A92138:1612
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.
Obj. 6. If the end of the Church be a spiritual, and of the Magistrate be a temporal good; and if the Magistrate have no spiritual power to attain to his temporal end, no more then the Church hath ⟨p. 622⟩any temporal power to attain to her spiritual end; is not this a contradiction, that the Magistrate should determine what the true Church and Ordinances are, and then set them up with the power of the sword? for the Magistrates power to judge and punish in spiritual causes, must be either spiritual or civill, or then he hath none, and so acts without commission: Now for civill power, the Magistrate hath it only over the bodies and goods of men, and hath it not over the soul, nor can he have it (say •) in soul cases: It is confessed that the Magistrate hath no spiritual power to attain a temporal end, and therefore those who provoke the Magistrate, without either civill or1 spiritual power to punish, or prosecute, in spiritual causes, are to fear that they come too near to those frogs that proceed out of the mouth of the Dragon and Beast, and false Prophet, who with the same argument stir up the Kings of the earth to make war against the Lamb and his followers, Rev. 17. Bloody Tenet.
Obj. 6. If the end of the Church be a spirituall, and of the Magistrate be a temporall good; and if the Magistrate have no spirituall power to attain to his temporall end, no more then the Church hath ⟨p. 622⟩any temporall power to attain to her spirituall end; is not this a contradiction, that the Magistrate should determine what the true Church and Ordinances are, and then set them up with the power of the sword? for the Magistrates power to judge and punish in spirituall causes, must be either spirituall or civill, or then he hath none, and so acts without commission: Now for civill power, the Magistrate hath it only over the bodies and goods of men, and hath it not over the soul, nor can he have it (say •) in soul cases: It is confessed that the Magistrate hath no spirituall power to attain a temporall end, and therefore those who provoke the Magistrate, without either civill or