A01760:734
A dispute against the English-popish ceremonies, obtruded upon the Church of Scotland Wherein not…A dispute against the English-popish ceremonies, obtruded vpon the Church of Scotland Wherein not…
A dispute against the English-popish ceremonies, obtruded upon the Church of Scotland Wherein not only our own arguments [sic] against the same are strongly confirmed, but likewise the answers and defences of our opposites, such as Hooker, Morton ... Forbesse, &c. particularly confuted.A dispute against the English-popish ceremonies, obtruded vpon the Church of Scotland Wherein not only our ovvne argumemts [sic] against the same are strongly confirmed, but likewise the ansvveres and defences of our opposites, such as Hooker, Mortoune ... Forbesse, &c. particularly confuted.
Leiden: printed by W. Christiaens, 1637
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
For s1. The very ground and reason wherefore we ought to obey the Magistrate, is, for that he is the Minister of God, or a Deputy set in Gods stead to us. Now, he is the Minister of God, only for our good, Rom. 13 4. Neither were he Gods Minister, but his own Master, if he should rule at his pleasure•, and command things which serve not for the good of the Subjects. Since therefore the commandments of Princes bind only so far as they are the Ministers of God for our good: and Gods Ministers they are not, in commanding such things as are either in their nature unlawful, or in their use inconvenient: it followeth that such commandments of theirs cannot bind.
For s1. The very ground and reason wherefore we ought to obey the Magistrate, is, for that he is the Minister of God, or a Deputie set in Gods stead to us. Now, he is the Minister of God, only for our good, Rom. 13 4. Neither were he Gods Minister, but his owne Master, if he should rule at his pleasure•, and command things which serve not for the good of the Subjects. Since therefore the commaundements of Princes bind only so farre as they are the Ministers of God for our good: and Gods Ministers they are not, in commanding such things as are either in their nature unlawfull, or in their use inconvenient: it followeth that such commaundements of theirs cannot bind.
- sPareus in Rom. 13. 4.
2. Princes cannot claim any greater power in matters Ecclesiastical, then the Apostle Paul had, or the Church her self yet hath: that is to say, Princes may not by any Temporal or Regal Jurisdiction urge any Ceremony or form of Ecclesiastical Policy, which the Apostle once might not, and the Church yet may not urge by a Spiritual Jurisdiction. But neither had the Apostle of old, nor hath the Church now power to urge either a Ceremony or any thing else, which is not profitable for edifying. Paul could do nothing against the truth but for the truth, and his power was given him to edification and not to destruction,