A92138:163
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.
for most of the Scripture is penned upon occasions from men, and from second causes, shall these things leave off to be of Divine Institution, that hath their rise from occasions, even sinful occasions? Yea, the death of Christ is occasioned from mans fall in sin. What then? Is it an alterable Doctrine left to the determination of the Church that Christ died? But this is no other then the shift of Papists for their unwritten Tradition. Sanderus de Visib. Monarch. Lib. 1. c. 5. pag. 13. Si ergo per solas conscriptas leges dei civitas 1gubernaretur in valdè magnâ part corum que passim contingunt, quid faceret, nesciret, quia legem de his loquent•m non haberet; Imo si tantum una Lex toti reipub: necessaria esse posset, eaque ipsa scriberetur a prudentissimis viris, ac singulis annis ab orbe condito novae interpretations eidem adderentur: tamen nunquam eveniret, ut ea lex tam plenè interpretata foret, quin causae novae possent intervenire▪ ob quas lex et legis interpretatio novam iterim postularet interpretationem, adeo et foecunda est natura in suis eventis, et Angustum ingenium humanum, et varia surisperitorum sententia, et verba tum pauca, tum ambigua. All cometh to this, that this Papist saith, That there cannot be one written unchangeable Law that is necessary for the whole Church, for new events, occasions and occurrences of Providence, should so change the case, that there should be a necessity of a new ⟨p. 37⟩interpretation, and of a new Law. 2. Nor can we say that Laws made upon occasion, as that Law of transferring the inheritance to the Daughter, made upon occasion of the Daughters of Zelophehad, are in this sense occasional, that the Jews might at their pleasure alter, or change a Law made by God, and substitute one of their own in place thereof; for then might the Jews change all the Ceremonies and Judgements that God gave them for a time and occasionally: Now then they might have abolished Circumcision, the passover, and substitute other Sacraments in their place, for these Sacraments were not given by Gods own voice. 2. Nor written by Gods own finger. Nor, 3. Are they termed a Covenant, in that sense that2 the Moral Law is termed a Covenant. 4. Nor are they given without limiting of time and place, expressly when and where: