A42757:420
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.
CHAP. I. Of the Rise, Growth, Decay, and Reviving of Erastianism.
CHAP. I. Of the Rise, Growth, Decay, and Reviving of Erastianisme.
Diverse Learned men have (to very good purpose) discovered the origination, occasion, first authors, fomenters, rise and growth of Errors, both Popish, and others: I shall after their example make known briefly, what I find concerning the rise and growth the planting and watering of the Erastian Error, I cannot say of it, that it is honest is parentibus natus, it is not borne and descended of honest parents. The Father of it is the old ⟨p. 162⟩Serpent, who finding his Kingdom very much impaired, weakened and resisted by the vigour of the true Ecclesiastical discipline, which separateth between the precious and the vile, the holy & profane; and so contributeth much to the shaming away of the unfruitful works of darkness; thereupon he hath cunningly gone about to draw men, first into a jealousy, and then into a dislike of the Ecclesiastical discipline, by Gods mercy restored in the Reformed Churches. The Mother of it, is the enmity of nature against the Kingdom of Jesus Christ; which he, as Mediator, doth exercise in the government of the Church: Which enmity is naturally in all mens hearts, but is unmortified and strongly prevalent in some, who have said in their hearts, We will not have this man to reign over us. Luke 19. Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their cords from us. Psal. 2. 3. The Midwife which brought this unhappy brood into the light of the world, was Thomas Erastus Doctor of Medicine at Heidelberg of whom I shall say no more, then what is apparent by his own Preface to the Reader, namely, that as he was once of opinion, that excommunication is commanded in the Word of God, so he came off to the contrary opinion, not without a male-contented humour, and a resentment of some things which he looked upon as provocations and personal reflections, though its like enough they were not really such, but in his apprehensions they were. One of these was a public dispute at Heidelberg in the year 1568. upon certain Theses concerning the necessity of Church Government, and the power of Presbyteries to excommunicate: Which Theses were exhibited by M. George Withers an Englishman, who left England because of the Ceremonies, and was at that time made Doctor of Divinity at Heidelberg. And the learned dispute had thereupon, you may find epitomized (as it was taken the day following from the mouth of Dr. Ursinus) in the close of the second part of Dr.