A92138:482
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.
But Christ did nothing in Gods worship, nor did he any humane moral actions for the mere fact and will of others going before, for these were not reasonable humane actions, and if it be customable only, it is not lawful to put away a customable action out of worship, and to put a moral action of kneeling and Divine signification ⟨p. 193⟩in the place thereof, for so we might change places, times, persons and all physical circumstances, and make them supernatural. 2. The action could not be occasional: for then the occasion of the Supper as first, and because of such persons, such time at night, such place, an upper chamber, should have moved Christ to sitting, rather then to kneeling, or to any other gesture; but kneeling or any other gesture might have consisted well with that first Supper, with the upper chamber, with the time and persons, as well as sitting, except the Law givers will had been a reason of the contrary.
But Christ did nothing in Gods worship, nor did he any humane morall actions for the meer fact and will of others going before, for these were not reasonable humane actions, and if it be customable only, it is not lawfull to put away a customable action out of worship, and to put a morall action of kneeling and Divine signification ⟨p. 193⟩in the place thereof, for so we might change places, times, persons and all physicall circumstances, and make them supernaturall. 2. The action could not be occasionall: for then the occasion of the Supper as first, and because of such persons, such time at night, such place, an upper chamber, should have moved Christ to sitting, rather then to kneeling, or to any other gesture; but kneeling or any other gesture might have consisted well with that first Supper, with the upper chamber, with the time and persons, as well as sitting, except the Law givers will had been a reason of the contrary.
Some object. Christ chose an upper chamber, not the Temple, twelve persons, not ten, not twenty, at night, for he might have celebrated it at dinner, but we are not holden to imitate Christ in these; Ergo, neither in sitting.