A92138:1579
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 if the Magistrate be an Ecclesiastical administration, and the head of the Church, and the Vicar of Christ as Mediator, he must have more then this, and the keys of the Kingdom of God must be given to him above Peter and all the Apostles, for all Church-officers act their part as such, à & sub Magistratu, from and under the Magistrate, as his Vicars, so as the Magistrate in America who lived and died never hearing of the Gospel, nor of his Lord Mediator, is yet by office the Vicar of the Mediator, and obliged as a Magistrate though a mere heathen to believe in him of whom he never heard, if the adversary say right, which is unpossible, Rom. 10. 14. But saith Mr. Coleman, If Christ ⟨p. 610⟩be rightful King of the whole earth, where did Christ grant a liberty to a great part of the world, to remain Infidels and enemies to him and his Government?
and if the Magistrate be an Ecclesiasticall administration, and the head of the Church, and the Vicar of Christ as Mediator, he must have more then this, and the keyes of the Kingdom of God must be given to him above Peter and all the Apostles, for all Church-officers act their part as such, à & sub Magistratu, from and under the Magistrate, as his Vicars, so as the Magistrate in America who lived and died never hearing of the Gospel, nor of his Lord Mediator, is yet by office the Vicar of the Mediator, and obliged as a Magistrate though a meer heathen to beleeve in him of whom he never heard, if the adversary say right, which is unpossible, Rom. 10. 14. But saith Mr. Coleman, If Christ ⟨p. 610⟩be rightfull King of the whole earth, where did Christ grant a liberty to a great part of the world, to remain Infidels and enemies to him and his Government?
Arg. 4. In Answer to which, I draw a fourth Argument; All the Heathen Magistrates who never heard of the Mediator Christ and the Gospel, cannot by office be the Deputies and Vicars of the mediatory Kingdom, for they are not the professed subjects of