“Again he saith, John x. The good pastor giveth his life for his sheep; the thief cometh not but to steal, kill, and destroy. He doth not say, ‘The thief giveth his life for his sheep, and the good pastor cometh not but to steal, kill, and destroy.’”
So that we holding our peace, our adversaries themselves speak for us, or rather for the truth.
TO ANSWER SOME MAIN OBJECTIONS.
And first, that it is no prejudice to the commonwealth if liberty of conscience were suffered to such as do fear God indeed, as is or will be manifest in such men’s lives and conversations.
Abraham abode among the Canaanites a long time, yet contrary to them in religion, Gen. xiii. 7, and xvi. 13. Again: he sojourned in Gerar, and king Abimelech gave him leave to abide in his land, Gen. xx. 21, 23, 24.
Isaac also dwelt in the same land, yet contrary in religion, Gen. xxvi.
Jacob lived twenty years in one house with his uncle Laban, yet differed in religion, Gen. xxxi.
The people of Israel were about 430 years in that infamous land of Egypt, and afterwards seventy years in Babylon, all which time they differed in religion from those States, Exod. xii. and 2 Chron. xxxvi.
Come to the time of Christ, where Israel was under the Romans, where lived divers sects of religions, as Herodians, Scribes and Pharisees, Sadducees and Libertines, Theudæans and Samaritans, beside the common religion of the Jews, Christ, and his apostles. All which differed from the common religion of the state, which is like the worship of Diana, which almost the whole world then worshipped, Acts xix. 20.
All these lived under the government of Cæsar, being nothing hurtful unto the commonwealth, giving unto Cæsar that which was his. And for their religion and consciences towards God he left them to themselves, as having no dominion over their souls and consciences. And when the enemies of the truth raised up any tumults, the wisdom of the magistrate most widely appeased them, Acts xviii. 14, and xix. 35.