A92138:933
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. This similitude is the holy Ghosts in the very sense we use ⟨p. 340⟩it, 2 Tim. 2. 17. Their word shall eat as a canker, a Metaphor (as Calvin, Piscator, Marlorate observe) from a rotten member that corrupteth the whole body, and to say, because a man hath reason and so free-will, that he will not be corrupted; whereas the whole member by necessity of nature cannot but be corrupted by a rotten member, is to speak not like a Divine, but as Pelagius speaketh; for except we use the remedy appointed of God, to eschew the contagion of the wicked, and eschew their company, as we are commanded, and as the godly have done, and the wicked have not done, and therefore have been infected with the way of other evil men, Prov. 22. 24. Prov. 5▪ 8, 9. Psa. 26. 4, 5. Esa. 2. 6, 7. Psa. 119. 63. Psa. 139. 21, 22. Rev. 18. 4. 2 Chro. 19. 2. (though we should not actually be corrupted) yet we sin and tempt the Lord, in that we seek a temptation to our selves; yea, as all the reasons of Erastus are natural and against the wisdom of God in his Ordinances, so expressly this; God forbiddeth his people to marry with the Canaanites, or to make Covenants with them, Exod. 34. 12, &c. Because (saith the Lord) they will ensnare thee, and draw away thy heart after their Gods: May not Erastus say, But men have reason and free-will not to consent to the enticing counsels of the Canaanites, though they be joined in Covenant, and marriage with them: Preterea non est necesse sic alios a malis contaminari. 3. It is good, that Erastus granteth, that pertinacious Heretics, because uncurable, may infect others, for so the word expressly saith, what shall be done with them? Erastus granteth they be rotten members: Ergo, either they must, by Excommunication be separated from the body, as we teach, or the body must separate from them; if this latter be said, all that Erastus inferreth against us, shall fall against himself: 1. We shall not need to be infected with the Heresy of such: Utimur ratione, We have the Armour of reason and freewill, against this rotten and rotting member, saith Erastus: 2. We shall expose Heretics to the Kingdom of Satan, and the world, by which they shall be hardened in their pernicious Heresies: Beside 3. We make them Hypocrites: 4.