A42757:1055
Aaron's rod blossoming, or, The divine ordinance of church-government vindicated so as the present…Aarons rod blossoming, or, The divine ordinance of church-government vindicated so as the present…
Aaron's rod blossoming, or, The divine ordinance of church-government vindicated so as the present Erastian controversy concerning the distinction of civill and ecclesiastical government, excommunication, and suspension, is fully debated and discussed, from the holy scripture, from the Jewish and Christian antiquities, from the consent of latter writers, from the true nature and rights of magistracy, and from the groundlessness of the chief objections made against the Presbyterial government in point of a domineering arbitrary unlimited power / by George Gillespie ...Aarons rod blossoming, or, The divine ordinance of church-government vindicated so as the present Erastian controversie concerning the distinction of civill and ecclesiasticall government, excommunication, and suspension, is fully debated and discussed, from the holy scripture, from the Jewish and Christian antiquities, from the consent of latter writers, from the true nature and rights of magistracy, and from the groundlesnesse of the chief objections made against the Presbyteriall government in point of a domineering arbitrary unlimited power / by George Gillespie ...
London: printed by E.G. for Richard Whitaker, 1646
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.
By this time it may appear (I suppose) that the controversy between us and the Papists concerning the effect of the Sacraments (setting aside the opus operatum, which is a distinct ⟨p. 497⟩controversy▪ and is distinctly spoken to by our Writers, setting aside also the casualitas phisica and insita, by which some of the Papists say the Sacraments give grace, though diverse others of them hold the Sacraments to be only moral causes of grace) is thus far the same with the present controversy between Mr. Prynn and me, that Protestant Writers do not only oppose the opus operatum, and the casualitas physica & insita, but they oppose (as is manifest by the Testimonies already cited) all casuality or working of the first grace of conversion and faith in or by the Sacraments, supposing always a man to be a believer and within the Covenant of grace before the Sacrament, and that he is not made such, nor translated to the state of grace in or by the Sacrament. This the Papists contradict, and therein Mr. Prynn joineth with them. When Bellarmine brings an impertinent Argument: The Sacraments (saith he) have not the same relation to faith which the Word hath: Nam verbum Dei praecedit fidem, Sacramenta autem sequuntur, saltem in adultis. The Word of God doth go before faith, but the Sacraments follow after it, at least in those who are of age. Dr. Ames Bell. enerv. Tom. 3. lib. 1. cap. 5. corrects his great mistake or oblivion. Hoc illud est quod nos docemus: Sacramenta confirmare fidem per verbum Dei prius ingeneratam, saltem in adultis. This (saith he) is that which we teach, that the Sacraments confirm that faith which was first begotten by the Word of God, at least in those who are of age.
By this time it may appear (I suppose) that the controversie between us and the Papists concerning the effect of the Sacraments (setting aside the opus operatum, which is a distinct ⟨p. 497⟩controversie▪ and is distinctly spoken to by our Writers, setting aside also the casualitas phisica and insita, by which some of the Papists say the Sacraments give grace, though diverse others of them hold the Sacraments to be onely moral causes of grace) is thus far the same with the present controversie between Mr. Prynn and me, that Protestant Writers do not onely oppose the opus operatum, and the casualitas physica & insita, but they oppose (as is manifest by the Testimonies already cited) all casuality or working of the first grace of conversion and faith in or by the Sacraments, supposing alwaies a man to be a beleever and within the Covenant of grace before the Sacrament, and that he is not made such, nor translated to the state of grace in or by the Sacrament. This the Papists contradict, and therein Mr. Prynn joyneth with them. When Bellarmine brings an impertinent Argument: The Sacraments (saith he) have not the same relation to faith which the Word hath: Nam verbum Dei praecedit fidem, Sacramenta autem sequuntur, saltem in adultis. The Word of God doth go before faith, but the Sacraments follow after it, at least in those who are of age. Dr. Ames Bell. enerv. Tom. 3. lib. 1. cap. 5. corrects his great mistake or oblivion. Hoc illud est quod nos docemus: Sacramenta confirmare fidem per verbum Dei prius ingeneratam, saltem in adultis. This (saith he) is that which we teach, that the Sacraments confirm that faith which was first begotten by the Word of God, at least in those who are of age.