A92138:204
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.
Now for these things that are smaller or weightier, we hold they are not in their weightiness or smallness of importance to be considered, but as the Authority of God hath imprinted a necessity on them, so are they obligatory to us: I am obliged to receive this as scripture, that Paul left his cloak at Troas; no less then this, Christ came into the world to save sinners, in regard of Canonical authority stamped upon both: R. Hooker with other Formalists, Will have ⟨p. 65⟩the lightness of matter to make the Law alterable: Truly to eat of the Tree of knowledge of good and ill, being put in the balance with the love of God in it self, is but a light thing; yet the breach of that Law involved all the world in condemnation.
Now for these things that are smaller or weightier, we hold they are not in their weightinesse or smallnesse of importance to be considered, but as the Authority of God hath imprinted a necessity on them, so are they obligatory to us: I am obliged to receive this as scripture, that Paul left his cloak at Troas; no lesse then this, Christ came into the world to save sinners, in regard of Canonicall authority stamped upon both: R. Hooker with other Formalists, Will have ⟨p. 65⟩the lightnesse of matter to make the Law alterable: Truly to eat of the Tree of knowledge of good and ill, being put in the ballance with the love of God in it self, is but a light thing; yet the breach of that Law involved all the world in condemnation.
And what else is this, but that which Papists say, that there be two sort of things in scripture? so saith Cornelius a Lapide Comem. on 2 Tim. 3. 16. 1. The Law and the Prophets, these God revealed and dyted to Moses and the Prophets; but there are other things in Scripture, as Histories and moral exhortations, which Canonic writers learned either by hearing, seeing, reading or meditation, there was no need these should be dyted, by the inspiration of the holy Spirit, for they know them themselves, though they were assisted: 2. Excited by the holy spirit to write; Conceptum, & memoriam eorum quae sciebant, non iis suggessit spiritus sanctus, sed inspiravit ut hunc potius conceptum, quam illum scriberent, & omnes eorum sententias & conceptus ordinavit, digessit, & direxit spiritus sanctus, v. g. Ut hanc sententiam primò, illam secundò, aliam tertiò collocarent: Yet Estius saith on the place, The Scriptures are given by divine inspiration, ita ut non solum sententiae, sed & verba singula & verborum ordo, ac tota dispositio fit a deo, tanquam per seipsum loquente ac scribente: So as not only the sentences, but every word, and the order and disposition of words is of, or from God, as if he were speaking and writing himself.