A92138:633
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.
The Church of Thyatira would not be rebuked for suffering Jezebel to teach, if they had no power of Church censures to hinder her; It is not enough to say that the Angel of that Church did sufficiently hinder Jezebel to teach, when in public he declared and preached against her false doctrine, and by the same reason Pastors exonerate their conscience, if they preach that such and such scandalous persons are not to eat and drink their own damnation, though they debar them not in a visible court by name from the Lords table, and though they never excommunicate them, and therefore there is not any censure but Pastoral rebukes by way of preaching, not any other by way of discipline.
The Church of Thyatira would not be rebuked for suffering Jezabel to teach, if they had no power of Church censures to hinder her; It is not enough to say that the Angel of that Church did sufficiently hinder Jezabell to teach, when in publike he declared and preached against her false doctrine, and by the same reason Pastors exoner their conscience, if they preach that such and such scandalous persons are not to eate and drinke their owne damnation, though they debarre them not in a visible court by name from the Lords table, and though they never excommunicate them, and therefore there is not any censure but Pastorall rebukes by way of preaching, not any other by way of discipline.
Ans. The Angel of Thyatira had not sufficiently hindered Jezebel 1to seduce the servants of God, by only preaching against her false doctrine, in regard that Paul and Barnabas not only hindered those that teached, that the Gentiles ought to be circumcised, Act. 14. cap. 16. by Preaching; but also had recourse to the power and authority of a Synod, that in a Synod which is a Court essentially consisting of many Pastors and Elders, they might be declared to be perverters of souls, and liars, as indeed they were judicially declared to be such, Act. 15. 24