A57976:303
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.
Answ. 1. The body of Christ, a Kingdom of Priests and Saints, and these that are partakers of the holy faith, are the chosen of God, ordained for glory in his decree of election, and effectually called and justified; but the adversaries say, that the visible Church is a company of Saints by calling, where (saith Ainsworth) there be many called, but few chosen, hence this argument will prove that none, no hypocrites can be in the visible Church, as a Church is indeed Christs body. Now the Church visible as a Church is indeed Christs body, a royal Priest-hood, a chosen generation, but as visible, it is sufficient that the Church be a royal Priest-hood only in profession, and so possibly for a while, no royal Priesthood, no chosen generation, as I have observed before. But (say they) hypocrites are not indeed and really members of the true visible Church, but only in reputation, as an eye of glass, is not indeed a true part of the body.
Answ. 1. The body of Christ, a Kingdome of Priests and Saints, and these that are partakers of the holy faith, are the chosen of God, ordained for glory in his decree of election, and effectually called and justified; but the adversaries say, that the visible Church is a company of Saints by calling, where (saith Ainsworth) there be many called, but few chosen, hence this argument will prove that none, no hypocrites can be in the visible Church, as a Church is indeed Christs body. Now the Church visible as a Church is indeed Christs body, a reyall Priest-hood, a chosen generation, but as visible, it is sufficient that the Church be a royall Priest-hood only in profession, and so possibly for a while, no royall Priesthood, no chosen generation, as I have observed before. But (say they) hypocrites are not indeed and really members of the true visible Church, but only in reputation, as an eye of glasse, is not indeed a true part of the body.
I answer, then our adversaries give us no right description of the true natural and lively members of the true visible Church, he that would give such a definition of a man as agreeth both to a living man, and to a pictured or painted man, were but a painted Logician. ⟨p. 115⟩