A42757:836
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 these things be acknowledged for truths, we will be easily induced to believe that the scope of Jesus Christ Math. 18. 15, 16, 17. is to teach us, not what he permits the party injured to do toward the party injuring, but what he commands every one that loves the soul and salvation of his Neighbour, to do ⟨p. 392⟩for reducing his Neighbour from a sin wherewith he is overtaken. Which fitly agreeth with pthat which Drusius praeter. lib. 1. on Mat. 18. 15. citeth e libro Musar. Besides, both Fathers, School-men, Casuists, Commentators, Popish, and Protestant, when they handle the Questions de correptione fraterna, they make Brotherly rebukes to be a common duty of love which one neighbour oweth to another, and ever and anon they clear what they hold from Mat. 18. I verily believe it is one of the wiles yea depths of Satan in perverting that Text with the Erastian Glosses, to throw out of the Church and to drown in desuetude and oblivion, a great and necessary duty which every Christian by the law of love oweth to the soul of his Brother with whom he converseth, which were it conscionably practised, I dare say, it should be a most powerful and effectual means (by the blessing of Christ upon his own ordinance) to purge the Church of scandals, to gain souls, and to advance holiness.
If these things be acknowledged for truths, we will be easily induced to believe that the scope of Jesus Christ Math. 18. 15, 16, 17. is to teach us, not what he permits the party injured to doe toward the party injuring, but what he commands every one that loves the soule and salvation of his Neighbour, to doe ⟨p. 392⟩for reducing his Neighbour from a sinne wherewith he is overtaken. Which fitly agreeth with p