A92138:574
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.
3. Christ hinteth not, in any sort, at any word of blood, wrath, vengeance, the sword, evil doing, fear and terror for the sword, such as are [Greek or Hebrew], as the office of the civil magistrate is holden forth to us in other places, as Rom. 13. 1 Pet. 2. No man, except he intended violence to the text, can dream of such a latent, foreign and co-acted sense in the words, and if such a sense had been intended by our Saviour, he behoved in this place to erect a throne from a divine institution, for the Magistrate, which no impartial interpreter, can with any half side of a shadow perceive in the words.
3. Christ hinteth not, in any sort, at any word of blood, wrath, vengeance, the sword, evil doing, fear and terrour for the sword, such as are 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, as the office of the civil magistrate is holden forth to us in other places, as Rom. 13. 1 Pet. 2. No man, except he intended violence to the text, can dream of such a latent, forrain and co-acted sense in the words, and if such a sense had been intended by our Saviour, he behoved in this place to erect a throne from a divine institution, for the Magistrate, which no impartiall interpreter, can with any half side of a shadow perceive in the words.
4. The end of this process is spiritual: If he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother to repentance, as is confirmed already from Scripture. But whether the offender be gained to repentance or not, the Magistrate is to use the sword, that others may fear; as a Magistrate, he is to regard the peace of the Common-wealth, not the salvation of the offender directly.