A92138:1334
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.
Uzziah though a King, yet for bodily leprosy was separated from the people of God, and men of high places, though dogs and swine shall be admitted to all the holy things of God under the New Testament?
Ʋzziah though a King, yet for bodily leprosie was separated from the people of God, and men of high places, though doggs and swine shall be admitted to all the holy things of God under the New Testament?
2. Erastus will have all admitted who desire to use the Sacraments right; As touching all externals, of which only the Church doth judge: But, 1. Where did we assert that the Church judgeth of internals? and that they may debar men from the Sacraments, for only heart-unbelief known to God only? This must lye on Erastus, as a calumny, while he make it good from our writings and Doctrine, that we thus teach, exclude those that are visibly scandalous and profane, and we are satisfied. 2. He that brings his offering to the Altar, and hath done a known offence to his brother, (for it is a sinful and visible scandal, which scandalizeth one brother) He useth not the holy things of God right, even as touching externals; He that comes to the Lords supper desiring, and asking the ordinance of righteousness (as Isaiah speaketh) and promiseth amendment; and yet is openly ignorant and not sound in the faith, he useth not aright the Sacraments even in externals, of which only the Church judgeth rightly: as he that in the same day cometh to the temple to worship (now the very personal presence of ⟨p. 488⟩a Jew in the Temple which was a Type of Jesus Christ, was a worship and a holy thing of God, whereas our presence in the place of meeting for worship is no such thing) when he hath killed his son to Moloch, profaned the Temple, and the name of God, even in externals; for the Priests of old who were to put differences between the clean and the unclean, no more were to judge the inward thoughts and heart-dispositions of men known to God only, then we can now judge them in the New Testament, 1 Chro. 29. 17