A92138:327
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.
Neither do Formalists go from aSuarez, and bBellarmine, who call that will-worship, which is devised only by a man• wit, and is not conform to the principles of Faith, and wanteth all reason, and the received use of the Church.
Neither do Formalists go from aSuarez, and bBellarmine, who call that will-worship, which is devised only by a man• wit, and is not conforme to the principles of Faith, and wanteth all reason, and the received use of the Church.
- aSuarez de relig. to. 2. de hovest v•ti lib. 1. c. 1. n. 8. 9.Suarez de relig. to. 2. de houest v•ti lib. 1. c. 1. n. 8. 9.
- bBellar. de esfic. Sacram. l. 2 c. 32. ad arg. 2.
But we are disputing here against the Churches use, as if it were not yet a received use. But upon these grounds I go: 1. Reason not binding and strongly concluding, is no reason, but mere will. So Ceremonies have no reason: If the reason bind, they are essential worship: 2. Authority is only ministerial in ordering Gods worship, ⟨p. 125⟩and hath no place to invent new worship. 3. Authority as Authority especially humane, giveth no light, nor no warrant of conscience to obey, and therefore authority naked and void of scriptures-light is here bastard authority. 11. In all this Formalists but give the Papists distinction of Divine and Apostolic Traditions: for power of inventing Ceremonies to them is Apostolic, but not infallible and Divine: