A92138:525
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.
Now Jackson is speaking of mandates of Rulers in that place, which have no warrant of the word of God. Yea, even Stapleton ya Papist saith, as Doctor Field also zobserveth, That humane laws bind for the utility and necessity of the matter, and not from the will of the Lawgiver. And so saith aGerson, bAlmain, cDecius, dMencha, and our own eJunius saith, The plenitude of power of laws is only in the principal agent, not in the instrument. fDoctor Jackson saith, unlimited and absolute faith or submission of conscience we owe not to rulers, that is due to God, but we owe to them conditional assent and cautionary obedience, if they speak from God▪ suppose they fetch not an express commission from Scripture, for if Pastors be then only to be obeyed when they bring evident commission out of Scripture, I were no more bound to believe & obey my governors, then they are bound to believe and obey in Bellarm. contr. 3. lih. 4. cap. 6. not. 89. ⟨p. 210⟩my Governors, then there are bound to believe and obey me, for equals are obliged to obey equals, when they bring a warrant from Gods word▪ and so the power of Rulers were not real, but titular, and the same do th gSutluvius and hBellarmine say.