A42757:602
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.
In all which the Christian Magistrate doth exceeding much for the conservation and purgation of Religion: not elici•ndo actus, doing or exercising by himself or by his own authority acts of Church. Government or discipline, but taking care, that such and such things be done by those to whom they do belong. 3. Distinguish the directive part and the coercive part. The directive part, in the conservation or purgation of Religion, doth belong to the Ministers and ruling Officers of the Church assembled together; In administering therefore that which concerneth Religion and peoples spiritual good, the Magistrate not only juvatur, but dirigitur, is not only helped, but directed by the Ecclesiastical directive power; Fest. Hon. Disp. 30. Thes. 6. Magistracy may say to Ministry as Moses said to Hobab; Thou mayest be to us in stead of eyes. Ad sacrae Religionis informationem, fid•lis Magistratus verbi divini administris, veluti oculis, uti debet; and for that end he is to make use of consistorial and Synodical Assemblies say the Professors of Leiden, Synopspur. […]. Disp. 50. Thes. 44. But the coercive part, in compelling the obstinate and unruly, to submit to the Presbyterial or Synodical sentence, belongs to the Magistrate. Not as if the Magistrate had nothing to do, but to be an executioner of the pleasure of Church-officers, or as if he were by a blind and implicit faith to constrain all men to stand to their determination. God forbid. The Magistrate must have his full liberty to judge of that which he is to compel men to do, to judge of it, not only judicio appreh•nsivo, by understanding and apprehending •right what it is, but judicio discretivo, by the judgement of Christian prudence and discretion, ⟨p. 265⟩examining by the Word of God, the grounds, reasons, and warrants of the thing, that he may in Faith, and not doubtingly, add his authority thereto. In which judging, he doth Judicare, but not Judicem agere; that is, he is Judex suarum actionum, he judgeth whether he ought to add his civil authority to this or that which seemeth good to Church-officers, and doth not concur therewith, except he be satisfied in his Conscience that he may do so; yet this makes him not supreme Judge or Governor in all Ecclesiastical causes, which is the Prerogative of Jesus Christ, revealing his will in his word: