A42757:708
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.
Eighthly, We have covenanted to endeavour a Reformation of Church-Government and discipline according to the word of God and the example of the best Reformed Churches. Now both the Word of God, and the example of the best Reformed Churches, leadeth us to a Church-government distinct from civil Government: and the example of the best Reformed Churches doth undeniably lead us to a Church-discipline, even where ⟨p. 323⟩he Magistrate is Christian, neither doth the word make any exception of Christian States, but contrariwise chargeth us to keep the commandment and Ordinances till Christ come again.
Eightly, We have covenanted to endeavour a Reformation of Church-Government and discipline according to the word of God and the example of the best Reformed Churches. Now both the Word of God, and the example of the best Reformed Churches, leadeth us to a Church-government distinct from civil Government: and the example of the best Reformed Churches doth undeniably lead us to a Church-discipline, even where ⟨p. 323⟩he Magistrate is Christian, neither doth the word make any exception of Christian States, but contrariwise chargeth us to keep the commandement and Ordinances till Christ come again.
Ninthly, The Magistrate hath other work to do, and such as will take up the whole man: and if he should take upon him the whole burden of Church-Government, the enquiring into, examining and correcting of all scandals in the Church, surely it is more then he can discharge, or give a good account to God of. It will be hard enough to Church-officers to do it, though they are set apart to that service, and ex officio do watch over peoples souls, as they that must give an account. But for the Christian Magistrate to discharge the whole corrective part of Church-Government, and to watch over the souls of all the people; so as to take care of the purging of the Church from scandals, and for that end to observe, examine, and judge all offences in the Church, and to determine that this man ought to be admitted to the Sacrament, and that man ought not to be admitted (for that there must be a suspension of scandalous and unworthy persons, I now take it for granted because of the Ordinance of Parliament) as it is impossible for the Magistrate to do all this, so I believe it will be to him durus sermo, a hard saying, to hear that he must give account to God of all these things; and that Ministers have no more to answer for but preaching, ministering the Sacraments to those to whom they are appointed to give them, catechizing, visiting the sick, exhorting, admonishing, reproving, comforting. It was a good argument against the Prelate; he assumed the Ecclesiastical government of a whole Diocese, and could not give account to God for so many thousands, and sometime hundreds of thousand souls. Yet Mr. Coleman would have had the Parliament to be Church-Officers to the whole Kingdom in point of corrective Government, and the Ministry to have no part of that government. But then I ask, How shall they answer for that Ecclesiastical Government and administration of theirs, more then the Prelate could answer for the Ecclesiastical Government of a whole Diocese? If it be said that the Parliament is only to settle a rule, and to give order what is to be done, and to commit