A92138:1239
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. Neither Major nor Minor proposition hath any truth at all. 1. Though the Magistrates sword were a better mean to gain souls, it followeth not that Excommunication is no mean. The Law is less powerful for gaining souls, The Gospel more powerful. But the Law is not for that no Ordinance of God. 2. Erastus his reason to prove, that the Magistrates punishing cureth the conscience, as a saving Ordinance, no less then Excommunication, must be this; That, by which God calleth, and draweth many to himself, is a saving mean, to cure the conscience; but by the Magistrates punishing of scandalous men, God doth this as by other tribulations. The proposition must be, a propositio per se; That by the Magistrates heading, and hanging, scourging, and imprisoning of themselves, as kindly and intrinsically saving means, such as rebukes, promises, commands, excommunication are, the Lord calleth men, and converteth them, that is false, God no more useth the Sword of the Magistrate, as a kindly mean of gaining souls, then the sword of an oppressing Tyrant; so Nebuchadnezzars oppressing of the Church ⟨p. 446⟩of God, and the Assyrians unjust wasting of the people of Israel, shall be kindly means of gaining of souls; because God blessed the rod to many to humble their uncircumcised heart; but this is accidental to, and beside the nature of the rod: but it is not accidental to rebuking, threatening, promises to the preaching of the Gospel, nor to Excommunication to save souls and gain them to Christ. The Gospel, and all the parts of it, are kindly, and of themselves the1 power of God to salvation: The Magistrates sword to Erastus must be the power of God to salvation, and Christ, Matth. 18. in his order of gaining an offending brothers soul, by this reason must descend, not ascend, contrary to the order of Christ, for Christ maketh the rebuking between brother and brother, to be the first step of gaining an offender to Christ. 2. The rebuking before two or three. 3. Before the Church. 4. Excommunication: Now all these are spiritual means and more efficacious, the second then the first, the third then the second, the fourth then any of them. But Erastus maketh Christ in the fourth step, to descend from three spiritual steps of gaining the mans soul, to a fourth, which is carnal, to wit, let him be as a heathen, &c.