A42757:750
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.
If a sinner be known for a improfitable hearer of the word, that cannot make it a sin to me to Preach any more to him. But if he be known to be a Dog or a Swine in reference to the Sacrament, that will make it a sin to me if I minister the Sacrament to him. The reason is because I am still bound to endeavour his conversion (not knowing that he hath blasphemed against the holy Ghost) but I am not bound to give him the seal of remission of sins and salvation by Jesus Christ: yea it were sin to give that Seal to him who is visibly and apparently uncapable of such sweet and comfortable application of Christ. I conclude that the suspending of scandalous persons from the Sacrament, is neither only nor principally grounded upon the sin and guilt of eating and drinking unworthily, which will cleave to the unworthy Communicant: but rather (not excluding the other) upon the nature of the Ordinance which is such as cannot admit of the notoriously scandalous to receive, but that holy Ordinance shall thereby be profaned and made Common; for what can be more contrary to the na ure of that Ordinance and to the Institution of Jesus Christ, than to turn the communion of Saints, into the communion of scandalous sinners; and to make that which was instituted for the comfort of those that repent and believe, to be a comfort and Seal of Salvation to those who are known by their fruits to have neither Repentance nor Faith, and so to send them away with a good conceit of their spiritual Estate, and thereby to strengthen their hearts and hands in wickedness?
If a sinner be known for a improfitable hearer of the word, that cannot make it a sinne to me to Preach any more to him. But if he be known to be a Dogg or a Swine in reference to the Sacrament, that will make it a sin to me if I minister the Sacrament to him. The reason is because I am still bound to endevour his conversion (not knowing that he hath blasphemed against the holy Ghost) but I am not bound to give him the seale of remission of sinnes and salvation by Jesus Christ: yea it were sinne to give that Seal to him who is visibly and apparently uncapable of such sweet and comfortable application of Christ. I conclude that the suspending of scandalous persons from the Sacrament, is neither onely nor principally grounded upon the sinne and guilt of eating and drinking unworthily, which will cleave to the unworthy Communicant: but rather (not excluding the other) upon the nature of the Ordinance which is such as cannot admit of the notoriously scandalous to receive, but that holy Ordinance shall thereby be prophaned and made Common; for what can be more contrary to the na ure of that Ordinance and to the Institution of Jesus Christ, than to turne the communion of Saints, into the communion of scandalous sinners; and to make that which was instituted for the comfort of those that repent and beleeve, to be a comfort and Seal of Salvation to those who are known by their fruits to have neither Repentance nor Faith, and so to send them away with a good conceit of their spirituall Estate, and thereby to strengthen their hearts and hands in wickednesse?