A92138:845
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. Where Christ instituteth any new ordinance, he omitteth1 nothing that is substantial, but here he speaketh nothing of public sins, for which you do especially excommunicate.
Erastus. Where Christ instituteth any new ordinance, he omitteth1 nothing that is substantiall, but here he speaketh nothing of publike sins, for which you doe especially excommunicate.
- 1Page 203.
Ans. Christ according to the mind of Erastus does here institute a throne for the Christian Magistrate, how doth he then institute a way how the Christian Magistrate may remove private Scandals and not public? for public Scandals hurt the Church ten to one more then private do. Christ speaks of sins in their rise private, between brother and brother, but he speaketh of public Scandals, of such as will not hear the Church, and for these only we Excommunicate. 2. Tha• is not true, that any one ⟨p. 312⟩place of Scripture, where an institution is that all the substantials of that institution, should be expressly set down in that place, it is enough that all be held forth in either one Scripture, or other, as in Christs sufferings, Baptism, Pastors, &c.
Ans. Christ according to the minde of Erastus does here institute a throne for the Christian Magistrate, how doth he then institute a way how the Christian Magistrate may remove private Scandals and not publike? for publike Scandals hurt the Church ten to one more then private doe. Christ speaks of sins in their rise private, betweene brother and brother, but he speaketh of publike Scandals, of such as will not heare the Church, and for these onely we Excommunicate. 2. Tha is not true, that any one