Against Pretended Liberty of Conscience, Title page – To the reader
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.
PSALM. 119. 45. And I will walk at Liberty, for I ſeek thy precepts. foreign
LONDON, Printed by R. I. for Andrew Crook, and are to be ſold at his ſhop, at the ſigne of the Green Dragon in St. Pauls Church-yard. MDCIL.
TO THE Godly and unpartiall Reader.
I Offer (Worthy Reader) to your unpartiall and ingenuous cenſure theſe my enſuing thoughts againſt Liberty of conſcience, from which way looking to me with a face of Atheiſme, I call the Adverſaries, Libertines, not intending to reach a blow to any godly man, or to wound thoſe who out of weakneſſe are captived with that error, but to breed in the hearts of the godly a deteſtation of that way, which in truth hath its riſe from Libertiniſme, and ſavoureth rankly of wide, looſe and bold Atheiſticall thoughts of the Majeſty of God, as if our conſcience had a Prerogative Royall beſide a rule; yea (which is prodigious) in its ſimple apprehenſions of God, of the Mediator, of the revealed will of God, above the Law of God: For 1. This way bringeth in Ariſtotles foreign, and the worlds foreign. So I thinke, and all ſay ſo, and our faith and hope muſt be reſolved in the firſt principle of Scepticiſme. So it ſeems to me, for the young daughters of the minde, the ſimple acts of apprehending, knowing, beleeving God and divine truths are innocent, harmeleſſe and ill-leſſe foul-works, being from under all dominion of either free-will or a divine Law, and the minde, a free borne abſolute Princeſſe, can no more incur guiltineſſe in its operations about an infinite Sovereigne God, and his revealed will, by this lawleſſe way, then the fire can in burning, the Sunne it inlightning, the ſtone in moving downward, be arraigned of any breach of Law, if toleration have place.
2. All certainty of beleeving, all ſtedfaſtneſſe, rooting, and unmovable eſtabliſhing in the truth, all life of conſolations and comforts in the Scriptures, all peace of heavenly confidence, all joy unſpeakable and full of glory, all lively hope, all patient and ſubmiſſive waiting for the fruits of the harveſt, all wreſtling in prayer, all gloriation in tribulation, and all triumphing in praiſing, all rejoycing in Spirit, being bottomed on fallible opinions, on doubtfull diſputations of Scepticks, may be the reelings of wind-mills, fair phanſies, and dream…; for who (ſay they) is infallible: and who hath known the minde of the Lord? ſo as the truth muſt be monopolized to any one Sect, or way? who in faith or fulneſſe of aſſurance can convince or rebuke gainſayers, hereticks, or ſuch as bring another doctrine, and may not you the convincers and rebukers, as rather be gainſayers and Hereticks, and ſuch as bring another doctrine, as thoſe whom you ſo labour to convince and rebuke?
3. Conſcience is hereby made every mans Rule, Umpire, Judge, Bible, and his God, which if he follow, he is but at the worſt, a godly, pious, holy Hereticke, who feareth his conſcience more then his Creator, and is to be judged of you a Saint.
4. Hence conſcience being deified, all rebuking, exhorting, counter-arguing, yea all the Miniſtery of the Goſpel muſt be laid aſide; no man muſt judge brother Idolater, or brother Familſt, or Saints to be Socinians, or men of corrupt mindes, perverſe diſputers, vain-janglers, wreſters, rackers, or torturers of Scripture, whoſe words eat as a canker, who ſubvert whole houſes, who speake the viſions of their owne head, and ſee falſe burdens, for all theſe were of old, but are now quite gone out of the world; for who can make a window in any mans ſoule, and ſee there heart-obſtinacy which only doth eſſentially conſtitute the heretick, the blaſphemer, the falſe Prophet?
But is not brotherly forbearance, Chriſtian indulgence a debt we owe to brethren, Saints, and the truly godly in errours, and mind-infirmities, which by a naturall emanation or reſultance get the fore-ſtart of freewill?
To which I ſhall ſpeak in theſe few conſiderations.
1. It is much to be deſired with the prayers and ſuits of the children of God, that where there are two opinions, there may be one heart, that the Father of Spirits would unite the hearts of all the children of one Father, and the heirs of one houſe.
2. Papiſts here have exceeded in boundleſſe domination and tyranny over the conſciences of men: and what ever is contrary to the lawleſſe decrees of their Councells and Popes, is an unexpiable hereſie, and cannot be purged but by fire and fagot. 2. Who ever refuſe ſubjection of conſcience to that Enemy of Chriſt, and to that woman-miſtreſſe of witchcrafts, on whoſe skirts is found the blood of the martyrs of Jeſus, is preſently an heretick, and his arguments anſwered with burning-quicke, this tyranny over conſcience we diſclaime; yet for that ought, not the other extremity of wilde toleration to be imbraced.
3. We cannot thinke but all Saints in this ſide of glory carry to heaven with them errours, miſtakes, and propheſying in part, and the faireſt Stars and lights in this lower firmament of the Church are clouded, and the benefit of the Moon ſerves to enlighten the under garden of Lillies, where Chriſt feedeth, till the day breake, and the ſhadows flee away. And here brotherly indulgence and reciporation of the debt of compaſſionate forbearance of the infirmities one of another muſt have place.
4. Yet ſo, as there can be no conflict of grace againſt grace; nor can the taking off the Foxes which deſtroy the Vines, be contrary to the gentleneſſe and meekneſſe of Saints in fulfilling the law of love, and bearing one anothers burdens, nor can love ſeated eſſentially in a new borne childe of the ſecond birth be contrary to the zeale of God in withſtanding to the face a Saint looking awry, and walking not with a ſtraight fo… according to the truth of the Goſpel; Gal. 2. 14.which way if heeded in ſincerity, ſhould breed more union of hearts, and be a greater teſtimony of faithfulneſſe to a ſtraying ſheep, then our cruell meekneſſe, and bloody gentleneſſe in a pretended bearing with tender conſciences under a colour of paying the debt of baſtard love, while as we ſuffer millions to periſh, through ſilence and mercileſſe condolency with them in their ſinfull depraving of the Truth. Farewell.
Yours in the Lord Jeſus, S. R.