A92138:1906
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.
Ans. The half-reason or incomplete moral ground of the1 law is not the soul of the law: But you must take in all the reasons, the words of the text are these. Thou shalt not desire the silver and gold that is on them, nor take it to thee, lest thou be ensnared therein: for it is an abomination unto the Lord thy God. v. 26. Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it. Now what made that Gold an abomination to the Lord, more then all the gold of the earth? it is of it self the good and useful creature of God, no less then all the gold of the earth: nothing made it an abomination to God, but, if we look to the original cause, there was a positive, free command of God forbidding Israel to covet, or use that Gold. The Canaanites themselves, by the law of nature might lawfully have melted that same very Gold, and made use of it, without sin. 2. It is not a good reason, Such a law had a moral and perpetual reason. Ergo, the law it self is perpetual and moral. It followeth only: Ergo, the morality of that law is perpetual. For all the Ceremonial laws had a moral and perpetual reason: As the shadows had a moral substantial ground in Christ the body of all shadows: but it doth not follow therefore the shadows and Ceremonial law in the letter must be perpetual: Very often in the book of Leviticus, there is no2 reason given of the Ceremonial laws. But, be ye holy, I am the Lord, that sanctifies you. This is a moral and perpetual reason, that endureth to the end of the world, yet it is no due consequence: therefore all these shadows and Ceremonies shall endure to the end of the world, The reason is, because it is the sole positive will of God that maketh a temporary concatenation ⟨p. 75⟩between not eating blood, and not being cruel, and between sacrificing and being holy, and yet not being cruel is perpetual, not eating blood temporary. (3) If things indifferent, as the eating of flesh, before a weak Jew, Rom. 14. be a snare to my own soul and to the souls of others: I am to abstain from these and the like.
Ans. The halfe-reason or incompleat morall ground of the