A92138:1617
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. 1. No doubt the power that makes Magistrates, because1 of virtue and dexterity to govern, may unmake them when they turn tyrants, and abuse their power; and upon the same ground, as men create Magistrates, so Christian men as Christian men, act to choose Christian and gracious Magistrates: as if a Husband as a man choose a Wife (as grace perfumeth and spiritualizeth all the common actions of men) so Christian men are to choose Christian Wives, Christian Masters, Christian servants; so is a Church to choose a Christian, not an American Magistrate, Deu. 17. they are not to choose a stranger, but one from amongst their brethren, and men fearing God, and hating covetousness, Exo. 18. 21. Deu. 17. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. and 1. 16. and that a Christian Magistrate receive2 power to govern in the Church (I deny him to be a Governor of the Church) from Christian people, I see no inconvenience: Suppose that a Christian woman choose a Pagan Husband, she sins in her choice; and as a sinful woman chooseth a Pagan who hath no other then a Pagan conscience, to be the guide of her youth, and her head, and to love her, as Christ loved his Church, and to rule her according to his marital and Husband-power in some acts of her Christian conversation: Yea, when Christians did fight under Heathen Emperors, they gave power as all soldiers do to their Commanders, to those Heathen Captains, to command Christians ⟨p. 626⟩according to their Pagan consciences, for other consciences it cannot be supposed Heathen have as this Author speaketh; nor do I see such an inconvenience, that men as men choose a Magistrate who is a Heathen, to see not the Church as the Church; but men of the Church do their duty, and to punish them civilly when they omit Church duties, when providence compelleth Judah: Yea, when God commandeth Judah to submit to a Babylonish or Persian King, who according to his Babylonish conscience is to command them to keep the oath of God, to abstain from murder yea, to build again the house of God, and is to punish the men of Judah, if they do the contrary: Here evidently the Church is to choose Heathen Kings, who according to their Heathen consciences, are to judge and punish sins against both Tables; but they choose them to add there auxiliary power to help and defend the Church, not any privative or absolute power to set up what ordinances they will: