A57976:183
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.
letters are sent in the Churches name, charity sent to the distressed Saints in their name, officers chosen by their consent, but all this maketh no popular government, if we speak properly, seeing the multitude doth not judge, define judicially, nor sentence, nor command and give out Canons and Constitutions. But these of whom we now speak do constitute a popular government in the Church,1 which I prove, 1. Parker, the fore-said Authors, 2Best, M. Jacob, Smith, and these that are for independency of Congregations ascribe to the whole multitude,3 and from 1 Cor. 5. 4, 5, 12. a judicial exercise of the rod, 4and a judging of these that are within, Mat. 2. 18. The Church to be heard and obeyed that doth judicially excommunicate is not the Church of over-seers (say they) but the Church of all believers. 53. Binding and loosing and the keys of the Kingdom, and that is, both power and exercise is given to the Church ⟨p. 67⟩builded on the rock, against which the gates of Hell shall not prevail, Mat. 16. 18, 19. so they teach also. 4. All the power and jurisdiction that Presbyteries and Synods have, saith Parker, is from the Church of believers. 5. The Congregation of believers hath power of jurisdiction over the officers, and rulers of the Church,6 to make and unmake, ordain, censure, depose and excommunicate their over-seers (say they) Now all who have written Politics,7