A42757:579
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.
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.
Answ. 1 Look what remedy thene 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 lesse sinfull 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 duely administred by any minister or ministers, the Magistrate seeketh the redresse 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 controversie 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 ratisieth 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.