A57976:69
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.
Our Divines disputing against the great Pope, the Bishop of Rome, and against the little Pope, the Prelate his god-son, and first born, come out of the Popes loins, as Calvin, Beza, Junius, Zanchius, Sadeel, Pareus, Ursine, Whitaker, Reynold, and Amesius, Baines, Parker, Didoclavius, &c. They prove, if such power of the keys and plenitude of order, and jurisdiction, were in these two creatures, the Pope and the Prelate, the wisdom of Christ in his Word, should have set down the canons for the regulating of the power, besides the canons that concerneth all other Bishops or Pastors, for the heads or Monarchs duty ⟨p. 16⟩in the common wealth, is carefully set down in the word, as what a man the King should be; but the word hath no canons for the power of the keys, and the regulating of that power, in all and every believer, man and woman. 2. If God set down a Canon, and requires abilities in the Church guides, as Elders labouring in the word and doctrine, and governing, and in Deacons, that, he requireth not in all believers, then the power of the keys is not in the Church guides, and in all believers also; but the former is said, 1 Tim. 3. for it is required in a Minister that his power of the keys may be said to be of God,1 that he should rule his own house well, 2else how should he [Greek or Hebrew],3 take care to govern the Church of God? 4One may be a believer,5 and yet this is not required of him,6 as he is a believer, an Elder should not be a Lord over the flock,7 it is required of a Steward, that he be faithful as a Steward, that he ordain Elders, and these men of good report, that he receive not an accusation against an Elder: Now I hope, these are not required of believers, as believers, neither were the Epistles to Timothy and Titus written so much to these men, as believers; as to them as holy Elders, and Pastors: And yet if the power of the keys be common to all the faithful, these Epistles are written to all believers, primly to men, and believing children, how they should use the keys, ordain Elders, receive Witnesses, govern the Church.