A42757:156
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.
Now all this being unquestionably true of the Jewish Sanhedrin: if we should suppose, that they had no supreme Sanhedrin but that which had the power of civill Magistracy, then I ask where is that Christian State, which was, or is, or ought to be moulded according to this pattern. Must Ministers have vote in Parliament? Must they be civill Lawyers? must all criminal and capital Judgements be according to the Judicial Law of Moses, and none otherwise? Must there be no civill punishment, without previous admonition of the offender? Must Parliaments sit, as it were in the Temple of God, and interpret Scripture, ⟨p. 4⟩which sense is true, and which false, and determine controversies of faith and cases of conscience, and judge of all false doctrines? yet all this must be, if there be a parallel made with the Jewish Sanhedrin. I know some divines hold, that the Judicial Law of Moses, so far as concerneth the punishments of sins against the moral •aw, Idolatry, blasphemy, Sabbath-breaking, adultery, theft, &c. ought to be a rule to the Christian Magistrate. and for my part, I wish more respect were had to it, and that it were more consulted with. This by the way. I am here only showing, what must follow, if the Jewish Government be taken for a president, without making a distinction of Civil & Church government. Surely, the consequences will be such, as I am sure our opposites will never admit of, and some of which (namely concerning the civill places or power of Ministers, and concerning the Magistrates authority to interpret Scripture) ought not to be admitted.
Now all this being unquestionably true of the Jewish Sanhedrin: if we should suppose, that they had no supreme Sanhedrin but that which had the power of civill Magistracy, then I aske where is that Christian State, which was, or is, or ought to be moulded according to this patterne. Must Ministers have vote in Parliament? Must they be civill Lawyers? must all criminall and capitall Judgements be according to the Judiciall Law of Moses, and none otherwise? Must there be no civill punishment, without previous admonition of the offender? Must Parliaments sit, as it were in the Temple of God, and interpret Scripture, ⟨p. 4⟩which sence is true, and which false, and determine controversies of faith and cases of conscience, and judge of all false doctrines? yet all this must be, if there be a paralell made with the Jewish Sanhedrin. I know some divines hold, that the Judiciall Law of Moses, so far as concerneth the punishments of sins against the morall aw, Idolatry, blasphemy, Sabbath-breaking, adultery, theft, &c. ought to be a rule to the Christian Magistrate. and for my part, I wish more respect were had to it, and that it were more consulted with. This by the way. I am here only shewing, what must follow, if the Jewish Government be taken for a prsident, without making a disinction of Civil & Church government. Surely, the consequences will be such, as I am sure our opposites will never admit of, and some of which (namely concerning the civill places or power of Ministers, and concerning the Magistrates authority to interpret Scripture) ought not to be admitted.