Against Pretended Liberty of Conscience, Chapter 27

Against Pretended Liberty of Conscience · Chapter 27

p. 349CHAP. XXVII. Whether our darkneſſe and incapacity to beleeve and profeſſe, together with the darkneſſe and obſcurity of Scripture be a ſufficient ground for Toleration.

AS Mr. John Goodwin the Lord pardon his perverting of Soules) led the way from Arminian principles, who teach with Socinians, that 1 To know is not in our power, which he and they borrowed from Ariſtotle, but wickedly underſtood foreign.Joh. Baptiſt▪ c. 5. Ancient bounds reaſ. 5. p. 26. Storming of the Antichriſt. c 5. p. 14. And 2 Arminians taught that God by an irreſiſtible power, works illumination in the minde. So opinions not being in our power, the Magiſtrate can have no power over men to coerce them from ſpreading of hereſie. Hence Baptiſt, the Bounder, the Stormer, and other Libertines, M. Goodwin ſpeaks for. That which is not in our power to doe, Joh. Goodwin. H…giomaſ.or not doe, and is wrought in us by ſupernaturall grace, and by God onelyonly, we are not puniſhable by the Magiſtrates ſword, but to beleeve, to repent, to be ſound in the faith, is wrought in us by ſupernaturall grace, and by God onelyonly. Baptiſt heaps together but eighteen Scriptures, produced againſt Pelagians, Papiſts, Arminians, and his brethren Socinians, and old Anabaptiſts, that no man can come to the Son except the Father draw him; the naturall man underſtands not the things of God, &c. And I am ſure he is ignorant of the concluſion; for we profeſſe the ſword is to be drawn againſt no man, becauſe he repenteth not, or beleeveth not, &c. Hence Baptiſt ſpitting out with other Antinomians his venome againſt us, though no matter (excepting the ſin of it) if he wronged not Chriſt and his truth. For when a weak Chriſtian (a diſciple of Servetus, Socinus an Apoſtate denying the Lord Jeſus to have come in the fleſh, and all the Scriptures to be the word of God) tyred of longer impriſonment and death, ſhall ſay, You ſay well, but how ſhall I prevaile with my ſelfe to beleeve what you ſay? Thus reply theſe miſerable comforters. Yeeld obedience to what is taught you, meditate on it often, deſire to beleeve it, and God in time will bring you to beleeve it. Then poore Popery, p. 348duplicate page p. 349duplicate page p. 350why art thou evill ſpoken of?Baptiſt falſely chargeth on us that we teach a man ſhould beleeve whether his conſcience ſay ſo or not, and ſhould doe and pray without the Spirit of Adoption, and that for theſe foregoing merits of congruity God will give us faith▪ which doctine we deteſt. and this is a lie; why? It is the Spirit that teacheth us to pray, Abba Father. This is merit and ſupererogations ground-ſtone.

Anſw. 1. What if a man void of the Spirit cannot pray; ergo, we ſhould not adviſe him to pray? Is it Popery to adviſe him ſo to doe; or to pray when he wants the Spirit? ſure Peter taught no Popery to Simon Magus, a man as void of the Spirit as any Socinian or Familiſt, a man in the gall of bitterneſſe, and in the bond of iniquity, Act. 8. 22. Repent therefore of this thy wickedneſſe (I conceive this is yeeld obedience to what is taught you, and meditate on it, and your evill wayes, and change your minde) and pray God (though thou haſt no Spirit of Adoption more then a Familiſt, who makes you beleeve hony words, or the very Spirit given to his Anointed ones, ſuch as they onelyonly) if perhaps the thoughts of thine heart, may be forgiven thee; and whom does the Lord command, Ezek. 18. that they would make a new heart? I conceive ſuch as were as unable to doe it, as to make one haire white or blacke, Ancient boundsas the Bounder ſaith, and this is our advice, not becauſe we thinke they can do it without the Spirit of Chriſt, more than thoſe that move the queſtion, Act. 2. 37. What ſhall we doe to be ſaved? Act. 9. 6. Act. 16. 30. But if unconverted they may be humbled and convinced, that they are in a loſt condition. And, I confeſſe, if Antinomians will adviſe them to beleeve, and pray, though they have not the Spirit, and to pray as they can, and beleeve as they can, and without any preparative work of the Law, or ſenſe or knowledge of ſin, or ſickneſſe for Chriſt, immediately and forth with, beleeve Chriſt dyed for thee obſtinate Socinian, and wrote thy name in the booke of life, and beleeve thy election to life, Baptiſt is a miſerab…e comforter, and how he cenſureth this; Its Gods abſolute will and pleaſure you ſhould beleeve, and that you muſt neceſſarily beleeve upon perill of damnation… which he ſaith is our Catechiſme. I underſtand not, except he ſhew us a conditionall Commandement to beleeve the Goſpell, and a conditionall election and reprobation, ſuſpending Gods decrees on what we are foreſeen to doe, and except he deny the threatnings in the Goſpel which ſhall finde out an unbeleever, Joh. 3. 18. 36. If the man be a weak p. 351Chriſtian or a weak beleever, when the advice of yeelding obedience, praying, deſiring to beleeve is given him, appearingly he would have weak Antinomians and all anointed ones looſed from all precepts, rule of obedience, and have them under no rule but the immediate impulſion of the Spirit, which if it be his mind, he ſhould have ſet it down, and muſt prove a miſerable Comforter in ſo teaching.

2. But are we in all theſe Scriptures that hold forth our impotencie to beleeve, to thinke a good thought, to doe the works of righteouſneſs, merciemercy, truth, chaſtitie, ſobrietie, preſcribed in the ſecond Table unable only to conceive ſound opinions of God and eſchew Hereticall wayes, and falſe Religions? Are we not alſo unable to abſtain from murther, adulterie, &c. without the ſupernatural grace of God? Yea all theſe places ſhall prove that the Miniſterie of men,Preaching of the word without the Spirit is as unable to work faith as the ſword, and the argument from our impotencle to beleeve, is as ſtrong againſt the one as againſt the other. Paſtors and Teachers of the word, are as unlawfull means of converting ſoules as the Magiſtrates Sword to beare down Hereſi… O (ſay they) preaching is an Ordinance of Chriſt, and a ſpiritual means ordained to convert ſoules, the Sword is nothing but a carnall humane device!

I anſwer it is an humane device of converting ſouls to ſhed the blood of their bodie, but it is to beg the queſtion and not to prove it, to call it a humane device to puniſh ill doers, and falſe Teachers who pervert the ſouls of many.

2. I ſpeak to the Argument, the only preaching of the word,The ſword hath ſtrength againſt only the outward m…n to cauſe him to abſtain from ſeducing of ſouls, not againſt the Conſcience. it alone without the Spirit, can no more make an hair white or black, or draw us to the Son, or work repentance in ſin…rs, then the ſword of the Magiſtrate can work repentance: What can man doe (ſaith the Bounder) Is it not God that muſt give repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth? So ſay I, what can preaching of man or angel doe without God, is it not God and God only who can open the heart? therefore this is no argument againſt the uſe of the ſword againſt falſe teachers, becauſe it hath no ſtrength againſt ſoule obſtinacie to work repentance, for neither hath preaching; but the ſword hath ſtrength and more ſtrength againſt the outward man, the tongue, the pen, the profeſſion of ſeducing preachers to coerce it, and to guard the flock from grievous Wolves, (for theſe being teſt…ined, the flock is in no more danger from p. 352the conſcience of the Heretick, then peaceable men are in danger of the bloodie mans thoughts, hatred, heart-malice, if the Magiſtrate tie his hands from murther and violence by the ſword of God which hee beareth, Rom. 13.) it hath (I ſay) more force in its way, then the preaching of the word hath, in regard Hereticks, men of corrupt minds, fear… men, and the ſword of the Magiſtrate, more then God; and the threatnings of the word; as murtherers and adulterers abſtain from diſturbing the peace of humane ſocietie, more for fear of the laws of men, then for God. I grant the exceſſive fear is from the corruption of nature, for oderunt peccare mali formidine poenae, yet this argues that the ſword is ordained of God to order the outward man in a peaceable way, both in ſtate and Church; for lay down this ground which Libertines do; that God hath appointed no law nor rule to men of corrupt minds, to thoſe that ſubvert whole Houſes, but their own erroneous conſciences, grievous Wolves may doe in the flock to waſte, deſtroy, and pervert the flock as they pleaſe. But they are (ſay Libertines) no wolves, but the lambs of Chriſt, the anointed ones, whom Preſbyterians ſo call, and the Presbiterians are the wolves, who ſo domineer over the conſciences.

I anſwer, this is a manifeſt perverting of the State of the queſtion, and to leap from the Propoſition to the Aſſumption; for we diſpute only upon the Suppoſition, that there be Wolves and Seducers in a Chriſtian ſocietie (but who they be, Presbyterian, or others, is another queſtion) whether or not the Chriſtian Magiſtrate ſhould for his part leave them to themſelves, and ſuffer them to preach, print what blaſphemies they liſt, and their erroneous conſcience dictates to them for truths.

But neither the Chriſtian Magiſtrate not being infallible, nay nor any Church on earth can judge who is the Heretick, who the Saint, and therefore ſhould take on him to judge none at all to be Hereticks, but ſhould ſuffer tares and wheat to grow till harveſt, for fear he pluck up the wheat in lieu of tares, and perſecute Saints under colour of juſtice. Hence I argue in the contrary demonſtratively, that liberty of Conſcience is unlawfull, and not of God.Argument 17.

Whatever way layeth down a principle moſt falſe and p. 353contrary to the word of God, is not of God, but muſt be unlawfull, but the pretended liberty of conſcience is ſuch, Ergo, &c.

The Propoſition needs no probation, That muſt be falſe that by ſtrong conſequence follows from a falſe principle. I prove the Aſſumption, The prime and firſt principle of libertie of Conſcience now under the New Teſtament is,Its a falſe principle of toleration, None are puniſhable for hereſie becauſe hereſie is to God only knowable, and to no mortal man. that Hereticks and ſeducing Teachers are therefore unpuniſhable by the ſword, becauſe they are unknowable: The formall and that which conſtituteth an Heretick an Heretick, is in the heart, to wit, heart-contumacie, legible and obvious only to him that knows all, ſay the Belgicks, Arminians, and therefore they can neither be judged nor puniſhed; obſerve by the way, the Church of Thyatira muſt be then unjuſtly rebuked for ſuffering Jezabel to ſeduce, and this exempteth all falſe Teachers from Churchcenſures, yea from rebukes, for who dares rebuke men for f…s knowable to the almightie only who knows the heart? 2. We are expreſſely commanded (ſay Libertines) to ſuffer the tares, that is,Goodwins Sermon Theomachia. Hereticks to grow till harveſt, becauſe we cannot know tares from wheat, and we run the hazard (ſaith Iohn Goodwin) of fighting againſt God, and fighting againſt Saints, and God in them (ſaith Saltmarſh) when we puniſh Hereticks.Acts 5. 34. Saltmarſh Sparkles of glory, Preface.Acts 5:34 3. We have not that infallible Spirit, and thoſe Prophets who cannot erre, and can infallibly tel us who is the Heretick, who not. 4. There is a great variety, and ſuch contrarietie of judging (ſay they) what is hereſie, what not, that what is hereſie to one, is ſaving truth to another, who is as worthy to be beleeved as he; Ergo, We are all in the miſt, and in a ſea of uncertainties in judging who is the Heretick, who the Saint. 5. Hereſie is innocencie; Ergo, there is no ſuch fault reproveable or puniſhable in the world, ſay they. But this principle that the Seducer is not knowable in the New Teſtament, is moſt falſe and contrary to Scripture.

1. He whom the Holy Ghoſt bids as try, and not beleeve, till we try,The Heretick is knowable by the Scriptures. he is knowable, but every teacher true or falſe, the Holy Ghoſt bids us try, 1 Theſ. 5. 21. 1 Joh. 4. 1. and for this are the Bercans commended, becauſe they tryed Paul and his doctrine by the Scriptures, Acts 17. 11. Ergo, If Paul had been an Heretick and a falſe Teacher, he might have been found out.

p. 3542. Such an one as the Lord forewarns us to beware of▪ and avoid, ſuch an one is knowable. But the Lord bids us beware of falſe Prophets and Seducers, and bids us avoid them and beleeve them not, Matth. 7. 15. Remore of falſe Prophets, Marth. 24. 23. If any man ſay to you, loe here is Chriſt, or loe there, beleeve it not: why if he teach me where Chriſt is, if I heare not him, I refuſe to hear Chriſt, Matth. 10. 40, 41. Ergo the falſe Chriſt is knowable, Tit. 2. 10. An hereticke avoid, &c. when Solomon ſaith, Make not friendſhip with an angry man, is not the formality of anger in the heart? if any ſhould reply to Solomon, God onelyonly knows who is the angry man, who is the patient and meek man, therefore we will make friendſhip withall men, or with no man. Should any ſay, there is no ſuch … knowable, ſhould he not contradict the Holy Ghoſt? So muſt we ſay, there is not ſuch a man knowable to a mortall man as a falſe Prophet, or an heretick; and therefore Paul doth but mocke the Philippians, who were not infallible, when he writeth to them thus, Beware of dogs; and John when he ſaith, If any man bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your houſe. Might not Libertines ſay, God commandeth us to run the hazard of incroaching upon Gods chaire, for who but he who knows the heart can tell who is the heretick, who not: when the Lord rebukes aſſociation with Theeves, Robbers, Slanderers, Prov. 1. 11, 12. Pſ. 15. 18, holdeth he not forth that the Theif, the Robber, and the Slanderer are knowable?

3. Theſe whom the Lord rebukes, becauſe they judge not Jezabel and deceiving teachers, may know Jezabel and deceiving teachers; but the Lord rebukes the Church of Thyatira for this, Revel. 2. 20. and all other Churches in them.

4. Thoſe that faithfull Elders are to beware of, and to watch againſt, are knowable; but the faithfull Elders of Epheſus are to watch againſt the incomming of grievous wolves, Act. 20. 29, 30, 31.

5. Thoſe that the Holy Ghoſt doth forewarn the Saints of, that they may be rooted in the truth, and armed againſt them, thoſe are knowable. But Chriſt for…told his people that ſome would come in his name, and profeſſe ſo much, p. 355who yet come in their owne name. Paul foretels of ſome who ſhall ſpeake lyes in hypocriſie, and teach doctrines of Devills, 1 Tim. 4… ▪ and Peter, 2 Pet. 2. 1, 2, 3. tele of ſome bringing in privily damnable hereſies, doth the Lord bid us judge in charity all theſe tares to be wheat, and their hereſies truths, becauſe we are not infallible? and doth he foretell of ſuch coggers and jugglers, and yet preſuppoſeth none on earth ſhall be able to know them? and if any man ſay Familiſts, Socinians, &c. are theſe men, they runne the hazard of reproaching God, notwithſtanding the Lord foretold us of them, and ſet marks upon their brows 1600 yeares agoe? or if any now ſay there is a falſe teacher, or an heretick breathing on earth, they muſt either give themſelves out to be infallible, and ſo muſt either be grand impoſtors, or then Apoſtles and Prophets living againe.Impotency of beleeving, being naturall in the Old Teſtament, as in the New, it was to the Jews as good a ple… againſt the Lords Law to puniſh ſeducers as to us.

And this ſame argument from our impotency to beleeve, was as ſtrong in the Old Teſtament againſt the equity of ſuch Laws as God made againſt falſe Prophets, Deut. 13. Levit. 24. For it was as unjuſt for God to command to put to death men, the frame and imaginations of whoſe heart, were onelyonly evill from their youth, then, as now, becauſe they beleeved not, and could not repent, and abſtaine from Propheſying in Baal, and ſpeaking lyes in the name of the Lord, ſince hearts were no more naturally able without the grace of God to repent and beleeve under the Old Teſtament,Reaſons againſt 1 forced and unwilling obedience. 2 Againſt forced abſtinence from murther, particide, at al times in the Old and New Teſtament, do contend againſt Gods Laws of puniſhing ſeducing teachers. then under the New. And upon the ſame reaſon they tell us, God muſt have a willing people, Pſal. 110. and obedience compelled by the Sword, is no obedience at all, and far leſſe is it religions obedience.

To which I anſwer: And did not the Lord require a willing people then in the Old Teſtament as now?

2. Did God ever accept of faith and repentance extorted through feare of a direfull ſword?

3. Does the Lord accept of compelled and forced abſtinence from murther, patricide, adultery▪ as obedience, becauſe undeniably the ſword of the Magiſtrate doth avenge murther, adultery, parricide, Rom. 13. M. Williams a carnall weapon, Bloudy Tenet, c. 40. p. 65.a ſword does produce a carnall repentant, a …, an outſide, as uniformity things a …, what an unregenerate p. 356man does is ſin, preaching, ſin-preaching, breaking of bread, no betterthen the oblation of Swines bloud; Ergo, the Magiſtrate muſt compell men to ſin, if he force the conſcience by the Sword.

Anſw. The Sword produceth no repentance at all, for externall repentance is no repentance either in name or thing,The Magiſtrate commandeth the outward man, and yet commandeth not ſin and carnall repentance the Lord commandeth indeed externall repentance, but Precepts are not given to the outward man, as to the adequate and proper object of the Commandement of God; the Magiſtrate indeed forbiddeth ſpeaking of blaſphemy, and teaching of lyes in the name of the Lord; but he forbiddeth not teaching of lyes, or abſtinence from blaſpheming in a ſpirituall, but in a carnall co-active by force of the ſword, and externall way, becauſe he cannot puniſh the ſpirituall and internall wayes, and manner of externall obedience, and therefore he cannot under paine of bodily cenſure, command and forbid theſe wayes of obedience, ſo the Magiſtrate forbiddeth murther, but God, not the Magiſtrate forbiddeth murther, or commandeth abſtinence from killing, out of mercy and love to our neighbour; for the Magiſtrate cannot puniſh heart-hatred of our neighbour, or raſh anger, but in ſo far as it comes out to his ſenſes, in ſtriking, maiming, or opprobrious ſpeeches; and theſe he can forbid, and cenſure and puniſh. So we ſay the Magiſtrate is but a peece, or a bit of an Ordinance (though both lawfull and neceſſary, Rom. 13. for our good) to reform the outſide, & to work outward reformation, and when he commandeth the outward man, and ſaith, Sweare not, blaſpheme not, ſpeake not lies in the name of the Lord, kill not, ſteale not under the paine of feeling the ſtroke of the Sword: he commands not ſinning, for though he forbid onelyonly externall abſtinence from ſins that troubles the outward man, without any ſpirituall and internall right way of abſtaining, he commands not ſin and hypocriſie, perſe, and kindly, and properly.

1. Becauſe the Magiſtrate, as the Magiſtrate ſhould, and ought, as the Miniſter of God, give commandements to the outward man, under paine of corporall puniſhment, not to the ſoule, or to the inward man.

2. Becauſe that externall obedience, not to kill, not to p. 357ſteale, not to ſpeake lies, is good, lawfull externall obedience, to man, and profitable in the State, for the end that God hath appointed it, which is the peaceable converſing one with another, that ſame abſtinence from killing in an unrenewed man, who abſtaineth not from killing for fear of God, and love to his brethren, is a ſinfull abſtinence, and carnall repentance,How the Magiſtrate commandeth obedience to the Law of God; to wit, in reference onelyonly to externall peace and the halfe and outſide of obedience, and yet not hypocriticall in its kind. by accident, and in relation to the Law of God; but the Magiſtrate neither commandeth abſtinence from killing, from an inward ſpirituall principle, nor forbiddeth he the contrary: he commandeth not abſtinence from falſe doctrine out of the love that the meſſenger ows to him who purchaſed the flock with his bloud; nor forbiddeth he ſuch abſtinence, but onelyonly he commandeth abſtinence from ſpeaking lies to the people of God.

3. If we diſtinguiſh obedience, there is firſt a neceſſary and good, and lawfull obedience. 2. There is an obedience compleat and intire, and full, and ſincere. Outward obedience, which the Magiſtrate commandeth, is good and lawfull, and neceſſary obedience, and is, in the kinde of externall and neceſſary obedience (I mean) neceſſary for its end, the ſafety of the ſociety, not hypocriticall, unlawfull or ſinfull. In this notion onelyonly, it is commanded by the Magiſtrate, and the omiſſion of it unlawfull, and puniſhable, by the Sword of the Deputy, and Miniſter of God; but if we ſpeake of an obedience compleat, full, and ſincere; which is required from the whole man, in order to the Law of God. Then the outward obedience that the Magiſtrate demandeth is not compleat, intire, nor ſincere, but in relation to the Law of God, which requireth intire obedience from the whole man, ſoule and body, it is not full, not intire, not ſincere obedience, but an outſide of obedience but in this ſenſe the Magiſtrate doth not demand obedience to the Law of God, for he hath to doe with the outward man onelyonly, and as a Magiſtrate hath nothing to doe with, the ſoule, and conſcience: ſo than, though the Magiſtrate command to preach ſound doctrine, forbid to preach lies in the name of the Lord, yet he commandeth not hypocriſie and ſin; for this argument may as well prove the Magiſtrate ſhould neither forbid nor p. 356duplicate page p. 357duplicate page p. 358puniſh murther, nor command abſtinence from murther to an unrenewed man, for an unrenewed man cannot but abſtaine from murther in a ſinfull way, and his abſtinence from murther in order to the ſpirituall Law of God, is no better then the oblation of Swines bloud, and the cutting off of a dogs head to God, Eſa. 66. 1, 2. as is all externall obedience of either Tables of the Law, firſt, or ſecond, without faith, and ſpirituall inward morall principles, and heart-obedience, and Mr. Williams cannot anſwer this argument, but by the principles of Anabaptiſts, Familiſts, and Enthyſiaſts, who ſay all outward Ordinances, Miniſtery, Preaching Sacraments, yea Preachers and Magiſtrates, who command outward obedience to God are unlawfull, now under the New Teſtament.

So Mr. Dell denies all Reformation, Del Sermon before the Houſe of Commons, p. 5, 6.but heart-reformation. Other reformation beſide this in the heart, I know none, and Goſpel-reformation onelyonly mindeth the reformation of the heart; then away with Preaching, Laws, the Sword, Synods. Goſpel-reformation (ſaith he) is inward, layes hold upon the heart, ſoule, and inner man, and changes and renewes that, doth not much buſie it ſelfe about outward formes, or externall conformity, but onelyonly mindes the conformity of the heart; for when the heart is right with God, the outward formes cannot be amiſſe. Chriſt ſaith touching the worſhip of the New Teſtament, God is a Spirit, and they that worſhip him, muſt worſhip him in Spirit and Truth; he ſpeakes not one word of any outward formes, ſo that, God in the Goſpel-reformation aimes at nothing but the heart.Epiſtle to the two Daughters of Warwick. ſ. 3▪ 4. So the father of the Familiſts, impure H. Nicholas. If I could give all my goods to the poor, &c. if I have not love, it is not any thing to me; that is, whoſoever hath not Chriſt, he is without God, and without righteouſneſſe in this world, I mean the being like Chriſt, which is conceived through the power of the Holy Ghoſt, and not any ceremoniall Chriſt, which one man ſpeaketh to another, or promiſeth to another, through his ceremoniall ſervice; which he, out of his prudency, according to his fleſhly minde ſetteth up: O no, The worke or begetting of God commeth not ſo …lenderly to paſſe as men now at this time teach each other out of their unregenerate Spirit; he meaneth by men now at this time, Proteſtants who conjoyne Pauls planting, and the watering of Apollos, with the working of the Spirit, whereas this p. 359Impoſtor taketh him to the latter, and railes againſt the former, as a ceremoniall and fleſhly Chriſt.

See more of this in Del, Del Serm p. 4. 5 Theol. Germa. c. 28. 71, 72.Theologia Germanica, Riſe and Reigne of Antinomians, Bullinger, Calvin, Towne, the Antino…ian Sal…marſh. Riſe & Reign er. 1, 2. er. 49.Upon this ground, Samuel Gortyn, right down, denies all Magiſtracy, learning, books, Libraries, Lawes, and he hath reaſon ſo to do,Bulli…ger adverſus Anab. l. 1. c. 1. & l. 2. c. 4. for Magiſtracy, becauſe it is a carnall Ordinance, cannot produce inward and ſpirituall repentance, therefore Magistrates upon the ſame ground cannot coerce nor puniſh hereticks,Calv Inſtruct. adverſus Liber. c. 10. p. 442. ſince hereſie is a ſpirituall evill, which cannot be remedied by a ſword of ſteal, for God onelyonly can enlighten the minde.Towns Aſſert. of grace, p. 4, 5, 6.

3. If therefore this argument be good, neither can the externall preaching of the word be a lawfull Ordinance,S a'm…rſh Free grace, 179, 180. for God onelyonly gives repentance; the preaching of the Word without the Spirit,Bam. Gortyn. can but produce a carnall repentance, and the Bounder may cry downe all preaching of the word,Simplicities defence p. 22. 23. if he but change the word Magiſtrate, into the word Preacher, Ancientbounds c. 5. reaſ. 3.or Ambaſſadour, for this courſe of Preaching by men, may lay a ſtumbling (I ſpeake in his words) in every mans way, Becauſe man may abſtaine from hereſie and ſeducing, upon falſe grounds to wi…, the Magiſtrates commandment and not from conſcience; it follows no more that the Magiſtrate hath no power ſo to command, then that the Paſtor hath no power ſo to preach.to prophane the things of God, by doing them out of obedience to men, (that are but earthen veſſels) not to God. If he ſay, that is by accident, becauſe men, look to men, as men, and not to God, whoſe word men carry. So ſay I, mens abſtaining from doing violence and murther, which the Magiſtrate forbids, may infer God, hath given no power to the Magiſtrate to forbid murther and adultery; for men may ſo prophane the ſixt Command, and abſtaine from murther becauſe the Magiſtrate forbids it, not becauſe God forbids it in the ſixt Commandement. And the preaching of the word may be art downe errours, ſo long as a man ſound in the faith preacher… but when there ariſeth a corrupt teacher, a …ara…h, that knew not Joſeph, errours ſhall walke on every ſide, and that not by permiſſion, but by▪ commandement. Now this is the reaſonleſſe reaſon of the …, againſt the coercive power of Magiſtrates, theſe men argue ever, from the abuſed power of a Magiſtrate, and from perſecution, to prov… hereticks ought not to be puniſhed, as if puniſhing of falſe teachers were perſecution, which they can never prove.

p. 360But to goe on,Argument 18. That cannot be the way of God which neceſſarily inferreth the darkeneſs,The Libertiniſme of Toleration is grounded upon the pretended obſcurity of the Scriptures. inevidence, and inextricable difficultie of underſtanding the Scriptures. But ſuch is the way of Libertie of Conſcience; Ergo. The Propoſition is clear, for if God hath not ſufficiently cleared the way to heaven, but left a Teſtament that men may expound to be the pathway to life eternall, and the juſt contrary a pathway to life eternall, then ſhall men know certainly no ſafe way to life eternall, and the Scriptures ſhall not make men inexcuſable, contrary to Hoſ. 5. 2. and 8. 12. Pſal. 19. 7, 8, 9, 10. Ezek. 3. 5, 6. Luke 16. 29, 30, 31. Joh. 20. 31. and 15. 22. 2 Tim. 3. 15, 16. Pſal. 119. 9. Prov. 3. 21, 22, 23. Deut. 31. 28, 29. Matth. 11. 21, 22, 23. 24. 2. Papiſts ſhall be in better caſe then we, for though they ſay that the Scriptures are darke and obſcure, and admit of themſelves divers and contrary ſenſes, ſo that we cannot bottome our faith on them, yet the juridical interpretation of the Church is to men a ground of faith, and that is the ground of faith which the Church giveth, as the only true ſenſe of Scripture.

The Aſſumption is clear, becauſe Libertines ſuppoſe that the ſenſe of Scripture can be undeniably known to none: what is to one ſaint a ground of faith, the juſt contradicent to another is a ground of faith, and what ſenſe to one Saint is an Article of ſaving faith, to another is a damnable Hereſie; and both are to be tolerated, neither corrected nor puniſhed, for ſince neither are infallible, neither can deſerve rebukes or rods, nor puniſhment civill or Eccleſiaſticall; becauſe knowing of the word of God in Scripture is not in our freewill, but natural, and whatſoever ſenſe the word offers to the underſtanding true or falſe, the man cannot be guilty in receiving the falſe ſenſe, becauſe he is not puniſhable therefore, as Libertines argue; and what then ſhould hinder but Jewes may be ſaved in their ſenſe of the old Teſtament, who yet deny Chriſt to be come in the fleſh? nor are they to bee rebuked, far leſſe to be puniſhed by God or man therefore, becauſe 2 Cor. 3. in reading of the Old Teſtament a vaile is over their heart, and if it be injuſtice in the Magiſtrate to puniſh men for Errors which they cannot eſchew; can the righteous judge of the world puniſh them therefore? Ergo, In p. 361ſuch Errors they are innocent and ſin not, and if this bee ſaid, what ſhould hinder others to be ſaved by beleeving the contrary ſenſe of the old Teſtament? and the like may be ſaid of the new Teſtament; and ſo all Hereticks and Sectaries receiving the Scriptures, as Phariſees, Sadduces, Herodians, Papiſts, Socinians, &c. ſhall be ſaved every man in his own Religion, and the ſenſe of this, Eſchew an Heretick, to a Saint muſt be, eſchew the company of an heretick; to another Saint it is, Adhere to, and converſe with the ſame ſaint, for he is no heretick but ſound in the ſaith, and it falſely ſuppoſed to be an Heretick, and the Scripture upon this ground hath two contradictorie ſenſes, which being beleeved and practiſed, muſt ſave, and revealeth two contradictorie wills of God, and every man may take Scripture as his minde apprehends it;The main pillar and ground of toleration, makes the ſcripture a noſe of waxe, and puts on it a hundred ſenſes, and makes it a rule of faith to all the falſe Religions, of Jew, Papiſt, Indian, American, who receive the letters of it. and whereas the Scripture makes it ſelf the judge and determiner of all queſtions and controverſies in religion: This way leaves all queſtions to every mans conſcience, to the conſcience of a Jew, of a Turk, of an American, of a Papiſt, the old Teſtament as expounded by a Jew is his Conſcience, the old and new Teſtament as the popiſh Church expound it, is their rule of faith, and the Scripture lifting up Chriſt, and caſting down Chriſt, and ſpeaking with a hundred divers and contrary tongues, is every mans obliging rule; and becauſe there is no man infallible in taking up the right ſenſe of the Scripture, if yee controll the Jew, or put him off his ſenſe of the old Teſtament, which yeelds him this faith, Maries ſon is a falſe lying Prophet, the Apoſtles and all the martyrs are but couſening Impoſtors, yea domineer over the Conſcience and force his faith, becauſe yee are not infallible, ye may not condemn the way of any, for yee know not but they be the wheat, and you the t…res, for ought that Scripture ſaith on either ſide: Never man in this life is ſure of his faith and ſalvation from Scripture, and ſince the Jew may be wheat, if ye would go to raze his faith, you go to pluck up the wheat before the harveſt, and ſuppoſe we and all the Jewes were converted to the Chriſtian faith, and if we conceive Pauls prophecie concerning them Rom. 1… to be fulfilled, they ſhall be converted, yet 1. we are not infallible, but live upon our fancies and conjectures, touching the meaning of Rom. 11. ſay Libertines. 2. Suppoſe the p. 362fulneſs of the Gentiles be converted to Chriſt, and we among them, and all the Jewes, and that in our daies the earth be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, and that all the ſons of Zion be taught of God, and that the wilderneſse bloſſome as a roſe, and the light of the moon be as the light of the Sun, and the light of the Sun be ſeven-fold, as the light of ſeven daies, and that all the glorious prophecies in Iſaiah, Zechariah, and the reſt be fulfilled in our daies, yet by the doctrine of Libertines, all theſe are but to us, for any certaintie we have, night fancies and dreames of crazie and feaver-ſick heads: For Maſter John Goodwin, undeniably the learnedſt and moſt godly man of that way, hath ſaid in a marginall note, of men for piety and learning,Mr Iohn Goodwin Hagiomaſt. ſect. 28. p 38, 39 denieth that any now living on earth hath the Scriptures, or any ground of faith, but that which is made of mens credit and learning. I cannot admire enough.

The Vindicators call the denying of Scriptures to be the word of God a damnable Hereſie, and we have no certainty that the Scriptures of the old and new Teſtament which we now have, either the Engliſh tranſlation, or the Originall of Hebrew and Greek copies are the word of God. So then holding the Scriptures to be the Word of God in either of theſe two ſenſes, or ſignifications of the words (either tranſlations, or originall) can with no tolerable pretext or colour be called a foundation of Chriſtian Religion, unleſſe their foundations be made of the credit, learning and authoritie of men.

Becauſe there is need to wonder, by the way, at this, Let the reader obſerve, that Libertines reſolve all our faith, and ſo the certaintie of our ſalvation on Paper and Inke; and Mr. John Goodwin will allow us no foundation of faith, but ſuch as is made of grammers and Characters,Though the meanes of delivering to us Scripture be fallible, yet it neither followeth that theſe meanes are the foundation, on which our faith is reſolved, or that the Scripture it ſelf is not infallible. and if the Scripture be wrong pointed, or the Printer drunke, or if the tranſlation ſlip, then our faith is go…e: Whereas the meanes of conveying the things beleeved may be fallible, as writing, printing, tranſlating, ſpeaking, are all fallible meanes of conveying the truth of old and new Teſtament to us, and yet the Word of GOD in that which is delivered to us is infallible, 1. For let the Printer be fallible, 2. The tranſlation fallible. 3. The Grammer fallible. 4. The man that readeth the word or publiſheth it fallible, yet this hindreth not but the truth it ſelf contained in the written word of God is infallible; I ſuppoſe four men who ſhall ſhew to a p. 363wife her Husband among ten thouſands, all four fallible and may miſtake, yet when they have brought the Husband to the wife, it cannot follow that the Wife doth not certainly and as infallibly know her own Husband by his tongue, voice, countenance, proportion of body and ſtatute, as one can know another without any danger of miſtake: ſo it comes to the eares of a man born blind, Joh. 9. there is a Prophet called Ieſus the Son of Marie, who will infallibly and indeclinably reſtore ſight to this blind man, yet the fame and report by which this is carried to the mans notice and knowledge is fallible, all men ſtanding truly, that which the Lord reporteth of them, liars, and ſuch as can be deceived, yet it is no conſequence that Ieſus doth reſtore the man to his ſight in a way ſubject to miſcarrying, and declinably, and upon a fallible hazard, ſo as he may goe as blind from Ieſus as he came to him: Now in the carrying of the doctrine of the Prophets and Apoſtles to our knowledge, through Printers, tranſlators, grammer, pens, and tongues of men from ſo many ages, all which are fallible, we are to look to an unerring and undeclinable providence, conveying the Teſtament of Chriſt, which in it ſelf is infallible and begs no truth, no authoritie either from the Church as Papiſts dreame, or from Grammer, Characters, Printer, or tranſlator, all theſe being adventitious, and yeſterday accidents to the nature of the word of God, and when Mr. Goodwin reſolves all our faith into a foundation of Chriſtian Religion (if I may call it Religon) made of the credit, learning and authority of men, he would have mens learning and authoritie either the word of God, or the eſſence and nature thereof, which is as good as to include the garments and cloathes of man, in the nature and definition of a man, and build our faith upon a paper foundation, but our faith is not bottomed or reſolved upon theſe fallible meanes.

But what Arguments have Bellarmine, Stapleton, Gr…ſerus, Becam…s, …, Valentia, the Councel of Tr…nt, and other Papiſts to make good that the Church of ſound Catholikes (who if they could fill their chaire) are of more authoritie then Printers or particular men, tranſlators of the Scripture? for they lead us from the written word as Mr. Goodwin doth, and ſay the Church giveth authoritie to the word of God, and p. 364reſolve our faith upon the Teſtimonie of the Church (ſaith Tann… rus) as the infallible rule of faith, Tannerus diſp. 1. de fide, c. 5. aſ. 1 Bellarm. l. 2. de concil. c. 12.on the authority of the Church (ſaith Bellarmine) quoad explicationem & quoad nos, in regard of our beleeving on God, Stapl…ton doctrin. princip. l. 8. c. 21. ultima reſolutio fidei non eſt in Deum revelantem ſimpliciter, ſed in Deum revelantem ut ſic, id eſt per eccleſiam &c. Val. diſ. 1. de fide q. 1. p. 1. Sect 10. p. 38. col. 1.not ſimply revealing, but ſo and ſo revealing (ſaith Stapleton) by his Church &c. ſo as we know not that God hath revealed his truth, but by, and for the infallible propoſal of the Church ſaith Gregorius de Valentia) on the authoritie of the firſt veritie, God revealing himſelfe as the principle and firſt cauſe of faith (ſaith Ioan. de Lugo) and Malderus) and on the authoritie of the Church as they are men eminent for Miracles, as in that which is firſt beleeved ut in primo creditum, and the only infallible rule of faith, ſay Suarez, Aegid, Connick, Lod. Maeratius, And. Duvallius, Fr. Silvius, Lod. Caſpenſis? All which ſpeak fairer for the credit of faith in words,Card. de Lugo de ſide, ſpe, diſ. 1 ſect. 5. n. 56. then Mr. Iohn Goodwin, who raiſeth our faith no higher then the Engliſh grammer, the Printer, the learning and authoritie of men.

2.Malderus de object fidei q. 1. art 1. ſect. 10. p. 6. We beleive that Chriſt is God man, not for the authoritie of men, and ſo of the reſt of the Articles of our faith, becauſe Chriſt ſaith Iohn 5. 34. Ye ſent unto Iohn, and he bare witneſs to the truth. Suarez de fid. diſp. 3. de object. forma fidei ſect. 10 pag. 9. diſ. 9. dub. 8. concl 4.v. 34. But I receive not teſtimony from men, on which word Chryſoſtome ſaith. foreign I need not (ſaith our Saviour) the teſtimonie of men, … I am God, but becauſe ye give more heed unto Iohn, and beleeve him to be moſt worthy of all of credit, Lod. Maratius tom. 2. tract. de fide diſ 17. iect. 2. n. 6.and ye come to him as a Prophet, I ſpeak this foreign who will then receive Mr Goodwins Teſtimonie, who gives us nothing for faith but fluctuation of opinion,Duvilliusde object fidei l. 2. q. 1. lit…e. d. and ſome Topick grounds from mens credit, learning and authoritie, that the Scripture is the Word of God, and turnes all our faith into fancie.Fr. Silvius Profeſſor, Duace…ſis m. 22 q. 1. art 1.

3. The Scripture reſolves our faith on, Thus ſaith the Lord, the only authoritie that all the Prophets alledge, and Paul, 1 Theſ. Lod Caſ…enſis Capucinus Curiſ. Theol. tom poſt tract. 15. diſ 1. ſ. 3. Reaſons to prove that we have divine certaintie, that the Books of the old and New Teſtament that we now have, are the word of God, contrary to Mr Goodwins Aſſertion, That we have no warrant ſo to ſay, but mans credit and authority.2. 13. For this cauſe alſo thanke we God without ceaſing becauſe when yea received the word of God which ye heard of p. 365us, ye received it not as the word of man (made of mens credit and learning (as Mr. Goodwin ſaith) but (as it is in truth) the word of God.

4. Weak, dry, and ſapleſſe ſhould be our faith, all our patience and conſolations of the Scriptures, Rom. 15. 4. all our hope on the word of God, Pſ. 119 49, 50, 52, 54, 55. all our certainty of faith, if it were ſo as Mr. Goodwin averreth. But we have foreign a more ſure word of Propheſie, ſurer then that which was heard on the Mount for our direction, and the eſtabliſhing of our faith, 2 Pet. 1. 19. Joh. 5. 39. Search the Scriptures, for they bear witneſſe of me; let them be judge between the Jews and me, whether I be the Son of God or no, for they beare witneſſe of me: now if we have no better warrant, that the books of the Old and New Teſtament, that we now have, to wit, the originall of Hebrew and Greek and tranſlations are the word of God, then that which is made of the credit of the authority and learning of men, then muſt all our comfort of beleeving be grounded upon this mans, and this mans Grammar and skill, in Hebrew, Greek, Latine, Engliſh, a…d he is not infallible in any of theſe. And muſt our lively hope be bottomed on mens credit and learning? then for any thing we know on the contrary, we have but dreams, opinions, and at beſt, mans word, for the word of God, and how is the word of Propheſie a more ſure word; for theſe were written and tranſlated propheſies, of which Peter ſpeaketh; Mr. Goodwin and Libertines, who put heaven and Chriſt, and the lively hope of our inheritance, to the conjectures of doubting Scepticks could well reply to Peter, the word of propheſie cannot be ſure; for we have no certainty that the Scriptures of the Prophets, of the Old and New Teſtament, which we have either Hebrew or Greek copies of, are the word of God, but undoubtedly Chriſt appealeth to the Scriptures as to the onelyonly Judge of that controverſie, between him and the Jewes, whether the Son of Mary was the eternall Son of God, and the Saviour of the world, he ſuppoſed the written Scriptures which came through the hands of fallible Printers and Tranſlatours, and were copies at the ſecond, if not at the twentieth hand from the firſt copy of Moſes and the Prophets, and ſo were written by ſinfull men, who might have miſwritten and p. 366corrupted the Scripture, yet to be a judge and a rule of faith, and fit to determine that controverſie and all others, and a Judge de facto, and actually preſerved by a divine hand from errours, miſtakes and corruptions, elſe Chriſt might, in that, appealed to a lying Judge, and a corrupt and uncertaine witneſſe; and though there be errours of number, genealogies, &c. of writing in the Scripture, as written or printed, yet we hold providence watcheth ſo over it, that in the body of articles of faith, and neceſſary truths, we are certaine with the certainty of faith, it is that ſame very word of God, having the ſame ſpeciall operations of enlightning the eyes, converting the ſoule, making wiſe the ſimple, as being lively, ſharper then a two-edged ſword, full of divinity, life, Majeſty, power, ſimplicity, wiſdome, certainty, &c. which the Prophets of old, and the writings of the Evangeliſts, and Apoſtles had.

M. Goodwins argument makes as much againſt Chriſt, and the Apoſtles, as againſt us, for they could never in all their Sermons and writings ſo frequently, bottome and found the faith on foreign as it is written in the Prophets, as David ſaith, as Iſaiah ſaith, and Hoſea, as Daniel ſaith, as Moſes and Samuel, and all the Prophets beare witneſſe, if they had had no other certainty, that the writings of the Prophets, that came to their hands, was the very word of God, but the credit, learning and authority of men, as Mr. Goodwin ſaith, for ſure Chriſt and the Apoſtles, and Evangel…ſts, had not the authentick and firſt copies of Moſes and the Prophets, but only copies written by men, who might miſtake, Printers and Tranſlators not being then, more then now, immediately inſpired Prophets, but fallibly men, and obnoxious to failings, miſtakes and ignorance of ancient Hebraiſmes, and force of words; and if ye remove an un…rring providence, who doubts but men might adde a foreign or ſubſtract, and ſo vitiate the fountaine ſenſe? and omit points, change conſonants, which in the Hebrew and Greek, both might quite alter the ſenſe: nor can any ſay, Chriſt and the Apoſtles being infallible, could well cite the Prophets, without a miſtake, though the copies might have been vitiate and corrupt. 2. Becauſe the very citing of theſe Teſtimonies by Chriſt and his Apoſtles, made p. 367them Scripture, and ſo of infallible authority; but our citing of them, (ſince both, Printers and Tranſlatours are not immediately inſpired, and we alſo might erre) cannot adopt them into Canonicall and authentick Scripture, ſuch as was firſt written by the immediately inſpired Prophets.

I ſhall anſwer, that firſt, this objection preſumeth, that Chriſt and the Apoſtles might, and did finde errours, and miſ-printings even in written Scripture, which might reduce the Church in after ages to an invincible ignorance in matters of faith, and yet they gave no notice to the Church thereof; or if there was no errour, de facto, then for ſo many hundred yeares, yet there are now ſubſtantiall errours, and ſo ſoule, that it may be, we have no word of God, at all, amongſt us, and God hath no Church, no beleever on earth, but we muſt all take the word of Printers and Tranſlatours, which is meerly the word of man: and what is become of all the Martyrs, that ſuffered by the bloudy woman Babel? they dyed for meer conjectures and opinions, for they had not the firſt originall copies of Moſes, and the Prophets, yea Stephen the firſt Martyr, who according to all our copies Act. 7. addeth five to Moſes his 70 ſoules, that went downe to Egypt, in that glorious Sermon that he hath before his death, when he ſealed the truth with his bloud, and dyed gloriouſly, and ſaid, Lord Jeſus receive my ſpirit, dyed but upon the faith of mens fallible skill in Grammer, Printing and writing, for he citeth the writings of Moſes to his enemies that ſtoned him, according to the copies that they then had;As Matth. 2. 5.Matt 2:5 who would quickly have controlled him,Matth. 4. 4, 6, 7 10.Matt 4:4Matt 4:6Matt 4:7 if he had cited falſe copies, and Stephens owne Teſtimony was contraverted,Matth. 11. 10.Matt 11:10 and therefore except we ſay,Matth. 21. 13.Matt 21:13 that Stephen and Chriſt, Matth. 26. 24.Matt 26:24and the Apoſtles, cited the teſtimonies of the Prophets as they were then obvious to the eyes and reading of both the people of God,Mark. 14. 21. 27Mark 14:21Mark 14:27 and the enemies,Mark. 1. 2.Mark 1:2 and that not ſimply, as their owne words which they ſpake as immediately inſpired,Luke 2. 23.Luke 2:23 but as the teſtimony of the Prophets,Luke 4. 4. 8. 10.Luke 4:4Luke 4:8Luke 4:10 according to the then written copies, we muſt ſay they ſpake not Ingeniouſly the truth of God,Luke 7. 27.Luke 7:27 for it was againſt truth,Luke 19. 46.Luke 19:46 candour, ingenuity, to Chriſt and the Apoſtles to ſay,Joh. 6. 31. 45. Joh. 12. 14.John 6:31John 6:45John 12:14 as it is written in your Law, Jo. 8. 17. and ſo p. 368often it is written, Act. 1. 20.Acts 1:20if they would not have the hearers to receive, with certainty of faith.Act. 7 42.Acts 7:42 and full aſſurance free from all doubting,Act. 13. 33.Acts 13:33 and feare of humaue fallibility, that what they cited as written, Act. 15. 15.Acts 15:15was undoubtedly the ſame very truth of God,Rom. 1. 17.Rom 1:17 and no other, which Moſes and the Prophets ſpoke and wrote;Rom. 2. 24.Rom 2:24 and if they would not have them to read, ſearch,Rom. 3. 4. 10.Rom 3:4Rom 3:10 and beleeve theſe ſame Scriptures, and to conceive that they drew arguments in the New Teſtament to prove and confirme their doctrine,Rom. 4. 17.Rom 4:17 from that which was written by Moſes and the Prophets in the Old Teſtament,Rom. 8. 37.Rom 8:37 and would not have them to beleeve them,Rom. 8. 13.Rom 8:13 onelyonly becauſe New Teſtament writers immediately inſpired,Rom. 11. 8.Rom 11:8 had ſo ſaid.

6.1 Cor. 1 19. 31. … Cor. 2. 9. 1 Cor. 3. 19. 2 Cor. 4. 13. 2 Cor. 8. 15.1 Cor 1:191 Cor 1:311 Cor 3:192 Cor 4:132 Cor 8:15 If God will have us to try and examine all Spirits, all Doctrines,Rom. 12. 19.Rom 12:19 by the Scriptures written, then are we certainly aſſured,Rom. 15. 3.Rom 15:3 that the books we now have, of the Old and New Teſtament,1 Cor. 14. 21.1 Cor 14:21 are the very word of God, though we cannot,Gal. 3. 10. 13.Gal 3:10Gal 3:13 by any poſſibility, have the firſt and originall authentick copies of Moſes and the Prophets and Apoſtles;Gal. 4. 22. 27.Gal 4:22Gal 4:27 Becauſe 1.Heb. 10. 7.Heb 10:7 God would not bid us try, and then leave us no rule to try withall,1 Pet. 1. 16.1 Pet 1:16 but our owne naturall light, which muſt lead us into darkneſſe.Luke 24. 14.Luke 24:14 2. The viſible Church ſhould not be guilty of unbeleefe,Rom. 15. 4.Rom 15:4 if the written word were not among us,1 Cor. 10. 7.1 Cor 10:7 or then Chriſt and his Apoſtles ſpeaking to us, as is cleare,2 Cor 9. 9.2 Cor 9:9 Joh. 15. 22. Rom. 10. 14, 15. Matth. 11. 21, 22. The aſſumption is cleare by the commended practiſe of the Bereans, Luke 4. 17.Luke 4:17who tryed Pauls doctrine, by the Scriptures, Act. 17. See Rivetus, Joh. 2. 17.John 2:17Whitaker, Calvin. 3. By the command of God, 1 Theſſ. 5. 2. 1 Joh. 4. 1. Try all things, try the Spirits.

7.Rivet to. 1. contra. tract 1. 46. Whitaker to. 2. de authoritate Scrip. l. 3. c. 7. Calvin Comment in Act. 17.Acts 17 John would not call thoſe bleſſed who read and hear, Rev. 1. 5. nor would Paul recommend reading to Timothy, and continuance in the doctrine of the Scriptures, and ſo extoll the neceſſity and utility of the Scripture, and the indwelling of the word of God in us, as he doth, 1 Tim. 4. 16. 2 Tim. 14, 15, 16. Col. 3. 16. nor could the things written by John c. 21. 31. by Moſes and the Prophets, Luke 16. 29, 30, 31. be holden forth as ſufficient to bring ſoules to heaven, and to cauſe them eſchew hell, if it were true, that we have no certainty that the Scriptures of the Old and New Teſtament are the very word of God, but ſuch as is made of mens credit and learning.

p. 3698. Yea and ſo, what God ſpake immediately to Abraham, Moſes, and the Prophets, could not be infallibly and by certainty of faith to them the word of God; for if God ſpake to them in a language intelligible, they had no certainty of faith, that the words that came from God, did ſignifie thus and thus; for ſure, God, by immediate inſpiration, taught them not Grammar, and ſignifications of words, and thoſe that read the Law written by Gods finger on two Tables of ſtone, thoſe who heard Moſes and the Prophets preach in their Mother-tongue even the Jewes, who read the originall firſt Hebrew copy of Moſes and the Prophets, muſt have had no warrant, that, that was the word of God, but the authority of Father, Mother, and Nurſes, who firſt taught them their Mother-tongue, for ſure the Prophets were not School-maſters to teach them Hebrew; ſo by this learning there was never ſince the world was, any certainty of faith, but ſuch conjecturall humane and fallible opinions in all the matters of God, as is reſolved ultimately (ſaith Mr. Goodwin) into mens fallible and topicke authority and skill of Grammar, and all divine faith is periſhed out of the earth: nay there never could be any divine faith on earth, except God by a ſupernaturall power taught men firſt Grammar, and then to beleeve, for which we have no warrant, ſo all our faith muſt bee dreams.

And ſince Mr. Goodwin acknowledgeth a ſupernaturall power of the Spirit of Grace to beleeve; what elſe doth this Spirit cauſe us beleeve, but lyes? or at beſt phancies reſolved into humane credit? which may be falſe for any certainty of knowledge that Libertines allow us?

Yea confident I am (ſaith Mr. Goodwin) that the wiſeſt and moſt learned of them, Hagiomaſt. Ser. 36. p. 47.are not able clearly or demonstratively, to informe the Magiſtrate and Judge, what blaſphamy, and what Idolatry it was, which was, by God, ſentenced to death under the Law. But ſo Mr. Goodwin in accuſing our darkneſſe, and in freeing the Magiſtrate of a duty he ow… to God and the Church, layeth obſcurity on the Scripture, as Papiſts doe, though for another end: And I am as confident there was ſome ſoro…y, ſome wilfull murther, ſome inceſt, ſome plea … p. 370and bloud, ſtroak and ſtroak, ſome adultery ſentenced by God to be puniſhed by the ſword, that Mr. Jo. Goodwin is not able clearly and demonſtratively to informe the Magiſtrate of. And by this argument, murther, ſorcery, inceſt, and adultery, ought not to be puniſhed by the ſword. Can Mr. Jo. Goodwin demonſtratively informe us, what be the falſe Prophets, Matth. 7. the grievous wolves, Act. 20. the Heretick, Tit. 3. 10. that we are not to beleeve, but to avoid? and by this argument we muſt not beware of them, nor avoid them, ſince they are unknowable.

Dr. Jer. Taylor layeth downe the ſame ground for tolerating Papiſts, Dr. Taylors liberty of propheſying, Sect. 4. p. 73, 74 75, &c.Socinians, Familiſts, and all the dreaming Prophets on earth, becauſe of the difficulty there is of expounding Scripture, and all the means and wayes of comming to the true ſenſe thereof, are fallible. There is variety of reading, various interpunction, a parentheſis, a letter, an acce… may much alter the ſenſe.

Anſw. May not reading, interpunction, a parentheſis, a letter, an acc…m, alter the ſenſe of all fundamentalls in the Decalogue? of the principles of the Goſpel? and turne the Scripture in all points (which Mr. Doctour reſtricts to ſome few darker places, whoſe ſenſes are off the way to heaven, and leſſe neceſſary) in a field of Problemes, and turne all beleeving into digladiations of wits? all ou… comforts of the Scriptures into the reelings of a Wind-mill, and pha… cies of ſeven Moons at once in the firmament? this is to put our faith and the firſt fruits of the Spirit, and Heaven and Hell to the Preſſe. But though Printers and Pens of men may erre, it followeth not that hereſies ſhould be tolerated, except we ſay, 1 That our faith is ultimately reſolved upon characters, and the faith of Printers. 2 We muſt ſay, we have not the cleare and infallible word of God, becauſe the Scripture comes to our hand, by fallible means, which is a great inconſequence, for though Scribes, Tranſ…atours, Grammarians, …rimers, may all erre, it followeth not that an erring providence of him that hath ſeven eyes, hath not delivered to the Church, the Scriptures containing the infallible truth of God. Say that Baruth might erre in writing the Propheſie of Jeremiah, it followeth not that the Propheſie of Jeremiah, which we have, is not the infallible p. 371word of God; if all Tranſlatours and Printers did their alone watch o…er the Church, it were ſomething, and if there were not one with ſeven eyes to care for the Scripture. But for Tradition, Councells, Popes, Fathers, they are all fallible means, and ſo far forth to be beleeved, as they bring Scripture with them.

Dr. Taylor tells us of many inculpable cauſes of errour; 1 The variety of humane underſtanding,Liberty of Propheſie, Sect. 11. p. 171. what is plaine to one, is …bſcure to another. Grego…ies and Ambroſes miſſall were both laid upon the Altar a whole night, to try which of them God would miraculouſly approve. By the morrow m…tins, the miſſall of Greg…ry was found t…rne in peeces, and throwne upon the Church, and Ambroſes found open in a poſture to be read. The miracle was expounded, that Ambroſes miſſall was to be received. Dr. Taylor ſaith, that he would expound it, that Gregories miſſall was to be preferred, and to be ſpread through the world.

Anſw. The knowledge of God is commanded, and the minde is under a divine Law, as well as the will and the affections.I have read of no faultleſſe cauſes of errour, nor of any invincible errour in things that we are to beleeve and know by vertue of a divine Commandement; for this is a ſpeciall falſe principle, that to know God, as he hath revealed himſelfe in his word, is not commanded of God in his word. 1 Becauſe to this David exhorteth Solom…n, And ſhall Solom…n my ſon know the Lord, 1 Chron. 28. 9. and when the Apoſtle bids as be renewed in the ſpirits of our mind, Epheſ. 4. 23. Rom. 12. 2. 2 And growing in knowledge is recommended, 2 Pet. 3. 14. 1 Cor. 1. 5. Prov. 4. 1. 5 And is ſet downe as a bleſſing, Eſa. 11. 9. Exod. 18. 10. Prov. 1. 2. Hoſ. 13. 4. Its ſure to know God, and his revealed will in his word muſt oblige us. 4 The end of the revealed will is to know God, Deut. 4. 3. 5. Prov. 22. 21.

5. The firſt Command injoyneth all worſhip internall, and externall, as to know God, Hoſea 13. 4. Jer. 9. 6. Jer. 24. 7. 2 Kings 19. 19. 2 Chron. 6. 33. and reaſon, the mind be under the Law of God, as will and affections ….

6. There is a connexion between the minde and other faculties, or affections, a corrupt minde is often conjoyned with a guilty conſcience, and faith and a pure conſcience go together, 1 Tim. 1. 19. 1 Tim. 1. …. 2 Pet. …. 4, 5. keep the one, and you ſhall the more eaſily keep the other, make p. 372ſhipwrack of faith, and a good conſcience cannot ſwim ſafe to Land, and the will, and rebellious affections, and luſts have influence upon the actuall and habituall blinding of the minde, in that men walking after their luſts are quickly blinded in their minde, and the judgement depraved, 1. 2 Pet. 3. 5. they are willingly ignorant, and ſo refuſe to know God. 2. Turne away their ear from the Law, refuſe the means of the knowing of God, and dig not for wiſdome, as for ſilver, hate knowledge, Prov. 1. 24. c. 2. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 3. Blinde their owne minds and ſhut their eyes, Eſa. 6. 10. Matth. 13. 14, 15. Ezek. 12. 2. Deut. 29. 3, 4.

Object. All theſe places do well prove that to be unwilling to know God is a ſinne, but not that the ſimply minde-ignorance of God is ſinne.

Anſw. And why is it ſin to be unwilling to know God, which the word commandeth, if not to know God be not ſinfull as to be willing not to fear, not to love, not to hope in God, not to obey God, not to love our neighbour is ſin, as well as not to fear, not to love God, are ſins?

Therefore what is truth in it ſelfe, and revealed to bee truth in the Scripture, if it appeare an untruth to another, the cauſe of that is not inculpable (as D. Taylor ſaith) as if the letter of the Scripture tendred it ſelfe darke and un… plicable to us without our fault. But the wiſdome of God (we beleeve) in the Scripture, is plaine, to thoſe that open their eyes, otherwiſe hereſie ſhould not onelyonly be no ſinne, contrary to the word of God, Tit. 3. 10. 1 Tim. 3. 1. 2. 1 Tim. 6. 4, 5. 2 Tim. 2. 16, 17, 18, 19. but an innocent apprehenſion of apparent truth, as there is no guiltineſſe in an eye vitiated with humours miſ-apprehending colours that are white;The trying of the two Miſſals of Gregory and Ambroſe by a miracle was meer folly. and ſeeing them to be red when they are not ſo. And for that way of trying the two miſſalls, they are but doting fools, that would chuſe either of them; for the word of God may judge them both to be corrupt and ſuperſtitious, and their trying which of the two was beſt, by a miracle, was a fooliſh and phantaſticall tempting of God, much like Chilingſworths decyding of controverſies of Religion, by lotry, becauſe Scripture, Reaſon, Councells, Fathers, Doctors, Tradition, are all inſufficient, which ſure is d…rogatory p. 373to the worth and perfection of Scripture, which maketh the ſimple wiſe, Pſ. 19. and muſt ſhew the man that erreth, his errour, if he ſhut not his eyes at light.

Dr. Taylor ſaith, Liber. of Prophe. Sect. 12. p. 185, 186.Covetouſneſſe is often is cauſe of hereſie. Thebulis, quia rejectus ab Epiſcopatu …ieroſolymitano, turbare capit Eccleſiam, ſaith Egeſippus in Euſebius, Tertullian turned Montaniſt for miſſing the Biſhopricke of Garthage, after Aggrippinus, and ſo did Montanus, for the ſame diſcontent, ſaith Nicephorus, Novatu… would have been Biſhop of Rome; Donatus of Car…age, Arri…s of Alexandria, Aerius of Sebaſtia; Socrates ſaid Aſterius did frequent the Conventicles of the Arrians, nam Epiſcopatum nliquem ambiebat.

Let the errour be never ſo great,The cauſes of hereſie. if it be not againſt an ar…cle of the Creed, if it be ſimple, and have no confederation with the perſonall iniquity of the man, the opinion is as innocent as the perſon; though perhaps as falſe as he is ignorant, and therefore ſhall burne, though he himſelfe eſcape. The man cannot by humane judgement be counted an heretick, unleſſe his opinion be an open receſsion, from plaine demonſtrative authority (which muſt needs be notorious, voluntary, vincible, and criminall) or that there be a palpable ſerving of an end accidentall and extrinſecall to the opi…ion, but theſe ends ſpirituall are hard to be diſcerned. The opinion of Purgatory though falſe, being neither fundamentally falſe, nor practically impious, is no hereſie.

Anſ. All ignorance of things revealed in the word though moſt ſpeculatively, are ſinfull errours.1. I am not ſo uncharitable of Tertullian, as Dr. Taylor, for Aerius he maintained no hereſie, I hope, Epiſcopacy is no article of faith. 2. I know no errour in the matters of God ſpeculative, but the Lord forbids it in his word. If every thing written be written for our inſtruction, fundamentall, or non-fundamentall as all the Scripture …, we are under a commandement of God, we (I ſay) who live in the viſible Church, are to know all, and beleeve all things written, be they fundamentall or no, for God hath written them all for us; Ergo, the ignorance of any thing written is a ſin, and a breach of a command, and ſo … errour, Happy are theſe that know and do. Now under doing, I comprehend the faith of the Trinity, and the moſt of articles, touching Chriſt, which do practically concern me, becauſe I ſin, if I doe not both know and beleeve them, elſe p. 374they are written as Ariſtotles Acroamaticks the ignorance of which in an unlette…ed man (I ſuppoſe) is no breach of a divine command, and I conceive the ignorance of the Stories in the old and new Teſtament, of Pauls leaving his cloak at Troas is a ſin, in all within the viſible Church, for that the Holy Ghoſt hath written theſe not for the inſtruction of one; but of all who heare or may heare of them, within the viſible Church.

2. No error, except of the Article of the Creed is arraigned as Hereſie by the Doctor, but he meaneth by error ignorance and miſ-beleif both; for I hope the Doctors charitis will not ſend all to hell, many godlie there may be who have much ignorance of God, who know not, or are ſimply ignorant of ſome of the twelve Articles of the Creed, and of ſome of the ten Commandements, if therefore error here doth include not beleeving, as hereſie muſt neceſſarily doe, the pertinacious miſ-beleeving and denying of many Stories in the Bible, as of the deluge, dividing of the red Sea, preſerving of Ionah alive in the whales belly, raiſing of Lazarus, (if obſtinacie be added) muſt be no leſſe Hereſie and an open belying of the God of truth, then the denying of an Article of the Creed, for the authoritie of God who commands us to know the one as well as the other, is in both deſpiſed, when we are ignorant of either.

3. It is to beg the Queſtion, to ſay that any Error in the matters written to us in our Lords Teſtament, which ſo much concerneth both our knowledge and practiſe, can be ſimple Errors and have no confederation with perſonall iniquity, for it is as much as if not to read our Husbands love-letter from end to end, or to cauſe to read it, if it comes to the wives hard, were not our ſin againſt our husband Chriſt, whereas to be ignorant of any thing in it, and miſ-beleeve, it is ſinfull ignorance, and naturall blindneſs, ſo the Doctor makes ſin ſo innocent as to have no conſideration with ſin.

4.The Place 1 Cor. 3. 11, 12, 13. expounded and vindicated from the gloſſes of Adverſaries.1 Cor 3:111 Cor 3:121 Cor 3:13 To ſay the opinion ſhall burne though himſelf …cape, is to expound the place 1 Cor. 3. 11, 12, 13, 14. moſt corruptly in a n…w gloſſe of the Doctors own, as if hay and ſtubb… that is, vaine and unprofitable opinions, that are builded upon the foundation Chriſt, were not ſinful opinions in the matters of p. 375God, when as they are hay and ſtubble to be b…ent.

1. Becauſe they are againſt a Commandment, that every man is to take heed, how, or what he is to build on the foundation, v. 10. but he that builds hay and ſtubble obeyes not that Commandement, but let every one take heed how hee buildeth thereupon.

2. Building hay and ſtubble, that is, vain and fruitleſs opinions upon the foundation, is privatively oppoſed to building of gold, ſilver, and precious ſtones, verſ. 12. but that is a work of faith, and ſuch a work as ſhall abide, and have a reward, v. 14.

3. The work that ſhall be brought to judgement, and made manifeſt ſo, as it ſhall be burnt with fire, and ſhall be judged to bee a fruitleſſe work, muſt be ſin. But the building of … and ſtubble upon the … Chriſt is ſuch a work, v. 13, 14, 15. And that the man himſelf ſhall be ſaved, becauſe that by faith he is builded upon the foundation Chriſt, but the work burnt with fire, will no more prove that the building of hay is not ſin, then that Peters j…daizing, and Davids adul…ry and murther were not fins, becauſe Peter and David are ſaved, for the Apoſtle there compares the Apoſtles to builders, (as before he compared them to …, v. 6, 7, 8 9.) and the preaching of doctrine to a building, and he makes Chriſt the foundation of the building, and two ſorts of ſuper-ſtructures; good doctrine, and that is gold and ſilver, and vain and unedifying Toyes added to the doctrine of Chriſt, … hay and ſtubble; Now he makes the judgement that trieth all doctrine to be fire, (whether it be the laſt judgement, or fierie afflictions, it is no great matter) our good doctrine will bide the tryall of the fire and not be conſumed, and the man rewarded for his ſo building, and bad doctrine will be burns, and not abide the Lords fire when it is tryed, for falſe doctrine will vaniſh in the day of tryall, and yeeld the ſower of ſuch doctrine no comfort, yet he himſelf keeping the foundation Chriſt ſhall be ſaved, but he ſhall be …eded and … afflicted for his fruitleſſe building, ſo the day ſeems to be the day of tryal and fiery perſecution coming on all the Preachers of the Goſpel, to try the… and their doctrine, as Rev. 3. 10. the place ſmels nothing of p…gato…ie fire, and the moſt judicious interpreters, even Eſ…ins … Papiſt, …pounds i… well of the Lords trying of the ſons of Levi, Mal. 3.

p. 3765. I will not ſay Amen to Dr. Taylor, that to count a man an heretick, his opinion muſt be a plaine upon receſſion from demonſtrative authority, which muſt needs be voluntary vincible, and criminall, Dr. Taylors miſtake of hereſie.for the Sadduces were wilfull, obſtinate hereticks in denying the reſurrection of the dead, a principall Article of faith; yet it is not clear that their opinion was an open receſsion from: demonſtrative authority. The Doctor will not call Chriſts arg…ing: God is the God of dead Abraham. Ergo, the dead muſt live againe, Matth. 22. demonſtrative. We may have as much naturall blindneſſe, as we can hardly ſee the truth of Chriſts aſcention to heaven, and comming againe to judge the quicke and dead, by demonſtrative authority from Scripture, yet thoſe in the viſible Church, denying theſe Articles of faith, are Hereticks, though there may be degrees of voluntarineſſe and obſtinacy in Hereticks.

6.What vincibleneſſe muſt be in hereſie. That there muſt be vincibleneſſe in all hereſie is anobiguous, in the Doctors ſenſe, for by vincibleneſſe, I take, he means, ſuch vincibleneſſe whereby none, by their owne induſtry and ſtrength of freewill may, if they be not wanting to that grace which is denyed to none, (as Arminians ſay) attaine to the light of ſuch conſequences, as hereticks wilfully deny. If this be his meaning, he is a friend to Pelagius. 2. If he take vincible, as oppoſed to invincible ignorance, he Popiſhly then ſaith, that the Scripture offereth to us many things whereof we may be invincibly ignorant. Now invincible ignorance, Proteſtants acknowledge onelyonly, in matters of fact, or of Goſpel-truths never ſo much as in the letter revealed, as Heathens may be invincibly ignorant of Chriſt, and their ignorance not be ſinfull, as Joh. 15. 22. and Jacob was invincibly ignorant, in lying with Leah, inſtead of Rachel. There can be no ſuch vincibleneſſe, or invincibleneſſe, in an Heretick that hears the Goſpel, for who ever heare the Goſpel, and yet remaine ignorant,Dr. Taylor maketh the opinion of Purgatory no hereſie, and groundleſly. their ignorance is not invincible, Nulla eſt invincibilis ignorantia juris.

7. The opinion of Purgatory, though it were no hereſie (as the Doctor ſaith, and bringeth no argument to prove it) yet is not ſimply, a finleſſe errour in ſuch as p. 377know, or ought to know (ſince the Scripture is before their eyes) that 1. There is no word of God to warrant it. 2. Since the word, in the Parable of Lazarus, and the rich Glutton, ſheweth us, what abideth all men, immediately after they dye, that the bodies of all goe to the earth, and one way or other are buried, and the ſouls either to heaven or hell, and this he ſaith of all mankinde. 1. Becauſe all receive either their good things, or their evill, of ſuffering in this life. 2. All men are ſuch, as if they beleeve not Moſes and the Prophets, will not beleeve though one riſe from the dead. 3. Chriſt ſhould be unperfect in this place, and in all other places, who ſhould not tell us of a third doom, befalling ſome after they are dead and buried: where their bodies that were inſtruments of ſin, as the rich gluttons tongue was of gluttony, ſhould be tormented, for their veniall ſinnes; yea and Purgatory dwells doorneighbour with covetouſneſſe, if the Doctor remembers that Soul-maſſes to Romiſh Maſſe-mongers, as well as Durges, Requiems, M…ſſes, are not a little gainfull.

8.Of errours how they are ſinfull in matters revealed in Gods word. Nor is there any errour of things revealed by the wiſe Lawgiver in Scripture, which is meerly ſpeculative, in order to Gods end, his glory. It is no leſſe derogatory to the Lawgivers glory not to beleeve, A Virgin ſhall conceive and bear a Son, and, there is one God in three perſons, then to kill our Brother, though the former be more ſpeculative, farther from the experiments of humane affairs (as he ſpeaketh) and more difficult and remoter from humane obſervation, then the other.

Object. Liber. of Proph Sect. 12. n. 6.1. Errours are then (ſaith he) made ſins, when they are contrary to charity, or inconſiſtent with a good life, or the honour of God.

Anſw. Not to beleeve what God ſaith, is inconſiſtent with his honour: for nothing intrinſecally is inconſiſtent with the honour of God, not the eating of the tree of knowledge, no ſimple act of loving, fearing, beleeving, all are inconſiſtent with, or agreeable to the honour of God, becauſe he commands, or forbids them.

Object. Liber. of Proph n. 6.2. No mans perſon is to be charged with the odious conſequences of his opinion, though the doctrine may be therefore charged, p. 378becauſe if he did ſee the conſequences, and then avow them, his perſon is chargeable with them.

Anſw. The very opinion it ſelfe may be a blaſphemy, by conſequence, though the man ſee it not to be blaſphemy: will the Doctor ſay, Hymeneus, and Alexander, did make ſhipwrack of faith and blaſpheme, becauſe they ſaid the reſurrection was paſt? Yet Paul 1 Tim. 1. 19, 20. chargeth the perſons with blaſphemy; and can the Doctor deny that Hymeneus, and Philetus, increaſed unto more ungodlineſſe, and that their word did eat as a canker, in ſaying, that the reſurrection was paſt? which yet Paul chargeth on them, 2 Tim. 2. 15, 16, 17. and thoſe that taught circumciſion are charged as perverters of ſoules, Act. 15. yet they but perverted ſoules, by conſequence. The like may be ſaid of ſuch, as Paul ſaid tell from Chriſt, and loſt all benefit in Chriſt, if they were circumciſed, Gal. 5. 2. It may be they would retract the hereſie, if they ſaw the blaſphemies to follow by ſtrong conſequence, and it may be not, ſince they are ſelfe-condemned. But, ſure, the Lord chargeth the perſons of men as making God a lyar, who beleeve not his truth, and he chargeth Epicuriſme, Let us eat and drinke, for to morrow we ſhall dye, 1 Cor. 15. on the perſons that deny the reſurrection: and if the doctrine be a lye, I wonder, how theſe that lye of God (ſince God commandeth to know, and beleeve whatever he ſaith in his word) can be innocent.

Object. N. 7.If no ſimple errour condemne us before the throne of God, ſince God is ſo pitifull to our crimes, that he pardons many de toto, & de integro, he will far leſſe demand an account of our weakneſſe; the ſtrongest underſtanding cannot pretend immunity from being deceived.

Anſw. Simple errours of things revealed in Gods word are condemning ſins.Then though Chriſt ſaid, Joh. 8. Except ye beleeve, that I am b…, ye ſhall dye in your ſins, and he that beleeveth not is condemned already: He chargeth no man guilty of unbeleefe, that heareth the Goſpel for ſimple not beleeving But then we are commanded to beleeve no truth that God ſpeaketh, to know no truth, but onelyonly to know it with an inclination of heart, love, and will, toward the Commander, and ſo the minde, and underſtanding faculty, the nobleſt, and moſt excellent peece in the ſoule muſt be left lawleſſe and p. 379free in its operations, from all hazard of guilt or ſinne.

2. If this Argument be good, ſinnes of infirmities, and of weakneſſe, muſt be no ſin. Idle words cannot come in reckoning in the laſt day, contrary to Matth. 12. 36. for God forgives crimes; Ergo, he will not call us to an account for our venialls. If this conclude any thing, the ſtrongeſt underſtanding cannot pretend immunity from being deceived; Ergo, ſimple ignorance of the things of God is no ſin. I may argue no man can pretend to be free of ſin in the inclination of the heart and originall guiltineſſe, Job 4. 4. Pſ. 51. 5. Gen 8. 21. Prov. 20. 9. 1 Joh. 1. 8. 10. Eccleſ. 7. 20. Ergo, ſin is no ſin, originall ſin, ſins of infirmities are no ſins.

Object. Ob. 1. Sect. 13.No Chriſtian is to be put to death for his opinion, which doth not teach impiety or blaſphemy. If it plainly and apparently brings in a crime, and himſelfe doth act it, or incourage it, then the matter of fact, is puniſhable, according to its proportion and malignancy; as if be preach Treaſon, and Sedition, his opinion cannot excuſe, becauſe it brings in a crime, a man is never the leſſe Traytor, becauſe he beleeves it lawfull to commit Treaſon, and a man is a murtherer, if he kill his brother unjuſtly, although he thinke to doe God good ſervice in it; matters of fact are equally judicable, whether the principle of them he from within or without; and if a man could pretend to innocency in being ſeditious, blaſphemous or perjured, by perſwading himſelfe it is lawfull, a gate were opened for all iniquity.— I deny not but certaine and knowne Idolatry, or any other ſort of practicall impiety, with its principiant doctrine ought to be puniſhed, becauſe it is no other but matter of fact, but no matter of meer opinion; no errours that of themſelves are not ſins are to be perſecuted by death or corporall inflictions.

Anſw. How opinions are judicable and puniſhable.1. The Doctor mocketh when he ſaith, No meer opinions are to be perſecuted. That was never in queſtion, a meer opinion, is a meer act of the minde within the walls of the ſoule, and can be knowne to no man; for neither Magiſtrate, nor Church can judge of inviſible and hidden acts of the ſoule, ſo he ſayes nothing.

2. The ſimple apprehenſion of God to be a fourfooted beaſt, is by the Apoſtle, Rom. 1. eſteemed Idolatry, and a mentall changing of the glory of the incorruptible God into the glory of a corruptible creature; and the profeſſion thereof p. 380muſt then be the profeſſion of manifeſt Idolatry, and ſo puniſhable, yet it is a profeſſion of a meer opinion; but I confeſſe of a moſt Idolatrous opinion, not of a fact, otherwiſe by this learning of Libertines there can be no ſin in ſimple apprehenſions of God, though moſt prodigious, and monſtrous, what is blaſphemy, is as controverted and as unjudicable as ſimple errour. Servetus his naming the bleſſed Trinity a Cerberus, or three-headed dog, blaſphemed, ſay we, I thinke Doctour Taylor will not ſay ſo, then by his way, blaſphemy muſt be as unjudicable as hereſie, and to him the formall of it is within, in the heart.

3. If matters of fact be puniſhable according to their proportion and malignancy, then ſpeaking lyes in the name of the Lord, and teaching and profeſſing malignant doctrine contrary to the doctrine of godlineſſe, that Chriſt thought it no robbery to be equall and conſubſtantiall to God, that God is one in three perſons, and to teach any thing contrary to what God hath ſaid in his word, as that there were not eight perſons in the Arke with Neah, muſt be puniſhable, the contrary whereof the Doctor ſaith here: for every breach of a Commandement is malignancy and puniſhable, when it hurteth humane ſociety eſpecially.

4. Can a man be the leſſe hereticall, and his ſociety the leſſe deteſtable then, that he thinks his hereſie is ſound doctrine? for thoughts cannot change the nature of actions.

5. To kill a man is indifferent of it ſelf, it may be done in juſtice, it may be done in injuſtice, but if a man kill his ſon, and offer him to God,For the Father to kill the ſon, upon a meer religious ground, is no murther, nor puniſhable by Libertines way neither hating, nor envying, nor grudging at the ſafety of his ſon, only upon this meer opinion that he expreſſeth an act of love to God, above that he beareth to his ſon, as Abraham did, then by this way he ſinneth not, this ſon-ſlaughter is not murther, nor puniſhable, but a ſimple errour.

For 1. It may be ſaid by Libertines, the act of killing is indifferent of it ſelfe.

2. If he hate not his ſon, and lye not in wait for him, it is no murther, Deut. 4. 42. Deut. 19. 46. He is not worthy of death, for as much as he hated him not in times paſt. Nor can p. 381killing be called a vertuall hating, or eſſentially an hatred of our brother, for then it were impoſſible for a Judge to kill a man, and not to hate him: As every breach of the Law of God is eſſentially an hatred of God, and a vertuall hatred of God: for ſimple killing of our neighbour is not murther by Gods reaſoning, but killing of him in hatred, rage, anger, or deſire of revenge. Nor can it be ſaid, that hating, forbidden in murther, by the Law of God, includes a loving of him, and a ſaving of his life; when it is in our power to ſave it, as it is in the fathers power, who ſacrificeth his innocent Son to God, to ſave his life.

Anſwer, I deny not but it is murther, for they teach, that a man may publiſh that which by conſequence, deſtroyeth the faith of fundamentals, and ſo ſubvert the faith of others, which to do is a ſin, but becauſe the man followeth the dictment of his erroneous conſcience it is no ſin to the man that ſo teacheth, yea, he may innocently ſuffer perſecution for his conſcience, thus erroneous, yea, and dye a martyr for it. Ergo, if the following of an erroneous conſcience, ſhall make a leſſe ſin to be no ſin but innocency, it ſhall make a greater ſin, to wit, killing of his ſon to his heavenly father, no ſin, and ſo he may lawfully do it. Nor wil it ſuffice to ſay, to offer a man to God and kill him, is againſt the light of nature, and vincibly a ſin; what then? if the man beleeve he is commanded to kill him, his erroneous conſcience muſt bind, as the offering of whole burnt offerings to God, to us is a ſin, againſt the light of nature, in regard the law of nature can no more warrant it, then it can warrant Chriſt to offer up himſelf to God. But upon the ſuppoſition of Libertines, it's no murther, nor is it puniſhable at al, becauſe the father may, yea, & lawfully ought to worſhip God according to the indictment of his conſcience, whither the conſcience be right, or bloody and erroneous, and yet he is not puniſhable for blood-ſhed, by their way for meerly, and ſimply, without any malignancy or hatred to the child; he beleeves, he ought to preferre his maker, to his deareſt childs life as well as Abraham, and the conſcience doth naturally, and as under no Law, ſimply beleeve it is the like ſervice, and worſhip that Abraham would have p. 382gratefully performed unto God, if God in reward of that love, had not forbidden him againe to kill his Sonne. And this anſwer preſuppoſes alſo, that it is impoſſible for a father to have ſuch a conſcience, as may ſtimulate, and command to kill his ſon, and that in the authority, and name of God, as he erroneouſly, yea, and as he invincibly holdeth, as Socinians, Familiſts, Papiſts, beleeve purgatory, merits, juſtification by workes, who yet are not to be puniſhed for their conſcience, according to Libertines. Again, there is no intrinſecall malignancy in the act of naticide▪ or ſon-ſacrificing, but what it hath from the Lords Law forbiding to kill, now thoſe that killed their Sons to Molech, yea, to God, as they thought, ſtrongly, yea, invincibly beleeved God commanded them, to do him ſuch bodily ſervice, as is clear from Jer. 7. 31. Jer. 15. 5. And that this is invincible ignorance, (I take the word invincible in the Libertines ſenſe) Libertines grant, for in our condemning ſon-ſacrificing, they wil ſay we are not infallible. Yea, the underſtanding, being ſpirituall, cannot be reſtrained, ſaith Dr. Taylor Sect. 13. n. 6. and no man can change his opinion when he will, ſaith he, ibid n. 7. and ſo ſhould not be puniſhed for it, and n. 13. there is nothing under God Almighty, that hath power over the ſoule of man, ſo as to command a perſuaſion. If hee be then perſwaded, that he ought to kill his Son, he ought unpuniſhably ſo to do. Laſtly, Doctor Taylor yeelds the cauſe, when he ſaith that certaine known Idolaters may be puniſhed with death or corporall inflictions. For there is no Idolatry ſo groſſe, that ſtrongly deluded conſciences may not be carried invincibly (I ſpeake in the Libertine ſenſe) out of meer conſcience, to act. Ergo, ſome are juſtly puniſhable for their meer conſcience, and yet are not perſecuted for conſcience. foreign If a man preach treaſon (ſaith he) his opinion doth not excuſe. If a man preach murther, and preach that Chriſt was an impoſtor, that the Scripture is a fable, how can his opinion excuſe in a great ſin, and not all ſins?