A92138:840
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. 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 must1 follow that the privileges of the house belongeth not to them. 3. You may dissuade a man from doing a civill injury, and never gain his soul, but the Magistrates club, for which Erastus contendeth in these words, cannot reach the soul.
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 keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven, to preach the Gospell; and why not also to administer the ⟨p. 311⟩Seals? and so are all private men clothed with the keyes 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 soules? 2. We never said, to binde was to debarre from the Sacraments, except consequently onely, to binde, 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 debarre men from the Sacraments, it is to cast them out of the house: hence it must