A92138:215
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.
They have the self same force and authority with written Scripture.
Hooker. It is unpossible to be proved, that only the School of Christ1 in his word is able to resolve us, what is good and evil: for what if it were true concerning things indifferent, that unless the word of the Lord had determined of the free use of them, there could have been no Lawful use of them at all, which notwithstanding is untrue; because it is not the Scriptures setting down things indifferent, but their not setting them down as necessary, that doth make them to be indifferent.
Hooker. It is unpossible to be proved, that only the Schoole of Christ1 in his word is able to resolve us, what is good and evil: for what if it were true concerning things indifferent, that unlesse the word of the Lord had determined of the free use of them, there could have been no Lawfull use of them at all, which notwithstanding is untrue; because it is not the Scriptures setting down things indifferent, but their not setting them down as necessary, that doth make them to be indifferent.
- 1Hooker l. 2. p. 60.
Ans. Then because the scripture hath not forbidden the killing1 of our children to God, as a false worship against the second Commandment, but only as an act of Homicide against the sixth Commandment, and hath not forbidden all the Jewish Ceremonies, so they ⟨p. 72⟩