A42757:826
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.
I suppose it now appears that Let him be to thee as an Heathen man, is a shutting out not from civill, but from sacred fellowship. The other branch, Let him be to thee as a Publican, I have before said enough of it. This only I add. There were among the Jews two sorts of Publicans: some were good and just men, exacting no more then what was appointed them; others were unjust and extortioners, and thereby made infamous. The former sort the Hebrews have professed they were willing to converse civilly withal, as members of the same Commonwealth. See L'Empereur de legibus Ebraeorum forensibus, pag. 272. But when Christ saith, Let him be to thee as a Publican, he means the impious and unjust Publican only, as the same learned Antiquary there saith. And so when our Saviour bids us esteem such a one not only as an Heathen man, but as a Publican, he means that he is not only to be denied fellowship in the holy things, but further made infamous among the people; for the name Publican is used to signify the worst of men, Matth. 5. 46, 47. and in the Gospel it is said, Publicans and Sinners, Publicans and Harlots, as was noted before. So Hierome upon Matth. 18. 17. understands the name of Publicans secundum Tropologiam, for such as are given to unlawful gains, deceits, thefts, perjuries, and such like abominable wickednesses. Wherefore we must not think that for civill respects of Tax-gathering or the like the Jews refused to keep civill company or fellowship with the Publicans. For we read in Exc. Gem. Sanhedrin cap. 3. sect. 3. that though he that was a shepherd, as such, was unfit to be a witness, yet he that was simply a Publican (that is, as I. Coch. saith in his Annotation, a Publican who is not convict of exacting more then is appointed by Law) or a Publican as a Publican is not forbidden to be witness. Where it is also added, that the father of R. Sira had the office of a Publican thirteen years. Hence we see that a Publican ⟨p. 387⟩were he a Jew or Gentile, provided he were a just Publican, his testimony had faith and credit in Judgement; How then can it be supposed that the Jews did not so much as keep any civill company with such a one?
I suppose it now appeares that Let him be to thee as an Heathen man, is a shutting out not from civill, but from sacred fellowship. The other branch, Let him be to thee as a Publican, I have before said enough of it. This onely I adde. There were among the Jewes two sorts of Publicans: some were good and just men, exacting no more then what was appointed them; others were unjust and extortioners, and thereby made infamous. The former sort the Hebrews have professed they were willing to converse civilly withall, as members of the same Commonwealth. See L'Empereur de legibus Ebraeorum forensibus, pag. 272. But when Christ saith, Let him be to thee as a Publican, he means the impious and unjust Publican onely, as the same learned Antiquary there saith. And so when our Saviour bids us esteem such a one not onely as an Heathen man, but as a Publican, he means that he is not only to be denied fellowship in the holy things, but further made infamous among the people; for the name Publican is used to signifie the worst of men,