Thesis 5

5. THESIS.

Whereas a particular partiall Toleration offends against many particular places of Scripture, a Vniversall Toleration is against all Scripture, goes against the whole current, scope and sense of Scripture both in the Old and New Testament, both in matters of faith and manners, both in the generall rules and commands, and the particular, and that both in personall actions, and in all relations to others. The sum of the Scriptures is faith and good life, and the end of the severall states appointed by God, both political, ecclesiastical and oeconomical, are to maintain and continue these. Now a generall Toleration of all religions and consciences is diametically opposite to all these, against the whole will of God overthrowing all that God in the Scripture expresses of sins, duties and relations. I would have any thing in the Scripture named in point of faith, holinesse, in the relations of magistrates, ministers, governours of families, which this Toleration some way or other does not make void. Other errors and heresies, as Arrianisme, Anabaptisme, &c. do not offend against all Scripture, but against such and such places; but this generall Toleration throws down all at once, it overthrows the Scriptures, in that it allowes a liberty of denying the Scriptures to be the Word of God, in that it sets up the conscience above the Scriptures, making every mans conscience, even the polluted defiled seared consciences the rule of faith and holinesse, before the pure and unerring Word of God, crying out that men must do according to their consciences, but never speaking of going according to the Word of God; yes setting up mens fancies, humours, factions, lusts, under the name of conscience, above the Word of God, which is to set up the creature, yes the corrupted defiled creature above God, and to make mans conscience greater then God, whereas God is greater then mens consciences (1 John 3:20).