A57976:120
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.
Master Parker of good memory, to prove that the Church of believers is above and superior to the ministerial Church of Bishops or Eldership, 11. Reasoneth thus. The member and the part is inferior in authority to the body, and the whole. But guides are members of the Church of believers: Therefore guides are inferior to the Church of believers: So saith the law, The part is contained in the whole. 2So Gerson, and the fathers of Basil, as Aeneas Silvius cited by Morton, 3prove the Pope to be inferior to a General Council, and that he must be judged by them. Answ. We deny not, but the guides as guides are inferior to ⟨p. 39⟩believers, inferior in Christian dignity and eminency, and this in as far as the guides are believers; for one believer is inferior to ten believers, because a part of a Church of believers is inferior to the whole: but hence is not proved, that the guides every way that are in authority and jurisdiction are inferior to believers. The eye as a part is inferior to the whole body, but as endued with the excellent faculty of seeing is not inferior to the whole body. 2. Rulers as Rulers are not parts, nor members of a Congregation consisting only of believers, for in so far as they are Rulers, they are members of a Presbyterial Church, and so they are inferior in dignity and authority to the whole. The Pope is a part and a base part of the ministerial Church, but it followeth not hence, that the body or community of believers may censure him: neither may every whole, or every body exercise jurisdiction over the members: for then every family of believers might excommunicate the master of the family, ten believers might excommunicate five. Every body that hath authority, and is a free incorporation within it self may censure every member, but as a company of believers cannot ordain, so neither can they depose or excommunicate a Minister.
MAster Parker of good memorie, to prove that the Church of believers is above and superiour to the ministerial Church of Bishops or Eldership, 11. Reasoneth thus. The member and the part is inferiour in authoritie to the body, and the whole. But guides are members of the Church of believers: Therefore guides are inferiour to the Church of believers: So saith the law, The part is contained in the whole.