A57976:445
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. It is not lawful to communicate with the holiest Church on earth in an act of false worship we grant; but every false worship doth neither make a true Church, a false Church, or no Church; neither giveth it a ground and warrant of Separation; for there was much false worship in Corinth, where many were partakers of the Idols Table, 1 Cor. 8. 10. and many denied the Resurrection, and so Thyatira, Pergamus, Rev. 2. where were Balaam's doctrine, and Jezebel the false Prophetess, and yet none of these are to be separated from, as false Churches, and the Separatists would observe this, that when Churches in the New Testament are most sharply rebuked, if communion with these Churches going on in their sins be Idolatry and false worship, and offering of Devils Images to God, how is it, that the Lord and his Apostles rebuketh the faults, but never warneth the true and sound believers to separate and make a new Church, seeing this is ⟨p. 161⟩the only remedy to them, and there is not another way to escape the judgement of the whol• Church? 2. David would not take up the names of Idols in his lips, nor should any touch the garment spotted of the flesh, nor consent unto, or countenance Idols, but to communicate with a Church where there is a profane people and a false worship, in some points, is not to touch unclean garments, for the clean and the sound worship of God is clean, and as for the example of Achan, it is most impertinent, Israel knew not Achans sacrilege, till the Lord found out the man, and if this stand good, a lurking hypocrite, and an unseen Achan in a visible Congregation, bringeth a curse on the Congregation, and from such a Congregation we are to separate, What madness is this, we are to separate from a society, before we know any Achan to be amongst them. But Separatists say, God would not have punished Israel by making them •ly before the men of Ai, Josh. 7. If Israel did take no part with Achan, but because of Achans sacrilege they were punished, ver. 11. Israel hath sinned and transgressed my covenant, which I commanded them: for they have taken the accursed thing.