A92138:20
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.
To the Ingenuous and Equitable Reader.
IT lieth obvious to any ordinary understanding (worthy Reader) that as always we see a little portion of God; so now, the Lord our God in his acting on Kingdoms and Churches, maketh Darkness his Pavilion, to find out the [Greek or Hebrew] and the Demonstrative Causes and true Principles of such bloody conclusions and horrible vastations, as the Sovereign Majesty of Heaven and Earth hath made in Germany, Bohemia, and the Palatinate, as if they were greater sinners then we are; and why the windows of Divine Justice have been opened to send down such a deluge of blood on Ireland; and why in Scotland the Pestilence hath destroyed in the City, and the Sword of the Lord, not a few in the fields, (their Lovers and Friends standing aloof from their calamities) is from the Lord who is wonderful in Counsel; but to find reasons to quiet the understanding, is not an easy scrutiny: matters are rolled on1 invisible wheels. It is enough to us [Greek or Hebrew] no Men, no Angels can hunt out the tracings of Divine Providence; Nor can we set a day of Law, nor erect a Court to implead this Lord, who is not holden in Law, to answer for any of his matters: It were our wisdom to acknowledge that the actions of our Lord, ad extrà, are so twisted and interwoven thread over thread, that we can see but little of the walls and out-works of his unsearchable ⟨image 6⟩counsels; sure, Divine Providence hath now many irons in one fire, and with one touch of his finger he stirt••h all the wheels in Heaven and Earth.
IT lieth obvious to any ordinary underderstanding (worthy Reader) that as alwayes we see a little portion of God; so now, the Lord our God in his acting on Kingdoms and Churches, maketh Darknesse his Pavilion, to finde out the 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 and the Demonstrative Causes and true Principles of such bloody conclusions and horrible vastations, as the Soveraign Majesty of Heaven and Earth hath made in Germany, Bohemiah, and the Palatinate, as if they were greater sinners then we are; and why the windows of Divine Justice have been opened to send down such a deluge of blood on Ireland; and why in Scotland the Pestilence hath destroyed in the City, and the Sword of the Lord, not a few in the fields, (their Lovers and Friends standing aloof from their calamities) is from the Lord who is wonderful in Counsel; but to finde reasons to quiet the understanding, is not an easie scrutiny: matters are rolled on