A57976:891
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.
4. This comparison halteth foully. In the art of paintry, ye may abstract that which is moral from that which is artificial; but in a King as a King, there is nothing artificial, or which is to be abstracted from justice and piety; for all the acts of kingly authority as kingly, are moral acts of justice, and of piety in preserving both the Tables of the Law (if a King command a stratagem of war, that which is merely artificial is not from the King as King, but from a principle of military art in him, as an expert soldier) if then the King as King be a moral agent and a preserver of both Tables, then as King he is subject to the Ecclesiastical power.
4. This comparison halteth fowlely. In the art of paintry, ye may abstract that which is morall from that which is artificiall; but in a King as a King, there is nothing artificiall, or which is to be abstracted from justice and piety; for all the acts of kingly authority as kingly, are morall acts of justice, and of piety in preserving both the Tables of the Law (if a King command a stratagem of war, that which is meerly artificiall is not from the King as King, but from a principle of military art in him, as an expert souldier) if then the King as King be a morall agent and a preserver of both Tables, then as King he is subject to the Ecclesiasticall power.
5. Spalato faileth far in making the end of kingly government a natural end,1 not life eternal, as the end of sailing is the desired harbour, and not the kingdom of Heaven, which is l•fe eternal; nay, but if we speak either of the end of the work, or the end of the worker, the end of kingly power is a moral end; for the end of the work called finis operis, is by Paul said to be, that we may lead a quiet and a peaceable life in all godliness and honesty, and this is de jure, also finis operantis, the end which the Ring is to intend, and so the dignity, office, acts and end of the King as the King is subordinated to Christs kingly power in Church-discipline, and yet he is the most supreme politic power on earth, and in eo genere, solo Deo minor, and above the Pastors in that kind.