A92138:196
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.
though we should imagine they had been added in the New Testament, without all warrant of special direction from God, by the sole will of men; or because some Ceremonials commanded of God, are not commanded in the Moral Law or Decalogue, either expressly or by consequence; and so these Ceremonials, though instituted by the Lord, be beside the Moral Law; that therefore they are contrary to the Moral Law: Yea, to come nearer, because the third Chapter of the Book of Genesis, containing the Doctrine of mans fall and misery, and Redemption by the promised seed, is beside the first and second Chapters of the same Book, it doth not follow that it is contrary, or that Moses ⟨p. 59⟩adding the third Chapter, and all the rest of the five Books, did therefore •ail against this precept, Thou shalt not add to that which I command thee: for certain it is, that there are new Articles of Faith in the third chapter of Genesis, which are neither in the first two Chapters expressly, nor by just consequence; but if the Church or any other of Jews or Gentiles should take upon them to add the third Chapter of Genesis to the first and second, except they had the same warrant of Divine inspiration that Moses had to add it, that addition had been contrary to the first two Chapters, and beside also, and a violation of the Commandment of not adding to the word; so do Formalists and the Prelate Usher in the place cited presuppose that the Scripture excludeth all Traditions of Papists, because the Scripture is perfect in all things belonging to faith and manners, but it excludeth not all Ceremonies, which are left to the disposition of the Church, and be not of Divine, but of Positive and humane Right: Hence it must infer the principle of Papists, that the Scripture is not perfect in all Morals, for it is a Moral of Decency and Religious signification, that a child be dedicated to the service of Christ, by the sign of the cross. Now what can be said to thi•, I know not, but that the sufficiency, and perfection of scripture doth no whit consist in holding forth Ceremonials; but only in setting down doctrinals. Why? and Papists say the same, that the scripture is perfect, though it teach us not any thing of tradionals in special, yet in general it doth hold forth the traditions of the church.
though we should imagine they had been added in the New Testament, without all warrant of speciall direction from God, by the sole will of men; or because some Ceremonials commanded of God, are not commanded in the Morall Law or Decalogue, either expresly or by consequence; and so these Ceremonials, though instituted by the Lord, be beside the Morall Law; that therefore they are contrary to the Morall Law: Yea, to come nearer, because the third Chapter of the Book of Genesis, containing the Doctrine of mans fall and misery, and Redemption by the promised seed, is beside the first and second Chapters of the same Book, it doth not follow that it is contrary, or that Moses