A92138:1829
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.
Answer. 1. The Master, Father, Carpenter, command either these things as artificial agents, from reason of art, and then the question is not touched, for in scandals men are considered, as moral agents, or they command them as moral agents, and that either for their sole will and pleasure, and so they be idle and unreasonable actions, and cannot be lawful commandments, and so are they scandalous both to Commanders and obeyers, but they may well command upon just reasons, that which if servants and sons obey not, they give Scandal, and they may command the contrary of that same, at another time, when now contrary reasons maketh it lawful and expedient, and if servants and sons obey not the contrary, they also give Scandal, but here the change is not from the will and authority of the Commanders, but from the things themselves, which ⟨p. 32⟩[…] ⟨p. 33⟩[…] ⟨p. 34⟩[…] ⟨p. 35⟩[…] ⟨p. 36⟩are changed, so that which is an active scandal at some time, the contrary of it may be an active scandal at another time, as in the ease, Rom. 14. To eat meats before the weak, which they conceive to be forbidden, by Gods law, is to slay him for whom Christ died, and an active scandal, because then the Ceremonies were mortal and indifferent, nothing essentially constituteth an active and a given scandal, but these two; 1. That1 it may be left undone, as the author of the course of conformity, asaith well out of Hieronimus, Without hurting of the truth of a sound life, and a sound faith and righteousness. 2. If upon the practice of a thing indifferent, and not necessary, any of the foresaid three ways, we see some shall be scandalized, though3