A57969:684
The due right of presbyteries, or, A peaceable plea for the government of the Church of Scotland ... by Samuel Rutherfurd ...
London: printed by E. Griffin for Richard Whittaker and Andrew Crook, 1644
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.
Answ. This connection may well be denied, and it is said well by one; The ruling Elder solùm regit, doth onely governe, sed non solus regit, but he doth not govern his alone, but with the Pastor and Doctor. From these things I infer that as this is not a good consequence, Mat. 26. Luk. 22. Mark. 14. the Spirit of God doth set down the Lords Supper in all its materials, and passeth over Baptism in silence, and goeth to another subject; ⟨p. 153⟩Ergo, Baptism is not the other Sacrament of the New Testament so neither is this a good consequence, (Paul, 1 Tim. 3. Describeth the Bishop, and over skippeth the ruling Elder, passing to the Deacon; Ergo, the ruling Elder is not an Ordinance of God) for while he describeth the Bishop, he teacheth what an one, both the Doctor, and ruling Elder should be, by clear analogy, and it had been superfluous for the Holy Ghost to say more, then he doth. And by this we may answer to what is tenthly objected, The ruling Elder is omitted in Christs roll, Eph. 4. 11. Ergo, there is no such officer. Answ. It followeth in no sort negatively, from one particular place of Scripture, Rev. 1. It is said only God hath made us Kings and Priests unto God; Ergo, he hath not made us Prophets also, the contrary is, Isaiah. 54. 13. Joh. 6. 45. so because, It is life eternal to know the Father, and the Son, Joh. 17. Socinians collect; Ergo, the holy spirit is not God, because no mention is made of him, in this place. 2. In this place Paul enumerateth offices necessary rather for planting Churches, then for ruling Churches already constituted and planted: Miracles and Tongues are ad benè esse; Elders and Deacons are not named here, because they are for the leading on of the Church, and the body already set up in a visible frame, and therefore reckoned out, Rom. 12. 4. 8. 1 Cor. 12. 28. and consider, I pray you, how uncertain and lubric a way it is to pin Gods Spirit, and to fetter him to any one place in his enumerations, Behold, Rom. 12. 8▪ all the ordinary officers are expressed, and yet Apostles, Evangelists, Miracles, Tongues are omitted, all which are enumerated, 1 Cor. 12 28, 29. yet are specific acts of Prophets, Teachers omitted, 1 Cor. 12. at lest only spoken of in general under the notion of hearing, seeing, walking, and Rom. 12. they be more particularly set down. And 1. Tim. 3. Phil. 1. 1.
Answ. This connexion may well be denied, and it is said well by one; The ruling Elder solùm regit, doth onely governe, sed non solus regit, but he doth not govern his alone, but with the Pastor and Doctor. From these things I infer that as this is not a good consequence, Mat. 26. Luk. 22. Mark. 14. the Spirit of God doth set downe the Lords Supper in all its materialls, and passeth over Baptisme in silence, and goeth to another subject; ⟨p. 153⟩Ergo, Baptisme is not the other Sacrament of the New Testament so neither is this a good consequence, (Paul, 1 Tim. 3. Discribeth the Bishop, and over skippeth the ruling Elder, passing to the Deacon; Ergo, the ruling Elder is not an Ordinance of God) for while hee describeth the Bishop, he teacheth what an one, both the Doctor, and ruling Elder should be, by cleare analogy, and it had beene superfluous for the Holy Ghost to say more, then he doth. And by this wee may answer to what is tenthly objected, The ruling Elder is omitted in Christs roll, Eph. 4. 11. Ergo, there is no such officer. Answ. It followeth in no sort negatively, from one particular place of Scripture, Rev. 1. It is said onely God hath made us Kings and Priests unto God; Ergo, he hath not made us Prophets also, the contrary is, Esai. 54. 13. Ioh. 6. 45. so because, It is life eternall to know the Father, and the Sonne, Joh. 17. Socinians collect; Erge, the holy spirit is not God, because no mention is made of him, in this place. 2. In this place Paul ennumerateth offices necessary rather for planting Churches, then for ruling Churches already constituted and planted: Miracles and Tongues are ad benè esse; Elders and Deacons are not named here, because they are for the leading on of the Church, and the body already set up in a visible frame, and therefore reckoned out, Rom. 12. 4. 8.
only Bishops and Deacons are mentioned, and governments, and Elders ruling well •mitted; and also all the extraordinary officers are omitted, and yet mentioned, 1 Cor. 12. 18, 29. and Miracles, Tongues, Deacons, Governments are omitted, Eph. 4. 11. and, 1 Tim. 5. 17. Preachers, Rulers, Doctors are expressed, Deacons and extraordinary officers, Apostles, Evangelists, &c. passed over in silence:
onely Bishops and Deacons are mentioned, and governments, and Elders ruling well •mitted; and also all the extraordinary officers are omitted, and yet mentioned, 1 Cor. 12. 18, 29. and Miracles, Tongues, Deacons, Governments are omitted, Eph. 4. 11. and, 1 Tim. 5. 17. Preachers, Rulers, Doctors are expressed, Deacons and extraordinary officers, Apostles, Evangelists, &c. passed over in silence:
Ans. All dependeth upon this false proposition; To these only are the keys of jurisdiction, and power of binding and loosing given, to whom the keys of knowledge are given,) for though the one key work nothing without the other, yet the proposition is not from this made good, for the key of knowledge, and the power of pastoral preaching is given, uni subjectivè, non unitati nisi objectivè, to one man as to the subject, and to the Church, for her salvation and good, as for the end and object; and the Pastor being once ordained a Pastor, may use these Keys, quoad specificationem independently, for he may preach mercy and wrath, not waiting the Churches suffrages, Et potestas clavium quoad jurisdictionem data •st ecclesiae & subjectivè & objectivè, & data est non uni, sed unitati: but the power of the keys, in censures, for binding and loosing is given to no one mortal man, but to the Church, both as to the subject, and the object. I mean the Ministerial Church; and not one man Pastor, Pope, o• prelate may use the Keys, the Church hath them, and can only validly use them.
Ans. All dependeth upon this false proposition; To these only are the keyes of jurisdiction, and power of binding and loosing given, to whom the keyes of knowledge are given,) for though the one key worke nothing without the other, yet the proposition is not from this made good, for the key of knowledge, and the power of pastorall preaching is given, uni subjectivè, non unitati nisi objectivè, to one man as to the subject, and to the Church, for her salvation and good, as for the end and object; and the Pastor being once ordained a Pastor, may use these Keyes, quoad specificationem independently, for hee may preach mercy and wrath, not waiting the Churches suffrages, Et potestas clavium quoad jurisdictionem data •st ecclesiae & subjectivè & objectivè, & data est non uni, sed unitati: but the power of the keyes, in censures, for binding and loosing is given to no one mortall man, but to the Church, both as to the subject, and the object. I meane the Ministeriall Church; and not one man Pastor, Pope, o• prelate may use the Keyes, the Church hath them, and can onely validly use them.
Ans. God hath placed, [Greek or Hebrew], Ruling Elders in the body, as is said, 1 Cor. 12. 28. and this is, Rom. 12. 4. compared with v. 8. an Office that Christ hath appointed, and as these places prove the exhorter or pastor to be of Divine institution, and the Apostle, Teacher, Prophet, 1 Cor. 12. 28. and the Elder who laboureth in the Word and Doctrine, to be an instituted work-man worthy of wages, 1 Tim. 5. 17, 18. So must they prove the man who ruleth well, and with diligence, to be of divine appointment.
Ans. God hath placed, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, Ruling Elders in the body, as is said, 1 Cor. 12. 28. and this is, Rom. 12. 4. compared with v. 8. an Office that Christ hath appointed, and as these places prove the exhorter or pastor to be of Divine institution, and the Apostle, Teacher, Prophet, 1 Cor. 12. 28. and the Elder who laboureth in the Word and Doctrine, to be an instituted worke-man worthy of wages, 1 Tim. 5. 17, 18. So must they prove the man who ruleth well, and with diligence, to be of divine appointment.
Answ. This obligeth the opponent, to teach, what is meant by governors, whether Magistrates, but these be not an office in Christs Body as is here said, Rom. 12. 4. and 1 Cor. 12. 14, 15. or do they mean masters of families? but these be parts of heathen societies, as well as of Christian, and a Family as it is such, is not the Church. 3. Nor can he mean here of Preachers, for Rom. 12. 8. 1 Cor. 12. 28. the exhorter and the ruler with diligence, the Teacher, and Prophet, and governments are clearly differenced, as different organs of the body, Eye, Ear, Hand, Foot, 1 Cor. 12. 14, 15. Rom. 12. 4. nor (4) can they understand Rulers in general: for, a genus, a general doth not exist, or have actual subsistence, but in some determinate species; as a living Creature doth not subsist but in man, or in some specific nature of Birds and Beasts: now God is said to place these governments in the body, 1 Cor. 12. 28. even as the Eye, and Ear and Hand are seated in the body, 1 Cor. 12. 16, 17, 18. Now as a general Eye, or an Organ in general is not placed in the body, but such a determinate Organ, an Eye, an Ear, an Hand, a Foot; so neither hath the wisdom of Christ appointed a governor in general, and left it to the Churches discretion to specify what this governor shall be, whether a Prelate, a Pastor, a ruling Elder: but as God hath not set Teachers in the body in general, but he hath placed such and such species, Apostles, not Popes, Evangelists, not Cardinals; so must he have determined such and such Governors, ruling Elders, rather then a certain Creature named a Diocesan prelate, an uncouth beast in the holy Scripture.
Answ. This obligeth the opponent, to teach, what is meant by governors, whether Magistrates, but these be not an office in Christs Body as is here said,
A very Jesuit, Salmeron, saith, by the two Elders he meaneth, 11 Tim. 5. 17. (apertè sermonem esse de presbyteris & Episcopis) of Elders and Pastors, and with that of Ambrosius, which we all know to be ruling Elders, who were out of use in the Church, by the negligence, or rather by the pride of preaching Elders, forte Doctorum d•sidiâ, aut magis superbiâ; and we are not to think, Chrysostom was ignorant of his mother Tongue, and he findeth 1 Tim. 5. 17. two sorts of Elders in this place, and a popish Expositor Estius, porrò manefeste Colligitur ex hac sententia, fuisse, etiam apostolorum tempore, quosdam in ecclesia presbyteros, qui & benè praeessent, & duplici honore digni essent, nec tamen labotarent ⟨p. 156⟩in verbo & Doctrinâ, neque id hodierni sectarii negant; and all the heresy that he layeth on Calvin, in this point, is that Calvin maketh these lay-men; And Estius maketh a question what these Elders were, whether they be the Cardinals, which the pope hath, or the Canonical Elders, which their Bishops use as councillors in grave matters, or Elders which rule well, and labour not in the Word and Doctrine, such as were in the Apostles time, or rather such as did help the Bishops in offering sacrifice, and in administrating the Sacraments; or if they be such as rule the people, but cannot preach, such as Alipius and Val•rius were in Augustine's time; so Estius knoweth not what these Elders be, but inclineth to make them elders to the Apostles, in the administration of the Sacraments.
A very Jesuite, Salmeron, saith, by the two Elders hee meaneth, 11 Tim. 5. 17. (apertè sermonem esse de presbyteris & Episcopis) of Elders and Pastors, and with that of Ambrosius, which wee all know to be ruling Elders, who were out of use in the Church, by the negligence, or rather by the pride of preaching Elders, forte Doctorum d•sidiâ, aut magis superbiâ; and we are not to thinke, Chrysostom was ignorant of his mother Tongue, and hee findeth
Answ. There is no better consequence in this, to say, he speaketh of divers gifts; Ergo, he speaketh not of divers offices, then to say, he speaketh of divers faculties and abilities in the natural body, as of an ability of seeing, hearing; Ergo, he acknowledgeth not divers members with divers offices, as the Eye to see, the E•re to hear, yea the contrary is rather a good consequence; and the Text is clear that he speaketh of divers offices, v. 4. for as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office. So we being many, are one body, in Christ, and every one members, one of another. Yea the Text holdeth forth these five to us to be distinctly considered. 1. That the Church is one body organical, having divers members. 2. That there be divers gifts of the spirit in this body, as is clear, Rom. 12. v. 3. 4, 5. (3) That there be divers offices, and places and functions in this body, which the Apostle excellently ⟨p. 157⟩divideth into two generals according to the necessities of the members of Christs body. Now in general this necessity is two fold, one respecting the soul, and for this, he hath ordained, [Greek or Hebrew] prophecy, and for the bodily necessity, [Greek or Hebrew]. Ministry and Service. v. 6. and v. 7. and these two having set down in abstracto, he cometh to divide them, in concreto, according to their several offices and functions, which
Answ. There is no better consequence in this, to say, he speaketh of divers gifts; Ergo, he speaketh not of divers offices, then to say, he speaketh of divers faculties and habilities in the naturall body, as of an hability of seeing, hearing; Ergo, hee acknowledgeth not divers members with divers offices, as the Eye to see, the E•re to heare, yea the contrary is rather a good consequence; and the Text is cleare that he speaketh of divers offices, v. 4. for as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office. So we being many, are one body, in Christ, and every one members, one of another. Yea the Text holdeth forth these five to us to be distinctly considered. 1. That the Church is one body organicall, having divers members. 2. That there be divers gifts of the spirit in this body, as is cleare, Rom. 12. v. 3. 4, 5
be four in the Text. | 1. The Teacher, or Doctor. v. 7. | 2. The Exhorter, or Pastor. v. 8. | 3. The ruler, or governing Elder. also •. 8. | 4. The Distributer, who is to show me •• on the poor, or the Deacon also. v. 8.
be foure in the Text. | 1. The Teacher, or Doctor. v. 7. | 2. The Exhorter, or Pastor. v. 8. | 3. The ruler, or governing Elder. also •. 8. | 4. The Distributer, who is to shew me •• on the poore, or the Deacon also. v. 8.
Then (4) the Apostle doth set down the several specific actions and operations of these offices, and that again
Then (4) the Apostle doth set downe the severall specifick actions and operations of these offices, and that againe
two ways. 1. in general. | 1. Prophesying. v. 6. | 2. Ministering. v. 7.
two wayes. 1. in generall. | 1. Prophecying. v. 6. | 2. Ministering. v. 7.
