A92138:1268
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. There be many untruths here, 1. If this distinction of internal and external governing of the Church, remove most of the doubts here, he that eats and drinks unworthily, which is an act of external worship, which may be regulated and ordered by the Church, (for the Church may not administer the Sacraments to Pagans without the Church) is no sin to the unworthy eater, because God commanded that external act expressly, as Erastus saith, and so it is a good action, quoad nos, even to the unworthy eater, for he knoweth not his own thoughts, nor can he judge them without error, especially being unregenerated. 2. If Erastus himself acknowledge this his own distinction, he must acknowledge an external Church-government, and who then are the Governors, especially in the Apostolic-Church, ⟨p. 461⟩where heathen Magistrates are? Pastors and Teachers no doubt, what meaneth this then? my Brother trespasseth against me and will not be gained? I tell the Church; (Erastus saith) I tell the Christian Magistrate, but there is no Christian Magistrate, then there was no external Government in the Church the first hundred, nay, nor three hundred years in the Church, or then it must follow, that the Apostles and Pastors were the deputies of heathen Magistrates: Ergo, the heathen Magistrates should with imposition of hands have been ordained the officers, [Greek or Hebrew], in every Church. And that they were not; it was their own fault; for the principal officer must be more principally called to office by Christ, and given by him as a gift, when he ascended on high, to edify the body of the Church, Eph. 4. 11. 3. Erastus will have men debarred from judging the inward actions, because God only can judge them, sine error, without error: But so God only should judge all things internal and external, and there should be no Magistrates, because men may err in judging the external actions of men, and1 will not this gratify the Papists, who say in this; Tell the Church, that is, the Pope who cannot err. Then the Synod cannot err, Protestants deny the consequence; Synods may judge, as Act. 15. and yet Synods may err. 4. Erastus will have us liable to infinite errors in external actions: therefore (saith he) we should do nothing in externals, but what is expressly commanded;