“Secondly, the rule of charity, that no scandal come hereby to any weak brother, 1 Cor. viii. 13.
“Thirdly, the rule of charity, that no man be forced to submit against his conscience, Rom. xiv. 14, 23, nor be judged of contempt of lawful authority, because he is not suddenly persuaded of the expediency of indifferent things; for if the people be bound by God to receive such laws about such things, without any trial or satisfaction to the conscience, but must judge them expedient because the magistrate thinks them so, then the one cannot be punished in following the other, in case he shall sin in calling inexpedient expedient; but Christ saith the contrary, If the blind lead the blind, they shall both fall.”
The authors’ large confession of the liberty of conscience, from the laws of civil authority in spiritual cases.
Truth. In this passage these worthy men lay down such a ground as the gates of hell are not able to shake, concerning the magistrates’ walking in indifferent things: and upon which ground that tower of Lebanon may be raised, whereon there hang a thousand shields and bucklers, Cant. iv. 4, to wit, that invincible truth, that no man is to be persecuted for cause of conscience. The ground is this, “The magistrate hath not power to make what laws he please, either in restraining or constraining to the use of indifferent things.” And further they confess, that the reason of the law, not the will of it, must be the rule of conscience. And they add this impregnable reason, viz. “If the people be bound to receive such laws without satisfaction to conscience, then one cannot be punished for following the other, in case he shall sin contrary to Christ Jesus, who saith, If the blind lead the blind, they shall both fall.”
Civil magistrates confessed not to have power to urge the conscience in indifferent things.
Hence I argue, if the civil magistrate have no power to restrain or constrain their subjects in things in their own nature indifferent, as in eating of meats, wearing this or that garment, using this or that gesture; but that they are bound to try and examine his commands, and satisfy their own reason, conscience, and judgment before the Lord, and that they shall sin, if they follow the magistrate’s command, not being persuaded in their own soul and conscience that his commands are according to God: it will be much more unlawful and heinous in the magistrate to compel the subjects unto that which, according to their consciences’ persuasion, is simply unlawful, as unto a falsely constituted church, ministry, worship, administration, and they shall not escape the ditch, by being led blindfold by the magistrate; but though he fall in first, yet they shall [fall] in after him and upon him, to his greater and more dreadful judgment.
In particular thus, if the magistrate may restrain me from that gesture in the supper of the Lord which I am persuaded I ought to practise, he may also restrain me by his commands from that supper of the Lord itself in such or such a church, according to my conscience.
If he cannot, as they grant, constrain me to such or such a garment in the worship of God, can he constrain me to worship God by such a ministry, and with such worship, which my soul and conscience cannot be persuaded is of God?