A92138:1917
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.
Object. 5. But Bells are more hurtful to the souls of Gods people, who are scandalized by them, then they are useful for the timeous and seasonable convening of the people, and therefore they may well be abolished, being less necessary, and necessary onely ad melius esse, for the better ordering of the Worship of God, and not simply necessary for the being of the Worship. Now as the Lord our God will have a lesser necessity to yield to any greater, a bodily necessity to give place to a soul-necessity (the soul being more excellent then the body) as is clear in that God would have his people to dispense with the lesser loss of the spoil of the Amalekites of their Idols, gold and silver, that the greater necessity may stand, to wit, their not being allured, nor their teeth put a watering, and their heart to a lusting after the Idols of Canaan; so would he have us to abolish the Saints Temples, the gold of Popish Images, the Bells that are less necessary (seeing the Sun may teach as well as the Bell) for eschewing soul-dangers in laying stumbling blocks, both before our own souls, and others.
Object. 5. But Bels are more hurtful to the souls of Gods people, who are scandalized by them, then they are useful for the tymous and seasonable convening of the people, and therefore they may well be abolished, being lesse necessary, and necessary onely ad melius esse, for the better ordering of the Worship of God, and not simply necessary for the being of the Worship. Now as the Lord our God will have a lesser necessity to yeeld to any greater, a bodily necessity to give place to a soul-necessity (the soul being more excellent then the body) as is clear in that God would have his people to dispence with the lesser losse of the spoyl of the Amalakites of their Idols, gold and silver, that the greater necessity may stand, to wit, their not being allured, nor their teeth put a watering, and their heart to a lusting after the Idols of Canaan; so would he have us to abolish the Saints Temples, the gold of Popish Images, the Bels that are lesse necessary (seeing the Sun may teach as well as the Bell) for eschewing soul-dangers in laying stumbling blocks, both before our own souls, and others.
Answ. 1. It is denied, that Bells which have a necessary use, though only for the better ordering of the worship of God, are any active objects of scandal, and the mere passive scandal taken at any thing not indifferent, but physically necessary, and so necessary, that without it sinful inconvenients of either wearying in the service of God, or sinful neglect should follow, is no sinful scandal given, but merely taken.