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Discussion of George Gillespie's Wholesome Severity Reconciled with Christian Liberty
GWS-17 <text> 
Subject: GWS-17 
From: Richard Bacon 
Date: Tue, 01 Jul 1997 10:34:48 -0500

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Discussion: GWS. Post 17.
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=
=20
=A9 Naphtali Press 1996.  Full text available at: http://www.naphtali.com
Archives of the Westminster Forum are at: http://www.fpcr.org/westminster
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[Part III continued. Objection 3, coercion makes many stumble at the=20
Presbyterian Reformation]

3. OBJECTION THREE. This doctrine of the Magistrate's coercive power makes=
=20
many to stumble at the Presbyterian Reformation, as a bloody reformation,=20
as a building of Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity (Mic. 3:10).

ANSWER. (1.) We have not so learned Christ; we abominate the Popish and=20
Prelatical tyranny. We know that the servant of the Lord must not strive,=20
but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient: in meekness instructing=
=20
those who oppose themselves, if God peradventure will give them repentance=
=20
to the acknowledging of the truth (2 Tim. 2:24-25); yet he who said so,=20
could also say, I would they were even cut off which trouble you (Gal.=
 5:12).=20
It is my soul's desire that the secular coercive power may be put forth upon
those only who can by no other means be reclaimed, and who can be no longer
spared without a visible rupture in the Church, and the manifest danger of
seducing and misleading many souls. A Presbytery is not so ill a neighbor,=
=20
that no man who has the least differing opinion may live beside it.

But (2.), this objection does as much strike against the New England=20
government, as against the government of the neighboring Reformed churches.=
=20
For in New England there has been severity enough (to say no worse) used=20
against heretics and schismatics.#17 And here I must appeal the consciences=
=20
of those who now plead so much for liberty of conscience and toleration in=
=20
this kingdom, were they able to root out the Presbyterians and their way,=20
and could find civil authority inclined to put forth the coercive power=20
against it, whether in that case would they not say, that the Magistrate=20
may repress it by [a] strong hand, if it cannot otherwise be repressed.=20
It is not without cause that I put this query to them; for M.S. (p. 50, a=20
passage before cited), allows of the Magistrate's fighting against a=20
doctrine or way which is indeed superstition, heresy, or schism, and=20
only pretends to be from God, when it is indeed from men. Also that=20
pamphlet called As You Were,#18 tells us that it was neither Gamaliel's=20
meaning, nor Mr. Goodwin's meaning, that every way pretending to be=20
from God must be let alone, but that only we are to refrain and let alone,=
=20
till we are certain that we are out of danger of fighting against God,=20
while we endeavor to overthrow it. Now I assume, there are some who=20
plead for liberty of conscience, who profess that they are certain and=20
fully assured, upon demonstrative proofs, that the Presbyterial way is=20
not from God, nor according to the mind of Jesus Christ (which is hinted=20
to us both in the pamphlet last cited, pp. 5-6, etc., and in Theomaxia,=20
p. 25). Therefore according to their principles they must allow of the=20
putting forth of the civil coercive power against the Presbyterial way.=20
And if so, what a grand imposture is this? what a deceiving of the world?=20
what a mocking of the Parliament and of the kingdom? to plead generally=20
for liberty of conscience, when they intend only liberty to themselves,=20
not to others that are opposite them. Which appears yet further by the
Compassionate Samaritan (p. 10); he says that no man is to be punished=20
or discountenanced by authority for his opinion, "unless it be dangerous=20
to the State" (pp. 23-24); he discourses against the opinion of=20
Presbyterians as most dangerous to the State. Therefore he would have=20
the Presbyterians discountenanced and punished by authority, and=20
intends liberty only to the Separatists, Anabaptists, and the like.

Footnotes:

17. Thus does Augustine argue against the Donatists, who pled so much for=20
liberty of conscience to themselves, and yet give no liberty of conscience=
=20
to others where they were able to hinder it. Against Petil., book 2, ch. 89:=
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So do not say, far from it, let it be far from our conscience, that we=20
compel anyone to our faith; certainly you do so when you can, and when you=
=20
do not, it is because you cannot for fear either of the laws or of ill-will,=
=20
or because of a multitude of oppositions.=20
=20
18. [Hezekiah Woodward], As You Were: or a reducing (1644).


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