A92138:171
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.
And Christ for that gave a special command to his Disciples, not to depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which they had heard from Christ; therefore this Church of Jerusalem was to be a rule, a pattern and copy for the Government of the Visible Kingdom and Church of Christ, in which Christ was to reign by his own Word▪ and Law, Mi•. 4. 2, 7. And so the Spirit descended upon the Apostles in the framing and Governing of the first Church, in so far, as it was a Christian Church, and they were to act all, not of their own heads, but as the Holy Ghost led them in all Truth, in these things that are of perpetual necessity; and in such as these, the first Church is propounded as imitable: Now we do not say in Apostles, which had infallibility of writing Canonic Scripture, in Miracles, speaking with Tongues, and such like, that agreed to the Apostolic Church, not as a Church, but as such a determinate Church in relation to these times, when the Gospel and Mystery of God, now manifested in the flesh, was new taught, and never heard of before, did require Miracles, gift of Tongues, that the Gospel might openly be preached to the Gentiles, we do not (I say) urge the Apostolic Church and all the particulars for Government in it, for a rule and pattern to be imitated. And if Master Prynne deny, that there is an Uniform Government in the Apostles ⟨p. 43⟩times, because God himself added to them Deacons & Elders, which at first they had not, & removed Apostles, miracles, gifts of healing, and tongues: then say I; First, the Canonic Scripture is not Uniform and perpetual: Why, for certainly once there was no Canonic Scripture but the Books of Moses, and after the holy Ghost added the Book of the Psalms, and the Prophets; and after the Nativity and Ascension of our Lord to Heaven, the Apostles did write Canonic Scripture: I hope, this is but a poor Argument to infer, that there is no Uniform and unalterable Platform of Divinity in the Old and New Testament, and yet the Argument is as concludent the one way, as it is the other: 3. We do not so contend for an Uniform and unalterable Platform of Church-Government in the Word;
And Christ for that gave a special command to his Disciples, not to depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which they had heard from Christ; therefore this Church of Jerusalem was to be a rule, a patern and copy for the Government of the Visible Kingdom and Church of Christ, in which Christ was to reign by his own Word and Law, Mi. 4. 2, 7. And so the Spirit descended upon the Apostles in the framing and Governing of the first Church, in so far, as it was a Christian Church, and they were to act all, not of their own heads, but as the Holy Ghost led them in all Truth, in these things that are of perpetual necessity; and in such as these, the first Church is propounded as imitable: Now we do not say in Apostles, which had infallibility of writing Canonick Scripture, in Miracles, speaking with Tongues, and such like, that agreed to the Apostolike Church, not as a Church, but as such a determinate Church in relation to these times, when the Gospel and Mystery of God, now manifested in the flesh, was new taught, and never heard of before, did require Miracles, gift of Tongues, that the Gospel might openly be preached to the Gentiles, we do not (I say) urge the Apostlike Church and all the particulars for Government in it, for a rule and patern to be imitated. And if Master Prynne deny, that there is an Uniform Government in the Apostles