A92138:1333
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. The agreement is but poor by your own relation: But 1. Let Erastus answer, what if the Christian Magistrate as Ahab be a dog, and sell himself to do wickedly: What if he understand not the Doctrine of the Gospel? Magistrates as Magistrates by virtue of the throne, or place, are not privileged to be Orthodox and holy. Let one Julian once a Christian, yet turning a sow, an enemy to the Gospel be witness, if we descend to the Justices, and to Master Constables; it may be we find even of those dogs and swine in their conversation, though their place be a power, lawful, and ordained of God; We think (saith Erastus) the custom of the Church should be observed: What? by the custom of the Church only, by no precept or command of Christ should the holy things of God, the pearls of the Gospel be denied to dogs and swine contrary to Christs command, Mat. 7? 2. Erastus must exclude the Magistrate out of the lists of his disputation in six books, and say, If the Christian Magistrate be ignorant and scandalous, and yet desire to use the Sacraments right, and profess he will learn to know God, and ⟨p. 487⟩to believe soundly, and walk holily, Yet the Sacraments are not to be denied to him. Tell Erastus, in sincerity who should debar the Magistrate? For in all your six books, you by these words, de illis solis, &c. profess that you plead not that he should be admitted to1 the Sacraments; who shall exclude him? not he himself; for his credits sake he shall desire to come to the Sacraments, as many for gain and loaves follow Christ, Joh. 6. will they not follow him also to be seen of men, as the Pharisees prayed in the streets? 2. Let Erastus say, when our Saviour said, Give not holy things to dogs? Did he mean to accept the persons of Kings and Judges, and profess, though Kings and Judges be dogs and swine▪ yet deny not holy things to them? 3. Hath Christ appointed no way in the New Testament, as he did in the Old, to debar unclean men from our Passover? Or shall there be no Government, no charge in the Ministers of the New Testament to keep the holy things of God from pollution? If Master Justice be an incestuous man, a drunkard, a dog, shall he not be cast out of the midst of the Church?