A92138:1400
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.
Unprofitable hearing of the Gospel in a Heathen is as damning a sin, as hypocritical receiving of the Sacrament is a sin, they are not equalia peccata, but sure they are •què peccata; but I may preach the Gospel to a Heathen, and ⟨p. 520⟩not partake of his sin of unprofitable hearing, for I may be commanded to preach to a Heathen remaining a Heathen, as Paul preached to Felix, to the scoffing Athenians, to the persecuting Jews, 1and giving obedience to the command of God, freeth me from partaking of his unprofitable hearing; But I cannot administer the Lords Supper to an Heathen remaining a Heathen, without sharing in his sin; and suppose a Heathen remaining a Heathen would crowd in to the Lords Table, as of old many Heathen feigned themselves to be Jews, desiring to serve the time, 1 Sam. 14. 21. yet I should partake of the Heathens unworthy receiving, if knowing him to be a Heathen serving the time, and crowding in amongst the people of God, I should administer the Lords Supper, because I have no command of God to administer the Lords Supper to a Heathen man, nor could Paul administer the Sacrament to the scoffing Athenians, or to Felix, without taking part with them in their profaning of the Lords Table. 2. The necessity of preaching the Word, it being simply necessary to the first conversion of a sinner, putteth Pastors in a case that they may, and ought to preach the Gospel to Heathen, and to thousands known to be unconverted without any participation of their unprofitable hearing, and the non-necessity of the Lords Supper, or the Seal of the Covenant, and the nourishing of their souls to life eternal, who visibly and to the knowledge of those who are dispensers of the Sacrament, profane, and abominably wicked, putteth those same dispensers in a condition of being compartners with them in the profaning of the holy things of God, if they dispense the bread to those that are knowingly dead in sins, so the Gospel may be taught in Catechism to Children, Deut. 6. 6, 7. 2 Tim. 3. 15.