A42757:1176
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.
Answer. 1. They that were baptized by John, did confess their sins, and profess Repentance; andl Erastus himself brings in John Baptist speaking to those Pharisees on this manner. I do not see into your hearts, but he that cometh after me, hath his fan in his hand, and will separate the chaff from the wheat: so that though ye may deceive me with a feigned repentance, yet you cannot deceive him. Hereupon Erastus concludeth, that the Ministers of the Gospel ought not to deny the Sacraments to those that profess repentance, and ought not take upon them to judge of mens hearts whether they do truly and unfeignedly repent.m Now all this maketh for the suspension ⟨p. 553⟩from the Sacrament of all such as do not confess their sins, nor profess repentance for the same: The drunkard that will not confess his drunkenness, the unclean person that will not confess his uncleanness, the Sabbath-breaker that will not confess his breach of the Sabbath, are by this ground to be excluded; and so of other scandalous persons. We are not to judge of mens hearts▪, but we are to judge of the external signs of repentance, whether sin be confessed, and repentance declared by some hopeful signs or not.
Answer. 1. They that were baptized by Iohn, did confesse their sins, and professe Repentance; andl Erastus himself brings in Iohn Baptist speaking to those Pharisees on this manner. I do not see into your hearts, but he that cometh after me, hath his fan in his hand, and will separate the chaff from the wheat: so that though ye may deceive me with a feigned repentance, yet you cannot deceive him. Hereupon Erastus concludeth, that the Ministers of the Gospel ought not to deny the Sacraments to those that professe repentance, and ought not take upon them to judge of mens hearts whether they do truely and unfeignedly repent.m Now all this maketh for the suspension ⟨p. 553⟩