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.

Duplyers 6. arg. pag. 64. n. 41.

Sixtly, The denying of obedien••e to the lawfull commandements of our Superiours is forbidden in the ••i•••• commandement, and con∣sequently it is sinne▪ shall we then for a scandall causlesly taken, de∣ny obedience to our Superiours, and so incurre the guiltiness of sinne? Ye commonly answer to this, that the negative part of the fift Commandement, w••••ch forbiddeth the resisting of the power, Rom. 13▪ 2. is to be understood with the exception of the case of any scandall taken by others. For •••• we say (say ••••) that any may, or will take offence, at the ••••ing of that which is commanded by our Superiours, we are not holden to oby them 42. But first, we a••ke, what ••arr and ye have ••o say, that the negative part of the fift Commandement •••• to be understood w•••••• the exception of the case of Scandall▪ more then other negative precepts in the second Table?

Answer ••. To fill the field, an Argument already answered, is brought again to make the figure of fi•• up▪ The refusall of the Ceremonies till they be tryed in lawfull Assembly, is not for∣bidden in the fift Commandement, prove that▪ and take it with you. 2. You bring an Answer as commonly given •••• us, that is neither ours, commonly, nor rarely▪ but it is good, build a straw∣••astle, and you may soone cost a fire-ball at it, and blow it up▪ We never taught that the negative part of the fif•• Commande∣ment is to be understood with the exception of the case of any scandall taken by others. For this includeth all scandalls, both passive and active. Who of ours ever dreamed such a thing, if Superiours command, what God commandeth before them, doe we teach that, because others take scandall at that Command, therefore we are not holden to obey? that is scandall taken, not given. We teach no such thing▪ Rulers command to honour father and mother, if any take offence at this commandement

and obedience to either the affirmative or negative part of it, we are not to esteeme that scandall the weight of a feather, the Commandement obliedgeth. But this we teach, if when the matter of the Commandement of Rulers is indifferent, as you plead Ceremonies to be, if from obeying of these any weake or wicked be scandalized, then the Rulers doe command spirituall murther, and then their commandement is no commandement, no•• is it the fift Commandement. It is just like this, You shall not refuse obedience to your Rulers, commanding you to rubbe your beards when you come to the Church, or to draw a crosse line with your thumbe in the aire above a baptized infants forehead, though many soules, by obedience to these Commandements▪ be induced to love Poperie; many be made sad thinking zealous Rulers, love popish toyes better then the simplicitie of the Gospell. Now such is the Commandements of Pearth-articles, and these suffer no exceptions, for we judge them no Commandements at all, and if any such be injoyned upon pretence of any other of the nine Commandements, we hold them to be impious commande∣ments, and no obedience to be given to them at all. So if ac∣cording to the sixt Commandement, and the seven and eight, Rulers command to run Carts amongst a multitude of young Children, whence killing of some might fall out; If they should command a young man, and a faire virgine to chamber together, and command Paul in the case he was at Corinth to take stipend, though it should hinder the progresse of the Gos∣pell, as 1 Cor. 9. 23. all these were to command culpable scan∣dalls, and were unlawfull, as the Canons of Pearth faction. 3. You say, the negative part of the fift Commandement forbid∣ding the resisting of the power, Rom. 13. 2. by us, is to be under∣stood, with exception of the case of scandall taken, whereby you insinuate, that not to obey the acts of Pearth Assembly, is a resisting of the power of Rulers, Rom. 13. 2. It is ignorantly spoken, to resist every law of the Rulers, is not to resist his power, when the lawes are such as commandeth scandall: yea, by your own doctrine it is lawfull to flie when a Ruler unjust∣y, commandeth & persueth his subjects▪ pag. 3. n. 19. And to ••••ie I am sure, is to refuse subjection to the Lawes of the Ruler, from whose tribunall we ••li••, ye••, and to flie so, is to resist his lawes,

but I hope it is not to resist the power, for to resist the power, bringeth damnation, and guiltinesss before God, Rom. 13. 2. But to flie from his legall Citations, is to resist his lawes, but doth not, I hope, bring damnation before God, and sinne upon the conscience, as you grant.