A92138:1310
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.
So Tell the Church, to Erastus is, Tell the one individual single Magistrate, who by office may judge without, and contrary to the advice of all the Church Pastors, Doctors, Elders, yea, people and all: Now though we grant, that what the Emperor doth as Emperor, and the Magistrate as Magistrate hath done, that the Empire, City, and Incorporation doth, (which yet is never true in the Church, which hath no King as a Church, save only the head and King Jesus Christ) yet Erastus hath not proved, what the Emperor doth without, and contrary to the advice of all the Empire, that the Empire hath done that.
So Tell the Church, to Erastus is, Tell the one individuall single Magistrate, who by office may judge without, and contrary to the advice of all the Church Pastors, Doctors, Elders, yea, people and all: Now though we grant, that what the Emperour doth as Emperour, and the Magistrate as Magistrate hath done, that the Empire, City, and Incorporation doth, (which yet is never true in the Church, which hath no King as a Church, save onely the head and King Iesus Christ) yet Erastus hath not proved, what the Emperour doth without, and contrary to the advice of all the Empire, that the Empire hath done that.
Erastus. Christ either understandeth by the Church the whole multitude1 of Jerusalem, or then the Magistrates: But he understandeth not the multitude, 1. Because Christ would not change the Government of heathens, far less of that which his Father had appointed in Judea, in which the people did never Govern: Yea, the Apostles to ⟨p. 479⟩their death did nothing against Moses his Law, and how they take Christ to speak of a Church to be founded of new after his resurrection who believed not he should die and rise again; and after his resurrection knew not what a kingdom, whether worldly, or spiritual, he was to •ave, cannot be conceived.