A92138:1618
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.
Nor is it supposed that men as men may give to Indian and American Magistrates, power to judge, by rule of Indian consciences; what is blasphemy against Jesus Christ, what is apostasy from the Christian saith, to Judaism, and to punish it: For in that fare, the Indian Magistrate is uncapable of Magistracy in those acts, though essentially he be a lawful Magistrate in other acts; just as Christian men and Saints by calling may make a Christian Corinthian amongst themselves, their Magistrate; and yet he cannot judge whether Ti•ius the Physician in Corinth hath poisoned Sempronius, as he hath a Christian conscience, but not a medicinal conscience (to speak so) or the skill and art of a Physician to know what is poison, what not; yet did men as men create this Christian Magistrate, to judge & punish murders, and poisoning of Christians. 2. Let us also turn the Tables: the Author cannot deny, but Ten thousand Christians and Indians, half of each side, may come to be one civil incorporation; they create with common consent a Christian Magistrate over themselves, this they do as a society of men. The Indians worship their God in that society, by offering their children to the Devil, and this is their Indian conscience; for it is not to be supposed that an Indian can worship his God with other then an Indian conscience: By this Authors way, Indians and Christians gave to this Christian Magistrate, to judge of this Indian and bloody worship, with a Christian conscience, for it is supposed he can judge with no other conscience: ⟨p. 627⟩I demand whether or not this Magistrate be obliged to punish such horrid shedding of innocent blood? If he be, he is set over this incorporation to bear the sword of the Lord, and with a Christian conscience to judge and punish Indian consciences: Is not this as great an inconvenience as what he objecteth to us? Besides that, according to this way, he must not punish the killing of the children to the Devil; why? this is against the will of the meek Saviour in whom the Christian Magistrate believes, to persecute an Indian for his conscience, as this Author thinketh: Now it is no less an Indian conscience worship, and no murder to offer an innocent child to the Indian God, then it was to the Jews to offer an innocent Bullock or a Ram to Jehovah.
Nor is it supposed that men as men may give to Indian and American Magistrates, power to judge, by rule of Indian consciences; what is blasphemy against Iesus Christ, what is apostacy from the Christian saith, to Iudasme, and to punish it: For in that fare, the Indian Magistrate is uncapable of Magistracy in those acts, though essentially he be a lawfull Magistrate in other acts; just as Christian men and Saints by calling may make a Christian Corinthia amongst themselves, their Magistrate; and yet he cannot judge whether Tiius the Physiian in Corinth hath poysoned Sempronius, as he hath a Christian conscience, but not a medicinall conscience (to speak so) or the skill and art of a Physiian to know what is poyson, what not; yet did men as men create this Christian Magistrate, to judge & punish murthers, and poysoning of Christians. 2. Let us also turn the Tables: the Author cannot deny, but Ten thousand Christians and Indians, half of each side, may come to be one civil incorporation; they create with common consent a Christian Magistrate over themselves, this they do as a society of men. The Indians worship their God in that society, by offering their children to the Devil, and this is their Indian conscience; for it is not to be supposed that an Indian can worship his God with other then an Indian conscience: By this Authors way, Indians and Christians gave to this Christian Magistrate, to judge of this Indian and bloody worship, with a Christian conscience, for it is supposed he can judge with no other conscience: