A57976:113
A peaceable and temperate plea for Pauls presbytery in Scotland, or, A modest and…A peaceable and temperate plea for Pauls presbyterie in Scotland, or, A modest and…
A peaceable and temperate plea for Pauls presbytery in Scotland, or, A modest and brotherly dispute of the government of the Church of Scotland wherein our discipline is demonstrated to be the true apostolic way of divine truth, and the arguments on the contrary are friendly dissolved, the grounds of separation and the independency [sic] of particular congregations, in defence of ecclesiastical presbyteries, synods, and assemblies, are examined and tried / by Samuel Rutherfurd ...A peaceable and temperate plea for Pauls presbyterie in Scotland, or, A modest and brotherly dispute of the government of the Church of Scotland wherein our discipline is demonstrated to be the true apostolick way of divine truth, and the arguments on the contrary are friendly dissolved, the grounds of separation and the indepencie [sic] of particular congregations, in defence of ecclesiasticall presbyteries, synods, and assemblies, are examined and tryed / by Samuell Rutherfurd ...
London: printed for John Bartlet, 1642London: printed for Iohn Bartlet, 1642
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.
4 If the Eldership and Church-guides be rulers and governors taking care of the house of God, 11 Tim. 3, 4, 5. Such as rule well the people, 1 Tim. 5. 17. such as must rule with diligence, Rom 12. 8. and feed the flock of God, not as lords over Gods inheritance, taking the oversight not by constraint, 1 Pet 5. 2. such as are over the people in the Lord, 1 Thes. 5. 12. such as rule over the people and the believers, watching for their souls, and must give an account to God therefore, Heb. 13. 17. 18. Then have the Elders by divine right a jurisdiction over the Lords people in the Lord, and so the Elders in authority and jurisdiction are above the people▪ And so by no reason can the people be over their overseers in the Lord, and command, watch, take care for their souls. They say divers ways one may be both a Shepherd and a Sheep, the King as King is above the Pastor, and the Pastor being a man owes subjection and obedience to the King. Again, as the King is a member of the Church, he is to hear and obey the pastor as the messenger of Lord of losts, according to that (he that heareth you, heareth me) and so may it be here. But I answer. The case is no way like; for our brethren make the pastors and the flock to be over one another, and subject one to another, with one and the same kind of subjection. I grant Archippus is over the Colossians to command them in the Lord, but the Colossians are not in the same power of jurisdiction over Archippus, they may only admonish him to fulfil his Ministry, but they have no authoritative power of jurisdiction to command, to deprive, to excommunicate: but by this learning, ten Elders with the consent of ten believers may excommunicate ten believers, and these same ten believers may excommunicate these ten Elders, and his ten believers, for there is an independent Church of believers on both sides: hence sons and servants ⟨p. 37⟩may excommunicate those that are over them in the Lord, and watch for their souls.