A57976:164
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.
1. The body is a physical, organical matter capable of the soul, and a kindly or natural house or shop for the soul to work in, and every member may exercise some vital operation by the souls enacting of it, as hearing, smelling, seeing, moving, growing, &c. ⟨p. 60⟩But the Church consisting of believers and Ministers, that are often opposed by way of contradiction, as beleevers and non beleevers, and a believer that is no more but a believer, is not capable of the power of the keys, it being gratia gratis data, a freely given gift of God, except the Lord be pleased freely to give it by some Law or promise; And so these that are only believers, are as the wooden leg, or the eye of glass in the body wanting all authoritative power of the ministry where God hath not gifted and called them, now every member of the body is enacted by the soul.
1. The body is a physicall, organicall matter capable of the soule, and a kindly or naturall house or shop for the soule to worke in, and every member may exercise some vitall operation by the soules inacting of it, as hearing, smelling, seeing, moving, growing, &c. ⟨p. 60⟩But the Church consisting of beleevers and Ministers, that are often opposed by way of contradiction, as beleevers and non beleevers, and a beleever that is no more but a beleever, is not capable of the power of the keyes, it being gratia gratis data, a freely given gift of God, except the Lord be pleased freely to give it by some Law or promise; And so these that are only beleevers, are as the woodden leg, or the eye of glasse in the body wanting all authoritative power of the ministery where God hath not gifted and called them, now every member of the body is inacted by the soule.
2. If this comparison hold well, as every member of the body liveth, and is denominated a living thing (howbeit every member be not an eye, or an ear) by the information of the soul: so every toe and finger liveth by the enacting of the soul, actu primo, and moveth and groweth actu secundo: so must every believer in the body of Christ, Man and woman be actu primo, and essentially a ministerial part and office-bearer having authority from Christ, and also actu secundo, exercise some ministerial acts; for such as is the nature of the act, such is the nature of the power, and such as is the power, such is the act. If the power be ministerial, so is the act: If the act be not ministerial (as it cannot be in these only that are believers, especially women and children) so neither is the power.