He that is willing to tolerate any unsound Opinion, that his own may also be tolerated, though never so sound, will for a need hang Gods Bible at the Devills girdle.
Every Toleration of false Religions or Opinions hath as many Errours and sins in it as all the false Religions and Opinions it tolerats, and one sound one more.
That State that will give Liberty of Conscience in matters of Religion, must give Liberty of Conscience and Conversation in their Morall Laws, or else the Fiddle will be out of tune, and some of the strings crack.
Experience will teach Churches and Christians, that it is farre better to live in a State united, though a little Corrupt, then in a State, whereof some Part is incorrupt, and all the rest divided.
... There is talk of an universall Toleration. I would talke as loud as I could against it, did I know what more apt and reasonable Sacrifice England could offer to God for his late performing all his heavenly Truths then an universall Toleration of all hellish Errors, or how they shall make an universall Reformation, but by making Christs Academy the Divills University, where any man may commence [graduate] Heretique per saltum; where he that is filius Diabolicus, or simpliciter pessimus, may have his grace to goe to Hell cum Publico Privilegio; and carry as many after him, as he can....
It is said, Though a man have light enough himselfe to see the Truth, yet if he hath not enough to enlighten others, he is bound to tolerate them, I will engage my self, that all the Devills in Britanie shall sell themselves to their shirts, to purchase a Lease of this Position for three of their Lives, under the Seale of the Parliament.
It is said, That Men ought to have Liberty of their Conscience, and that it is persecution to debarre them of it: I can rather stand amazed then reply to this: it is an astonishment to think that the braines of men should be parboyl'd in such impious ignorance; Let all the wits under the Heavens lay their heads together and finde an Assertion worse then this (one excepted) I will petition to be chosen the universall Ideot of the world....
The true English of all this their false Latine is nothing but a generall Toleration of all Opinions....
b. From the Wonder-working Providence, of Sions Saviour in New England (Book III, Chapter V)
This quaint history was printed in London in 1654, anonymously. The original manuscript has never been discovered. Tradition ascribes the authorship to Captain Edward Johnson, one of the companions of Winthrop in the migration of 1630.