A42757:550
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
Book 2 › Chapter 7: Arguments for the Negative of that Question formerly propounded.
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.
Where two or three are gathered together in my Name, &c. Protestant Writers both in their Commentaries, and Polemic Writings, do usually apply the same Text to Synods and Councils: For instance, Calvin. Instit. lib. 4. cap. 9. sect 1. & 2. holds that the authority of Councils dependeth upon that promise of Christ, Where two or three are met together in my name, &c. That which went before, carries it to Assemblies for acts of discipline, as being principally intended in that place. The promise ver. 20. is general, belonging to all Church Assemblies: yet in that place it is applied to Assemblies of Church-Officers for discipline. But neither need I go so far in this present argument; for when Church-Officers meet with the Church for the Word, Sacraments▪ and other parts of Worship, this is in the name of Jesus Christ, without all controversy, and this is enough to justify all that I brought that Text for; especially there being herein a difference between sacred and civil Assemblies: there is no such promise made to Magistrates Courts of Justice, as to Church Assemblies. That which he citeth out of Dr. Whittaker and Bishop Morton makes nothing against me, neither doth he quote the places, peradventure because he found something in those passages which made against him. Whittakers sense is plainly of sacred, and not of civil Assemblies. And for that so much controverted Text Matth. 18. 17. Tell the Church. Whittaker expoundeth it as we do against the Erastians, Tell the Pastors and Rulers of the Church. Whittak. de Eccles. quaest. 1. cap. 2. Dic Ecclesiae, hoc est Pastoribus & Praefectis Ecclesiae.
Where two or three are gathered together in my Name, &c. Protestant Writers both in their Commentaries, and Polemick Writings, do usually apply the same Text to Synods and Councells: For instance, Calvin. Instit. lib. 4. cap. 9. sect 1. & 2. holds that the authority of Councells dependeth upon that promise of Christ, Where two or three are met together in my name, &c. That which went before, carries it to Assemblies for acts of discipline, as being principally intended in that place. The promise ver. 20. is general, belonging to all Church Assemblies: yet in that place it is applyed to Assemblies of Church-Officers for discipline. But neither need I go so far in this present argument; for when Church-Officers meet with the Church for the Word, Sacraments▪ and other parts of Worship, this is in the name of Jesus Christ, without all controversie, and this is enough to justifie all that I brought that Text for; especially there being herein a difference between sacred and civil Assemblies: there is no such promise made to Magistrates Courts of Justice, as to Church Assemblies. That which he citeth out of Dr. Whittaker and Bishop Mortoun makes nothing against me, neither doth he quote the places, peradventure because he found something in those passages which made against him. Whittakers sence is plainly of sacred, and not of civil Assemblies. And for that so much controverted Text