A92138:869
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.
If it be said, they were to pray conditionally that God would either by a miracle take him away, or then in mercy1 give him repentance to prevent destruction: 1. We have no surer ground for a conditional and dis-junctive Faith of miracles in the Corinthians, then for an absolute Faith: 2. If it was the will of Christ, that the man should by himself be miraculously killed, why did not the Apostle immediately by himself kill him? Why? It was the Apostles fault as well as the sin of the Corinthians, that the man remained as a leaven to sour and infect the Church; yea, it was more the Apostles fault then theirs, for he had only the immediate power miraculously to purge the Church; some may say, as the Lord Jesus was hindered some time to work miracles, because of the peoples unbelief, Matth. 13. 58. So here Paul was hindered to work this miracle on the scandalous man, because of their unbelief.
If it be said, they were to pray conditionally that God would either by a miracle take him away, or then in mercy1 give him repentance to prevent destruction: 1. We have no surer ground for a conditionall and dis-junctive Faith of miracles in the Corinthians, then for an absolute Faith: 2. If it was the will of Christ, that the man should by himself be miraculously killed, why did not the Apostle immediatly by himself kill him? Why? It was the Apostles fault as well as the sin of the Corinthians, that the man remained as a leaven to sowre and infect the Church; yea, it was more the Apostles fault then theirs, for he had only the immediate power miraculously to purge the Church; some may say, as the Lord Iesus was hindred some time to work miracles, because of the peoples unbelief, Matth. 13. 58. So here Paul was hindred to work this miracle on the scandalous man, because of their unbeliefe.
- 1Delivering to Satan not miraculous.