A57976:712
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. This Argument presupposeth that Pastors not as Pastors, but as Christians either may administer the Sacraments lawfully, and so any Christian may administer the Sacraments, which is both Popish and absurd, or that it is not lawful for Pastors to administer the Sacrament out of their own congregation, or to any other of another congregation then their own, and so yet communion of Sister-Churches, in these acts, is clean taken away. 2. Our Argument is from Church-communion not in Christian acts as Christian, but in ministerial acts as ministerial.
Answ. This Argument presupposeth that Pastors not as Pastors, but as Christians either may administer the Sacraments lawfully, and so any Christian may administer the Sacraments, which is both Popish and absurd, or that it is not lawfull for Pastors to administer the Sacrament out of their owne congregation, or to any other of another congregation then their owne, and so yet communion of Sister-Churches, in these acts, is cleane taken away. 2. Our Argument is from Church-communion not in Christian acts as Christian, but in ministeriall acts as ministeriall.
2. Arg. If Ministers (as M. Paget argueth) may labour to convert unbelieving strangers, and to add them to their flock, that they may enlarge Christs kingdom, then they may exercise Pastoral acts over, and above others then these of their own charge; but the former is true, Ergo, so is the latter. The assumption is clear, because Prov. ⟨p. 262⟩93. Wisdom sendeth out her maids to call in these that are without; and 1 Cor. 14. 24. the Prophets as Prophets were pastorally to convince; and so to convert Infidels, who were not of their charge. M. Best answereth, These acts are not acts of a Minister as a Minister, a man and a wife, a father and a child, a Pastor and a flock are relatives, as I am a Father, I exercise not proper acts as a Father, but towards my own children, what good I do to others cannot be said to be the acts of a Father, but rather of a friend, a neighbour, a Christian, &c.