A42757:1096
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.
Sixteenthly, The Method of the parable of the forlorn ⟨p. 516⟩Son maketh very much against Mr. Prynns opinion. The Lord is indeed ready to forgive, and hath compassion upon the poor sinner, and falls on his neck and kisseth him, and saith to his servants, Bring forth the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet, and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat and be merry. Luke 15. 20. 22, 23. And this is done in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, more especially and more manifestly then in any other Ordinance. But when? not while the man is yet playing the prodigal, wasting his substance with riotous living, nor yet while he is filling his belly in a far Country with the husks which the Swine did eat. But it was when he came to himself, when he came to his Father and said, Father I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy Son. Then, and not till then, doth the father bestow upon him the best robe and the fatted calf. For this my son was dead (saith the Father) and is alive again, was lost and is found. Had the best robe and the fatted calf been given him before he repented and came to himself, he had (belike) been so much the more careless of coming home to his father. But we see these love tokens, this feast, and this mirth, is for entertaining a poor penitent, not for converting an impenitent sinner.
Sixteenthly, The Method of the parable of the forlorne ⟨p. 516⟩Son maketh very much against Mr. Prynns opinion. The Lord is indeed ready to forgive, and hath compassion upon the poor sinner, and falls on his neck and kisseth him, and saith to his servants, Bring forth the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet, and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat and be merry. Luke 15. 20. 22, 23. And this is done in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, more especially and more manifestly then in any other Ordinance. But when? not while the man is yet playing the prodigal, wasting his substance with riotous living, nor yet while he is filling his belly in a far Countrey with the husks which the Swine did eat. But it was when he came to himself, when he came to his Father and said, Father I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy Son. Then, and not till then, doth the father bestow upon him the best robe and the fatted calf. For this my son was dead (saith the Father) and is alive again, was lost and is found. Had the best robe and the fatted calf been given him before he repented and came to himself, he had (belike) been so much the more carelesse of comming home to his father. But we see these love tokens, this feast, and this mirth, is for entertaining a poor penitent, not for converting an impenitent sinner.