A92138:1578
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.
Arg. 3. Every Magistrate is [Greek or Hebrew] an humane Ordinance, 11 Pet. 2. 13. and is appointed by God the creator, and by a rational Nature, yea saith Mr. Coleman, God and Nature made ⟨p. 609⟩Magistrates, he must mean God the Creator and Nature, but I2 hope God as creator, and Nature made not the Magistrate the head of the Church, the Vicar of the Mediator Christ, this must have its rise from a higher fountain then Nature; Ecclesiastical Offices tend to a supernatural end, Magistracy and humane Laws (saith Suarez) is from Nature, and the Law saith, de jure gentium est omnis principatus. That excellent and learned Lawyer, Ferd. Vasquius saith, That all Princedom hath its rise from the secondary Law of Nature, to wit, à jure gentium, from the Law of Nations: Hence Kings, Princes, Parliaments, Judges, Lord justices, Majors, Sheriffs, Constables, &c. in their root are natural, but in particulars, Rulers are from the prudence of humane societies, there is a higher institution for Church▪ officers, Eph. 4. 11. they have not their rise from Nature, and therefore that Celebrious and renowned Antiquary, D. Salmasius in that learned work of his, De primatu papae condemneth the dignity and jurisdiction of Patriarchs above Metropolitans, as flowing from the writs of Princes, and Synodical constitutions of Fathers, not from any Divine Institution, the highest was as Theodoret saith, [Greek or Hebrew] ▪ Now God as creator and Nature doth not, sure Nature cannot appoint a Vicar of the Mediator Christ, for if the Magistrate be an Ecclesiastical administration, then it must be an office intrinsically supernatural, and intrinsically and directly tending to a supernatural end; now the Papists for shame do build their head of the Church upon a divine institution, and on Christs words, Thou art Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and I will give to thee the keys of the Kingdom of heaven; Christ never said any such thing to a Magistrate;