A92138:776
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. 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, 1 Pet. 2. 21, 22, 23. Luk. 24. 35, 36, 5. Erastus cannot deny but great injuries should be brought before the Magistrate, and a little injury, when an offender refuseth to obey the Christian Magistrate, must be a great injury, which maketh the man, as a heathen and a publican; What is before answered, I shall not need to trouble the Reader withal to repeat.2
Ans. 1. Christ would so many injuries to be pardoned, as is comprehended in this generall (If thy brother trespasse against thee, rebuke him) but this comprehendeth great injuries, and all injurie•: It being as Erastus saith, parallel to