A57976:276
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.
6. The like I might prove of the Church of Corinth, 1Galatia, 2and Ephesus, Thyatira, Sardis, Laodicea. And the Separatists grant that hypocrites are often in the true visible Church, then the presence of wicked men in a visible Church marreth not the constitution of a Church, only Separatists would have a more accurate trial taken before persons were received in the Church, lest the uncircumcised enter into the temple of the Lord. But all the marks that we are to take before we receive members in the Church, or they also, is but an external profession: And the Apostles took no marks in receiving Ananias and Sapphira, Simon Magus, Demas, Alexander, and Hymyneus, but only an hypocritical profession,3 as Calvin hath well observed,4 and after him Cameron. We have no certainty of faith to know that this, or this man is a believer, that another man believeth and is saved is not the object of my faith. 2. Hence it followeth, that of a Congregation of forty professors, four and twenty may be,5 and often are but hypocrites; yet these four a•d twenty, suppose twelve of them be the Pastor, Elders and Deacons, are truly parts of the Church as visible: Howbeit not parts of the Church as the Church, and as the true and mystical body of Jesus Christ, and by this same reason all the forty may be hypocrites for a time, because they are but men, who seeth not the heart, who did congregate this Church, and what is true of four and twenty may befall forty. I say (for a time) they may be all hypocrites, or at the first constitution of the Church, but that all shall remain so, I think is against the wisdom and gracious intention of God, who doth not set up a candle and candlestick, but to seek his own lost money: And where he sendeth shepherds, ⟨p. 106⟩he hath there some lost sheep, because the preaching of the word is an essential note of a visible Church. Hence that Congregation of forty not yet converted is a true visible Church, I mean, a true teaching and Ministerial Church in which are acts Pastoral of preaching, baptizing, binding, and loosing that are valid and right Ecclesiastically: For Baptism there administrated was not to be repeated, and such a Church by the Ministry therein, is and may be converted to the saving faith of Christ: yea and Separatists would call such an independent Congregation. Hence 3.