A92138:135
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.
That there should be Officers in a Kingdom, and Laws to Govern the Subjects, beside the will of the Prince or Judges of the Land, or that the Members of a Family, or Soldiers in an Army should be Governed by any Rule, Custom, or Law, beside or without the will of the Master of the House, and of the General & Commanders, is all one, as if Subjects, Families and Soldiers, should be Ruled and Governed by their own will and wisdom, and not by their King, Judges, Masters and Commanders; for the question is upon this undeniable1 supposition, that Christ is the only Head and King of his Church, and so the Head and King of Prelates (if they be of the body) and of the Rulers, Guides, and Pastors of the Church, which are to be Governed and Ruled by certain Laws, no less then the people, whither or no this Representative Church of Rulers, being Subjects and Members of the Head and King of the Church, are to be Ruled by the wisdom, Laws, and Commandments of this King the Lord Jesus; or if they have granted to them a vast Arbitrary power to Govern both themselves and the people, by adding Positive Mandates of Arbitrary Commanders, such as Prelates are (in the mind of those who think they have no patent of any Divine right) and of Surplice, Crossing, kneeling for reverence to wood, to bread and wine. The matter cannot be helped, by saying that Christ is the Mystical, Invisible King, (some doubt if he be the only King of the Church, which is too gross to be refuted) of the Church in ⟨p. 18⟩things spiritual, and in regard of the inward operation of the Spirit; but he is not a Political and visible Head in regard of external Policy; this distinction must hold also in regard of the people, who as Christians and believers are rather under Christ as a Mystical and invisible Head, then the Rulers who are not as Rulers, but only in so far as they are believers, Mystical Members of the Head Christ; for Christ exerciseth no Mystical and Internal operations of saving Grace upon Rulers as Rulers; but upon Rulers as believers, then he cannot be the Mystical and invisible King of Rulers as Rulers, to give them as a King, an Arbitrary power to be little Kings under him, to Govern as they please; and the truth is, Christ is a Political Head and King of his Church, not properly a visible Head, 2 Cor. 5. 16.