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Discussion of George Gillespie's Wholesome Severity Reconciled with Christian Liberty
GWS-4 <text> 
Subject: GWS-4 
From: Richard Bacon 
Date: Tue, 29 Apr 1997 06:03:37 -0500

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Discussion: GWS. Post 4.
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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[ Part I continued]
The second opinion falls short, as far as the 
former exceeds: that is, that the Magistrate 
ought not to inflict any punishment, nor put 
forth any coercive power upon heretics or 
sectaries, but on the contrary grant them 
liberty and toleration. This was the opinion 
of the Donatists, against which Augustine 
has written both much and well, in diverse 
places: though himself was once in the same 
error, till he did take the matter into his 
second better thoughts, as is evident by his 
Retractions (lib. 2, cap. 2, and epist. 48). In 
the same error are the Socinians and 
Arminians (See Peltii Harmonia, Artic. 21; 
Nic. Bodecher, Sociniano. Remon-
strantismus, cap. 25. See also Grotii 
Apologeticus, cap. 6, p. 130; Theoph. 
Nicolaid, Tractat. de Ecclesia, cap. 4, p. 33). 
The very same is maintained in some books 
printed amongst ourselves in this year of 
confusion: viz. The Bloody Tenet; Liberty of 
Conscience;#5 The Compassionate 
Samaritan; John the Baptist;#6 and by Mr. 
Goodwin in his Theomaxia,#7 and his 
Innocencies Triumph.#8 In which places he 
denies that the Magistrate, and particularly 
that the two Houses of Parliament, may 
impose anything pertaining to the service 
and worship of God under mulcts [fines] or 
penalties. So M.S. to A.S. (pp. 53-55, etc.), 
disputes against the coercive power of the 
Magistrate to suppress heresies and sects. 
This power the Presbyterians do ascribe to 
the Magistrate, as I shall show by and by. 
Therefore I still aver, that Mr. Goodwin in 
denying and opposing this power, herein (as 
in diverse other particulars) ascribes much 
less to the Magistrate than the Presbyterians 
do: which overthrows that insinuation of the 
five Apologists.#9 

Footnotes:
#5 Henry Robinson, Liberty of Conscience: 
or the Sole means to obtaine Peace and 
Truth (London, 1643/44).
#6 Henry Robinson, John the Baptist, 
forerunner of Christ Jesus: or, A necessity 
for Liberty of Conscience (London, 1644).
#7 John Goodwin, Theomaxia, or the Grand 
Imprudence of men running the hazard of 
Fighting Against God, In suppressing any 
Way, Doctrine, or Practice, concerning 
which they know not certainly whether it be 
from God or no (1644), p. 50.
#8 John Goodwin, Innocencies Triumph 
(1644), p. 8.
#9 An Apologetical Narration, humbly 
submitted to the Honorable Houses of 
Parliament, by Thomas Goodwin, Philip 
Nye, Sidrach Simpson, Jeremiah Burroughs, 
William Bridge (London, 1643/44), p. 19.


Dick Bacon
I may not be your moderator after all, but I know I'm
not your mother.
(it has come to my attention that a "moderator" approves
every post before it goes out)