A42757:593
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.
As for that collaterality which is objected, I answer, The Civil and Ecclesiastical power, if we speak properly, are not collateral. 1. They have no footing upon the same ground: there may be many subject to the Magistrate, who are no Church-Members, and so not under the Spiritual power: and where the same persons are subject to both the powers, there is no more collaterality in this case, nay, not so much, as is betwixt the power of a Father in one man, and the power of a Master in another man, when both powers are exercised upon the same man who is both a son and a servant. 2. Powers that are collateral, are of the same eminency and altitude, of the same kind and nature; but the civil Power is a Dominion and Lordship: the Ecclesiastical power is Ministerial, not Lordly. 3. Collateral powers do mutually and alike exercise authority over each other respectively. But, though the Magistrate may exercise much authority in things Ecclesiastical, Church-Officers can exercise no authority in things civil. The Magistrates authority is Ecclesiastical objective, though not formaliter: but the Church-Officers authority is not civil so much as objective, not being exercised about either civil, criminal, or capital cases. 4. Collateral powers are subordinate to, and derived from the Supreme and Original power, like two branches growing out of the same stock, two streams flowing from the same fountain, two lines drawn from the same centre, two arms under the same head. But the power of the Magistrate is subordinate unto; and dependeth upon the Dominion of God the Creator of all: the power of Church-Officers dependeth upon ⟨p. 259⟩the Dominion of Christ, the Mediator and King of the Church.
As for that collaterality which is objected, I answer, The Civil and Ecclesiastical power, if we speak properly, are not collateral. 1. They have no footing upon the same ground: there may be many subject to the Magistrate, who are no Church-Members, and so not under the Spiritual power: and where the same persons are subject to both the powers, there is no more collaterality in this case, nay, not so much, as is betwixt the power of a Father in one man, and the power of a Master in another man, when both powers are exercised upon the same man who is both a son and a servant. 2. Powers that are collateral, are of the same eminency and altitude, of the same kinde and nature; but the civil Power is a Dominion and Lordship: the Ecclesiastical power is Ministerial, not Lordly. 3. Collateral powers do mutually and alike exercise authority over each other respectively. But, though the Magistrate may exercise much authority in things Ecclesiastical, Church-Officers can exercise no authority in things civil. The Magistrates authority is Ecclesiastical objective, though not formaliter: but the Church-Officers authority is not civil so much as objective, not being exercised about either civil, criminal, or capital cases. 4. Collateral powers are subordinate to, and derived from the Supreme and Original power, like two branches growing out of the same stock, two streams flowing from the same fountain, two lines drawn from the same center, two arms under the same head. But the power of the Magistrate is subordinate unto; and dependeth upon the Dominion of God the Creator of all: the power of Church-Officers dependeth upon