A92138:634
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.
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. Hence I argue; if the Apostles could not be said sufficiently to hinder Jezebels and Seducers, by only ⟨p. 252⟩Preaching, and Disputing against their errors, except in case of their persisting in their errors, they should tell the Church convened in a Synod, as Christs order is, Mat. 18. Then the Angel of Thyatira, or any one Pastor do not sufficiently hinder scandals, but may be well said to suffer them by only private rebuking and public Preaching, except they use all these means to hinder Jezebels, false Teachers, and all scandalous persons, that the Apostles used, and therefore the Angel of the Church of Thyatira must be rebuked for not using the Authority and power of the Church against Jezebel. And here by the way, when these false Teachers had sinned against their brethren in perverting their souls, they take not the course that Erastus dreameth to be taken according to Matth. 18. They complain not to the Synedrim, or Civill Magistrate, who should use the sword against them, but to the Church Synodically convened at Jerusalem, who used against them the Spiritual power that Christ the head of the Church had given them.
Ans. The Angel of Thyatira had not sufficiently hindered Jezabel 1to seduce the servants of God, by only preaching against her false doctrine, in regard that Paul and Barnabas not only hindred those that teached, that the Gentiles ought to be circumcised,