A42757:655
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.
The eighteenth Argument shall be drawn from the example of excommunication, 1 Cor. 5. 4, 5. The Apostle writeth to the church of Corinth to deliver to Satan (for the delivery ⟨p. 297⟩to Satan was an act of the church of Corinth, as the Syriac explaineth it) the incestuous man, which is called a censure inflicted by many 2 Cor. 2. 6. that is, by the whole Presbytery of the Church of Corinth. And whereas some understand by delivering to Satan, the putting forth of the extraordinary Apostolical power to the working of a miracle upon the offender, by giving him over into the hands of Satan, so as to be bodily tormented by him, or to be killed and destroyed (as Erastus takes it) I answer 1. It cannot be meant of death, for it is said that Hymeneus and Alexander were delivered to Satan, and to what end? that they might learn not to blaspheme, 1 Tim. 1. 20 which had been too late to learn after death, 2. Nor is it at all meant of any miraculous tormenting of the body by the devil, for beside that it is not likely this miracle could have been wrought, Paul himself not being present to work it, it is utterly incredible that the Apostle would have so sharply rebuked the Church of Corinth, for that a miracle was not wrought upon the incestuous man, (it not being in their power to do:) or that he would seek the consent of that Church to the working of a miracle, and as a joint act proceeding from him and the Church by common counsel and deliberation, for where read we of any miracle wrought that way? Therefore it is much more safe to understand by delivering to Satan, (as Gualther himself doth) Excommunication, which is a shutting out of a Church-member from the Church, whereby Satan cometh to get dominion and power over him, for he is the God of this World, who reigneth at his pleasure in and over those who are not the Church and people of God. 2 Cor. 4. 4. Eoh. 2. 2. And if any shall be so far unsatisfied as not to admit this sense which we put upon that phrase of delivering to Satan; Yet our Argument for Excommunication drawn from 1 Cor. 5. standeth strong, the weight of it not being laid upon trader Satanae only, but upon vers. 6. 7. 11, 12. compared with