A92138:431
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.
O crux ave spes unica, Hoc passion is tempore, Auge pi•• justitiam, Reisque dona veniam.
A Learned Papist, gRaphael de la Torres saith plainly, It is lawful to pray to images, so the inward devotion be directed to God: But if the Jews in their Idolatrous worship acknowledged the image to be but a representation of God, and a Book, Jer. 10. 8. They did no wrong who said Jer. 2. ver. 27. to a stock, Thou art my father, and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: For condition maketh all, if they speak by a figure; for the Papists when they speak to the Cross, and call the Cross their only hope, the Cross is not better born nor a stock, it is but timber or dumb wood: Now how doth not the dumb wood to which Prayers are made, as if Christ himself were present, partake of Prayers and Gods honour, in an inferior and relative way? For the wood standeth before him who prayeth to it, as God by representation, and as an actual Vicegerent, and tree-deputy of God and Christ; it is no less worshipful by mouth-worship, by praying to it, as to the passive object of Adoration, as capable of knee-worship by bowing down to it; and a distinction may save idolatry in the one, as well as in the other: And our Formalists bowing Religiously to bread, do not Adore bread, (as our half Papists say) and so may they pray to bread, and not Adore bread, for they are as well masters of Grammar, to impose significations at their will upon words, as they be Lords of gestures and Ceremonies, to cause kneeling express Veneration to the images, and to elements, and not Divine Adoration.
A Learned Papist, gRaphael de la Torres saith plainly, It is lawfull to pray to images, so the inward devotion be directed to God: But if the Iews in their Idolatrous worship acknoweledged the image to be but a representation of God, and a Book,