A57976:527
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. All believers see and discern true and false teachers, 1 John 4. 1. Heb: 5. 14. 2 Cor: 3. 18. Psal: 119. 18. Ephes: 1. 17. but it followeth not, affirmativè, à genere a• speciem, therefore they do all see as the eye of the body, with an authoritative and pastoral light and eye; for then all the body should be an eye, where were then the hearing? 2 Cor. 12. 17. 3 Within it self there is no jurisdiction ministerial; for in the definition of a Church ministerial, there is deep silence of Ministers or office-bearers; and good reason by their grounds, who hold it: For it is a society of believers joined together covenant ways in the true worship of God; which society hath power to ordain and elect their own pastors and Elders, here is the power of the keys to bind and loose on earth, as Christ bindeth and looseth in Heaven, Math: 18. 18. chap: 16. 19 and a ministerial act of these keys, to wit, the ordaining of Pastors, Doctors, Elders and Deacons; before there be any Pastor, Doctor or Elder or Deacon. A ministry then must only be necessary, ad benè esse, non ad esse simpliciter, to the better or well-being of the independent Church, and not to the simple being of the Church▪ for the thing must have a perfect constituted being and essence, before it can have any operation, and working proceeding from that being: as one must be a living creature endued with a sensitive soul, before it can hear, or see, or touch; now this independent Church, must have the perfect essence and being of a ministerial Church, seeing it doth by the power of the keys within it self constitute and ordain her own Ministers and Pastors; and if they were joined in the worship of God before they had Ministers, they did in a visible way (being a visible Church in the complete being of a visible Church) worship God, before they had Ministers; for before they ordain ⟨p. 196⟩their Ministers, they must keep the Apostolic order, fast and pray, and lay on their hands, for so did the Apostles, Act: 1. 24. Acts 6. v. 6. Acts 13. 3. Act: 14. 23. 1 Tim: 4. 14. 2 Tim: 1. 5. So here are, public fasting, public praying, public ordination of a visible and independent Church, and as yet they have no Ministers; So in case the Eldership of a congregation shall all turn scandalous and heretical: this same independent congregation may excommunicate them.