A57976:130
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.
6. Parker reasoneth from the necessary defence of the Church.1 Every particular Church is an Army, 2a Ship, a body, 1 Cor. 12. Therefore when they are near danger, they have power to take order with a drunken Pilot, 3and put him from the rud•er, and to take order with a tyrannous Captain, and to purge out the filth and excrements of the body. So politicians, as Keckerman, Hottomanus say a wicked Magistrate is to be deposed, if no other remedy can be found, 4So Gerson. Answ. It is one thing what a multitude may do in a desperate case of necessity, when overseers will not by their authority remove a wolf and a false teacher, extremis morbis extrema remedia; Hard diseases and desperate have need of desperate cures. But it is an o•her case when in a constitute Church, there is a government of Christ established, for there are two things to be considered here. 1. A popular, but withal a private subtraction and separation from the Ministry of a known Wolfe and seducer, and this the Law of nature will warrant,5 than licet tutelâ inculpatâ uti as Parker saith from Saravia. So the son may save himself by a just defence in fleeing from his mad father, or his distracted friend coming to kill him. Now this defence is not an authoritative act, nor act judicial of authority, but an act natural that is common to any private person, yea to all without the true Church as well as within to take that care in ⟨p. 46⟩extreme necessity, for the safety of their souls, that they would do for the safety of their bodies. 2. The question is whether the community of believers may do this, that is, whether they by the power of the keys given them by Jesus Christ may deprive and excommunicate the Pastor, because the Law of Nature in some cases may warrant a private separation from a corrupt ministry. 3. The case is not a like here as in a free Common-wealth, for a free Common-Wealth containeth, Ordines regni, the estates that have nomothetic power,