A92138:779
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 Answereth, Let him be to thee who art injured, and to all that are injured, as a Publican, not to the whole Church, for there be some laws that agree privately to the Magistrate, and to none other, some to Parents, not to children, to Masters, not servants, so neither is this precept to all Christians as the Decalogue is, and such like, but only to those that are privately hurt; he saith not, rebuke every brother thou meetest with, but the brother that sins against thee. Christ speaketh not in the third person, nor to the Church, for the Disciples were not the Synedrie, or that Church.
Erastus Answereth, Let him be to thee vvho art injured, and to all that are injured, as a Publican, not to the vvhole Church, for there be some lawes that agree privatly to the Magistrate, and to none other, some to Parents, not to children, to Masters, not servants, so neither is this precept to all Christians as the Decalogue is, and such like, but only to those that are privately hurt; he saith not, rebuke every brother thou meetest with, but the brother that sins against thee. Christ speaketh not in the third person, nor to the Church, for the Disciples were not the Synedrie, or that Church.
Ans. 1. Its most false, that all the precepts of the Decalogue are1 all of them spoken to all and every man: Honour thy Father and mother that begat thee, is one of the Commandments; and it is not spoken to those that are only Parents themselves, and have their natural parents dead: but doth it follow that that Command doth enjoin private obedience, and forbid only private, not public disobedience to natural Parents: So the sixth Command saith, If thy brother fall in a Lyons den to the hazard of his life, pull him out; if thou cannot rescue him thy self alone, take three with thee and assay it; if thou cannot so rescue him, tell it to twenty: The man is not to rescue every brother here, but only the brother that is in danger to be devoured with the Lyon: will any say the Law of the sixth Commandment is given here, to one private man to help another in a private danger? This (rebuke thy brother) is the Law of nature, and it is under this,