A92138:1626
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.
2. Because Church government is properly acted by the Church, with the power of the keys, to bind and loose in earth, as in Heaven by Church-censures, and pardoning of an offender, and committed to many, to the Church, to a society gathered together, Mat. 18. 18. 1 Cor. 5. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. But publishing of the Gospel is done by one single Pastor, even to the end of the world, even where there is no Church, even in the hearts of the Athenienses, Act. 17. 33, 34. of Felix, Act. 24. 25. of the Jailer not Baptised, Act. 16. 29, 30, 31. of the woman of Samaria, Joh. 4. 28, 29, 30. The Gospel exerciseth a doctrinal and external government on thousands, the like without the Church visible: yea, and who never are members of a visible Church; is this any Church-government of which we now speak? and in all the Scripture a power of the keys to govern the visible Church, was never committed to any one single man by Jesus Christ; if an Apostolic-privilege of Pauls excommunicating his alone be objected, I can easily answer, ⟨p. 630⟩Apostles continue not to the end of the world. 2. This doctrinal publishing of the word, is the plants and flowers of the Gardens but Church-government is the hedge, and those two are not to be confounded. 3. Paul differenceth them as two distinct qualities of a Preacher, 1 Tim. 3. while he will have him apt to teach, ver. 2. and v. 4, 5. one that can rule the Church of God well; and 1 Tim. 5. 17. ruling well, is distinguished from labouring in the Word and Doctrine as a charge worthy of less honour, from a charge worthy of double honour. 4. All Protestant Divines distinguish Doctrine and Government, the former belonging to the being and essence of a visible Church, as an essential note thereof, I mean the public and settled publishing of the Gospel; the other is only a thing belonging to the well being of the visible Church, and an accident thereof; so it is a heedless tenet to make the former a part with the latter. 5. When we swear a conformity of Doctrine and worship in one Confession, one Catechism, one Directory, we do not swear the same over again, when we swear to endeavour the nearest uniformity in Church-government, &c. which we cannot but do, if the Doctrine and Worship be nothing but a part of Church-government; or if it be all Church-government: nw if Mr.