A92138:829
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. To these the keys are given, who retain and remit sins, as1 Erastus saith: But these be such as are sent of Christ, as the Father sent his son, Joh. 20. 2. Either in this place there is given power to bind and loose by public preaching the word, or by some other place; but this power to bind and loose by public preaching, is only given to Pastors and Teachers, 1 Cor. 12. 29. Eph. 4. 11. 12. And Erastus granteth elsewhere, that every private man by his office cannot preach, nor administer the Sacraments, and by no other place is this given to Pastors, for I could elude all places, with the like answer, and say there is a public Baptizing and Administration of the Supper, by Ministers and sent Pastors only, and a private also performed by private Christians; yea, by a woman, and both are valid in Heaven, and the binding and loosing of both ratified in Heaven. 3. Christ spake this to the Disciples, who before were sent to Preach, and cast out Devils, Matth. 10. and saith not, Whom thou binds on earth, but in the plural number, [Greek or Hebrew], What things you bind on earth, shall be bound in Heaven. Erastus saith all this upon the fancy, that binding and loosing of the Church, and Peters private forgiving of his brother seven times a day must be all one, which I do prove in another place to be different, and amongst other reasons this is one, because the Church pardoning hath a threefold order: 1. between brother and brother: 2. before two or three: 3. Before the Church, and the end of all is the gaining of the offending brother, Matth. 18, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. But the private forgiving of a brother, of ⟨p. 309⟩which Peter speaketh, Mat. 18. 21, 22, 23. and Luke 17 4, 5. is of an inferior nature; for I know not, if you can gain a brothers soul seven times a day, if he but say, It repenteth me,