A92138:522
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.
I grant it is hard, because of the variety of singular actions in mans life, to see the connection, betwixt particulars of humane laws and Gods laws; yet a connection there is, and for this cause the learned worthy Divine, mPareus will have humane laws in ⟨p. 207⟩particularly, & per se, in the particular and of themselves to bind the Conscience. Whereas nCalvin, and oBeza, Junius, Tilenus, Sibrandus, Whittakerus and others deny this: But the truth is, humane civill laws are two ways considered. 1. As they are merely Positive & according to the letter of the Law. 2. As they have a connection with 1. The principles of nature, of right and wrong. 2. With the end of the law, which is the supreme law, The safety of the people, as the Civill law saith, he who entereth to an inheritance and maketh no Inventory of all his goods, shall pay debts above the-whole heritage, this law according to the letter in the Court of conscience is unjust, and so cannot oblige in Conscience; so as he is guilty before God, and deserveth the vengeance of everlasting wrath, who doth not make an inventory of all his goods, and produce it to the Judge; so he that goeth up to the walls of a City, may by the Law be commanded to be put to death, yet is he not guilty of eternal death before God, and therefore if the presumption which is the ground of the law cease, as this; He that maketh not an inventory with a purpose to enjoy the whole inheritance and pay no debts, sinneth before God against conscience, as famous jurists, to wit pJason, qBartolus and others teach: for this Law considered as having connection with a principle of nature, that every man should pay his debts, is a law binding the Conscience, and the truth is, the end of these Laws oblige the Conscience, they being divine expressions of justice and righteousness, but not the Laws themselves; for whatever obligeth the conscience as a divine truth, the ignorance thereof is a sinful ignorance, and maketh a man guilty of eternal wrath, but men are not guilty & liable to the eternal wrath of God, because they are ignorant of all the civill Laws in Justinian's book; then were we obliged to be no less versed in all the civill laws, that bindeth in foro humano, then of the Bible, and law of God.