A92138:727
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.
Quest. 3.
Whether Erastus doth justly deny that Excommunication was typified in the Old Testament?
We take types of uncleanness in the Old Testament, to be rightly expounded, when the holy Ghost in the New-Testament doth expound them. Now that Ceremonial uncleanness did typify Moral uncleanness is clear, 2 Cor. 7. 17. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you, 18. And I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. This is a manifest Exposition of the Ceremonial holiness and cleanness, commanded in the book of Leviticus, for ⟨p. 282⟩after the Lord hath given them a number of Laws, about eschewing of unclean things, he saith in general, Lev. 26. 3. If ye walk in my Statutes, and keep my Commandments, and do them. 11. I will set my Tabernacle amongst you, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people. And it is a clear allusion to Numb. 19. 11. He that toucheth the dead body of any man, shall be unclean seven days. 16. He that toucheth one that is slain with the sword, in the open field, is unclean. 22. Whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean: So Paul, Tit. 1. 15. To them that are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but even their mind and conscience is defiled.