A42757:1105
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.
The Assumption is granted by Mr. Prynn pag. 37. The Minister (saith he) doth not (I suppose he will also say ought not) administer the Sacrament to any known impenitent sinners under that notion, but only as penitent sinners, truly repenting of their sins past, and promising, purposing to lead a new life for the future. Therefore yet again by some of his own principles, the Sacrament is not administered as instrumental to the first conversion of scandalous unworthy persons in the Church: for where there is in any Ordinance an instrumental causality toward the conversion of a scandalous person, that Ordinance must needs be administered to that person under the notion of an unconverted person, and the effect of conversion looked upon as consequent, not as antecedent.
The Assumption is granted by Mr. Prynn pag. 37. The Minister (saith he) doth not (I suppose he will also say ought not) administer the Sacrament to any known impenitent sinners under that notion, but onely as penitent sinners, truly repenting of their sins past, and promising, purposing to lead a new life for the future. Therefore yet again by some of his own principles, the Sacrament is not administred as instrumental to the first conversion of scandalous unworthy persons in the Church: for where there is in any Ordinance an instrumental causality toward the conversion of a scandalous person, that Ordinance must needs be administred to that person under the notion of an unconverted person, and the effect of conversion lookt upon as consequent, not as antecedent.
The twentieth Argument and the last is this. As I have before showed that Mr. Prynn in holding the Sacrament to be a converting Ordinance, unto which unregenerate impenitent and unbelieving persons (not being excommunicated) ought to be admitted, doth join issue with Papists, and dissenteth ⟨p. 520⟩from the Protestant writers in a very special point, and that the controversy draweth very deep: So I will now make it to appear that he dissenteth as much from the Ancients in this particular. Dionysius Areopagita de Eccles. Hierarch. Cap. 3. Part. 3. speaking of the nature of this Ordinance of the Lords Supper, tells us that it doth not admit those scandalous sinners who were in the condition of penitents, before they had fully manifested their repentance, much less profane and unclean persons in whom no sign of repentance appeareth; [Greek or Hebrew], not admitting him who is not altogether most holy. Just in Martyr Apol. 2. lets us know that in his time the Lords Supper was given to none, but to such a person as was looked upon as a believer, and washed in the laver of regeneration, and lived according to the rule of Christ. Chrysostom Hom. 83. in Matth. Augustine de side & operibus Cap. 18. Isidorus Pelusiota lib. 1. Epist. 143. and others might be here added. But I shall bring their full testimonies chap. 17. where I will show Antiquity to be for the suspension of scandalous persons unexcommunicated. Beside these, I add also