A92138:823
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.
Ergo, If the Article [Greek or Hebrew] infer that a disobedient brother is most like these Heathen, they must be greatest enemies to the Jews, and so remotest from Circumcision, and all right to the holy things of God, being the worst of the Heathen, and so Erastus hath gained nothing, but lost much by his poor Grammattication. Yea, if the offended brother should repute the offender as the worst of the Heathen, he is to esteem him who was once a Member of the Church, in that he was obliged to hear the Church, now as a Heathen, and so no brother, no Member of the Church, and here Erastus must grant that one brother may un-church and Excommunicate any other for disobedience to the Church, but the Church may not.
Ergo, If the Article 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 inferre that a disobedient brother is most like these Heathen, they must be greatest enemies to the Iewes, and so remotest from Circumcision, and all right to the holy things of God, being the worst of the Heathen, and so Erastus hath gained nothing, but lost much by his poore Grammattication. Yea, if the offended brother should repute the offender as the worst of the Heathen, he is to esteeme him who was once a Member of the Church, in that he was obliged to heare the Church, now as a Heathen, and so no brother, no Member of the Church, and here Erastus must grant that one brother may un-church and Excommunicate any other for disobedience to the Church, but the Church may not.
Erastus. They are as absurd who say, by Publicans here are understood wicked men, for then by Heathen must be understood also the wickedest of the Heathen, and not all the Heathen dwelling in Judea.
Ans. I deny the consequence, for by Publicans are meant men wicked and unpure by conversation, and by Heathen men unclean by condition, because without the Church, and strangers to the Israel of God, and without Christ and God in the world. 2. We have proved what is meant by a Publican, by evident Scriptures, but that by a Publican is understood one who acknowledged no Magistrate, but a Roman, no Scripture; no Greek Author warranteth us to think it, never man dreamed it, but Erastus.