A92138:1593
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.
Ans. It is a calumnious consequence, Pastors and Teachers will not be judged by the Magistrate in things merely Ecclesiastical, •o stand to his Ecclesiastical decision, as if his lips, ex officio, should preserve knowledge; Ergo, Pastors and Doctors do exempt themselves from the Lawful power of the Magistrate in his civill judging by the sword; it is as if they would say, Church-men refuse to submit to an usurped and unlawful power of the Magistrate; Ergo, they refuse to submit to their lawful power. 2. They bring not one word to prove, that this was the first step of papal tyranny; now a supremacy▪ and independency in doctrinals and civill things, the adversaries deny not: If King Ahab find the Priests of Jehovah turn Priests of Baal, and the Prophets prophesy lies, we and ⟨p. 616⟩the adversaries agree that King Ahab hath a supreme independent power, to judge and punish them with the sword, and if King Ahab will take on him to burn incense to the Lord, the Priests and Prophets of the Lord have an immediate supreme independent power, to rebuke King Ahab for usurping that which is independently and incommunicably proper to the Priests only, and they may refuse to be judged by King Ahab, when he would judge them for giving out this sentence, It belongeth not to King Ahab, or King Uzziah to burn incense to the Lord, but to the Priests, the sons of Aaron, 2 Chron. 26. Will they say this supremacy of the Priests is a step to papal Tyranny? 3. This is rather papal Tyranny it self that the Magistrate as head of the Church, and as an Ecclesiastical person may as a Magistrate govern, in all externals, the Church, as he pleaseth, with a royal, supreme, independent power; and because the Magistrate may send others to rule for him, 2 Chron. 19. 8, 9. 1 Pet. 2. 13, 14. Ergo, he may commit this royal power to a creature called a Prelate as to his Deputy, in his name to judge; as Phocas gave first a supremacy to Boniface the third, which no Bishop of Rome had before; and judge if this be not the first step to Papal Tyranny? They possibly may say, The Magistrate can commit no Magistratical power to any Churchman, for Christ for bad them to take on them the civill domination of the Lords of Gentiles,