A92138:1510
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. All this is but wind, devised against the Magistrates punishing1 of Idolaters, and I show the same followeth upon the Magistrates, or Church erring, the one in abusing civill authority, or the other in profaning ordinances, or preaching the word; for instance, The Judges of a land, or of Jerusalem, make grievous and bloody decrees against the poor, the widows and the Orphan: A faithful Isaiah, a zealous preacher by authority from the Lord, judgeth and condemneth according to his conscience, these judges, and crieth out, as Isai. 10. 1 in the name of the Lord▪ before all the Congregation: Woe be to you who decree unrighteous decrees, and write (in the Bench) grievousness, to turn aside the needy from judgement, and to take away right from the poor: Now the Magistrate that decreed those decrees, judgeth in his conscience they are righteous decrees, and he according to his conscience no• enduring that Isaiah or any preacher should thus abuse and profane so holy an Ordinance of prophesying, and preaching: as to preach lies in the name of the Lord, he proceedeth in his civill court, and cu•teth off with the sword such false Prophets, because they •lander the Lords anointed, and preach lies of him: is not here a reciprocation of judging in the same cause? What will the Author say to this? O saith he, the Magistrate ought not to use his sword ⟨p. 575⟩against those Prophets, for they preach according to their conscience the truth of God: But say that Shimei were a Prophet, and he calls David his Prince a bloody murderer; and saith, this evil is come on him, for rising up against Saul his Master; The Magistrate may not punish him with the Sword, for railing against the Lords anointed. 2. And if the Magistrate ought not to strike with the sword any Prophet, for preaching according to his conscience, for that is persecution to this Author; how shall the Prophets judge and condemn the Magistrate, for those same decrees which he hath given out according to his conscience? for this is a persecution with the tongue, Mat. 5. 11