A57976:267
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.
What if the guides receive in as members of the Church, those who are known to be most scandalous and wicked, and not such Saints as Paul writeth unto at Rome, Corinth, Ephesus Coloss. Answ. The faults of the guides are not your faults who are private members, you are to keep public communion in the public ordinances of Christ, but not to take part with ⟨p. 99⟩their unfruitful works, but rather to reprove them. 5. What if the members of the Church can give no real proofs that they are inwardly called, sanctified, and justified, and yet you see no scandalous out-breakings in them, to testify the contrary. I answer, for as much as grace may be under many ashes, as a piece of gold amongst mountains of earth: If they profess the sound faith, they are a true visible Church, and we are to acknowledge them as such, and to join our selves as members to such a society, or being already members, we are to remain in that society, and not to separate from it in any sort.
What if the guides receive in as members of the Church, those who are knowne to be most scandalous and wicked, and not such Saints as Paul writeth unto at Rome, Corinth, Ephesus Colosse. Answ. The faults of the guides are not your faults who are private members, you are to keepe publike communion in the publike ordinances of Christ, but not to take part with ⟨p. 99⟩their unfruitfull workes, but rather to reprove them. 5. What if the members of the Church can give no reall proofes that they are inwardly called, sanctified, and justified, and yet you see no scandalous out-breakings in them, to testifie the contrary. I answer, for as much as grace may be under many ashes, as a peece of gold amongst mountaines of earth: If they professe the sound faith, they are a true visible Church, and we are to acknowledge them as such, and to joyne our selves as members to such a society, or being already members, we are to remaine in that society, and not to separate from it in any sort.
The Separation doth complain that in our Church are (as Ainsworth saith) swarms of Atheists,