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, pag. 71. Sect. 44.

But we with good warrant ••oe averre, that the precept which fobiddeth the resisting of the civill power, and in generall the de∣nying

of obedience to the lawfull commandements of our Superiors, is of greater obligation then the precept of not scandalizing. Their first reason I put in forme to them thus. That is of greater obliga∣tion which commandeth acts edificative to all, then that which com∣mandeth acts edificative to some only, for the good of all is to be preferred to the good of some particular persons, and we are to have a greater care of the salvation of all, then of some. But the precept of obedience to Superiours is universall, and commandeth the act of edifying all to wit, obedience to Superiours, and an act to eschew the scandall of all to wit, disobedience. But the precept of eschewing the scandall of some, doth but edifie some only, and not all Ergo &c.

Ans. 1. It is soon proved by your learning, for the precept of Gods law to eschew scandall, to you is no precept, and so of no obligation, when Superiours command to scandalize, so you may prove that snow is whiter then the raven, when as the ra∣ven is not white at all.

I answer. 2. That precept is of greater obligation that com∣mandeth acts edificative to all, then that which commandeth acts edificative to some. It is true, 1. if it be a lawfull command of God, but the ••ssumption applyed to your purpose is most false, the command to obey Prelates, when they command things in∣different, the obedience whereof doth culpably occasion the murthering of him, for whom Christ died, is not a commande∣ment edificative to all, yea, it is a Commandement of acts destructive to the soules of all. This Argument would have some colour, if it were not a vaine begging of the question, for they lay downe as, confessed, that the practise of Ceremonies, from whence many soules are ruined, is obedience, and obedi∣ence to the fift Commandement. This is to be proven, and con∣stantly denyed by us, because disobedience to the sixth Com∣mandement, and murthering of our brother, cannot be obedi∣ence to the fift Commandement.