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Discussion of George Gillespie's Wholesome Severity Reconciled with Christian Liberty
GWS-13 <text> 
Subject: GWS-13 
From: Richard Bacon 
Date: Thu, 22 May 1997 13:40:43 -0500

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Discussion: GWS. Post 13.
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 II.  Point 4]

4. A fourth argument is drawn from the 
names which the Scripture gives to heretics 
and sectaries, holding forth the extreme 
danger of tolerating and letting them 
alone.#14 They are called ravening wolves 
(Matt. 7:15) and grievous wolves not sparing 
the flock (Acts 20:29), thieves and robbers 
(John 10:8). Their word eateth as a canker (2 
Tim. 2:17), and is as a little leaven leavening 
the whole lump (Gal. 5:9). They are troublers 
of Israel (Acts 15:24, Gal. 5:12). Shall the 
troublers of the State be punished, and the 
troublers of Israel go free? Shall physicians 
cut off the member that hath a gangrene in it, 
because it endangers the whole body, and 
shall the great State physicians suffer the 
gangrene to spread in the Church? Shall 
men's bodies, goods, and purses, be so far 
cared for, that thieves and robbers must not 
be suffered, but justice done upon them; and 
shall those have immunity who steal away 
souls from Christ, and rob us of the pearl of 
truth? Nay shall the poor sheep be so much 
looked to, that the wolf must not be spared; 
and shall we suffer the soul-destroying 
wolves to enter, yea abide peaceably among 
the dear-bought flock of Jesus Christ?

Footnotes:

14. Calvin, Refutation of the Error of M. 
Servetus: Furthermore, the kind of soft-
heartedness they commend is cruel, the sort 
which puts the sheep out to be preyed upon in 
order that it may be spared by the wolves. 
[And below] For what is more ridiculous, 
that the judge should severely punish the 
thief, but permit acts of sacrilege? or on the 
other hand, to each his own: that he should 
protect the honor of the saved man, but 
expose the glory of God to be mangled by the 
unrighteous? 



Dick Bacon
Poster of the text and keeper of the order.