A57976:690
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.
2. It is said he sent the Princes to teach not in their own persons, but he sent them to take care that the Levites should teach in time of that Apostasy.
2. It is said hee sent the Princes to teach not in their owne persons, but hee sent them to take care that the Levites should teach in time of that Apostacy.
3. The Kings and Judges were to teach according to the judicial Law the equity of their sentence to the ill doer, as a Judge to convince a thief and a murderer may lay before him the eighth and the sixth commandment in so far as the breach of these disturbeth the peace of the common-wealth, not as they are Church scandals, and whither the male-factor be convinced or not, the Judge punisheth with the sword, so that the Judges handling of the judicial law, and his handling of the moral law now is merely civill and coactive, neither is he to labour the conversion and repentance of the Elder, and so ecclesiastical edification; but the handling of the law by the Separatist Prophets is merely pastoral and for the conversion of souls, and they are the only preachers who gather the Church of Saints; Pastors and Doctors are not to convert souls to Christ, but to confirm these who are already converted and made Saints by their Prophets, neither is the Prophets handling of the law civill, coactive or regal, all which they teach themselves: So are we to think of these exhortations of Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah, they taught indeed [Greek or Hebrew], secundum quid in a civill and coactive and regal way, by a kingly and imperial commanding, not by a servant way, or a ministerial or pastoral way. Ergo, Kings are Prophets, and Seers and Priests, whose lips should preserve knowledge, and ergo, Kings are Ministers, by whom we believe, and sent to open the eyes of the blind as Prophets, 1 Cor. 14. It is a most vain consequence. So also from Jehoshaphat, a general of an army his public praying having the spirit of adoption, asking help from the Lord of Hosts before the armies join in battle, can no ways be concluded that Jehoshaphat was a public Prophet, for then at all times, as in that extraordinary war, he should publicly pray for the people in all Church-meetings, as did the Priest.