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Discussion of George Gillespie's Wholesome Severity Reconciled with Christian Liberty
GWS-1 <text> resend 
Subject: GWS-1  resend
From: Richard Bacon 
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 09:10:25 -0500

I understand that some list members did not get Gillespie's
first section.  Here it is again.

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Discussion: GWS. Post 1.
George Gillespie's Wholesome Severity 
Reconciled with Christian Liberty
The true resolution of a present controversy 
concerning liberty of conscience.
All text for this discussion taken from the 
edition of this work, Copyright (c) Naphtali 
Press 1996.  Full text available at: 
http://www.naphtali.com/naphtali
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[Intro to the Reader]
TO THE CHRISTIAN & COURTEOUS 
READER.
It cannot be unknown to any, except such as 
are ignorant of Satan's devices, and altogether 
strangers to the histories of former times, that 
when the Church comes out of idolatry, and 
out of bitter servitude and grievous pressures 
of conscience, all her storms are not over her 
head, but she begins to be assaulted and 
afflicted more than before with heresies, 
schisms, and home-bred disturbances. Which 
through the manifold wisdom and over-ruling 
dispensation of God, who works all things 
according to the counsel of his will, is 
England's lot this day, that this may be to 
those in whom the Lord has no pleasure, "a 
stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, that 
they may go and fall backward, and be 
broken; and snared, and taken:" that others, 
"who are approved, may be made manifest;" 
yea, that "many may be purified, and tried, 
and made white;" and that in the issue God 
may have the greater glory in making a 
sovereign remedy out of poisonous 
ingredients, and his people may say, "Blessed 
be the Lord God of Israel who only doth 
wondrous things."

But now will the sectaries be contented (as 
Christ's witness in former times were) to be 
examined and judged according to the word 
of God, and if they are found to be what they 
are accused to be, then suffer accordingly? 
Nay, if so, they fear they shall run too great a 
hazard. Therefore they cry out for toleration 
and liberty of conscience, hereby going about 
not only themselves to fish in troubled 
waters, but to improve at once the manifold 
advantages of sympathizing with the 
principles of the most part of men amongst 
us; for as it is a common plea and bond of 
union among all heretics and sectaries, how 
many soever their divisions and sub-divisions 
are among themselves; yea, they give (in this) 
the right hand of fellowship to the Prelatical 
and malignant party, for they also put in for 
liberty of conscience: and as carnal and 
profane men desire nothing more than that 
they may not be compelled to any religious 
duty, but permitted to do what seems good in 
their own eyes. So liberty of conscience is a 
sweet and taking word among the less 
discerning sort of godly people, newly come 
out of the house of bondage, out of the Popish 
and Prelatical tyranny; I say the less 
discerning sort, because those of the godly 
who have their senses exercised to discern 
good and evil, know that liberty of heresy and 
schism is no part of the liberty of conscience 
which Christ has purchased to us at so dear a 
rate. But is there no golden book and taking 
bait for the Magistrate? Yes surely; for his 
part he is told that he may punish any breach 
of peace or civil justice, or a trespass against 
the State and against civil authority, but yet 
not put forth his power against any man for 
heresy or schism, being matters of religion 
and of conscience. As if both politicians and 
divines had been in a great error when they 
said that the end and use of Magistracy is to 
make bonum hominem, as well as bonum 
civem, a good man as well as a good 
commonwealth's man. Shall I add further, 
that all who wish well to the public from 
principles either of religion or policy, want 
not here their own temptations, persuading to 
a toleration of sectaries, in regard of the 
necessity of an union against the common 
adversary, and the great hazard, if not certain 
ruin, of the cause, by our own ruptures?


Dick Bacon
I'm your moderator, not your mother.