A92138:706
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.
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 ⟨p. 275⟩they come not to the Sanctuary, and before him unwashed; and with strange fire, and without their holy garments▪ this is the very consequence of Erastus: Our question I conceive is, whither all2 must be admitted promiscuously, and whether even those that come immediately from the Devils Table, without any preparation known to the Church, should be set at Christs elbow to eat the Lords body and blood? Erastus saith, Paul never said, Nolo vos ad mensam domini venire; then because two negatives make one affirmative, Paul must say, I will that all that are partakers of the table of the Devil, come and be partakers of the Lords body: But the conclusion is contradicent to Erastus himself, who faith right down: I judge, that he, who vvill but trample the Sacraments, should not be admitted unto them, and to Paul, 1 Cor. 11. 27, &c. 3. Erastus confoundeth two Questions; one is, whither all should be admitted to the Lords Supper: (Erastus saith, every where in his book none are to be debarred;) & another by whom are they to be admitted or debarred? By the civill Magistrates, saith Erastus; by the Stewards and Officers of the house of God, the rest of the Church consenting, say we. 4.