A92138:1691
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.
Indifferent things Basilius calleth them [Greek or Hebrew] Nazianz. [Greek or Hebrew]; so Laertius, and Gellius saith the same of them. Things indifferent cannot be good, but essentially neither good nor ill, and if they be not good, they cannot be apt to edify, and so fall not within the compass of things which can be commanded by Rulers.
Indifferent things Basilius calleth them 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 Nazianz. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉; so Laertius, and Gellius saith the same of them. Things indifferent cannot be good, but essentially neither good nor ill, and if they be not good, they cannot be apt to edifie, and so fall not within the compasse of things which can be commanded by Rulers.
There is a twofold matter of a Church constitution, the one remote, the other nearer: The remote matter of Church constitutions are things indifferent, to wit, mens actions and the circumstances thereof; and so they are the matter of Gods Laws; for all our actions Physically ⟨p. 648⟩considered to know, believe, will, love, joy, fear, speak, walk,1 laugh, &c▪ are indifferent in themselves▪ but God in the Law of Natu•• ▪ and his positive Div••• Law ••th […]d• •••m •••d […]i• […] put •is d[…] gal upon th […] a it is such, can be the nearest matter of any Church-constitution: No wise man would say that the Church might make a Law, that all should cast stones in the water; yet God might make a Law thereof. For what actions hath no good, nor lawfulness, nor aptitude to edify in themselves, these th will of man can never make good, lawful, and apt to edify, because only God, whose will is the prime rule of all goodness, can create moral goodness in actions: not to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge, is only good, because God hath so appointed in his Law and to eat of the fruit of that tree, had been as lawful and just, as not to a, if God had commanded eating thereof, under rmises and threatenings 6. Hence followeth that all actions and circumstances of their nature indifferent, must lose that indifferency, and receive from God some goodness, and aptness to edify, before they can be the reasonable and nearest matter of any Civil or Ecclesiastical constitution; because what rulers can in Law and reason command, that they must will as good and apt to edify before they can bind others to will it. But neither the will of a ruler nor the will of any other can lawfully will a thing indifferent, as it is such: for a thing indifferent as it is such, is neither good nor evil, and the object of the will is always good. 3. Rulers commandeth as Gods Ministers for our good,