A92138:1569
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.
We prove the Pope to be no Vicar of Christ, because we read not in the Word of any such Vicar, nor do we read any thing of a supreme Church-officer, who is the Vicar of Christ. 4. No spiritual Ambassador as such, can substitute other Ambassadors with Majority of power, that he hath in his Name to dispense Word, Sacraments; and Discipline; nor can one great Ministerial Church-head create lesser Ministerial Church-heads, such as Justices, Majors, Sheriffs, Bailiffs, Constables, no more then the High Priest could substitute in his place other little High Priests, if he were sick and absent, to go into the Holy of Holiest with blood once a year, no more then the Apostle Paul immediately called of God can substitute other lesser Apostles immediately ⟨p. 604⟩called of God to act as lesser Apostles, but limited by the higher, in the exercise of power; nor can these lesser Apostles create other Apostles yet lesser, and these in a subalternation yet lesser, while you come as low as a Constable, as the King doth send lesser Kings endued in part with his Royalty or Judges under him, and those Judges may appoint other Judges under them; and because the whole visible Catholic Church hath an external visible policy, if Oecumenick councils have any warrant in the word, then ought Christ to have instituted one civil Emperor over all the Churches on earth, to convene Oecumenick Synods, to preside in them, to limit and regulate them, to make Laws to all the world; and that this is not, it falleth out through mans corruption, but it ought to be according to divine institution, no less then every single Magistrate is by institution the head of every particular Church, endued as our adversary say with that supreme power under Christ the mediator, that they call Potestas Architectonica, the headship of the Church.
We prove the Pope to be no Vicar of Christ, because we read not in the Word of any such Vicar, nor do we read any thing of a supream Church-officer, who is the Vicar of Christ. 4. No spirituall Ambassador as such, can substitute other Ambassadors with Majority of power, that he hath in his Name to dispense Word, Sacraments; and Discipline; nor can one great Ministeriall Church-head create lesser Ministeriall Church-heads, such as Justices, Majors, Sheriffes, Bailiffes, Constables, no more then the High Priest could substitute in his place other little High Priests, if he were sick and absent, to goe into the Holy of Holiest with blood once a yeere, no more then the Apostle Paul immediately called of God can substitute other lesser Apostles immediately