A92138:141
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 which the holy Scripture hath not said, by what means should we receive, and account it amongst these things that be true? Cyril would deny all your Ceremonies to speak any thing, but lies; and1 so would I: Yea, to bring in any thing that is not written, Basilius saith, it is [Greek or Hebrew], a demonstration of Pride, and Origen in Levit. Hom. 5. Si quid autem, superfuerit, quod non Divina Scriptura decernat, nullam aliam debere tertiam Scripturam ad autoritatem scientiae suscipi (licet) I think some third Scripture which is neither the old or the New-Testament must be sought to make good the Doctrines, that dumb humane Ceremonies teach us: 2. That the blind lead the blind is not safe; but it is no Argument to prove that this is an immutable thing in policy, that there should be Leaders, and some that are led, except you suppose the Prelates to be the seeing men, and the Pastors and People to be blind. 3. I utterly deny this consequence: The Clergy is a great multitude; Ergo, order necessarily requireth, that by degrees they be distinguished in Prelates and Pastors; for the Prelates are a multitude; Ergo, order requireth that one be Pope to command all the rest: The Apostles were a multitude; Ergo, There was a necessity of a Monarch-Apostle, the Prelatical Government is Monarchical; doth2 order require in all multitude no Government but a Monarchy? Nor do we find any warrant that Apostles had jurisdiction over Pastors in the Scripture, nor in any Ecclesiastical Records; but where Papacy was working; Paul, as if he had been to go out of this life, and never to see the faces of the Elders of Ephesus, Act. 20. 25. ⟨p. 22⟩Left unto them as Elders all of equal degrees of power of jurisdiction, the feeding and Governing of the Church of God, Act. 20. 28, 29, 30. 4. The particulars of Policy, as Surplice, Crossing are no more circumstances of Worship then Aaron's Ephod, a vesture is a circumstance, but a Religious vesture teaching us of Pastoral holiness, is worship, not a Circumstance: Men can place no Religion in Circumstances.