A42757:643
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.
Fifteenthly, an Ecclesiastical ruling power may be proved from 2 Cor. 2. 8. I beseech you that you would confirm your love towards him. Here is a Juridical power of loosing, and consequently of binding; for it belongeth to the same power to bind and loose, to excommunicate and to absolve. An authoritative juridical loosing, I prove from the word [Greek or Hebrew], which properly signifieth the making a thing sure or firm by a decisive suffrage, authoritative judgement, or ratificatory and obligatory sentence past upon it. Hen. Stephanus in Thes. linguae Gr. in the word [Greek or Hebrew], saith that this Text 2 Cor. 2. 8. is more rightly read, Ut ratam faciatis in illum charitatem, then as the vulgar Latin hath it, Ut confirmetis. The Verb [Greek or Hebrew] he expoundeth thus; Auctoritatem do, auctoritate mea comprobo; vel ratum habeo, ratum facio. Pasor renders the same Verb sancio, ratum facio, and citeth for that sense, 2 Cor. 2. 6. So Erasmus likewise upon the place. So Cartwright upon the same place against the Rhemists. So Chemnitius Exam. Conc. Trident. part. 4. de Indulg. pag. 53. The force of this word [Greek or Hebrew] was urged against the opinion of Erastus in a public Dispute at Heidelberg; the narration whereof is left by Ursinus in his Catechetical explications. That the word signifieth an authoritative act, and supposeth a ruling power, may be thus further confirmed. First, who did [Greek or Hebrew], but [Greek or Hebrew]? No doubt the Apostle borroweth the word from the language and customs of the ⟨p. 291⟩Heathen Greeks. Now [Greek or Hebrew] was a fixed or set lawful Assembly, which met with a judicial ruling power, and ratified a thing by decisive suffrages, [Greek or Hebrew]. See Suidas in the word [Greek or Hebrew], Stephanus and Scapula in the word [Greek or Hebrew]; Erasmus in 2 Cor. 2. 8. Arias Montanus in the word [Greek or Hebrew], tells us that to the Graecians [Greek or Hebrew] was the same thing, which Comitia to the Latins: Therefore such Assemblies had a judicial power, and their suffrages were [Greek or Hebrew], firm and ratified Sentences. Secondly, [Greek or Hebrew] cometh from [Greek or Hebrew], whence also cometh [Greek or Hebrew] Lord, [Greek or Hebrew] dominion, [Greek or Hebrew] to rule, or to have a dominion: