A92138:988
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.
Erastus. There is not the same reason of holy things, and of private civill things; for this, not eating, belongeth to private conversing with men, not to public Communion with them in the holy things of God: One saith, It is in our liberty, Whether we converse familiarly with wicked men, or not, But it is not in our power, Whether we come to the Lords Supper, or not; And Paul will not have us to deny any thing that belongeth to Salvation; and therefore he saith, 2 Thess. 3. Admonish him as a Brother; and none, I hope, can deny, but the Sacraments are helps of godliness and Salvation.
Erastus. There is not the same reason of holy things, and of private civill things; for this, not eating, belongeth to private conversing with men, not to publike Communion with them in the holy things of God: One saith, It is in our liberty, Whether we converse familiarly with wicked men, or not, But it is not in our power, Whether we come to the Lords Supper, or not; And Paul will not have us to deny any thing that belongeth to Salvation; and therefore he saith, 2 Thess. 3. Admonish him as a Brother; and none, I hope, can deny, but the Sacraments are helps of godlinesse and Salvation.
Ans. 1. It is true, that avoiding of the company of scandalous Brethren, hath in it something civill; but it is a censure-spiritual, and a Church-censure, two ways: 1. Objectively, in its tendency, Respectu termini ad quem. 2. Effectively, in its rise and cause, Respectu termini à quo, it is a spiritual censure Objectively, because it tendeth to make the party ashamed, that he may repent, and become a Brother with whom we are to converse; and therefore is destinated for no civill use, but for the good of his soul, that is a member of a Church, that he may return to what he was. 2. This censure, though one private Brother may exercise it upon another, yea, a woman on a man, who yet hath no Authority over the man, is notwithstanding in its rise and efficient cause, a Church-censure. 1. If Christ will not have one Brother to condemn another, while first he rebuke him; and if he be not convinced, while he do the same before two or three witnesses; and if he yet be not gained, one private Brother may not after conviction, before two or three witnesses repute him as a Heathen, or complain of him before an Heathen Judge, as Erastus saith; How shall we imagine any one single Brother may withdraw Brotherly fellowship from another Brother, by his own private Authority, while he first be sentenced before the Church? And the Church shall convince him to walk