A92138:839
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. Christ hath the like words of binding and loosing, Mat. 16. which signifieth also to preach the Gospel, that he who believeth may be loosed, and he who believeth not may be made inexcusable, and therefore it is no other, but to pray a brother to desist from his injury, showing him that that is acceptable to God: for to bind and loose in all the Scripture, is never to debar any from the Sacraments; if you divert your brother from doing an injury, by declaring the will and wrath of God, out of his Word, thou hast gained him, and loosed him, if he will not be persuaded, the wrath of God abides on him, and thou hast bound him.
Erastus. Christ hath the like words of binding and loosing, Mat. 16. which signifieth also to preach the Gospell, that he who beleeveth may be loosed, and he who beleeveth not may be made inexcusable, and therefore it is no other, but to pray a brother to desist from his injury, shewing him that that is acceptable to God: for to binde and loose in all the Scripture, is never to debarre any from the Sacraments; if you divert your brother from doing an injurie, by declaring the will and wrath of God, out of his Word, thou hast gained him, and loosed him, if he will not be perswaded, the wrath of God abides on him, and thou hast bound him.
Ans. If loosing and binding Matth. 16. be preaching of the Word of God, and loosing be Christian forgiving of an injury, then are women who are taught in the prayer of Christ, Mat. 6. to forgive one another, invested with the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, to preach the Gospel; and why not also to administer the ⟨p. 311⟩Seals? and so are all private men clothed with the keys to take in and cast out at their pleasure, and what are Ministers that are over the people in the Lord, and watch for their souls? 2. We never said, to bind was to debar from the Sacraments, except consequently only, to bind, is to declare an obstinate man as a Heathen, and so no member of the house of Christ, and consequently to have no right to the bread of the children of the house, nor say we, that to Excommunicate is formally to debar men from the Sacraments, it is to cast them out of the house: hence it must