A92138:1797
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.
Duplyers 5. arg. n. 40.
What if the thing be commanded by the Civill Magistrate under pain of death, and by Ecclesiastical authority under pain of Excommunication, shall we for fear of scandal causelessly taken, which may be removed by information, or for the scandal of the malicious, abstain from a thing lawful and expedient enjoined by authority, and incur these grievous punishments of death▪ temporal and spiritual? We believe your selves, who speak most of scandal, would be loath to take such a yoke upon you.
What if the thing be commanded by the Civill Magistrate under paine of death, and by Ecclesiasticall authoritie under paine of Excommunication, shall we for feare of scandall causlesly taken, which may be removed by information, or for the scandall of the malitious, abstaine from a thing lawfull and expedient injoyned by authoritie, and incurre these grievous punishments of death▪ temporall and spirituall? We believe your selves, who speake most of scandall, would be loath to take such a yoake upon you.
Answer. The first part of this Argument is Logic from a sore▪ skin▪ That which we are bidden do under pain of death, that we must do, the just logic of the King of Babylon, to prove it is lawful to worship the Kings golden Image, Dan. 3. 15