A92138:211
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.
Bellarmine, Tannerus, Malderus, Becanus, say, Whither the Lord deliver his mind to us in his Written Scripture, or by Tradition, it is still the Word of God, and hath authority from God. But the truth is, to us it is not the Word of God, if it be not a part of the Counsel of God written in Moses, or the Prophets and Apostles; for though the Word have authority only from God, not from the Church, nor from men, or the manner of delivering of it, by word or writ; yet we with the Fathers and Protestant Divines, and evidence of scripture, stand to that1 of Basilius, Homil. 29. Advers. c•l•mnian•es. S. Trinit. [Greek or Hebrew]; Believe what are written, what are not written •eek not after: And so, seek not after Surplice, Crossing, and the like: And that [Greek or Hebrew]; Every word (and so this, That Crossing Surplice, are Religious signs of spiritual duties) and every thing or action, must be made good by the Testimony of the heavenly inspired Scripture; these things that are good (and so Religiously2 decent and significant) may be fully confirmed, and these that are evil, confounded: And to us, for our Faith and practise, if it be not Law and Testimony, it is darkness, and not light. And as Gregor. Nyssen. the Brother of Basil saith, Dialog. de anim. et Resurrect. tom. 2. ed. Grecola•. pag. 639. Edit. Gre•. pag. 325. That only must be acknowledged for truth, in which is the [Greek or Hebrew], the seal of the Scriptures Testimony, [Greek or Hebrew]. And how shall it 3be true to us i• Scripture say it not? Or how shall it appear to us to be from God? For Cyril Alexandrin. saith, What the holy Scripture saith not (such as are your Positives of mens devising) how shall we receive it, and account it, amongst things that are true? And it is not that which Heretics of old said, for their Heresies to say (•s Hooker doth) that any thing may be proved to be of God, which is not written in Scripture: For saith Hieronimus, in