A92138:146
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.
SECT. III.
IF Jesus Christ be as Faithful as Moses and above him, as the Lord of the house above the servant, Heb. 3. 1, 2, 3, 4. Then as Moses was admonished of God, when he was about to make the1 Tabernacle, for (saith he) See thou make all things according to the pattern• showed unto thee in the mount, Heb. 8. 5. And was not to follow his own spirit, but was to follow the pattern that God showed him in the Mount, then far less hath Christ the Apostle and high Priest of our Profession giving us a Platform of the Church and Government of the New-Testament variable, & shaped according to the alterable laws, customs & manners of divers nations, for as Moses though a Prophet was not to make one pin of the Tabernacle, but according to the sampler & pattern that God did show him, so Christ manifested to his Disciples, all that he had heard, and seen of the Father, Joh. 15. But it is not to be supposed, that the Father show to Christ an alterable tabernacle in the new Testament, that men might alter, chop and change at their pleasure, as the customs of Nations are changed: ⟨p. 27⟩If God thought Religion should run a hazard, if the greatest of Prophets (except Christ) might have leave to mould and shape all the Levitical Service, and Ceremonies, (for as the judicious and Learned Interpreter Mr. David Dickson saith, all the Levitical Service