A92138:1907
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 that I must abstain from the total use of any creature that God has made useful for the life of man, by the law of creation, as Israel was to abstain from the cattle of the Amalekites, and to stamp in powder, and make altogether useless the Gold and Silver of the heathen Idol-Gods, is altogether unlawful, and a very Judaizing, and its to make, as Paul saith, Jesus Christ of no effect.
But that I must abstaine from the totall use of any creature that God has made usefull for the life of man, by the law of creation, as Israel was to abstaine from the cattell of the Amalakites, and to stamp in powder, and make altogether uselesse the Gold and Silver of the heathen Idol-Gods, is altogether unlawfull, and a very Judaizing, and its to make, as Paul saith, Jesus Christ of no effect.
Object. 3. But at least we are to abstain, for scandals sake, from worshipping the true God, in these Temples, and houses abused to idolatry lest we lay a stumbling▪ block before others, even as the Romans and Corinthians were to abstain from meats, before such weak Jews, as conceived these meats to be unlawful; seeing the loss of such meats and abstinence, for a time▪ was nothing comparable to the loss of one soul for whom Christ died, so the losing of the use of a material house in a religious use▪ so it be employed to some civill use, and be not totally lost, is nothing comparable to the scandalizing and ensnaring of the souls▪ both of Jews and weak Christians, which will certainly follow▪ if we use Temples dedicated to Saints in Gods worship.
Object. 3. But at least we are to abstaine, for scandalls sake, from worshipping the true God, in these Temples, and houses abused to idolatrie lest we lay a stumbling▪ block before others, even as the Romans and Corinthians were to abstaine from meats, before such weake Jews, as conceived these meats to be unlawfull; seeing the losse of such meats and abstnence, for a time was nothing comparable to the losse of one soule for whom Christ died, so the losing of the use of a materiall house in a religious use so it be imployed to some civill use, and be not totally lost, is nothing comparable to the scanalizing and isnring of the soules both of Jewes and weake Christians, which will certainly follow if we use Temples dedicated to Saints in Gods worship.