A92138:1451
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.
Ergo, it is evident that the magistrate is neither an essential, nor an integral part of the visible Church as the visible Church, enjoying all the Ordinances of God, Word, Sacraments, Discipline, Censures, Rebukes, Admonition, Excommunication, Prayers, Mutual edification, in as great perfection, as is happily attainable in this life without, yea, against the will of the civill magistrate: Though it be a great encouragement to have the King a Nurse-father; yet hath not Christ counted it simply necessary to his visible Church enjoying all the Ordinances of God to the full. 3. If the magistrate do only command the teachers and Pastors to preach and determine synodically, in order to a temporal reward, and forbid them to abuse their ministerial power in order to temporary punishment, by the temporary sword; then surely the Pastors and Teachers are not subjected to them in conscience, after any Ecclesiastical way, for the power of commanding in magistrates as magistrates must be commensurable to the power of punishing the transgressors of the command; if the one be in order to a temporary good, the other cannot but be in order to an eternal ill; if ministers command in the name of Christ, in order to an eternal reward, they cannot threaten the transgressors in order to a temporary ⟨p. 550⟩punishment, but it must be in order to an eternal punishment:1 so that it is most clear, that the magistrate though he be in some sense a little God, and invested with the authority and Majesty of God, in that he commandeth and threateneth upon proposal of temporary reward, and temporary good, the very same duties that God enjoineth, and forbiddeth the same evils of sin that God forbiddeth; yet he holdeth not these out to the soul and conscience of the subjects, as the Ambassador of Jesus Christ, upon condition of eternal life, if they obey, and of eternal death, if they disobey; but he holdeth out to the external man these that are materially divine commandments & divine inhibitions, but in another consideration▪ but formally only they are the mandates of the Magistrates in order to temporary reward and temporary punishment. Then the Ministers as Ministers in preaching and Synods, forbid adultery, incest, murder; but they propose them to those that are within the visible Church; And that, 1. to their consciences, 2. Under the pain of eternal wrath. 3.