A92138:1900
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.
But these same Idols houses, Silver and Gold now, when we are f•lly possessed in that liberty▪ wherewith Christ has made us free, Are so to be used as the good creatures of God given to both Jew and Gentile now under the Gospel, by the ancient Law of creation, that now to abstain from the use of houses, Gold and Silver abused to idolatry and worshipping of either Popish Saints or Idols, and the Idols of Pagans, upon any pretence of a Ceremonial Command, were to Judaize, and to betray our Christian liberty, and the highest scandalizing and hardening of the Jews. For that is a mere Ceremonial Commandment which depriveth us of the use of things or creatures, that are naturally useful to us, such as are houses, cattle, silver, and Gold, upon the mere will of the supreme law-give•; And upon this ground to disuse Churches builded to Saints by Papists, is Judaizing, for the thing is not morally indifferent, as meats were in the case Rom. 14. 1 Cor. c. 8. c. 10. but the use is morally necessary for the asserting of Christian liberty; Christ having made every creature of God good in its native use, for man, both Houses, and Gold and Silver, as all meats are 1 Tim. 4. 4. 5. Genes. 1. 28. 29. and having made all things new, Revel. 21. 5. and given us a new spiritual right to them, 1 Cor. 3. v. 21. 22. 23. and therefore to take them from us, by any Ceremonial law, is to put us again under the old yoke, from which we are freed through Jesus Christ, Acts 15. v. 10. 11. And the houses, and Gold and Silver, though abused to Idolatry, do now return to their physical uses▪ of which the Jews, by a temporary positive law, were interdicted, for the time of their in•ani, yea if we were interdicted of any creature of God, by such a law we might not eat of oxen and sheep, that had belonged to Papists, who are Idolaters, for Saul was never to use the Cattle of the Amalekites for common use, nor for food, nor for sacrifices to the Lord: And it should be unlawful to melt the Silver-Images of Papists, and convert them into money for the poor, or cups them into silver bowls or cups, for the lawful use of the Lords Supper. I grant to sell Images of Gold or Silver to these who use them, as formal Idols is unlawful;