A92138:661
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. This is the only Argument of Erastus, that seemeth to1 bear weight; But it is false and groundless, it supposeth the false principle that Erastus goeth on, that Excommunication is a real separation of a member from Christs Invisible and Mystical body, and that the Excommunicated person who may be an Invisible member of Christ, and regenerated, may be an Apostate, and fall from Christ, and leave off to be a member. The contrary of which all our Protestant Divines teach against Papists; whereas, Excommunication is only a Declarative; but withal, an Authoritative Act or Sentence of the Church, and no real cutting off of a believer from Christ: But you will say, It presupposeth a cutting off in heaven from Christ; and therefore the Excommunicated person is declared to be cut off. Let me Answer, I conceive Excommunication hath neither Election nor Reprobation, Regeneration or non-Regeneration, for its object, or terminus, but only it cutteth a contumacious person off from the Visible Church on earth, and from the head Christ in heaven, not in regard of his state of Regeneration, as if Christ ratifying the Sentence in heaven, did cut him off so much as conditionally from being a member of his body: No, but in regard of the second Acts of the life of God, and the sweet efficacy and operation of the spirit, by which the Ordinances are less lively, less operative, and less vigorous, the man being as the Learned and Reverend Mr. Cotton saith, As a palsy Member, in which life remaineth, but a little withered and blunted, and he in Satan's power to ve• his spirit, and therefore I grant all, to wit, ⟨p. 262⟩that Excommunication is not a real separating of a member from Christs body, only unbelief doth that; but it followeth not, Ergo, it is a separation only from the external society of the Church: For 1. This external cutting off, is ratified in heaven: And 2. Christ hath ratified it by a real internal suspension of the influence of his spirit in heaven: But I deny that this universal doth follow from Christs binding in heaven, That whomever God judgeth unworthy of heaven, all these are to be cast out of the Church; he cannot prove this consequence from our grounds.
Ans. This is the only Argument of Erastus, that seemeth to1