A42757:855
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
Book 3 › Chapter 5: That Tell it to the Church hath more in it, then, Tell it unto a greater number.
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.
4. The Church mentioned Matth. 18. 17. hath a forensicall or juridical power, as appeareth by that of the two or three witnesses vers. 16. which relateth to a Juridical proceeding in the trying and punishing of offences, as M. Prynne hath observed. Peradventure some man will say, that the two or three witnesses here are brought in only to be witnesses to the admonition, or to make the admonition the more effectual, and the more to be regarded, but not as if any use were to be made of these witnesses, to prove the fact or offence it self before the Church, if there be occasion. I answer, either it must be supposed here that the trespass was seen or known only by him that gives the first rebuke privately, or that it was also seen or known by those two or three witnesses. If the former, it is much disputed among Schoolmen whether he that rebukes his offending brother be to proceed any further than a private rebuke for a private offence, or whether he is to stop at private rebukes, and not to take witnesses with him (which divers think to be unfit and disallowed, as being an officious and unnecessary irritation of the offending brother by the spreading of his shame, a making of a private sin to become scandalous to others, as likewise an engaging of witnesses to ⟨p. 404⟩assist in the admonition and rebuke by a blind and implicit faith) for my part I shall not need here to dispute this point: for what ever ought to be done, or ought not to be done in this case, when the trespass is known to one only: yet in the other case when besides him that rebukes there are two or three more which can be witnesses of the fact or trespass committed (the trespass being yet not publicly divulged) it can not be denied, that these witnesses of the fact are to be brought unto and confronted with the offender, when he cannot be gained by private rebuke, and (if need be) prove it afterward before the Church. Which I have before noted out of Durand. And xAegidius de Coninck tels us (in whatsoever other case witnesses are to be taken, or are not to be taken) in this case all do consent that witnesses are to be taken.
4. The Church mentioned Matth. 18. 17. hath a forensicall or juridicall power, as appeareth by that of the two or three witnesses vers. 16. which relateth to a Juridicall proceeding in the trying and punishing of offences, as M. Prynne hath observed. Peradventure some man will say, that the two or three witnesses here are brought in onely to be witnesses to the admonition, or to make the admonition the more effectuall, and the more to be regarded, but not as if any use were to be made of these witnesses, to prove the fact or offence it selfe before the Church, if there be occasion. I answer, either it must be supposed here that the trespasse was seen or knowne onely by him that gives the first rebuke privately, or that it was also seen or known by those two or three witnesses. If the former, it is much disputed among Schoolmen whether he that rebukes his offending brother be to proceed any further than a private rebuke for a private offence, or whether he is to stop at private rebukes, and not to take witnesses with him (which divers thinke to be unfit and disallowed, as being an officious and unnecessary irritation of the offending brother by the spreading of his shame, a making of a private sinne to become scandalous to others, as likewise an engaging of witnesses to