A42757:702
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.
Secondly, Where is that Christian Magistracy which hath suppressed or punished all such offences as did f•ll under Ecclesiastical cognizance and censure, in the Primitive and Apostolic Churches? Or where is that Christian Magistrate that will yet undertake to punish all those offences and scandals which were censured in the Apostolic Churches? Till some such instance be given, this exception against Church-discipline and censures under a Christian Magistrate hath not so much as colour enough. Aliae sunt leges Caesarum▪ ali•e Christi: aliud Papinianus, aliud Paulus noster praecipit saith Hierome in Epitaph. Fabi•lae. Caesars Laws, and Christs Laws are not the same, but different. Papinianus commands one thing, Paul another thing. Chrysostom Homil. 12. in 1. Epist. ad Cor. tells us that the best and wisest Law-givers had appointed no punishment for fornication, for consuming and trifling away of time with playing at dice, for gluttony and drunkenness, for Stage-plays and lascivious whorish gestures therein. Is there not some cause to apply all this (and much more of this kind) even to Christian Law givers and Magistrates? Put the case that he who is called a brother (as the Apostle speaks) that is a member of the visible Church, be found grossly ignorant of the Principles of Religion, and so far from growing in knowledge, that he loseth the knowledge of the Scriptures, and of the truth of God which he had (for this hath been diverse times observed) through neglect of the means: or if he be known to neglect ordina•lly prayer in and with his Family, and to continue in that offence after admonition: or if he live in known or scandalous malice and envy, and refuse to be reconciled with his neighbour, or if he be a known liar and dissembler: or if by his words and actions he do scandalously and manifestly show himself covetous, drowned in sensuality, ambitious, proud: or if he give a foul scandal by filthy and obscene speeches, by lascivious, obscene, whorish-like gestures or actions, where the act it self of adultery ⟨p. 321⟩or fornication cannot be proved. I suppose that for these and such like scandals (which are causes deserving not only the Elderships enquiry and admonition, but suspension from the Lords Table) the Christian Magistrate neither doth, nor by the civil or municipal Laws is bound to arraign and punish all such as are guilty thereof.