A92138:956
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. 1. This is Erastus his Argument, not the Argument of1 Beza, for eating of leaven signifieth a scandalous and openly wicked man; and if this be the Assumption, it is true, but the Syllogism so formed, shall conclude against Erastus: 2. It is certain that God commandeth the Priests not to violate his holy things, Ezech. 22. 26, Hag. 2. 11. 12. Ezech. 44. 8, 9, 10, 11. Else how failed they in keeping the charge of the Lord, in not differencing between the clean and the unclean? Now to eat the passover with leavened bread is an express violation of the holy things of God, Exod. 12. ver. 8. You shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire and unleavened bread, ver. 11. And thus shall ye eat it—ver. 15. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread, even the first day, ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: 2. He that is unclean is forbidden to eat the passover, Lev. 9. 13. The clean only is to keep it: And he that is clean, and not on a journey, and keepeth it not, that man shall bear his sin; Ergo, the unclean are excepted; and he who is sanctified according to the ⟨p. 348⟩purification of the sanctuary only by the Law, is to eat, 2 Chro. 3•. 9. Therefore Hezekiah prayed that God would pardon them that were not so cleansed, ver. 18. To crave pardon presupposeth a sin, Num. 9. 3, 4, 5, 6. But so it is, That he that eateth unleavened bread in any of these seven days, was unclean, and to be cut off for his uncleanness, and transgressed this Ceremonial Law, Exod. 12. 8. 15.