A92138:1894
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.
if it be replied, every creature of God eatable i• Good, and may be received lawfully▪ 1 Tim▪ 4 6 Rom 14▪ 14▪ I answer, so all gold, all silver all houses serving to ••nc• off the injuries of heaven, and air, are good, and fit for Mans use, and now blessed in Christ under the New Testament, except you say, that it is not lawful to make use of the Gold and Silver of a Papis•• Image, no• of crees of the Papists fields that b•aret• •• fruit, for these also were discharged to the Jews, Deut 20. v. 19▪ 20▪ and the reason why they •ight not cut down the t•••• ▪ th•• be•••• fruit, because these trees were mans life, Deuter. 20 19 whereas t•••• that bear no fruit were to be cut down, as not so necessary for mans life. Now this reason is moral and perpetual, and so are houses to sense off the injuries of the clouds a Man's life; except they be forbidden by a positive law of God, and so necessary as without the •se of houses no worshipping of God can be ordinarily; And therefore in the second place, as we use Gold Silver, Temples▪ and material houses (though abused to Idolatry) ⟨p. 67⟩because the Lord hath created them for our use, his law of Creation warranting us to use them, so can we not refrain from