A57976:234
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.
5. These to whom the essence and definition of a Ministerial Church having power to excommunicate (as this Church hath that power, Mat. 18. 17.) doth necessarily and essentially belong, these, and these only are here understood under the name of the Church. But so it is, that the essence and definition of a Ministerial Church having power to excommunicate, agreeth not necessarily and essentially to a company of true believers assembled Church-ways, ergo, by the name of a Church here is no ways understood the Church of true believers assembled Church-ways. The proposition is undeniable, for out of the words may be gathered a definition of a Ministerial Church, to wit, an Assembly that has power of preaching and binding and loosing, and so of all Church-censures. I prove the assumption, To have power to preach, convene before them, and judicially cognosce and sentence, and excommunicate a contumacious member doth agree to these that by no necessity are believers, because to have power to preach and excommunicate essentially require no more, but that persons be, 1. professors of the truth. 2. that they be gifted to preach and govern. 3. that they be duly called thereunto by the Church, as Judas and others are; but all these three are, and may be in a company in whom is no saving faith, as the word and experience clear: For howbeit to be a called Pastor (the like I say of Elders, 1Doctors, Deacons, and visible professors) require faith in Christ, as a gracious element and necessary ingredient to make him a saved man:2 Yet it is not required to the essence of a Pastor. Yea Parker, Answorth, and authors of Presbyter, govern▪ ex. acknowledge professors to be members of a visible Church, and so to have power of the keys who are but rotten hypocrites, and what wonder? seeing God only seeth ⟨p. 90⟩the heart, and men cannot see far in a millstone.
5. These to whom the essence and definition of a Ministeriall Church having power to excommunicate (as this Church hath that power, Mat. 18. 17