A92138:1122
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. Erastus his anxiety to inquire is little, because he cannot Answer: 1. The matter of the Lord cannot be all one with this, Ye judge not for men, but for the Lord: For the matter of the King, or a point of Treason to be judged, is to be judged not for men, but for the Lord. But the Text differenceth between the matters of Lord, and the matters of the King. 2. In the former, 2 Chron. 19. 5. he speaketh of civill business; but the matters of the Lord are such as concern the Law of God, and the true sense and meaning thereof to be proposed to the conscience; and 3. That is a common thing to all causes, that in the manner of Judging, Judges are to look that they do as men in the place of God, so then as God, if he were judging, would do no iniquity, nor respect persons, nor take gifts, as he saith, ver. 7. So neither should men do iniquity, or respect persons in judgement; and so is it taken, ⟨p. 412⟩Deut. 1. 17. Now this clearly is the manner of righteous judgement, and Modus judicandi, but the matter of Jehovah is Res judicata; the thing to be judged, which may be unjustly Judged: and this matter of Jehovah is not common to all causes, but is contradistinguished in the Text, from the matters of the King, which in the manner of judging is no less to be judged according to the judgement of the Lord, then the matters of Jehovah.
Ans. Erastus his anxiety to inquire is little, because he cannot Answer: 1. The matter of the Lord cannot be all one with this, Ye judge not for men, but for the Lord: For the matter of the King, or a point of Treason to be judged, is to be judged not for men, but for the Lord. But the Text differenceth between the matters of Lord, and the matters of the King. 2. In the former, 2 Chron. 19. 5. he speaketh of civill businesse; but the matters of the Lord are such as concern the Law of God, and the true sense and meaning thereof to be proposed to the conscience; and 3. That is a common thing to all causes, that in the manner of Iudging, Iudges are to look that they do as men in the place of God, so then as God, if he were judging, would do no iniquity, nor respect persons, nor take gifts, as he saith, ver. 7. So neither should men do iniquity, or respect persons in judgement; and so is it taken,