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Discussion of George Gillespie's Wholesome Severity Reconciled with Christian Liberty
GWS-3 <text> 
Subject: GWS-3 
From: Richard Bacon 
Date: Thu, 24 Apr 1997 06:53:52 -0500

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Discussion: GWS. Post 3.
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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CONCERNING LIBERTY OF 
CONSCIENCE

I. Concerning this question there are three 
opinions: two extremes, and one in the 
middle. So it is resolved not only by Dr. 
Voetius, in his late disputations, De Libertate 
Conscientia, but long before by Calvin, in his 
refutation of the errors of Servetus, where he 
disputes this very question, whether Christian 
judges may lawfully punish heretics.

The first opinion is that of the Papists, who 
hold it to be not only no sin, but good service 
to God, to extirpate by fire and sword, all that 
are adversaries to, or opposers of the Church 
and the Catholic religion. Upon this ground, 
Gregory de Valentia tells us there were 180 
of the Albigenses burnt under Pope 
Innocentius the third, and in the Council of 
Constance were burnt John Hus and Hieronse 
of Prague (2am 2ae disp. 1. quest. 11 punct. 
3).

[Francis] Suarez (De Triplice Virtute 
Theologia, Tract. 1, disp. 23, sect. 2), lays 
down these assertions: 1. That all heretics, 
who after sufficient instruction and 
admonition, still persist in their error, are to 
be without mercy put to death. 2. That all 
impenitent heretics, though they profess to be 
Catholics, being convicted of heresy, are to 
be put to death. 3. That relapsing heretics, 
though penitent, are to be put to death 
without mercy. 4. That it is most probable, 
that heresiarchs, dogmatists, or the authors of 
heresy, though truly penitent, yet are not to be 
received to favor, but delivered to the civil 
sword. 5. That a heretic who has not relapsed, 
if before sentence passed against him, he 
converts of his own accord, he is not to be 
punished with death, but with some smaller 
punishment, such as perpetual imprisonment, 
or the like. He says that schismatics may be 
punished with almost all the punishments of 
heretics (Ibid, Tract. 3, disp. 12, sect. 12).

Azor (Institutiones. Morales, Tom. 1, lib. 8, 
cap. 14), But in whichever circumstances, in 
the case of these people or that of others, 
when they are stubborn they are burned 
alive; but if they are not stubborn, it is the 
custom for them first to be strangled and then 
burned. (See the like, Becan., Summa, part 3, 
Tract 1, quest. 6 and 9. Turrian, in 2am 2ae 
disp. 56, dub. 1). Some of them also maintain 
the compelling of infidels to be baptized, as 
Scetus (in lib. 4, Sent. disp. 4, quest. 9), and 
they who follow him.


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