A57976:424
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. Also if the power of the Keys be in the hands of the people, as some teach, so as they are under a commandment of God to rebuke authoritatively, and judicially to censure and excommunicate, their universal ⟨p. 158⟩omission of that duty seemeth to be sinful; and (howbeit I be loath to teach Separation) I see not how the authors who give the power of the keys to all private Christians, are not to separate from all Churches where Presbyterial government is, no less then the strictest Separatists do•.
Answ. 1. Also if the power of the Keys be in the hands of the people, as some teach, so as they are under a commandement of God to rebuke authoritatively, and judicially to censure and excommunicate, their universall ⟨p. 158⟩omission of that duty seemeth to be sinfull; and (howbeit I be loath to teach Separation) I see not how the authours who give the power of the keyes to all private Christians, are not to separate from all Churches where Presbyteriall government is, no lesse then the strictest Separatists do•.
2. Affirmative precepts tie not in all differences of time: To rebuke your brother is always lawful, so it be done, observing due circumstances; but that every believer rebuke Church-ways, and judicially by the power of the keys doth not tie at all, because Christ never gave that power to all. 2. Some duties tie absolutely, as to pray, these we cannot forbear: Suppose a Church should make a Law, like Darius to borrow a dumb Devil, for thirty days, and to pray none, that Church should not be heard, and not acknowledged in that. Other duties tie conditionally, as not to pray in public with a man notoriously serving Satan, and deserving to be excommunicate; yet if the Church excommunicate not, we are not to separate from the prayer of the Church, because that person is suffered there: so these duties that tie upon a condition that dependeth upon others and not upon my self, tie not always. I am obliged to believe what point the Pastor teacheth, but not absolutely, but upon condition it agrees to Gods Word.