A42757:183
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.
for the Law (that is, saith Menochius, the interpretation of the Law) can not perish from the Priest, nor counsel from the wise. Now this was an Ecclesiastical, not a civill Sanhedrin, which may appear thus: First, they do not make mention of the Judge mentioned Deut. 17. (where the Priest & the Judge are distinguished) only they mention the Priest, the Prophet, (for which the Chaldee hath Scribe: which is all one, as to the […] argument for we find both Prophets and Scribes in Ecclesiastical assemblies, as was said before) and the wise. By the wise are meant those that were chief or did excel among the Scribes or Doctors of the Law. So Grotius annot. in Matth. •3. 34. and it may be collected from Jerem. 8. 8, 9. This is certain, that these wise men were Church officers; for as they are […] from the Judges, Isaiah 3. 2. so Jesus Christ speaking of […], and other Ministers of the Gospel, whom he was to send forth, expresseth himself by way of allusion to the Ecclesiastical Ministers of the Jews. Matth 23. 34. Behold I send unto you Prophets, and Wise men, and Scribes, which Luke ch. 11. V. 49. hath thus, I will send them Prophets and Apostles. Secondly, the civill Sanhedrin at this time did (so far as we can find) contradict Jeremiah; but when his cause came afterward before them, Jerem. 26. they show much favour and friendship to him. Thirdly, that which is added, ⟨p. 22⟩come and let us him smite with the tongue: may be three ways read, and every way it sut•th to the Ecclesiastical Sanhedrin (whether themselves be the speakers in the Text, or whether the people be the speakers of it, as of that which they would desire and move the Sanhedrin to do in the name of them all) either thus: Let us smite him for the tongue, that is for an Ecclesiastical cause, for false Doctrine. Or thus, Let us smite him in the tongue (so the Septuagint, and Arias Montanus) that is, Let us smite him with an Ecclesiastical censure, and silence him, and discharge him to preach any more to the people. Or thus, Let us smite him with the tongue, that is, with an Ecclesiastical sentence or declaration, smite him not with the Sword (which belonged only to the civill Magistrate) but with the tongue, by declaring him to be a false Prophet, and by determining the case de jure, what ought to be done with him according to the Law.