A92138:775
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.
Erastus. By my exposition, I do not, as Beza saith, take away a brotherly pardoning of all injuries, for though Christ teach us how to compose and remove only private injuries piously, and without the scandalizing of the weak, it followeth not therefore Christ teacheth that only private injuries are to be pardoned, doth Christ teach no other thing? I never thought that only light injuries are to […] pardoned: ⟨p. 293⟩when either we chide him, or he willingly acknowledge his fault, we are to pardon him, for if we must bring a small injury to the Church, far more must we bring a greater injury.
Erastus. By my exposition, I do not, as Beza saith, take away a brotherly pardoning of all injuries, for though Christ teach us how to compose and remove only private iniuries piously, and without the scandalizing of the vveak, it followeth not therefore Christ teacheth that only private injuries are to be pardoned, doth Christ teach no other thing? I never thought that only light injuries are to 〈…〉 pardoned: ⟨p. 293⟩when either we chide him, or he vvillingly acknovvledge his fault, vve are to pardon him, for if vve must bring a small injury to the Church, far more must vve bring a greater injury.
Ans. 1. Christ would so many injuries to be pardoned, as is comprehended in this general (If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him) but this comprehendeth great injuries, and all injurie•: It being as Erastus saith, parallel to Lev. 19. 18. Thou shalt not suffer sin in thy Brother. What? must we not suffer a small sin in1 our Brother, because that were to hate him in our heart? But we may suffer great sins in him, and not rebuke him; yet that should not be hatred of our Brother. 2. Christ is not only teaching how to remove scandals; but how to remove them by gaining our Brother, even by telling the Church; If need be, that they may labour to gain him also, if one brother, and if one with two or three witnesses cannot gain him to repentance; and so he would have all injuries pardoned, out of which we are to gain our brother. 3. It is too narrow a compass, to which Erastus draweth Christ in his words, only to remove the scandal without offending the weak, to labour to remove only petty scandals and not great; yea, and public to our whole Church: 4. Erastus seemeth to imagine, if we draw our brother before the Church, that is, the Civill Magistrate, we do not then forgive him, it being now a great injury, but he is deceived, we are to forgive our brother, and to pray for his forgiveness; even when we make the offence public, and when he repenteth not, as Christ did forgive as man, those that Crucified him, though they did not repent,