N00027:225
The heart of N-England rent at the blasphemies of the present generation. Or a…
The heart of N-England rent at the blasphemies of the present generation. Or a brief tractate concerning the doctrine of the Quakers, demonstrating the destructive nature thereof, to religion, the churches, and the state, with consideration of the remedy against it. Occasional satisfaction to objections, and confirmation of the contrary trueth. / By John Norton, teacher of the Church of Christ at Boston. Who was appointed thereunto by the order of the General Court. ; [Four lines from Revelation]
printed by Samuel Green, 1659
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.
So far is our doctrine from asserting subjection of the Conscience, to the Coercive power of the Magistrate: as that we look at it as irrational, to extend his power unto the error of Conscience as such. We subject not the bare proposal & owning of heresy is cured: as obnoxious unto Civil authority. We affirm not that it belongs to the Magistrate to inflict any punishment for quiet ⟨p. 53⟩heresy. We affirm not quiet heresy to fall within the necessary object of Magistratical Cognisance, but leave it unto free disquisition. We know that it belongeth not unto the Magistrate to compel any man to be a believer, nor to punish any for not being a believer. But we believe it belongs to him (in case) to punish a Blasphemer, or turbulent heretics, who seeth not a wide difference between these?
So farr is our doctrine from asserting subjection of the Conscience, to the Coercive power of the Magistrate: as that we look at it as irrational, to extend his power unto the error of Conscience as such. We subject not the bare proposal & owning of heresie is cured: as obnoxious unto Civil authority. We affirm not that it belongs to the Magistrate to inflict any punishment for quiet ⟨p. 53⟩heresie. We affirm not quiet heresie to fall within the necessary object of Magistratical Cognisance, but leave it unto free disquisition. We know that it belongeth not unto the Magistrate to compel any man to be a believer, nor to punish any for not being a believer. But we believe it belongs to him (in case) to punish a Blasphemer, or turbulent hereticks, who seeth not a wide difference between these?
We through grace abhor prejudicing the liberty of Conscience in the least measure, and account such report of us to be a slander. And through the same grace; We both dread, and bear witness against, liberty of heresy, liberty to Blaspheme the Blessed Trinity, the Person and Office of Christ, the holy-Scripture, the tabernacle of God, and those that dwell in heaven. Howsoever fallaciously transformed into, & mis-represented under the plausible visor of liberty of conscience falsely so called. We say Religion is to be persuaded with Scripture-reasons, not Civil weapons: with Arguments, not with punishments. But Blasphemies immediate and heresies carried on with an high hand, and persisted in, are to be suppressed with weapons & punishments; where reasons, & arguments cannot prevail.