A92138:1054
The divine right of church-government and excommunication
The divine right of church-government and excommunication: or a peaceable dispute for the perfection of the holy scripture in point of ceremonies and church government; in which the removal of the Service-book is justified, the six books of Tho: Erastus against excommunication are briefly examined; with a vindication of that eminent divine Theod: Beza against the aspersions of Erastus, the arguments of Mr. William Pryn, Rich: Hooker, Dr. Morton, Dr. Jackson, Dr. John Forbes, and the doctors of Aberdeen; touching will-worship, ceremonies, imagery, idolatry, things indifferent, an ambulatory government; the due and just powers of the magistrate in matters of religion, and the arguments of Mr. Pryn, in so far as they side with Erastus, are modestly discussed. To which is added, a brief tractate of scandal ... / By Samuel Rutherfurd, Professor of Divinity in the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Published by authority.The divine right of church-government and excommunication: or a peacable dispute for the perfection of the holy scripture in point of ceremonies and church government; in which the removal of the Service-book is justifi'd, the six books of Tho: Erastus against excommunication are briefly examin'd; with a vindication of that eminent divine Theod: Beza against the aspersions of Erastus, the arguments of Mr. William Pryn, Rich: Hooker, Dr. Morton, Dr. Jackson, Dr. John Forbes, and the doctors of Aberdeen; touching will-worship, ceremonies, imagery, idolatry, things indifferent, an ambulatory government; the due and just powers of the magistrate in matters of religion, and the arguments of Mr. Pryn, in so far as they side with Erastus, are modestly discussed. To which is added, a brief tractate of scandal ... / By Samuel Rutherfurd, Professor of Divinity in the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Published by authority.
London: printed by John Field for Christopher Meredith, 1646
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Ans. All that Erastus saith against a Presbytery, is to improve excommunication: But there may be excommunication by the people, as many hold, where there be no Elders at all. 2. Let Erastus point out the time, when a number of preaching Prophets were instituted at Corinth, whether in this Chapter (which to me is a dream) or before. 3. He had cause to rebuke all; All were secure, the Elders who cast him not out, the people who said not to their Elders, as the Colossians are bidden say, Col. 4. 17. to Archippus; and will Erastus say that preaching Elders, who by office, are the eyes of the Church, 1 Cor. 12. 17, 28. were not to be chief in mourning to God, and praying that the man might be miraculously killed? and yet he reproveth all equally. 4. He reproveth them all that the man was not cast out of the Church, and this includeth a reproof, that he enjoyed all the Church privileges, especially the Sacraments. 5. It is false that there is no mention of judgement, v. 12. Do not ye judge those that are within? for election, there is none in the Chapter, nor any Presbytery instituted in this Chapter; it was before: Erastus hath the like reason to say, that there was no instituted Church at Corinth, because in the 1. or 2. Epistle to the Corinthians: we read not where he instituted any such Church; if we find the thing instituted, we know it had an institution, and let Erastus show us when Paul received the institution of the Lords supper, from the Lord: shall we deny he received any such thing contrary to 1 Cor. 11. 23. because we find not where and how he received from the Lord? 6. There is no asking of suffrages mentioned Act. 1. at the choosing of Mathias, nor Act. 6. at the choosing of the Deacons that we read of; Ergo, there were no suffrages there; it followeth not. 7. And ought not far rather suffrages to have been asked before the people should take on their heads the mans blood, by consenting thereunto, and praying for it, as Erastus saith?
Ans. All that Erastus saith against a Presbytery, is to improve excommunication: But there may be excommunication by the people, as many hold, where there be no Elders at all. 2. Let Erastus point out the time, when a number of preaching Prophets were instituted at Corinth, whether in this Chapter (which to me is a dream) or before. 3. He had cause to rebuke all; All were secure, the Elders who cast him not out, the people who said not to their Elders, as the Colossians are bidden say,