A92138:251
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.
2. Again, if habitual Dedication by virtue of Prayer make a place holy, by the same reason actual Dedication should make a place holy; and the belly of the Whale should have been holy because there Jonah prayed, and every place a believer prayeth shall be holy, his closet, a private corner of his Orchard or Garden where he prayeth shall be holy, for these may be habitually destined and appointed (if you call this Dedication) for prayer only, and it shall be unlawful to do any civill business there, more then it is unlawful (as Formalists teach) to do any other civil business in the Churches, or places of meeting in the New-Testament: 3. God himself appointed the place, the Time when it should be built, the person, by whom, by Solomon, not David; the length, the breadth, the Chambers, Porches, Ornaments of the only holy place at Jerusalem; he hath no where appointed and prescribed these for the meeting places of the New Testament, but hath said that all places are alike, as touching any Religious holiness, Joh. 4. 23. 1 Tim. 2. 8. 4. Shall we think God is not acceptably served, and that the Synagogues of the Jews, of which we read not any pattern or rule for Dedication, are Profane, because they are not Dedicated by the1 Bishops laying the first foundation stone of the house? Or because they want the ornaments of whorish Ceremonies, that Durandus enumerateth? or because they have not the surpassing beauty of admirable Temples, that Christians now a little overswelling with the zeal of prosperity builded for the worship of God, out of superlative detestation of Diocletian, and Maximinus, who had demolished all the Churches which Christians had leave to build under tolerable Emperors, such as Severus, Gordianus, Philip, and ⟨p. 92⟩Galienus, as Eusebius teacheth? Or that we are to give a Testimony of as cheerful affection for the beautifying of Temples, void of all typical relation to the glory of Jesus Christ, as David did show, 1 Chron. 28 14. 2 Chron. 2. 5. And that it is Moral and perpetually obligatory under the New Testament; that we bestow charges upon sumptuous Temples, upon these fancied grounds of Master Hooker? For his first Moral ground is, Nothing is too dear to be bestowed about the furniture of Gods service: 2.