A92138:1381
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.
It is evident that Jehoshaphat did not institute, but restore those two courts, 2 Chron. 19. 11. And behold Amariah the chief Priest is over you in all matters of the Lord, and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael the ruler of the house of Judah, for all the Kings matters; never any Erastian could satisfy either themselves or others, to show us ⟨p. 506⟩what were those two courts, so distinguished by their two sundry Rulers. Amariah and Zebadiah, the one a Priest, the other a Magistrate. 2. By the different formal objects, the matters of the Lord, the matters of the King, and confounded they must be; if the King and Ruler be a judge in the matters of God, except God make him both a civill judge and a Prophet, as were Moses and Samuel, which yet were differenced when the God of order established his Church in Canaan. The Church convenes for a Church business, Josh. 18. 1. to set up the Tabernacle, but for a civill business, to make war, the State conveneth, Josh. 22. 12. 15. 16. Judg. 21. 12. and Jer. 26. 8. there is the Church judicature discerning that Jeremiah was a false Teacher, and they first judge the cause, and v. 16. The Civill Judicature discerneth the contrary, and under Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, they endured different judicatures; Jesus Christ was arraigned before Caiaphas the High Priest for pretended blasphemy, before Pilate the civill judge for treason, but Caiaphas was to determine only by Law, in question juris whether it was blasphemy which Christ had spoken, but he had no power by Gods Law to lead Witnesses or condemn Christ. Nor is it true, that the Priests had their government only about Ceremonials, for they were to judge of Moral uncleanness also, which even then debarred men from the holy things of God, as is clear, Hag. 2. 12. Ezek. 44. 9. 10, 23, 24. and if any say that the Magistrate amongst the Jews did judge of Ecclesiastical things, and reformed Religion: We answer extraordinarily, the Magistrate might prophesy, and did prophecy, as did Samuel, David, Solomon: Why do not Erastians bring those examples to prove that Kings, Provosts, Justices, may now preach the Word, and administer the Sacraments, which yet is unlawful to them by grant of Adversaries, for the examples of the Kings amongst the Jews, is as strong for preaching, as for governing;