A42757:401
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.
12. Object. Throughout the old Testament we read only of temporal punishments, as burning, hanging, stoning, fines, stripes, and the like, but never of Excommunication or any Church censure. Neither did the Jews know the distinction of Laws Ecclesiastical and Laws civill, causes Ecclesiastical and ⟨p. 145⟩causes civill, for the Church of the Jews was their CommonWealth, and their Common-Wealth was their Church, and the Government of Church and State among them was one and the same. Their civill Lawyers were also Expositors or Doctors of the Law of God.
12. Object. Throughout the old Testament we read onely of temporall punishments, as burning, hanging, stoning, fines, stripes, and the like, but never of Excommunication or any Church censure. Neither did the Jewes know the distinction of Lawes Ecclesiasticall and Lawes civill, causes Ecclesiasticall and ⟨p. 145⟩causes civill, for the Church of the Jewes was th•ir CommonWealth, and their Common-Wealth was their Church, and the Government of Church and State among them was one and the same. Their civill Lawyers were also Expositors or Doctors of the Law of God.
Ans. That in the Jewish Church, there was an Ecclesiastical censure or punishment distinct from the civill, I have proved in this preceding book, both from Scripture and from the Jewish antiquities. And if there were no more but the sequestration or separation from the Temple or from the passover, for such legal uncleanness as did not separate a man from his house, nor from all company of men, even that alone proves a kind of censure distinct from all civill punishment: neither did it belong to the Magistrate or civill Judge, but to the Priests to examine, judge, and determine concerning cleanness or uncleanness, and consequently concerning admission to or separation from the Temple, Passover, and sacrifices.