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English
,
Scottish
Video meliora proboque , Deteriora sequor .
Mr. Case Farewel-Serm . on Rev. 2.5 . Time was , when the name of a Toleration would have made Christians to have trembled .
Henry
Brome
,
The
Harmonious
consent
of
the
Ministers
of
the
Province
,
within
the
County
Pa●atine
of
Lancaster
,
with
their
Reverend
Brethren
,
the
Ministers
of
the
Province
of
London
in
their
late
Testimony
to
the
Truth
of
Jesus
Christ
,
pag . 11.
For our own parts , as we can never sufficiently admire and wonder , that any , that have taken the solemn League and Covenant , could either have so quickly forgotten it , or else imagin that the establishing a Toleration of Heresy and Schism by a Law , should be the way to extirpate them ; so also here we shall take occasion to declare , what our apprehensions are concerning such a Toleration .
We have searched the Scriptures , looked as impartially as we could into those authentick Records , and yet we cannot find , that ever such a thing was practised with approbation from God , from the time that Adam was created upon the Earth , unto the sealing up of the sacred Volume : but on the contrary , that those were blamed , reprehended and checked , that did but continue and wink at the practise of those things that were displeasing unto God ; that the not taking away the high places is mentioned as a defect in their Reformation , Rev. 2.14 , 15 , 20. 1 King . 15.14 . 2 Chron . 33.17 . 2 Chron . 17.6.31.1.34.3 , 4. of whom yet God gives testimony , that their hearts were upright , and that those that quite took all away that was distastful to him , were by God himself highly honour'd , and much commended . And therefore we cannot see how such a kind of Toleration as is endeavored after in these times , can any way consist with a through Reformation according to the Word of God ; there being nothing more contrary to Reformation th●n Toleration .
p●g . 12. A Toleration would be the putting of a Sword into a Mad-man's hand , a cup of poyson into the hand of a child ; a letting loose of Mad men with Fire-brands in their hands ; an appointing a City of Refuge in mens Consciences for the Devil to fly to ; a laying of the stumbling block before the blind ; a proclaiming liberty to the Wolves to come into Christ's fold to prey upon the Lambs ; A Toleration of Soul-murder ( the greatest murder of all ) and for the establishing whereof damned Souls in Hell would accurse men on Earth . Neither would it be to provide for tender Consciences , but to take away all Conscience . If evil be suffered , it will not suffer good ; if error be not forcibly kept under , it will be superior .
The establishing of a Toleration would make us become the abhorring and loathing of all nations ; pag . 13. and being so palpable a breach of our Covenant , would be the high road-way to lay Englands glory in the dust , and awaken against us the Lord of Hosts to bring a Sword upon us , Qu . 26.25 . to avenge the Quarrel of his Covenant . A Toleration added to our other sins would make us to God an intolerable burthen ; He would doubtless think of easing himself , he would be weary of Repeating .
A
Vindication
of
the
Presbiterial
Government
and
Ministry
;
Published
by
the
Ministers
and
Elders
met
together
in
a
Provincial
Assembly
,
licensed
,
entred
and
printed
according
to
order
,
in
the
year
That Doctrine that cryeth up Purity to the ruine of Unity is contra●y to the Doctrine of the Gospel ; pag . 124. 1 Cor . 1.10 . Phil . 2.1 , 2. Eph. 4.3 , 4 , 5 , 6. Joh . 17.21 , 22. Jer . 32.29 . Zeph . 3.9 . for the Gospel calleth for Unity as well as Purity : and Christ prayed for the Unity of the Church as well as the Holiness . And it is prophesied of the times of the Gospel , That in those days God will give his people one way to serve him with one consent . This Rule will teach you what to judge of the Congregational way ; for certainly that Religion that carrieth in the front of it a Toleration of different Religions , and is not sufficient to keep the Body of Christ in Unity and Purity . is not the Government of Christ .
p●g . 142. To make Ruptures in the body of Christ , and to divide Church from Church , and to set up Church against Church , and to gather Churches out of true Churches ; and because we differ in some things , therefore to hold Church-communion in nothing ; this we think hath no warrant from the word of God , and will introduce all manner of Confusion into Churches and Families ; and not only disturb , but in a little time destroy the power of Godliness , purity of Religion , peace of Christians , and set open a wide gap to bring in Atheism , Popery , Heresy , and all manner of Wickedness .
Thomas
Edwards
James
Cranford
,
pag . 58. A Toleration is the grand design of the Devil , his master-piece and chief engine he works by at this time to uphold his tottering Kingdom ; it is the most Compendious ready sure way to destroy all Religion , lay all waste and bring in all Evil . It is a most transcendent , catholick , fundamental evil , for this Kingdom of any that can be imagined . As original sin is the most fundamental sin , all sin , having the seed and spawn of all in it : So a Toleration hath all Errors in it , and all evils ; it is against the whole stream and current of Scripture both in the old and new Testament both in Matters of Faith , and Manners , both general and particular commands ; it overthrows all Relations both Political , Ecclesiastical and Oeconomical ; pag . 59. and whereas other evils , whether errors of judgment or practise , are but against some one or few places of Scripture or Relation , this is against All ; this is the Abaddon , Apollyon the destroyer of all Religion , the Abomination of desolation and astonishment ; the liberty of perdition ( as St. Austin calls it ) and therefore the Devil follows it night and day , working mightily in many by writing books for it , and otherwayes , all the Devils in Hell and their Instruments being at work to promote a Toleration .
A Toleration will undo All. First , pag . 85. bring in Sceptiscism in doctrine and Looseness of Life , and afterwards all Atheism . O let the Ministers therefore oppose Toleration , as being that by which the Devil would at once lay a foundation for his Kingdom to all generations , witness against it in all places , possess the Magistrates of the evil of it , yea and the people too , shewing them how if a Toleration were granted , they would never have Peace in their Familys more , or ever after have command of Wives Children , Servants ; but they and their posterities after them are like to live in discontent and unquietness of mind all their dayes .
Reasons
against
a
Toleration
,
the
Unlawfulness
and
Mischiefs
both
of
an
universal
Toleration
of
all
Religions
and
Consciences
,
and
of
a
limited
and
bounded
,
of
some
Sects
only
;
The
casting
down
of
the
last
and
strongest
hold
of
Satan
,
or
a
treatise
against
Toleration
,
and
pretended
Liberty
of
Conscience
.
Daniel
Cawdry
Assembly
of
Divines
,
Independency
a
great
Schism
,
pag . 13. The Commonwealth of Israel never prospered better then when it enforced Uniformity in the way of Religion prescribed .
pag . 14 1. That it was by God thought the best way to plant and preserve Religion in the hearts of the Jews . Those great Reformers so famous among them , Josiah , &c. are recommended for compelling of people , and binding them by Oath to serve the Lord .
2. The Parable of compelling men to come into the wedding seems ( in the judgment of no mean Divines ) to allow a power to bring men to the publick ordinances of worship .
3. Toleration ( which is our present condition ) hath done much more towards the rooting of Religion out of the hearts of many men in seven years , then the enforcing of Uniformity did in seventy years .
4. pag . 15. To compel Uniformity ( in a true or false way ) may by the corruptions of mens hearts breed Hipocrisy , Formality , Atheism and anxiety of Conscience in some ; but good and gracious Souls have been discovered and purifyed by it , as the three Children and Martyrs have manifested .
5. Many , at least some that were enforced to conformity in the Worship of God , in Families or Congregations , have blessed God for that compulsion , who before were Atheists or Profane , while they had a cursed intolerable toleration to be of any or no Religion .
Lastly , the will indeed cannot be forced to believe ; but that professed Christians should be compelled to that external profession of that only way of worship , which Christ has instituted , seems as equal and reasonable , as it is unreasonable that men be left to their own choice , to worship God either not at all , or after their own fancies . And he that denys this seems to men to be , if not an Atheist , a Sceptick in Religion .
I would know why the enforcing Uniformity is called by the name of bloody persecution . pag . 17. Surely to enforce conformity to the way of God is not persecution much less bloody ; but it is a just persecution of evil and refractory rebels to the Kingdom of Christ .
Will●am
Ashton
Toleration
disap●●r●●●●d
co●d●mn●d
Samuel
Rutherford
,
A
Free
Di●putation
against
pretended
Liberty
of
Conscience
,
fellow
Churches
separation
,
Paul
Toleration
or
pretended
liberty
of
Conscience
,
Thomas
Shephard
,
Pastor
Theses
Sabbaticae
,
The
Doctrine
of
the
Sabbath
,
It 's a thousand times better to suffer persecution for righteousness sake and for a good conscience , pag . 111. pag . 112. then to desire and plead for Toleration of all Consciences , that so by this cowardly device and lukewarm principle our own may be untouched . It was never heard of till now of late , that any of Gods Prophets , Apostles , Martyrs , faithful Witnesses , &c. that they ever pleaded for liberty in error , but only for the truth , which they preached and prayed for , and suffered for unto the death , and their sufferings for the Truth with zeal and patience , faith and const●ncy , have done more good then the way of universal Toleration is like to do , which is purpos●ly invented to avoid trouble . Truth hath ●ver spread by opposition , but error , being a child of Satan , hath fled by a zealous resisting it .
Lancashire
Ministers
,
Church
way
,
Independent
popular
Government
:
John
Humphrey
The
Authority
of
the
Magistrate
about
Religion
discussed
,
pag . 113. When men pretend they make a conscience of a thing , and indeed do not , I would have the Magistrate above all men to execute the Law upon such , ( supposing they judge the Law righteous ) and make them an example . If you will say , But how shall the Magistrate know this , seeing no man c●n judge of anothers heart ? I acknowledge readily that this is a difficulty , and the chief thing which requires the Magistrates prudence and faithfulness : Y●t this I say , that every man for all that , bei●g judge of his own acts , and the punishing or forbearing a person , being what the Magistrate does , pag . 114. he must and can but go according to his judgment . He uses the mediums as a wise man does , and lawfully may take his conjecture , ( the tree is known by his fruit ) and it is not necessary that it should be certain , but only that it be certain that he so judges , and if he be convinced in his soul , and indeed judges the mans profession only to be pretence , it is his own judgement , and nothing else can determine him . Although where the person is serious in what he declares , and not under any publick note of perfidiousness , the rule of Charity , which hopeth all things and thinketh no evil , must incline him to the best construction .
Jeremiah
Burroughs
1. Any man that pleads his Consci●nce , pag . 30. may be required to give an account of his Conscience . It is not enough for him to say his Conscience puts him upon such a thing , or keeps him from such a thing , he must give an account of the grounds on which Conscience goes . It is against the light of nature that men in society should do things of which they need give no account to any whatsoever .
2. Due enquiry is to be made whether the Devil be indeed in the Conscience . It may be you will find him in some other room of the soul , only he pretends to that as his Sanctuary , hoping to escape b●tter there then any where else . If he should be found in a mans Will , he thinks he should be hunted out with violence , he could not escape there , but he hopes men will deal more tenderly with Conscience ; therefore either thither he will get , or at least he will give it out that he is got in there , hoping you will enquire after him no further , when it is given out he has taken Refuge there . As a Malefactor searched after , it may be he is lurking in some house not far from you , but that you may either not search , or cease searching , he causes it to be given out that he is got into some strong Castle , or some other Countrey , where there is little hope to come at him .
1. If a mans private Interest is much engaged in what he pretends Conscience for , this may be enough to raise suspicion , though it be no determining Rule , &c.
2. If in the Course of a mans life , pag 3● . he appears not to be much under the command of his Conscience , but can take Liberty as he pleases , &c.
3. When the account a man gives , cannot in any rational way be judged such , giving allowance to all his weaknesses , as should probably misl●ad him so grosly , as is apparent he is misled , &c.
4. If a man be proud and turbulent in his carriage ; by that you may know the Devil is rather in the Will , then in the Conscience , &c.
5. pag . 32. When a man is not willing to make use of means to inform his Conscience , &c.
6. pag . 33. When a man by reason of Scripture is so put to it , as he must either renounce his Error , or fly from some of his own Principles , he will rather deny his Principles then yield himself convinced of his error ; The man that does thus , is the man spoken of Tit . 3.11 . that is {αβγδ} condemned of himself . A Heretick after the first and second admonition reject , because he is self condemned . By this Scripture it is clear that a mans Conscience may be so far seen into , as there may be a judgment passed upon a man , that he is a self condemned man , &c.
Having enlarged upon these signes he declares yet further what may be done to such a man .
Notwithstanding his Conscience he is to be cast out of the Society of the Saints ; and not only so , but if his error with the profession of it be destructive to the State , and he cannot be reclaimed , he may likewise be cut off from it ; or at least deprived of the priviledges of it , and benefits by it , notwithstanding his Plea of Conscience .
A man may be put to some trouble in those ways of evil , that his Conscience puts him upon , so far as to take off the wantonness of his spirit and the neglect of means : In times of liberty there is very great wantonness in mens Spirits ; they stand as in an equal ballance to receive truth or error ; every little thing casts the ballance in many mens Spirits : as interest in a friend ; esteem from such men of repute in some ; in others the credit they conceive there is in being able to speak further in a business then other men , to have a further insight into it than others ; and a thousand the like : Now to help against such temptations , if there be some trouble layed in the way , of that which is apparently evil , so as men shall see there is something to be suffered in that way ; if there be no more grains of trouble then may help against the wantonness and neglect of means , I see no reason why any should be offended at this .
James
Noyes
,
judicious
and
faithful
Minister
of
Christ
;
Thomas
Parker
,
Pastor
Moses
and
Aaron
;
Thomas
Parker
,
Benjamin
Woodbridg
,
James
Noyes
,
That Magistrates have a supream power under Christ to see the whole Law of God kept without exception : pag . 69. Deut . 17.19 . Numb . 27.21 . Es. 1.25 , 26. 2 Chron . 15.30.24.4.29.25 . Neh . 13.13 . Joh . 3.11 . Hos . 9.30.10.3 . Ez. 6.8 , 11. Dan . 6.23 . Deut . 17.10 , 11. Rom. 13.4 . 2 Tim . 2.2 . That it is the Magistrates duty to reform all abuses without exception : That it is the Magistrates end to punish and to put away all evil ; to maintain all godliness and peace among all persons : That Magistrates receive power from Christ as Mediator : All power is given to him , and therefore comes from him , and is given by him to others : And Magistrates receive power from Christ without exception in a politick way , therefore their power is correspondent to Christs Mediatorial power in a politick way ; else the Church would be desolated with Heresies , Idolatry , Prophaneness . It is needfull that Magistrates should have power to preserve the Church from desolation by taking away Foxes and Wolves , &c. and their power is no where limited in this respect , and therefore they have such power , as to take away Foxes and Wolves , &c.
they
may
;
Sins committed by the misunderstanding of Gods Word may be punished , therefore sins of conscience may be punished . A plea from Gods Word is greater then a plea of conscience . The Jews might have been punished for their killing of Christ , though they pleaded from Gods Word that he had deserved it by blasphemy .
2. Men may be punished when they sin in Reliigious zeal ; so Saul murdered the Gibeonites , and the Jews Christ . Zeal argues a love of duty , and an apprehension of conscience , in reference to Gods command . Mat . 26.52 . Peter was threatned with death by the sword , for using the sword unlawfully , though conscientiously , in a way of Religious zeal . Paul's mad zeal was conscientions . Act. 26.6 . A mad conscience had need be restrained .
3. Magistrates as well as Masters and Fathers of Families may make , and therefore execute Laws against an erroneous conscience . They may confirm Gods judicial Laws , Deut . 13.13 . which punished Idolatry , and therefore an erroneous conscience .
4. Negligence is punishable without exception , and conscience is negligent when a man sins . Adam his conscience was negligent in the act , though not in the habit , when he first sinned , and accordingly punished . A negligent and corrupt Judge is punished , though ignorant . A corrupt conscience is a corrupt Judge . Conscientia est testis , judex & vindex .
5. Deut . 17.19 . 2 Chron . 19.6 . God does punish Sins of Conscience and Magistrates are Gods Vicegerents and not restrained in this respect .
6. Ex. 32 4. Deut . 13.13 . Magistrates under the Law did punish sins of Conscience ; and Law is not changed in this respect .
7. Men may commit murders , Joh . 16.2 . Act. 26.9 . Rom. 10.2 . persecute and desolate the Church in a way of conscience , therefore they may be punished for Sins of conscience . Men may be punished in reference to sins of the mind , and why not in reference to sins of conscience also ? Mad men having not the use of a rational mind are not punishable . A conscience is a power of the mind , whereby we discern the rule and judg of our actions and conformity thereunto . The Soul , mind and conscience are punished immediately by God , the body immediately by man . Conscience is formally punished , though mediately , as well as formally ; the subjects of heat from fire , though mediately by the ayr . A murderous heretical conscience had need be corrected , not directed only . Meliores ducit amor , plures tamen corrigit timor .
9. If Direction be not sufficient , 2 Tim . 3.16 . then correction is to be applyed to Conscience to the whole man .
1 Pet . 3.10 , 11. 1 Tim . 1.9 . 10. All Disobedience is to be corrected without exception .
Heb . 10.22 . Tit . 1.15 , 16. 11. Conscience is but a natural power of the Soul , and therefore corrigible , as other natural powers offending as well as the affections and the will and the mind , &c. Men may conscienciously neglect to hear the Church , yea persecute the Church conscienciously , which is worse . Men may be punished as contemptuous and wilful , affecting ignorance , morally mad . A master of a Family corrupted had need be corrected rather then others , because so many do depend on his integrity . A Drunkard that is wont to be mischievous , and yet follows the cups , deserves Pythacus his Law , a double punishment . Act. 23.14 . If the sworn Jews had kil'd Paul , they had murdered him in Conscience . A rod is for the fools back , and conscience is naturally foolish . A conscience that serveth lusts , Tit . 3.3 . 2 Pet . 2.3.5 . Tit . 3.2 , 3. is contemptuous , wilfully ignorant , affecting ignorance , and naturally conscience does serve lusts . The Thief and the Adulterer may have such a conscience as to think that God is like to them . Psal . 5● . 29 , Heathens have worshiped God by adulterous prostitutions . Men are in a sense conscienciously criminal , when conscience permitteth the perpetration of crimes , not only when it commands . If a corrupt conscience maketh Gods House a den of thieves , it is meet it should be whipt out . If conscience be a den for thieves and a shelter for murderers , it must not be tollerated . Gods own Temple must not secure such .
13. Ministers are to punish conscience . 2 Cor . 10.5 , 6.
14. If conscience is not to be corrected , it is because it is ignorant , or because there is some goodness in it , or for some other reason ; But no such consideration does excuse it ; Not the first , for there is greatest ignorance in the greatest sins , yet they are the greatest Sins . There is more ignorance of some high principles in sins against known principles , then in sins that are called sins of ignorance . The more knowledg the less sin , therefore the more ignorance the more sin . It appears that the will follows the intellect in mad-men . The Will doth not act like the Appetite of a brute . All lusts are lusts of ignorance . True Knowledg doth hinder Sin , because it doth forbid Sin , and the Will cannot but follow the ultimate dictate of the intellect . Omnis malus est stultus omnis peccans est ignarus . Ignorantia juris non excusat . Ignorance deserves pity , yet it doth not excuse from punishment . Not the second , there is some goodness in a heathens conscience . Godliness in truth according to the Gospel doth not exempt from punishment . Conscience so far as it argues a good man , renders one the more worthy of regard , but not free from punishment , Qui parit culpis praesentibus , vitia transmittit ad posteros .
Luk . 19.22 . Out of thine own mouth will I judg thee , thou wicked Servant .
Rom. 2.1 . Therefore thou art inexcusable , oh Man whosoever thou art that judgest : for wherein thou judgest another , thou condemnest thy self , for thou that judgest doest the same things .
Jer . Burroughs Iren . p. 215. l. 28. The Lord may justly judg us out of our own mouths .