A92138:376
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.
4. If Religious kneeling require that we intend to worship every thing, before which; as an object, we do Religiously kneel; then Religious kneeling should not signify in ernall submission of the heart by natures impression or Divine institution; but by the voluntary and the free institution of him that kneeleth: But this •a• ter is absurd, for if kneeling should signify, what it doth signify by our free and voluntary appointment: Then we might 1. put upon natural gestures what signification we pleased, and were not to stand to the signification which God and nature have put upon kneeling. 2. So it were in mans power to impose upon Religious ⟨p. 147⟩kneeling to God, civill courtesy, such as a subject expresseth to his Prince, or a son to his Father, and it were free to us to kneel to a stock, and that Religiously, and yet put upon kneeling the negative reverence, that we give to the Bible; and it were in the three children's will to kneel to Nebuchadnezzars Image, and impose this signification on the gesture, that they were kneeling to God only, all which are manifestly false: so gField saith, kneeling hath institution from the instinct of nature.
4. If Religious kneeling require that we intend to worship every thing, before which; as an object, we do Religiously kneel; then Religious kneeling should not signifie in ernall submission of the heart by natures impression or Divine institution; but by the voluntary and the free institution of him that kneeleth: But this •a• ter is absurd, for if kneeling should signifie, what it doth signifie by our free and voluntary appointment: Then we might 1. put upon naturall gestures what sig•ific•tion we pleased, and were not to stand to the signification which God and nature have put upon kneeling. 2. So it were in mans power to impose upon Religious ⟨p. 147⟩kneeling to God, civill curtesie, such as a subject expresseth to his Prince, or a son to his Father, and it were free to us to kneel to a stock, and that Religiously, and yet put upon kneeling the negative reverence, that we give to the Bible; and it were in the three childrens will to kneel to Nbuchadnezzars Image, and impose this signification on the gsture, that they were kneeling to God only, all which are manifestly false: so