A57976:521
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.
5. Believers are over-seers to excommunicate, deprive, censure, and authoritatively rebuke their pastors, and so 1. pastors of pastors, over-seers and watch-men, over their Over-seers and Watch-men. 2. The relation of pastor and flock, of feeders and a people fed is taken away. 3. That which the Scripture ascribeth to pastor• only, 1 Tim. 5. 19, 20. Tit. 1. 13. v. 9. is given ⟨p. 193⟩to private professors. 6. The brotherly consociation of the authority and power of jurisdiction in many sister-Churches united together, is taken away, there is no Christian-communion of Church officers, as Church officers 7. All particular Churches are left, in case of errors, to the immediate judgement of Christ, and obnoxious to no Church censures, suppose they consist of six or ten professors only. 8. The grounds of the doctrine are these same arguments, which Anabaptists and Socinians use against the places of Kings, Judges, Magistrates, to wit, that believers are free, redeemed, bought with a price, all things are theirs; and therefore all power, which consequence is no stronger the one way, then the other. 9. It layeth a blot upon Christs wisdom, who hath appointed congregations to be edified by no power of the keys in case of aberration a•d incorrigible obstinacy. 10. It maketh the Word of God imperfect, which setteth down no Canons, how the believers of an independent Church should govern, and Paul teacheth how Timothy and Titus, and all Church-men should govern. 11. It excludeth not women from usurping authority over men, by judging, excommunicating, ordaining pastors, seeing they are the body and Spouse of Christ as believing men are. 12. It maketh the Sacraments no Sacraments, the baptized non-baptized, and in the place of Turks; if possibly the pastor and the ten professors of the independent Church be unbelievers, which is too ordinary. 13. By this an assembly of Pastors and Elders from divers congregations, have no more the power of the keys, then one single man, who may counsel and advise his brother. 14. Extreme confusion and inevitable schisms hence arise, whilst such a sister-Church saith, I am Pauls, and her sister-Church saith, I am Apollo's, and there is no remedy against this fire. 15. The pattern of a Church governing and ministerial, consisting of only believers, is neither in all the Scriptures, antiquity, nor in the writings of Divines.