A92138:412
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.
So their second Council hof Nice, as Epiphanius a Deacon, in name of the Synod saith, Images were present before the kneelers, as our elements are, only as memorative objects. 2. That the singular affection of Adoring, was bounded only upon God: And iConcilium Senonense saith, Images are to be Adored, not because there is any Godhead in them, but for the memory of the sampler: And kConcilium Moguntinum, Images are not propounded that we should worship them, but that we may call to mind the things which we are to worship. If therefore we Adore God at the presence of the elements, as memorative signs we do Adore the elements; but if the kneeler direct all his worship before the elements, to Christ up at the right hand of the Father: Why then (as Lactantius said well to the Gentiles) do they not turn away their senses and eyes off the elements? For Christ is not substantially enclosed in them, and lift them up toward heaven, where they believe Christ to be? But in so doing the elements should not be received as Sacraments, for in the act of receiving we are to fix our souls upon the visible elements: If the Athenians did believe the golden image, Act. 17. 29. ⟨p. 162⟩was essentially God, and kneeled to it as to God; Paul did in vain rebuke them for believing that the Godhead was like silver or gold; and if the men of Lystra believed the shapes of men, and the likeness of men to be essentially God, and in that respect gave the honour of Sacrificing due to God, to these shapes; then the Scripture in vain should bring these men of Lystra in, as putting a difference betwixt the shapes of men, and the Godhead of Jupiter and Mercurius, to which they were about to give Divine Sacrifice. And if Formalists kneel before the elements, and give a transitive glory to Christ through them, they are in the same sense Idolaters that the Gentiles were. So the Council of Moguntine, land Alphonsus de Castro m