A42757:887
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 6: Of the power of binding and loosing Matth. 18. 18.
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.
As touching that other Exposition of the binding and loosing, that the object it is exercised about, is not a person, but a thing or Doctrine, for it is not said Whomsoever but whatsoever ye bind: It is sufficiently confuted by ▪much of that which hath been said already, proving a forensicall binding and loosing even of persons. Only I shall add these further considerations. First, the binding and loosing are Acts of the power of the Keys, and are exercised about the same object, about which the power of the Keys is exercised Math. 16. 19. Now the power of the Keys is exercised about persons, for the Kingdom of heaven is opened or shut to persons, not to Doctrines. If it be said that the Keys are for opening and shutting, not for binding and loosing, to this I answer with Alexr. Alensis part ⟨p. 422⟩4. Quaest. 20. Membr. 5. that these Keys are as well for binding and loosing as for shutting and opening; but the Act of binding and loosing doth agree to the Keys immediately and in respect of the subject; but the act of opening in reference to the last end. Ibid. Membr. 2. He had given this reason why the power of the Keys is called the power of binding and loosing, because although to open and shut be the more proper Acts of the Keys themselves, yet nevertheless to loose and bind are the more proper Acts in reference to those who are to enter into the Kingdom, or to be excluded from the same; for the persons themselves which do repent, are the subject of loosing: and they that repent not, of binding. Which is not so of opening and shutting; for although the opening be to those that are loosed, and the shutting to those that are bound; yet those that are loosed are not the subject of opening (as to the manner of speaking) nor those that are bound, the Subject of shutting. So then antecedently binding and loosing are Acts of the power of the Keys, because a man is bound before he be shut up, and loosed before the door be opened to him.
As touching that other Exposition of the binding and loosing, that the object it is exercised about, is not a person, but a thing or Doctrine, for it is not said Whomsoever but whatsoever ye bind: It is sufficiently confuted by ▪much of that which hath been said already, proving a forensicall binding and loosing even of persons. Onely I shall adde these further considerations. First, the binding and loosing are Acts of the power of the Keyes, and are exercised about the same object, about which the power of the Keyes is exercised