A92138:1830
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.
So if any offer Incense to the Brazen Serpent, so long as it hath virtue, as Gods ordinance to cure the stung persons, he is scandalized by a passive scandal only, for Gods institution maketh it now the necessary ordinance of God, And the Magistrates suffering of the Brazen Serpent to remain now, is no active scandal, and the passive scandal is only taken away, by information, and the sound exponing of the right use of a necessary ordinance of God. But after that the Brazen Serpent loseth its virtue, and is not now an ordinance of God necessary, if any burn Incense to it, these who are by authority obliged to remove it, and doth not remove it, they do morally and culpably scandalize.
So if any offer Incence to the Brazen Serpent, so long as it hath vertue, as Gods ordinance to cure the stinged persons, he is scandalized by a passive scandall onely, for Gods institution maketh it now the necessary ordinance of God, And the Magistrates suffering of the Brazen Serpent to remaine now, is no active scandall, and the passive scandall is onely taken away, by information, and the sound exponing of the right use of a necessary ordinance of God. But after that the Brazen Serpent loseth its vertue, and is not now an ordinance of God necessarie, if any burne Incense to it, these who are by authoritie obliedged to remove it, and doth not remove it, they doe morally and culpably scandalize.
Hence we see it is foolish and vain, that some say, such as cHooker. dD. Forbes. eD. Sanderson, and fLyndesay, pretended Bishop of Edinburgh, and Mr. Paybodie. That as ⟨p. 37⟩Rome and Corinth the Church had not past her determination upon eating, and not eating, nor made any Church laws upon these things indifferent, and therefore to eat, or not to eat, were matters of every private mans choice; But it is not the like case with our Ceremonies, for they remain no longer indifferent, but are necessary to us, after that the Church hath now made a commanding law upon them, and so the scandal that ariseth from our duty of obedience, to lawful authority, is taken, and not given.