A57969:766
The due right of presbyteries, or, A peaceable plea for the government of the…
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.
Yea I desire our brethren to satisfy me in this even according to their grounds. A number of Christians is a Church mystical, but they are not a Church ministerial, while they be conjoined covenant-ways, and use the keys in such acts of Church union: Ergo, They are not a Church ministerial before they be a Church governing: which is all we say; for then they should be a body seeing and hearing, before they be a body seeing and hearing.
Yea I desire our brethren to satisfie me in this even according to their grounds. A number of Christians is a Church mysticall, but they are not a Church ministeriall, while they be conjoyned covenant-wayes, and use the keyes in such acts of Church union: Ergo, They are not a Church ministeriall before they bee a Church governing: which is all wee say; for then they should be a body seeing and hearing, before they be a body seeing and hearing.
Quest. 2. Whether there be any Church in the Scripture having power of the keys, yet wanting all Church-Officers?
Quest. 2. VVhether there be any Church in the Scripture having power of the keys, yet wanting all Church-Officers?
The Question is near to the former, yet needful in this matter to be discussed. The Question is not, if the name Church be given to a company of Christians, without relation to their Officers, for the word [Greek or Hebrew] is given to a civill meeting. The Hebrews call, sometimes, any meeting of people a Church: as [Greek or Hebrew] doth sometime signify, Gen. 49. 6. my soul come not thou [Greek or Hebrew] to their assembly. So the Rabbins use [Greek or Hebrew] for a place, where the Congregation meeteth. So the Chaldaic and Arabic use [Greek or Hebrew], for the place where the worshippers met, from [Greek or Hebrew] Caldaice & Syriace, Adoravit, because it is a place of meeting for adoration; and [Greek or Hebrew] the Congregation from the Arabic [Greek or Hebrew] congregavit. Yet speaking of a governing and orderly constituted Church, you shall never