A92138:1171
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.
But so the written Law of God, the very letter of it could in many cases clearly resolve the Civill judge, even though there had been no controversy about the fact, whether it was condemned in the Law of God, or not: we know Samuel not ⟨p. 428⟩being judge, but Saul being King & supreme Magistrate, & not executing judgement on the Amalekites, he killed Agag, certainly, all Divines, even Popish not excepted, say, Saul the Civil Magistrate ought to have killed Agag, & that Samuel not by virtue of his place, as a prophet, or as a Priest or a Member of the Sanhedrin (as Erastus would say) but excited by an extraordinary motion of Gods spirit, killed him, as Phinehas the son of Aaron slew, Num. 25. Zimri and Cosbi, 7, 8. And Elijah slew Baals Priests, 1 Kin. 18. 40. 2 Kin. 1. 10. If Phinehas by office, and Elijah by office killed those ill doers, as Erastus would dream, The Prophets and Priests by their office were Civill Judges, and had power to put to death evil doers. Now Erastus denieth, and with good reason, that the Lords disciples should bear civill dominion over men, as the Lords of the Gentiles, Luk. 22. 24, 25, 26. and that Christ though both a Prophet and a Priest could not take on him, to be a Judge and a Ruler, Luk. 12. yet here Erastus will have the High Priest, by a Law-power, to imprison and put to death. 2. Erastus may with as good reason say, that the high Priests had a Law-power by Gods institution to punish and to compel Christians to blaspheme God, and to persecute them to strange Cities, and to murder the Saints that believed in the Lord Jesus; for he went to Damascus for this effect, Act. 26. 12. [Greek or Hebrew], with power and Commission from the chief Priests, This was not a Law-power in general, to punish such as the Law of Moses discerned to be blasphemers, but a limited particular Commission to murder the Saints, who should hear and obey the Prophet, like unto Moses, whom the Lord should raise up,