A92138:1401
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.
nor were it enough to forewarn Apostates, and persecutors, and Hypocritical heathen, and children, that if they eat unworthily they eat their own damnation, as Mr. Pryn saith, and yet reach the Sacrament to those,1 for the dispensers then should •ast Pearls to some Dogs and Swine ⟨p. 521⟩contrary to Mat. 5. 6. and they should be free of the guilt in polluting of holy things, if they should give them a watch-word, say they were about to profane the holy things of God, before they committed such wickedness. Nor do we as Mr. Pryn saith, nor know we, or the Scriptures any such distinction, as sealing externally to the senses of any receiving the Lords Supper, lawfully divided, (sinfully it may be divided, but there is no Law for sin, no print, no authority of men for it,) from the internal sealing, nor heard we ever of two sorts of conversion, one external from 2Paganism to the external profession of the faith, wrought extraordinarily by Miracles without the Word, and ordinarily by Baptism in Infants▪ and another internal from formal profession, to an inward embracing of Christ and his merits. 1. Because the Stewards and Ambassadors of Christ, may not dare to play with the Sacraments as children do with nuts, to seal to mens senses and fancies Christ and spiritual nourishment in him, and part in his body broken and blood shed, in those who visibly have nothing of faith to their discerning, and of the life of Christ, but only senses and fancy, such as all visibly and notoriously scandalous walking after the flesh, all Heretics, Apostates, known and unwashen Hypocrites have, and no more. 2. All heathen and unbaptized have senses, and are capable of external washing, and external and Sacramental eating, as well as others are, but are they capable of the Seals, because they have bodies to be washed, and teeth and stomach to eat Sacramentally? And have Ministers warrant enough to dispense the Sacraments to all that have senses? But they must be within the visible Church also, ere they be capable of Sacraments, Mr. Pryn will say; but I ask by what warrant Mr. Pryn allegeth that the Supper of the Lord is a converting ordinance as well as the Word, and that Pastors may without sin dispense the Sacraments to those to whom they preach the Word, but they may preach the Word to Heathen remaining Heathen;