A42757:566
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.
I am sure Heathens themselves have known the difference between the office of Priests and the office of Magistrates. Aristotle ⟨p. 247⟩de Repub. lib. 4. cap. 15. speaking of Priests saith, [Greek or Hebrew]. For this is another thing then civil Magistrates. He had said before, [Greek or Hebrew] For a civil society hath need of many Rulers: but every [Greek or Hebrew] who is made by election or lot, is not a civil Magistrate: and the first instance he giveth is that of the Priests: and so Aristotle would have the Priest to be [Greek or Hebrew] a Ruler, but not a civil Magistrate. So de Repub. lib. 7. cap. 8. he distingu sheth between the Priests and the Judges in a City.
I am sure Heathens themselves have known the difference between the office of Priests and the office of Magistrates. Aristotle ⟨p. 247⟩de Repub. lib. 4. cap. 15. speaking of Priests saith, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. For this is another thing then civil Magistrates. He had said before, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 For a civil society hath need of many Rulers: but every 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 who is made by election or lot, is not a civil Magistrate: and the first instance he giveth is that of the Priests: and so Aristotle would have the Priest to be 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 a Ruler, but not a civil Magistrate. So de Repub. lib. 7. cap. 8. he distingu sheth between the Priests and the Judges in a Citty.
But to the matter. I will here endeavour to make these two things appear. 1. That no administration formally and properly Ecclesiastical (and namely the dispensing of Church censures) doth belong unto the Magistrate, nor may (according to the word of God) be assumed and exercised by him, 2. That Christ hath not made the Magistrate head of the Church, to receive appeals (properly so called) from all Ecclesiastical Assemblies. Touching the first of these, it is no other than is held forth in the Irish Articles of Faith (famous among Orthodox and Learned men in these Kingdoms) which do plainly exclude the Magistrate from the administration of the Word and Sacraments, and from the power of the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is the unhappiness of this time that this and other truths formerly out of controversy, should be so much stuck at and doubted of by some.