A57976:174
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.
Q. 6. Whether Christ hath left the actual government of his Church to the multitude of Believers?
Q. 6. Whether Christ hath left the actuall government of his Church to the multitude of Beleevers?
Plato said well of Government by the hands of the people,1 That amongst lawful governments it is worst, 2amongst unjust governments the best▪ 3Aristotle saith, of of its nature it is corrupt and faulty. Plutarch calleth it the Serpents tail leading the head.4 Xenophon speaketh not well of it.5 Our Divines,6 as Calvin, Beza, Chemnitius, 7Melanchthon, 8Luther. 9Junius, 10Pareus 11make the government of the Church to partake of all the three governments. In respect of Christ the only supreme King it is an absolute Monarchy; but this is the invisible government for the most part in respect of the rulers as Pastors and Elders, it is an Aristocracy, the visible government being in the hands of the Elders, and in respect of some things that concerneth the whole members of the visible Church, it is a Democracy, or hath some popular government in it.