A92138:483
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.
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.
Some object. Christ choosed 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.
Ans. Occasional, properly is that which hath a reason, not from1 the nature of the thing it self, but from such occasional occurrences of Providence, as God will not alter, and its that which hath no moral nor sacred conveniency with the nature of worship, but hath only a conveniency for such a time and place, as Christs preaching in a ship, when he is at the sea side, and a multitude are to hear him, the ship hath no agreement with the nature of preaching, more then an house hath, time, place, and persons are clearly such as agreed with that supper, as first, not as a sacred worship, and therefore were merely occasional, and so not imitable, and though Christ might have altered them, yet had they been occasional, and they have no sacred conveniency with this Supper, as this Supper; and if Christ had altered these for mere will, upon no reasons that concerneth all Suppers, they had not been occasional, but positive points of worship, and so had obliged us; yea, the upper chamber, and these twelve persons by no possibility, can concern all Suppers, to the end of the world, but sitting agreeth kindly and natively to all Suppers in general, as kneeling to all praying indefinitely. Christ might have changed bread and wine, in flesh, and milk, or water, will it hence follow, we are not to imitate Christ in bread and wine? And that bread and wine are occasional? Lastly, Pauls practise in passing from an upper chamber, and from twelve men, to a Church full of men and women, 1 Cor. 11. 23, 17, 18, 22. warranteth us to pass from these, we have not the like reason to warrant us to pass from sitting.