A92138:596
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.
Answ. 1. Christ doth argue from the less to the more, he proveth what the Church bindeth on earth, shall be bound in Heaven, because if the prayers of two or three gathered together in the name of God, and agreeing together on earth, are not rejected in Heaven, far more shall that be ratified in heaven, which the whole church of Christ decreeth on earth in the name of the head of the Church, Jesus Christ. 2. When in the chapter going before, Christ had ascribed to the Apostles and Pastors, which are the eyes of the Church, a power of the keys, and here he ascribeth to them the power of binding and loosing, there was no cause to dream that he speaketh here of a private forgiving of private fins between Brother and brother, for then he might have said at the first step, Thou hast gained thy brother, that gaining or convincing of thy brother shall be bound or loosed in heaven, no less then the Churches judicial binding and loosing in heaven, which yet is set down as an higher degree of power. But I may here say with Beza in the whole Scripture, the word of binding and 1loosing is never spoken of any other but of these who are in public places, and by a borrowed speech, here it is spoken in regard of Spiritual power. To bind and to loose, is by a judicial power in ⟨p. 235⟩subordination to Christ the King, to remit and retain sins. So2 Josephus saith, the Pharisees ruled all, so that they would banish or recall from banishment, loose and bind whom they pleased, and upon the Authority according to the which Christ sent his Disciples as the Father sent him, so he instructed his Ministers with power to remit and retain sins, Joh. 20. 23. and Mat. 16. 19. What thou bindest [Greek or Hebrew], on earth, shall be bound in heaven, what thou loosest on earth, shall be loosed in heaven, [Greek or Hebrew]. So doth Lucian bring in that prisoner speaking to Jupiter, Loose me, O Jupiter, for I have suffered grievous things, Mat. 22. 13. Then the King said to his servants, take him, [Greek or Hebrew], bind him hand and foot; binding here (you see) is done by the command of the great King,