A92138:197
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.
So Tostat. Abulens. in Deut. 4. v. 2. ad lit. saith, Hic commendatur lex ex perfectione, quia perfecto, nec addi potest, nec auferri debet: Here the Law of God is commended (saith he) from its perfection, and that is perfect, to which nothing can be added, and from which nothing should be taken: Yea, so far forth is the scripture perfect, in the Articles of Faith, that Castro in summa. c. 8. Canus locor. Theolog. l. 2. c. 7. and l. 4. c. 4. and Tannerus tom. 3. in 22. disp. 1. de fide. Q. 1. dub. 7. saith, We are not now to wait for any new revelation of any verity unknown to the Apostles, Et nihil novi definiri ab ecclesia Apostolis incognitum, and all verities now revealed were implicitly believed by the Apostles, and contained in Universal general precepts, as that the Saints are to be worshipped, that Canonical Books containeth the word of God: the Bishops of Rome are the true successors of Peter, and Catholic pastors, &c. and he saith, Quod ecclesia non posset novum ⟨p. 60⟩fidei articulum condere, communiter etiam docent Scholastici in 3. dis. 25. & he subscribeth to that truth of Vincentius Lyrinensis, c. 17. In ecclesia nulla nova Dogmata procudi, sed pretiosam divini Dogmatis Gemmam exsculpi, fideliter cooptari, adornari sapienter, ut intelligatur illustrius, quod antea obscurius credebatur: No new points of saith, or manners are forged in the Church, but the precious pearl of divine truth is in it polished, faithfully applied and wisely illustrated, that they may be more clearly understood, which before was more obscurely believed; so that to say, the perfection of scripture consisteth not in particularizing all the small positives of policy, is no more then Papists say of the perfection of the scripture in their traditions. 2. Moses speaketh both of the Moral and Ceremonial Law, called by the names of [Greek or Hebrew] Statutes rights, and [Greek or Hebrew] Judgements and Laws whatsoever extolled by David, Psal. 119. As his delight, his joy, his heritage, his songs in the house of his pilgrimages, and of both he saith, that there is life in keeping them: Now the Ceremonies of Moses had an exceeding great excellency in looking to Christ, and being shadows of good things to come, Heb. 10. 1. And our Ceremonies have the same aspect upon Christ: Why? but the day of the commemoration of Christs Death, Nativity, Ascension;