A57976:306
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. The wicked are forbidden to speak of Gods Law and his Covenant, in some case, so long as they hate to be reformed, but they are not simply forbidden; but hence it followeth not, that they should not be ordinary hearers of the word, but rather they are to be hearers, and so members of the visible Church, seeing faith cometh by hearing. 2. From this argument is nothing concluded against us, for such adulterers, thieves and slanderers, as are forbidden to take Gods Law in their mouth, Psal. 50. are to be cast out of the Church, and the question is, if they be not cast out, if the Church for that be no true Church, that we should remain in, they say it leaveth off to be a true visible Church: we deny.
Answ. The wicked are forbidden to speake of Gods Law and his Covenant, in some case, so long as they hate to be reformed, but they are not simply forbidden; but hence it followeth not, that they should not be ordinary hearers of the word, but rather they are to be hearers, and so members of the visible Church, seing faith commeth by hearing. 2. From this argument is nothing concluded against us, for such adulterers, theeves and slanderers, as are forbidden to take Gods Law in their mouth, Psal. 50. are to be cast out of the Church, and the question is, if they be not cast out, if the Church for that be no true Church, that we should remaine in, they say it leaveth off to be a true visible Church: we deny.
5. There is (saith Ainsworth) proclaimed by God himself,1 enmity and war, betwixt the seed of the woman, and the seed of the Serpent;2 and there is no communion nor fellowship betwixt Christ and Belial, light and darkness. Therefore the profane and the godly cannot be mixed together in one visible society, as two contraries are not capable of one and the same form.