A92138:188
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.
Here is a good will, to make all Popish Traditions that are only beside, not contrary to Scripture (and in the Popish way all are only1 beside Scripture) as Lawful, as our Ceremonial additions, so they be not urged as parts of Canonical Scripture: Well, the places Deut. 4. & 12. Prov. 30. Rev. 22. (say our Masters of mutable Policy) forbid only Scriptural, or Canonical additions, not Ceremonial additions: But I wonder who took on them to add additionals Scriptural: if Baals Priests should add a worship of Jehovah, and not equal it with Scripture, nor obtrude it as a part of Moses's Books, by this means they should not violate this precept: Thou shalt not add to the word, &c. 2. Additions explaining the Word, or beside the Word, as Crossing the bread in the Lords-Supper are Lawful, only additions corrupting, or detracting from the word, and ⟨p. 53⟩everting the sense of it, are here forbidden, and in effect these are detractions from the word, and so no additions at all by this distinction are forbidden, but only detractions: The word for all this will not be mocked, it saith, Thou shalt not add, Thou shalt not diminish.
Here is a good will, to make all Popish Traditions that are only beside, not contrary to Scripture (and in the Popish way all are only1 beside Scripture) as Lawfull, as our Ceremoniall additions, so they be not urged as parts of Canonicall Scripture: Well, the places Deut. 4. & 12. Prov. 30. Rev. 22. (say our Masters of mutable Policy) forbid only Scripturall, or Canonicall additions, not Ceremonial additions: But I wonder who took on them to adde additionals Scripturall: if Baals Priests should adde a worship of Iehovah, and not equall it with Scripture, nor obtrude it as a part of Moses's Books, by this means they should not violate this precept: Thou shalt not adde to the word, &c. 2. Additions explaining the Word, or beside the Word, as Crossing the bread in the Lords-Supper are Lawfull, only additions corrupting, or detracting from the word, and