mark of reprobation, as Matth. 24. 23, 2•. • Tim. 2. 16, 17, 18. 19, 20. and the Spirit that teacheth us […] are not to be afraid of falling from the state of grace […] salvation, though we fall in such sins as the spirit of Antichrist, and of curst Familists, who turn the grace of God into wantonness, who abuse the doctrine of election of grace.