A42757:499
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.
First of all, this part of our Controversy is to be rightly stated. The Question is not. 1. Whether the Magistrate be Gods Deputy or Vicegerent, and as God upon earth; for who denies that? Nor 2. Whether the Magistrate be Christs Deputy as Christ is God, and as he exerciseth an universal dominion over all things, as the Father and the holy Ghost doth. Here likewise I hold the affirmative. Nor 3. Whether the Christian Magistrate be useful and subservient to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, even as he is Mediator and King of the Church; for in this also I hold the affirmative, that is, that as every man in his own calling, parents, masters, servants, merchants, soldiers &c. being Christians, so the Magistrate in his eminent station, being a Christian, is obliged to endeavour the propagation of the Gospel, and the good and benefit of the Church of Christ. But the Question is, Whether the Christian Magistrate be a Governor in the Church Vice Christi, in the room and stead of Jesus Christ as he is Mediator. Or (which is all one) Whether the rise, derivation, and tenure of Christian Magistracy be from Jesus Christ under this formal consideration, as he is Mediator and head of the Church. Or (which ⟨p. 210⟩is also the same) whether Jesus Christ by virtue of that authority and power of Government which as Mediator, and as God-man, he received of the Father, hath substituted and given commission to the Christian Magistrate to govern the Church in subordination to him, as he governeth it in subordination to his Father. In all these Mr. Hussey is for the affirmative, I am for the negative. Let us hear his reasons. First pag. 16. He argueth from my concession. A Christian Magistrate is a Governor in the Church, said Mr. Coleman, This understood sano sensu I admitted. Now saith Mr. Hussey, If the Church be Christs Kingdom, surely such as govern in it, must receive commission from him. Which commission saith he, must be in this form. Christ the Mediator, King of his Church, doth appoint Kings and Civil Magistrates to govern under him. Let him find this commission in Scripture, and I shall confess he hath done much. Neither doth any such thing follow upon my Concession. For 1. It is one thing to govern in the Church▪ another thing to govern the Church:
First of all, this part of our Controversie is to be rightly stated. The Question is not. 1. Whether the Magistrate be Gods Deputy or Vicegerent, and as God upon earth; for who denies that? Nor 2. Whether the Magistrate be Christs Deputy as Christ is God, and as he exerciseth an universall dominion over all things, as the Father and the holy Ghost doth. Here likewise I hold the affirmative. Nor 3. Whether the Christian Magistrate be usefull and subservient to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, even as he is Mediator and King of the Church; for in this also I hold the affirmative, that is, that as every man in his owne calling, parents, masters, servants, marchants, souldiers &c. being Christians, so the Magistrate in his eminent station, being a Christian, is obliged to endeavour the propagation of the Gospel, and the good and benefit of the Church of Christ. But the Question is, Whether the Christian Magistrate be a Governour in the Church Vice Christi, in the room and stead of Jesus Christ as he is Mediator. Or (which is all one) Whether the rise, derivation, and tenure of Christian Magistracy be from Jesus Christ under this formall consideration, as he is Mediator and head of the Church. Or (which