A92138:1580
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. 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 of1 Christ as Mediator, nor given to him as his possession and inheritance, neither actually, nor in Gods decree; for thousands of them lived and died without Christ or any obligation to believe in, or serve the Lord Jesus as Mediator, for if Christ be not their rightful King as Mediator, nor their King at all as Mediator, they cannot be his subjects as Mediator, far less can they be his Deputies and Vicars by office of his Kingdom; but Christ is not King as Mediator in any sort or title of such as are Heathen Magistrates, for as Mediator he is neither King, titulo & jure acquisitionis, nor efficacy application, neither merito, nor efficacia, he neither gave a price as Mediator to buy them, because the adversaries then must say, that Christ is so King of the whole earth, as he hath died for all and every one of mankind: nor are they his subjects so much as in the profession of the word of his Kingdom, for they never heard it; if the Adversaries can say that Christ died for all and every one of mankind, and so for these Heathen Kings, I can refute this Article of Arminianism; and though Christ had died for them, yet are they not subjects in so much as in profession, and so in no capacity nor obligation to serve with their sword, Christ as Mediator, for they are not in that state obliged to believe in him, nor to know him as Mediator; how then are they obliged by office to serve him as Mediator, except he had revealed himself to them in the Gospel? Hence I need not prove that Christ is their King by efficacious applying of the merits of his death to them, nor can any say this Argument may prove that Pastors by office are the Ambassadors of Christ, because they are not all the subjects of Christ given to him as Mediator, either in the decree of Election, nor actually redeemed; for many Pastors who are by office the Ambassadors of Christ as Mediator, are Reprobates, as was Judas and others; for the Argument is not drawn from any saving claim that heathen Princes who never heard of Christ ⟨p. 611⟩hath to Christ, but it is drawn from no claim at all, no not so much as in profession;
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