A92138:951
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. I hold that learned Beza hath well expounded the leaven 1here; he compareth the scandals of wicked men to leaven, the holiness of the Saints to unleavened bread, and the public Congregation to the feast of the Passover, and Excommunication or putting away to the removing of the leaven; for a scandalous man corrupteth2 the whole Church: so the Jews and Rabbins, as Buxtorfius saith, that the Rabbins call natural concupiscence, [Greek or Hebrew]. Rabbi Alexander said after his Prayer: Lord, It is known to thee that it is my will to do thy will: But what retardeth me? the leaven in the mass or lump, and Buxtorfius citeth the same place, 1 Cor. 5.3 6. and Gal. 5. 9. And least we should think that he meant nothing4 but natural concupiscence; he saith in the Targum, They take the word [Greek or Hebrew] for wickedness and folly; he citeth Medraseh Koheleth, cap. 7. ver. 8. except R. Samuel, had been long suffering, The 5Persian that he taught, had returned to folly, or his old wickedness. Paul saith the same, Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump: He speaketh to the Church convened. 2. The comparison runneth so, that the Corinthians were to purge out the old leaven of wickedness, and cast out the incestuous man, that they might be a new lump; and this if it must always be done, far more when they are to celebrate that feast that came in place of the passover: Nor is the Apostle only Teaching what they could not lawfully do, all their life, as they were single Christians, but what was their duty as Christians, [Greek or Hebrew] convened together in a Church way, for Paul doth not command one single Christian to cast him out, but he commandeth the Church, gathered together ⟨p. 346⟩