A92138:1184
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. To pray that God would destroy him, whom we are to admonish as a brother, is a strange discipline; Erastus will never make good from Scripture, that God hath appointed praying for the destruction of men to be a saving ordinance, appointed of Christ for gaining of souls, (such as we take rebuking, admonishing, excommunication, eschewing the company of scandalous brethren, which have for their intrinsical end, the repentance of a brother ⟨p. 432⟩under these censures) and therefore this of Erastus his killing of men, is a new forged censure.
Ans. To pray that God would destroy him, whom we are to admonish as a brother, is a strange discipline; Erastus will never make good from Scripture, that God hath appointed praying for the destruction of men to be a saving ordinance, appointed of Christ for gaining of souls, (such as we take rebuking, admonishing, excommunication, eschewing the company of scandalous brethren, which have for their intrinsecall end, the repentance of a brother ⟨p. 432⟩under these censures) and therefore this of Erastus his killing of men, is a new forged censure.
Erastus. Wherever the Scripture speaketh in the New Testament1 of a Presbytery, there is no other understood, but that of preachers; therefore it is false, that the Apostles have commanded any other Elders beside those that labour in the word.
Erastus. Whereever the Scripture speaketh in the New Testament1 of a Presbytery, there is no other understood, but that of preachers; therefore it is false, that the Apostles have commanded any other Elders beside those that labour in the word.