A92138:1115
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. Were Eli and Samuel presidents in the Sanhedrin without a Judge? that is as much as to say, Eli and Samuel, who undoubtedly by the Testimony of the Spirit of God were civill Judges ⟨p. 409⟩of Israel, 1 Sam. 4 18. and 7. 15. and 8. 1. 7. were Judges without Judges: I conceive Eli was both a Priest and a Judge; and Samuel both a Prophet and a Judge; whether Samuel was a Priest or not, let Erastus determine. Samuel was of the Tribe of Ephraim, 1not a Priest, though he sacrificed by an extraordinary Privilege; nor was Moses a Priest. 2. I see no reason to say, Eli was a Priest without a Judge, more then to say he was a Judge without a Priest, for he was both. But this may show the Reader, that Erastus always confoundeth the office of the Priest, and the Civill judge, so as he maketh them not only subjectively one, which God himself did in the person of Eli, but also one formally; for as I show before Erastus must say, Eli sacrificed as a Judge, and he condemned2 ill doers to die & exercised the sword as a Priest; & Samuel prophesied as a Magistrate, & Samuel did judge Israel as a Prophet; for the Magistrate as the Magistrate to Erastus, doth both the part of a Judge, of a Priest and Prophet of old, and now of a Pastor and Teacher. 3. It is enough to us that Amariah and Zebadiah were over diverse causes, in divers Courts, and differenced, 2 Chro. 19. in that the one was, for the kings matters, the other for Gods matters. Erast. saith right down, they were both for these same matters. But the one was to care more for the Kings matters, the other more for Gods matters: so Erastus is forced to make a difference: But he maketh it in the comparative degree, and the spirit of God maketh the difference in the positive degree: But 1. Erastus saith without the Text, Amariah was to care for the matters of the King, but more for the matters of God: The Text saith no such thing, but the contrary: he saith, Zebadiah the Civill Magistrate was to care for the matters of God, but more for the matters of the King: 4. This is against Erastus his his way; which is that the Magistrate hath a supreme principal and only care of Church-Government, and the Priests and Levites, and Pastors and Teachers only, as the servants of the Magistrates, A & sub Magistratibus, as Utenbogard speaketh, from and under the Magistrate, as the Vicars, Deputies, and Ambassadors of the Magistrate;