A57976:403
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. This separation is such a separation as is betwixt light and darkness, Christ and Belial, but the separation is not from external communion, which Separatists urge, but from all spiritual and internal communion. For Separatists teach that always there are in the Church visible hypocrites and true believers, for the which cause M. Barrow saith,1 it is compared to a draw-net wherein there ⟨p. 151⟩are both good and bad; now Hypocrites and believers together in one visible Church are light and darkness together, and external Church communion with the hypocrite (which is lawful) cannot be a touching of an unclean thing, and so Church-fellowship with the wicked cannot be Christ and Belial together.
2. This separation is such a separation as is betwixt light and darkenesse, Christ and Beliall, but the separation is not from externall communion, which Separatists urge, but from all spirituall and internall communion. For Separatists teach that alwayes there are in the Church visible hypocrites and true beleevers, for the which cause M. Barrow saith,1 it is compared to a draw-net wherein there ⟨p. 151⟩are both good and bad; now Hypocrites and believers together in one visible Church are light and darknesse together, and externall Church communion with the hypocrite (which is lawfull) cannot be a touching of an uncleane thing, and so Church-fellowship with the wicked cannot be Christ and Belial together.
- 1Barrow.
3. That Separation here commanded is from the worship of God corrupted in the matter, where need force the Corinthians behoved to be joined to Idols, v: 16 For what agreement (saith he) hath the Temple of God with Idols? Now he meaneth, that the faithful who were Temples of the holy Spirit should not sit and eat at the Idols Table, which is called, 1 Cor: 10. 20, 21. The Devils Table and cup. But what Logic is this? Separate from Idols, ergo, separate from a Church, where the true worship of God is, and is professed and taught; this is to be yoked with Christs body, Spouse, truth, but to fly the errors that are in the body, which we also teach.