A57976:216
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.
3. Neither doth the word Church always signify a meeting of one single Congregation,1 as Act: 12. Prayers was made by the Church, 2that is by all professors.3 Herod vexed the Church, Act: 8. Saul made havoc of the Church, 4I persecuted the Church. There is no necessity to expound these of people meeting ordinarily to worship God; for Herod and Saul persecuted all, whither Apostles or professors in houses, not respecting their meeting in one place; also it shall follow that prayers were not made in private, but only in the Church, that is, in the convened Congregation for Peter, which is absurd: And that they were a visible Church is clear, else Herod, and Saul could not persecute them.5 Parker answereth, The whole Nation of the Jews did meet at one meeting, 6and are called by Luke the Church, 7and there came innumerable multitudes to hear Christ. Answ. That is for us, the Church of the Jews contained six hundred thousand fighting men, beside women, children and aged ⟨p. 82⟩persons, and the Levites that attended the Tabernacle and Ark; it were a wonder to make out of this an independent Congregation, all judging and governing both themselves and their governors: Therefore there may be a visible Church under one government that cannot ordinarily meet to hear the Word of God, and howbeit there met innumerable multitudes, Luke. 12 to hear Christ, and that with great confusion, that is forbidden in Church meetings, 1 Cor: 14. So that they trod on one another, that multitude could not be a Church, 1. Ordinarily meeting. 2. To hear one pastor. 3. To judge all the people and over-see their manners. 4. And to communicate ordinarily at one Table in the Lords Supper: this is against the nature and true use of a Congregation met in one place for the public worship.