A92138:295
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. For eating in measure, the Scripture doth regulate us, for eating for Gods glory, the scripture also doth regulate us, and the action of eating according to the substance of the action, is warranted by the Law of nature, which is a part of the word; the mere order in eating is not a Moral action, and so without the lists of the question. If the question be of the order of eating, I think not that a Moral action: 2. Eating of divers meats is a mixed action, and so requireth not a warrant in the Morality every way; if you eat such meats (where there be variety to choose) as you know doth engender a Stone, or a Colic, you sin against the sixth Commandment: ⟨p. 106⟩3. Masters, Parents, Commanders of Armies may command Apprentices, servants, sons, soldiers, many Artificial actions, in Trades, in War, where both Commanders and obeyers are artificial, not moral Agents, and so they touch not the question, but what is moral in all actions of Art, Economy, Sciences, is ruled by the word, except our Masters offend that Paul said, Children should obey their Parents in the Lord: That men are not both in commanding inferiors, and obeying Superiors vexed with scruples, cometh not from the insufficiency of Gods word, but from this, that mens consciences are all made of stoutness. But if this be true, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Shem, could not eat nor sleep (saith fHooker) but by revelation which was Scripture to them.
Ans. For eating in measure, the Scripture doth regulate us, for eating for Gods glory, the scripture also doth regulate us, and the action of eating according to the substance of the action, is warranted by the Law of nature, which is a part of the word; the meer order in eating is not a Morall action, and so without the lists of the question. If the question be of the order of eating, I think not that a Morall action: 2. Eating of divers meats is a mixt action, and so requireth not a warrant in the Morality every way; if you eat such meats (where there be variety to choose) as you know doth ingender a Stone, or a Cholick, you sin against the sixth Commandment: ⟨p. 106⟩3. Masters, Parents, Commanders of Armies may command Apprentices, servants, sons, souldiers, many Artificiall actions, in Trades, in War, where both Commanders and obeyers are artificiall, not morall Agents, and so they touch not the question, but what is morall in all actions of Art, Oeconomy, Sciences, is ruled by the word, except our Masters offend that Paul said, Children should obey their Parents in the Lord: That men are not both in commanding inferiours, and obeying Superiours vexed with scruples, cometh not from the insufficiency of Gods word, but from this, that mens consciences are all made of stoutnesse. But if this be true, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Shem, could not eat nor sleep (saith