A57976:740
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.
10. If two or three (saith M. Smith) faithful ones have power to make a Church,1 then have they power to make the Ministers of the Church, but two or three have power to make a Church. Ergo, two or three faithful ones have power to make the Ministers of a Church. He proveth the major. They who can do the greater can do the less, to make a Church is greater; for the Church is the Body, Spouse and Wife, the Ministers are but an ornament of the body, and so the less: The assumption he proveth, two or three faithful ones have Christ, the holy things of David, the promises. Ergo, two or three have power to make a Church.
10. If two or three (saith M. Smith) faithfull ones have power to make a Church,1 then have they power to make the Ministers of the Church, but two or three have power to make a Church. Ergo, two or three faithfull ones have power to make the Ministers of a Church. He proveth the major. They who can doe the greater can doe the lesse, to make a Church is greater; for the Church is the Body, Spouse and Wife, the Ministers are but an ornament of the body, and so the lesse: The assumption he proveth, two or three faithfull ones have Christ, the holy things of David, the promises. Ergo, two or three have power to make a Church.
- 110. Object.
Answ. These who can make a Church mystical have power to make a Church ministerial, or Ministers of a Church: that I deny: As for the probation, this proposition (These who can do the greater can do the less) must be right taken: It is true, in these same kind of works, and in the same kind of power. Christ can forgive sins, Ergo, he can do less, he can say to a sick man, take up thy bed and walk: So if by prayer Jacob obtain a blessing from God, which is greater, then by prayer he will obtain deliverance out of the hands of Esau, which is less; but in powers of divers kinds it holdeth not true: A believer by prayer may obtain grace and perseverance, which is greater, but it followeth not, Ergo, he can open the eyes of the blind, and work miracles, which is less; and therefore howbeit three can make a mystical Church, which is greater, by a power of saving grace (which is gratia gratum faciens) It followeth not, that therefore they have a ministerial and pastoral power of the keys (which is gratia gratis data) to preach and make Ministers: For then, because Mary Magdalen hath power to believe that Christ buried shall rise again from the death, which is greater; therefore she hath power to preach and baptize, which is a lesser power: He who hath power to make a ship, hath not for that power to make a cup.