A42757:589
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. There is a subordination of Persons here, but a co-ordination of powers: A subordination of Persons, because as the Ministers of the Church are subject to the civil Magistrate, they being members of the Common-wealth or Kingdom; So the Magistrate is subject to the Ministers of the Church, he being a Church-member.
The former we assert against Papists, who say that the Clergy is not subject to the Magistrate. The latter we hold against those who make the Magistrate to be the head of the Church: ⟨p. 257⟩Again, a co-ordination of powers; because as the subjection of the person of the Christian Magistrate to the Pastors and Elders of the Church, in things pertaining to God, doth not infer the subordination of the power and office of the Magistrate to the Church-officers: So the subjection of Pastors and Elders to the Magistrate in all civil things (as other members of the Common-wealth are subject) may well consist with the co-ordination of the Ecclesiastical power with the civil. And as it is an error in Papists to make the secular power dependant upon, and derived from the Ecclesiastical power: So it is an error in others to make the Ecclesiastical power derived from, and dependant upon the civil power: for the Ecclesiastical power is derived from Christ, Ephes. 4. 11.
The former we assert against Papists, who say that the Clergy is not subject to the Magistrate. The latter we hold against those who make the Magistrate to be the head of the Church: ⟨p. 257⟩Again, a co-ordination of powers; because as the subjection of the person of the Christian Magistrate to the Pastors and Elders of the Church, in things pertaining to God, doth not inferre the subordination of the power and office of the Magistrate to the Church-officers: So the subjection of Pastors and Elders to the Magistrate in all civil things (as other members of the Common-wealth are subject) may well consist with the co-ordination of the Ecclesiastical power with the civil. And as it is an error in Papists to make the secular power dependant upon, and derived from the Ecclesiasticall power: So it is an error in others to make the Ecclesiastical power derived from, and dependant upon the civil power: for the Ecclesiastical power is derived from Christ,