A57976:624
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. The main thing that our brethren rest much on, is that one command of delivering to Satan, v. 4. and purging out the old leaven, v. 7. and the word of judging that Paul taketh to himself, v. 4. is given, v. 12. to all believers, and to all that he writeth unto; but Paul would not say they command the believers to do that which they had no authority and power from Christ to do, if all believers had not power judicially to excommunicate. But I answer, beside that this is to bring in a popular government in Gods house; they ⟨p. 236⟩consider not that they presuppose as granted, what we justly deny, that all and every verse of this chapter is spoken jointly and equally to all both Elders and people, which cannot in reason be said, as in other parts of the epistle, where sometimes he speaketh of all, as 1 Cor. 1. 1, 4, 5. both pastors and people, sometimes of the people, 1 Cor. 1. 12. 1 Cor. 4. 1. sometimes of teachers only, 1 Cor. 3. 12. 1 Cor. 4. 2. 2. One and the same word [Greek or Hebrew], to purge out the leaven, v. 7. applied to both Elders and believers have divers meanings, according as it is applied to divers subjects, so that the Elders did excommunicate, and purge out one way, that is authoritatively and with Pauls spirit, and ministerial power; I mean that same power in kind and speech that was in Paul was in the Elders, for Paul was no Prelate above other pastors, and the people did purge out the leaven another way, by a popular consenting that he should be excommunicate, and this is well grounded on Scripture, see Acts 4. 27, 28. Herod, Pilate, Gentiles and Jews crucified Christ; now it is certain they did not crucify him one and the same way, Pilate judicially, the people of the Jews in a popular way of asking and consenting crucified him, so 1 Sam. 12. 18. All the people greatly feared the Lord, and Samuel; that same verb [Greek or Hebrew] jara, to fear, expresseth both the peoples fearing of God, which is a religious fear commanded in the first Commandment, and due to God only, and the peoples fearing of Samuel, which civill reverence given to Samuel as to a Prophet, is a far inferior fear, and commanded in the ift Commandment, so