A92138:224
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.
Ans. 1. The Law of reason in Morals (for of such we now speak) is nothing but the Moral Law and will of God, contained fully in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament; and therefore is not to be divided from the Scriptures; if a man be ruled in that, he is ruled by Scripture: for a great part of the Bible, of the Decalogue, is Printed in the reasonable soul▪ of man: As when he loveth his Parents, obeyeth his superiors, saveth his Neighbour in extreme danger of death, because he doth these according to the Law of Reason, shall it follow that these actions which are expressly called [Greek or Hebrew], Rom. 2. 14. the things or duties of the Law, are not warranted by express Scripture, because they are done according to the Law of natural reason? I should think the contrary most true. 2. Such duties (saith he) Moral duties (I hope he must mean) to God and our Neighbour, may be deduced by some kind of consequence out of Scripture: But by what consequence? Such as to Argue, Quidlibet ex quolibet. The Catechism taught me long ago of duties to God and my Neighbour, that they are taught in the ten Commandments. Now if some Moral duties to God and man be taught in the ten Commandments, and some not taught there: 1. Who made this distinction of duties? None surely but the Prelates and the Papists; if the Scripture warrant some duties to God and our Neighbour, and do not warrant some, the Scripture must be unperfect. 2. The warranting of actions that may be service to God, or will-worship, or homicide by no better ground then Surplice and Cross, can be warranted, or by such a consequence, as you may deduce all truth out of any truth, is no warrant at all; the Traditions of Papists may thus be warranted. 3. Nor is the action to be condemned, as unlawful in it self, because the agent cannot see by what consequence it is warranted by Scripture, it followeth only to him that so doth, it is unlawful, Rom. 14. 14. In that he doth Bonum, non benè, a thing lawful, not lawfully. 4. It is unpossible to deduce all truth out of any truth: For then because the Sun riseth to day, it should follow, Ergo, Cross and Surplice are Lawful: I might as well deduce the contrary, Ergo, they are unlawful.
Ans. 1. The Law of reason in Morals (for of such we now speak) is nothing but the Morall Law and will of God, contained fully in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament; and therefore is not to be divided from the Scriptures; if a man be ruled in that, he is ruled by Scripture: for a great part of the Bible, of the Decalogue, is Printed in the reasonable soul of man: As when he loveth his Parents, obeyeth his superiors, saveth his Neighbour in extream danger of death, because he doth these according to the Law of Reason, shall it follow that these actions which are expresly called ,