A57976:337
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.
But as concerning the other point. We see not how we are to separate from the reformed Churches,1 as Ainsworth saith, and how M. Jacob saith, Our reformed Divines cannot satisfy the objection that Calvin and Luther, and Zuinglius, who had their ordination and calling to be Pastors from the Church of Rome, and so from Antichrist, and so our Ministers having ordination and calling from Ministers, who had their calling from Antichrist cannot be lawful Ministers, nor our Church a true Church, seeing it wanteth a true Ministry, except we say with them, they had their calling essentially from the suffrages and consent of the Church of believers, who have power to ordain Ministers, and power to depose and excommunicate them if need be. But I answer, this power is in the back of the Bible, and amongst unwritten traditions, not in the holy Oracles of the old or new Testament. Hence I will speak a word of the calling of our reformers. 2. of the Church of Rome, 2if they could give a calling to our reformers,3 seeing we hold them to be an Antichristian Church. Some answer and Walleus approveth ⟨p. 125⟩them, that Luther, Zuinglius, Farellus were Pastors ordinary of Churches,4 and so had power to convince the gainsayers.5 But the question yet remaineth from whence had these before them their calling? Our Divines,6 Tylen, Bucan, professors Leyd. Walleus distinguish here three things, 1. Something in the calling of our reformers was from God: so authoritatively, they were called of God, the Ministry being of God. 2. The Christian Church lying under Popery, called, designed, and ordained the men to be Pastors; so their calling according to the substance of the act was from God, and the Roman Church as a Christian Church. 3. There was corruption in the way and manner of their vocation, as the Antichristian ceremonies, and an oath to maintain the doctrine of the Church of Rome, not only as a Christian Church, but also as Romish, if any of them did swear to defend the corruptions of the Church, this latter was taken away by Gods illumination of their minds: A called Minister sweareth to defend the truth, and this truth of this Church; but aye under the notion of truth; and if he see it to be error he still holdeth the substance of his oath, in as far as it is obligatory and tieth him in conscience.