A92138:973
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.
So Gal. 5. 9. he addeth v. 10. he that troubleth you, (the lump in danger to be leavened,) shall bear his judgement, v. 12. I would they were cut off that trouble you. Then the whole Churches of Galatia were the troubled lump, & so it must be here, if this truth be so convincing out of the Text, let any Erastian extricate himself, if he can deny, but here is a Church-lump, a Church of Rulers [Greek or Hebrew] gathered together in the Name and power of the Lord Jesus, that purgeth out of it self leaven, not wickedness, in abstracto, as I have demonstrated, but a wicked man named a brother, lest he leaven the whole Church, to the end his Spirit may be saved; Judge reader, if this be not name, nature and thing, of that which Erastians deny, to wit, of Excommunication. I humbly provoke them to make good sense of the 1 Cor. 5. and show me what is the wicked man. 2. The casting out of the midst of you. 3. The saving of his Spirit. 4. The convened together court, instructed with the Name, and authority, ⟨p. 354⟩and power of Christ, and if this be not a Church power, efficacion, and authoritative, being steeled with the power of the Head of the Church. 5. What is the leaven? 6. What is the act of leavening? 7. What is the whole lump? 8. What is the purging out, putting out, and judging of the man? 3. We know Erastus denieth any Church Government at all, but some acts of punitive justice in the Magistrate. But the Churches praying, consenting that a scandalous person shall be delivered to Satan, or some other ways punished by the Christian Magistrate, are acts of Church government, so proper to the Church, as the Magistrate as the Magistrate, cannot exercise such Acts.
So Gal. 5. 9. he addeth v. 10. he that troubleth you, (the lump in danger to be leavened,) shall bear his judgement, v. 12. I would they were cut off that trouble you. Then the whole Churches of Galatia were the troubled lumpe, & so it must be here, if this truth be so convincing out of the Text, let any Erastian extricate himself, if he can deny, but here is a Church-lump, a Church of Rulers 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 gathered together in the Name and power of the Lord Iesus, that purgeth out of it selfe leaven, not wickednesse, in abstracto, as I have demonstrated, but a wicked man named a brother, lest he leaven the whole Church, to the end his Spirit may be saved; Iudge reader, if this be not name, nature and thing, of that which Erastians deny, to wit, of Excommunication. I humbly provoke them to make good sense of the