A92138:810
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. Least these words (Let him be to thee as an Heathen) should seem to make the offender every way as an Heathen; therefore he addeth a restrictive word, (and a Publican) and he addeth the article • common to them both, so as he speaketh not of every Heathen and Publican, but of those who were conversant amongst the Jews, and none of those would answer to any Judge, but the Roman Emperor or his deputies, being the servants of the Romans, to vex the people of the Jews.
Erastus. Least these words (Let him be to thee as an Heathen) should seem to make the offender every way as an Heathen; therefore he addeth a restrictive word, (and a Publican) and he addeth the article • common to them both, so as he speaketh not of every Heathen and Publican, but of those who were conversant amongst the Jews, and none of those would answer to any Judge, but the Roman Emperour or his deputies, being the servants of the Romans, to vex the people of the Jews.
Ans. Here is a groundless conjecture, for a Publican was large as odious as a Heathen, being a companion to sinners, and the worst of the Heathen.
Ans. Here is a groundlesse conjecture, for a Publican was large as odious as a Heathen, being a companion to sinners, and the worst of the Heathen.
2. How proveth he that [Greek or Hebrew], that Heathen is meant of those1 Heathen only, that were servants to the Romans, and would acknowledge no Judge but Cesar. 1. The Jews themselves said, We have no King but Cesar: 2. The holy Ghost doth not restrict the Heathen so; What warrant hath Erastus to be narrower in his gloss then the holy Ghost is in the Text. If in these, (Let him be as an Heathen) the threatening be perpetual, to remove all scandals, to the end of the world; when most of the Heathen shall not acknowledge the Judicatures of Heathen Rome, then the word Heathen must be as large as all Heathen, all wicked and all scandalous men, such as Publicans, and so there is no hint at the Heathen Romish Judge here, which is the way of Erastus. But the former is true; or this Law of Christ is to remove scandals amongst the Disciples