The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution for Cause of Conscience Discussed and Mr. Cotton's Letter Examined and Answered, by Roger Williams CHAP. LXXVII. CHAP. LXXVII. Peace. You have so satisfied these instances brought by Optatus, that methinks Optatus and the answerer himself might rest satisfied. I will not trouble you with Bernard’s argument from Rom. xiii., which you have already on that scripture so largely answered. But what think you, lastly, of Calvin, Beza, and Aretius? Truth. Ans. Since matters of fact and opinion are barely related by the answerer without their grounds, whose grounds, notwithstanding, in this discourse are answered—I answer, if Paul himself were joined with them, yea, or an angel from heaven bringing any other rule than what the Lord Jesus hath once delivered, we have Paul’s conclusion and resolution, peremptory and dreadful, Gal. i. 8. Peace. This passage finished, let me finish the whole by proposing one conclusion of the author of the arguments,[202] viz., “It is no prejudice to the commonwealth, if liberty of conscience were suffered to such as fear God indeed: Abraham abode a long time amongst the Canaanites, 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., xxi., xxiii., xxiv. “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 different in religion, Gen. xxxi. “The people of Israel were about four hundred and thirty years in that infamous land of Egypt, and afterwards seventy years in Babylon: all which times they differed in religion from the states, Exod. xii., and 2 Chron. xxxvi. “Come to the time of Christ, where Israel was under the Romans, where lived divers sects of religion, as Herodians, Scribes, and Pharisees, Sadducees and Libertines, Theudæans and Samaritans, beside the common religion of the Jews, and Christ and his apostles. All which differed from the common religion of the state, which was like the worship of Diana, which almost the whole world then worshipped, Acts xix., xx. “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 wisely appeased them, Acts xviii. 14, and xix. 35.” Unto this the answerer returns thus much:—[203] “It is true, that without prejudice to the commonwealth, liberty of conscience may be suffered to such as fear God indeed, as knowing they will not persist in heresy or turbulent schism, when they are convinced in conscience of the sinfulness thereof. But the question is, whether a heretic, after once or twice admonition, and so after conviction, and any other scandalous and heinous offender, may be tolerated either in the church without excommunication, or in the commonweal without such punishment as may preserve others from dangerous and damnable infection.”