A92138:1860
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.
Quest. V.
Whether or not in every indifferent thing are we to eschew the scandal of all, even of the malicious?
Whether or not in every indifferent thing are we to eschew the scandall of all, even of the malicious?
IT is known that many take offence at tolling of Bells, at a Ministers gown while he preacheth, at the naming of the days of the week, after the Heathen style from the seven Planets, as Sunday, the day of the Sun; Monday, the day of the Moon, &c. It is true, Bells are abused by Papists, while as they be consecrated, baptized, used to chase away devils. But these be scandals taken, and not given, for we read not of scandals culpable in Gods word, but there be some apparent moral reason in them. 2. The object scandalizing hath no necessity, why it should be. Now there is a necessity of Bells to give warning to convocate the people to Gods worship, and they are of mere civill use, and have no moral influence in the worship, for the same tolling of bells is, and may be used to convocate the people to a Ba•oncourt, to hear a declamation, to convocate Soldiers; there is ⟨p. 54⟩no apparent moral reason why the tolling of a Bell should scandalize, and the toller of the Bell for warning of the bodily and personal convocation of the people, is not a moral agent properly; the action of tolling remaineth within the sphere of an action physical in lineà Physicâ, non in lineâ morally aut religisâ aut Theologiâ, for so here I must contradistinguish a Physical action from a Religious action. 2. The tolling of bells have a necessity of expediency, I mean necessity in specie, in the kind, though not in in lividuo, in the particular, and no particular can be more fit and convenient: people must have some publ que sign for the diet of meeting else the worship would be wearisome to those who met long before the time, and it would be scandalous and inconvenient, to others to meet after the public worship is begun. If any say, tolling of Bells is not necessary, sounding of Trumpets, beating of Drums may be civill signs of convocating people; tolling of bells being so foully abused by Papists to superstition, and so being not necessary ought to be removed. But I answer, beating of Drums wanteth the necessity of convenience, as in rainy weather it could not be, nor can they give warning so conveniently: blowing of Trumpets might seem as Jewish,