A92138:1568
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.
and that which Augustinus de Ancona saith, Idem esse dominium dei & Pap•, it is the same dominion which God and the Pope hath, because it is the same jurisdiction of the Ambassador, and of the Lord who sent him? I deny not, but many Papists give to Christ an indirect Kingly power, and to the Pope they give the same indirect power in ordine ad spiritualia, as Vasquez, and Pet. Waldingus and others; but this we say; if Jesus Christ forbid a preacher of the Gospel remaining a preacher to be a civill Magistrate or temporal Lord, as he doth both by precept and and practise, Luke 22. 24, 25, 26. and 12. 13, 14. Joh. 18, 36. and 6, 15. then upon the same ground he must forbid the civill Magistrate ⟨p. 603⟩to be a Church Governor, as if God should forbid a Physician to be a Painter, (because the two callings cannot lawfully consist in the person of one man) he should also forbid a Painter to be1 a Physician; then the Arguments against a Monarchy and Magistratical power in the Bishop of Rome, must fight against any Ecclesiastical power in a Magistrate, if then the Pastors do as Pastors, rebuke, exhort, excommunicate, and censure, as directly subordinate to the Magistrate, then Pastors as Pastors discharge their office as inferior and under Magistrates, and so they partake in so far of a temporal dominion, being direct instruments under Temporal Lords; and if the Magistrate as the Magistrate do command them to dispense Word, and Sacraments and discipline, and make and unmake Pastors, and regulate and limit them, and make Laws to them, then the Magistrate as the Magistrate doth partake of an Ecclesiastical jurisdiction, and both are forbidden by Christ in the places cited. 2. If the Magistrate be the only supreme Church Governor under Christ, the government of the Church must be a visible Monarchy, and the Magistrate must have both the Swords, Temporal and Spiritual, and Christs Kingdom must be of this world, and the weapons thereof carnal to fight for Christ, and the supreme Church officer as such must bear the Sword, be a valiant man of war by office, and Christs Kingdom must be not of this world, and the weapons thereof not carnal, but spiritual,