A57976:123
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.
Fourthly, Parker reasoneth thus. If Christ communicate a greater measure and a more immediate presence of his spirit to the Church of believers, 1than to the overseers. Then the most supreme power of jurisdiction is given to the believers, and not to the overseers. So Whittaker, where there is majority of power, there is majority of assistance of the Holy Spirit ruling the Church; many eyes see more than one. (I will be with you to the end of the world) is promised to the Church. So our Divines reason against the Pope. Greater is the Temple than the gold that sanctifieth the Temple, the altar than the sacrifice. The faithful cannot fall away, the guides, except they be believers may fall away, neither is there a promise of salvation, remission of sins made to the guides, which is made to the Church of believers. Ans. If the ways of Christs presence with the believer, and with the overseers were one and the same, the argument would say some thing, but they are of divers kinds. Therefore I deny this (Where Christ is more immediately present, there is the more supreme power of the keys, or there is the power of the keys more principally) for it is a caption a non causa: for Christs presence by faith is not the cause of the power of the keys Saving grace is not the cause why God giveth common gifts; for then a holier pastor should be more essentially a Pastor. Baptism ⟨p. 41⟩administrat, by him should be more essentially baptism, then the baptism administered by a less holy or a profane pastor, this is the error of the Donatists to hang the worthiness of Gods ordinances upon the worthiness of the instruments, one baptism is not more essentially baptism than another: Whatever be the goodness or badness of the Minister, the power of the keys essentially is one and the same in all. God doth more assist and more abundantly bless one mans ministry than another, but the difference there is in the effects and manner of working, not in the essence and nature of the keys, as we say a man of thirty years is more and greater of stature and a bigger man than a child of four years old, but a man of thirty years is not more essentially a reasonable creature than a child of four years old, for the nature of man is alike essentially in both.
Fourthly, Parker reasoneth thus. If Christ communicate a greater measure and a more immediate presence of his spirit to the Church of believers,