A92138:1432
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.
6. There be two things here considerable in the Magistrates office. 1. There is his jus and [Greek or Hebrew] Magistratical power, or the authority 1official, the power of office to bear the sword. 2. There is aptitudo, [Greek or Hebrew], a special heavenly grace of well governing; this is [Greek or Hebrew] a gift or grace of God, to use that power for Christ. These two make one Christian husband, one Christian captain, Physician, Master, in relation to to the wife, soldiers, sick, servants: Now the Magistrate heathen as Magistrate, even Nero, when the Church of God is in his ⟨p. 540⟩court and dominions, hath the same jus, the same Authority and Official power, to be a keeper of both Tables of the Law, and to defend the Gospel, and to command the Preachers and Synods to fulfil their charge, and to see that the officers do their duty, and to punish dumb dogs, Idolaters, excommunicated persons, to drive away with the sword false Teachers from the flock, he hath I say the same Magistratical power, while he is a Heathe•, and when he is converted to the Christian faith, and he is equally head of men that profess Christ, when Heathenish as when Christian; but in neither States, is he the Head of the body the Church, and you give not to Cesar the things that are Caesars, if you make converted Nero, because a Magistrate, now the head of the Church, and deny non-converted and heathenish Nero to be the Head of the Church; for he is a Magistrate with complete power of the Sword, in the one case, as in the other, that he neither doth, nor can use the sword for the Church, it is from Nero his state of infidelity that he is in as a man, and not the fault of his office, for when Paul saith, the Husband is the head of the Wife; doth he mean a Christian husband only, and exclude all heathen Husbands? No, for then the wife were not to be subject to the Husband, if a Heathen and an unbeliever, which is against Pauls mind, 1 Cor. 7. and the Law of Nature. But the converted Magistrate, who was before a heathen Magistrate, hath a new aptitude, faculty and grace to keep both Tables of the Law, and to govern in a civill way, and indirectly the affairs of Christs Kingdom:
6. There be two things here considerable in the Magistrates office. 1. There is his jus and Magistraticall power, or the authority