A92138:705
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. Erastus his Argument is this, being reduced to form; is, if Paul say not, 1 Cor. 10. I will not have you come to the Lords Supper; but only, I will not have you to have fellowship with the Devil in his Table; then he will have none debarred by the Elders from the Lords Supper: But the latter is true. I deny the Proposition, it is a connection, that one who taketh on him to refute such a precious and eminent divine as Theod. Beza, may be ashamed of; and yet his book from head to foot standeth most upon a negative Argument from some particular place of Scripture; for he speaketh nothing of the power of Elders, to keep the holy things of God pure.
Ans. Erastus his Argument is this, being reduced to form; is, if Paul say not, 1 Cor. 10. I will not have you come to the Lords Supper; but only, I will not have you to have fellowship with the Devil in his Table; then he will have none debarred by the Elders from the Lords Supper: But the latter is true. I deny the Proposition, it is a connexion, that one who taketh on him to refute such a precious and eminent divine as Theod. Beza, may be ashamed of; and yet his book from head to foot standeth most upon a negative Argument from some particular place of Scripture; for he speaketh nothing of the power of Elders, to keep the holy things of God pure.
What if he should say, Moses in the first of Genesis saith not, I will not have you not to come to the Lords Supper; Ergo, there is no authoritative debarring of men from the Lords Supper: Such sandy consequences no learned Divines would ever dream of: 2. Beza, nor any of our Divines never dreamed that God in the Old or New Testament said, Nolo vos ad mensam domini (ad sacramenta) venire, which are the words of Erastus; so his conclusion cometh1 not near the controversy▪ Jews and Gentiles are invited, and commanded to come to Christ, and so to all the Ordinances and Sacraments, but I hope this will not infer that all should come to the Sacraments hand over head, and whether they be clean or unclean, circumcised or Baptized, or not circumcised, not Baptized. God commanded Aaron's sons to serve in the sanctuary, and appear before him in their charge: What, Ergo, it is not Gods will, that