A57976:271
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.
2. Argument. 1If the visible Church planted and constituted lawfully, be a draw-net, wherein are fishes of all sorts; and a house wherein are vessels of silver and gold; and also base vessels of brass and wood; and a barn-floor wherein are wheat and a chaff, then a Church is rightly constitute; howbeit there be in it believers and unbelievers, and hypocrites, as members thereof: And there is no more required to make members of the Church visible as visible, but that they be within the net, hearers of the word, within the house as vessels of brass, within the barn-walls as chaff, in likeness and appearance like wheat: But the former is true,2 and granted by Barrow, Mat 13. 47. 2 Tim. 2. 20, 21. Mat. 3. 12. Barrow saith, Hypocrites are ever in the Church, but it followeth not that the profane multitude for that should be admitted members without proof of their faith. Answ. As the likeness between the vessel of brass, and the vessel of gold, and their being in one and the same Nobleman's cu• table together, is sufficient to make the brazen vessel a part of the plenishing of the house: so the hypocrites ⟨p. 102⟩external profession, and receiving the word, and remaining in the Church, as Ananias and Sapphira, and Simon Magus his believing, his adhering to Philip, his desire of Baptism maketh him a member of the visible Church, and the Church that these are in, is a truly and right constitute visible Church.
2. Argument. 1If the visible Church planted and constituted lawfu•ly, be a draw-net, wherein are fishes of all sorts; and a house wherein are vessels of silver and gold; and also base vessels of brasse and wood; and a barne-floore wherein are wheat and a chaffe, then a Church is rightly constitute; howbeit there be in it beleevers and unbeleevers, and hypocrites, as members thereof: And there is no more required to make members of the Church visible as visible, but that they be within the net, hearers of the word, within the house as vessels of brasse, within the barne-wals as chaffe, in likenesse and appearance like wheat: But the former is true,