A92138:206
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 the additions Canonical, that the Prophets and Apostles 1made to the writing of Moses: I hope Papists and Formalists cannot with any forehead allege them, to prove that the Church may add Traditions, and alterable Positives of Church-Policy to the written word of God, except upon the same ground, they conclude, That the Church now hath the same immediately inspired spirit, that the Prophets and Apostles had, and that our Prelates saw the visions of God, when they saw but the visions aulae; the visions of Court, and that their calling was, as Pauls was, Gal. 1. 1. not of men, neither by men, but by Jesus Christ: When as it is not by Divine right, and was both of the King, and by Court: 2. Except they infer that the Church that now is, may add Canonical and Scriptural additions to the Scripture; for such additions the Prophets and Apostles added to the writings of Moses: and 3. that that precept, Thou shalt not add, &c. was given to the Lord himself to bind up his hands, that no Canonic Scripture should ever be, ⟨p. 62⟩[…] ⟨p. 63⟩[…] ⟨p. 64⟩[…] ⟨p. 65⟩[…] ⟨p. 66⟩but the only writings of Moses, which is (as some write) the dream of Sadducees, whereas inhibition is given to the Church of God, not to God himself, for what the Prophets and Apostles added, God himself added; yea, to me it is a doubt (while I be better informed) if the Lord did ever give any power of adding to his Scripture at all, without his own immediate inspiration, to either Prophet or Apostle; or that God did never command Moses, or Prophet or Apostle to write Canonic Scripture of their own head, or that his Commandment to write Scripture, was any other then an immediate inspiration, which essentially did include every syllable and word that the Apostles and Prophets were to write: For I do not conceive, that 1. God gave to Apostles and Prophets power to devise a Gospel and write it: I suppose Angels or men could not have devised it; yea, that they could no more have devised the very Law of nature, then they could create such a piece, as a reasonable soul, which to me is a rare and curious book, on which essentially is written by the immediate finger of God, that natural Theology, that we had in our first creation. 2.