A92138:1481
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.
Ans. I deny the antecedent: The Ministry as such is an Ordinance of God, and cannot be judged; nor are Ministers, nor Painters as Painters, nor Musicians as Musicians, nor Sailors as Sailors ⟨p. 564⟩subjects; these reduplications be cozening and deceiving notions▪ painters as painters are regulated by Art, & subject to be judged by painters; but as men they are subjects, & so are Ministers as men subject to Cesar; as Ministers they are the servants of Christ, & not subjects. Ob. As Ministers they are either Magistrates or subjects; but Ministers as Ministers are not Magistrates: He that is not with Christ is against him, M. Coleman in his Brotherly examination, p. 21. saith, He that doth not manage his office under Christ, and for Christ, must manage it under the Devil, and for the Devil; if therefore the Christian Magistrate do not manage his office under, and for Christ, he must manage it under, or for the Devil, which were blasphemous. Ans. I deny the Major proposition: Ministers as Ministers are neither Magistrates, nor subjects; but formally the separated servants of Christ, set a part for the work of gathering the Saints: Now to be1 subjects, is to be judged by the Magistrate in those things, in which they are subjects, that is, in all Civill business they are, and false teaching discerned by the Church to be false teaching, or in case the Church corrupt themselves, then are Ministers obnoxious to bodily punishment to be inflicted by the Magistrate; But this is properly to be a subject of the Magistrate, to be liable to the civill cognizance, trying, and bodily punishment inflicted by the Magistrate, and to be a subject; and a member of the other Kingdom, is to be subject to the Ecclesiastical cognizance, trial, and censure of the Church, as a matter that concerneth the soul; hence the former concerneth the body and outward man, the latter the inner man, and the soul. 2. The former concerneth peace with men and edification, to be procured by a mean extrinsical to edification, to wit, by the sword; the latter concerneth peace with God, by a spiritual sword, the Word of God. 3. The former is carnal, and of the Kingdom of this world; the latter spiritual and of Christs other Kingdom, that is not of this world, Joh. 18. 36. 4. The former worketh by coaction and bodily violence;