A42757:572
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.
It is to be well noted that Maccovius and Vedelius who ascribe a sort of Papal power to the civil Magistrate, to the great scandal of the Reformed Church; do notwithstanding acknowledge that Christ hath appointed Church discipline and censures, and the same to be dispensed by Church-officers only: And that the Magistrate as he may not preach the Word, and administer the Sacraments; So he may not exercise Church discipline, nor inflict spiritual censures, such as excommunication. Though Erastus pag. 175. hath not spared to say, that the Magistrate may in the New Testament (though he might not in the old) exercise the ministerial function, if he can have so much leisure from his other employments.
It is to be well noted that Maccovius and Vedelius who ascribe a sort of Papal power to the civil Magistrate, to the great scandall of the Reformed Church; do notwithstanding acknowledge that Christ hath appointed Church discipline and censures, and the same to be dispenced by Church-officers onely: And that the Magistrate as he may not preach the Word, and administer the Sacraments; So he may not exercise Churchdiscipline, nor inslict spiritual censures, such as excommunication. Though Erastus pag. 175. hath not spared to say, that the Magistrate may in the New Testament (though he might not in the old) exercise the ministeriall function, if he can have so much leisure from his other employments.
Fourthly, The power of Church discipline is intrinsical to the Church, that is, both they who censure, and they who ⟨p. 250⟩are censured, must be of the Church, 1 Cor. 5. 12. 13. They must be of one and the same Corporation, the one must not be in the body, and the other out of the body. But if this power were in the Magistrate, it were extrinsical to the Church. For the Magistrate quatenus a Magistrate, is not so much as a Church-member; far less can the magistrate as magistrate have jurisdiction over Church-members, as Church members, even as the minister as minister is not a member of the Commonwealth or State, far less can he, as minister, exercise jurisdiction over the Subjects, as Subjects.