A92138:1070
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.
now if the Priests and Levites judged in the same judicature, these same civill causes, and the same way by the power of the sword, as Magistrates, (as Erastus saith) why is there in the Text, 1. Two judicatures; one, v. 5. in all the fenced cities; another at Jerusalem, v. 8? 2. What meaneth this, that the Kings matters are judged in the civill judicature, not by the Priests and Levites? (as Erastus saith) for the Ruler of the house of Judah was president in these, and the matters of the Lord were judged by the Priests and Levites? and Amariah the chief Priest was over them? for then Amariah was as well over the Kings matters, as the Ruler of the house of Judah, and the Ruler of the house of Judah over the Lords matters, as over the Kings; for if Priests and Levites judged as the Deputies subordinate to the King, and by the power of the sword, the Kings matters are the Lords matters, and the Lords matters the Kings matters, and Amariah judgeth not as chief Priests, as he doth burn incense, but as an other judge, this truly is to turn the Text upside down. 2. The causes judged in the Synedrim at Jerusalem, are said to be ⟨p. 390⟩judged as controversies, when they returned to Jerusalem, 2 Chr. 19. 8. and matters too hard, between plea and plea, between blood, and blood, between stroke and stroke, Deut. 17. 8. and so doubts of Law, and cases of conscience. Now Mal. 2. 7. The Priests lips should preserve knowledge, and they should seek the Law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts, and this way only the Priests and Levites judged, not that they inflicted death on any; but they resolved in an Ecclesiastical way, the consciences of the judges of the fenced Cities, what was a breach of the Law of God Moral or Judicial, what not; what deserved Church censures, what not, who were clean, who unclean; and all these are called the judgement of the Lord, the matters of the Lord; because they had so near relation to the soul and conscience, as the conscience is under a divine Law. 3. Erastus saith, it is known that the Levites only were Magistrates in the Cities of refuge, but I deny it; Erastus should have made it known to us from some Scripture: I find no ground for it in Scripture.