A42757:578
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 asked, what remedy shall there be against the abuse of Church-discipline by Church-officers, except there be appeals from the Ecclesiastical Courts to the civil Magistrate: which if ⟨p. 252⟩it be, Church-officers will be the more wary and cautious to do no man wrong, knowing that they may be made to answer for it: And if it be not, there is a wide door opened, that ministers may do as they please.
It is asked, what remedy shall there be against the abuse of Church-discipline by Church-officers, except there be appeals from the Ecclesiastical Courts to the civil Magistrate: which if ⟨p. 252⟩it be, Church-officers will be the more wary and cautious to do no man wrong, knowing that they may be made to answer for it: And if it be not, there is a wide dore opened, that ministers may do as they please.
Answ. 1 Look what remedy there is for abuses in the preaching of the Word, and administration of the Sacraments; the like remedy there is for abuses in Church-discipline; Maladministration of the Word and Sacraments is no less sinful to the ministers, and hurtful to others, then mal-administration of discipline: and in some respects the former is more to the dishonour of God and destruction of men than the latter: Ministers have not an arbitrary power to preach what they will, Now when the word is not truly preached, nor the Sacraments duly administered by any minister or ministers, the Magistrate seeketh the redress of these things (in a constituted Church) by the convocating of Synods, for examining, discovering, and judging of such errors and abuses as are found in particular Churches. But if the Synod should connive at, or comply with that same error; yet the Magistrate taketh not upon him the supreme and authoritative decision of a controversy of faith, but still endeavoureth to help all this by other Ecclesiastical remedies; as another Synod, and yet another, till the evil be removed. The like we say concerning abuses in Church-discipline: The Magistrate may command a resuming and re-examination of the case in another Synod: but still the Synod ratifieth or reverseth the censure. In which case it is betwixt the Magistrate and the Synod, as betwixt the will and understanding; for Voluntas imperat Intellectui quo ad exercitium, yet notwithstanding determinatur per intectellum quoad specificationem actus.