A92138:248
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.
Hence, Adoration is worship; But every worship is not Adoration. Uncovering the head, seemeth to be little older then Pauls Epistles to the Corinthians. The Learned Salmasius, thinketh it but a National sign of honour, no ways universally received: But certainly it is not Adoration: Though therefore we receive the Supper of the Lord uncovered, no man can conclude from thence Adoration of the Elements, as we do from kneeling conclude the same, as we shall here for all bodily worship or expression of our affection to the means of graces (though these means be but creatures) is not Adoration properly either of God, or of these means, it is Lawful to tremble at the word, and for Josiah to weep before the Book of the Law read, and for the Martyrs to kiss the Stake,1 as the Instrument by which they glorified God, in dying for the truth; all these being Objectam quo, and means by the which they conveyed their worship to the true God, and natural and Lawful expressions of their affection to God: For uncovering the head, it is a sort of Veneration or Reverence, not Adoration; and Paul insinuateth so much when he saith, 1 Cor. 11. 4. Every man praying and prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head: But it is not his meaning, that he dishonoureth God. 2. The Jews to this day, as of old, used not uncovering the head as a sign of honour: But by the contrary, covering was a sign of honour: If therefore ⟨p. 90⟩the Jews, being made a visible Church, shall receive the Lords Supper, and Pray and Prophecy with covered heads, men would judge it no dishonouring of their head, or not of dis-respect of the Ordinances of God: Though Paul having regard to a National Custom in Corinth, did so esteem of it.
Hence, Adoration is worship; But every worship is not Adoration. Uncovering the head, seemeth to be little older then Pauls Epistles to the Corinthians. The Learned Salmasius, thinketh it but a Nationall sign of honour, no wayes universally received: But certainly it is not Adoration: Though therefore we receive the Supper of the Lord uncovered, no man can conclude from thence Adoration of the Elements, as we do from kneeling conclude the same, as we shall here for all bodily worship or expression of our affection to the means of graces (though these means be but creatures) is not Adoration properly either of God, or of these means, it is Lawfull to tremble at the word, and for Josiah to weep before the Book of the Law read, and for the Martyrs to kisse the Stake,