For I do not lay it down as a Position, that it is not lawful to persecute the Lord Jesus: or that Christ in his Truth must not be persecuted. But my Position was, It is not lawful to persecute any for Conscience sake, rightly informed: And for a reason hereof, I give this Principle, for in persecuting such, Christ is persecuted: Is it now become an admirable strange thing to give a Principle of Religion, not for a Position, (and yet if it were so, what strange thing were it?) but for the proof of a Position? Let me give you a like instance, Gamaliel layeth it down for a Position, that the Doctrine of the Apostles, if it be of God, the Priests and Elders cannot overthrow it: and he gives this principle for a reason of it, lest in so doing, ye be found (saith he) to fight against God, Acts 5.38, 39. Now is this such a matter as will be admired of all sober men, that so wise a man as Gamaliel should lay down this as a Position, That men should not be found fighters against God? May not a man rather admire and adore the strange hand of God, that shall leave a man soberly to admire at such a thing, and to think all sober men will in like sort wonder at the same? But the truth is, Neither Gamaliel, nor my self, laid down that Principle for a Conclusion, nor for a Position: nor if we had, had we done any thing for sober men to admire at.
For I doe not lay it downe as a Position, that it is not lawfull to persecute the Lord Jesus: or that Christ in his Truth must not be persecuted. But my Position was, It is not lawfull to persecute any for Conscience sake, rightly informed: And for a reason hereof, I give this Principle, for in persecuting such, Christ is persecuted: Is it now become an admirable strange thing to give a Principle of Religion, not for a Position, (and yet if it were so, what strange thing were it?) but for the proofe of a Position? Let me give you a like instance, Gamaliel layeth it downe for a Position, that the Doctrine of the Apostles, if it be of God, the Priests and Elders cannot overthrow it: and he gives this principle for a reason of it, lest in so doing, ye be found (saith he) to fight against God, Acts 5.38, 39. Now is this such a matter as will be admired of all sober men, that so wise a man as Gamaliel should lay downe this as a Position, That men should not be found fighters against God? May not a man rather admire and adore the strange hand of God, that shall leave a man soberly to admire at such a thing, and to thinke all sober men will in like sort wonder at the same? But the truth is, Neither Gamaliel, nor my selfe, laid downe that Principle for a Conclusion, nor for a Position: nor if we had, had we done any thing for sober men to admire at.
