Erastianism

The principles of the Erastians. Eras'tians, n. pl. ( Eccl. Hist.) The name given to persons who adopted the views of Thomas Lieber, or Erastus, a German physician and divine, who was B. Sept. 7, 1524, and D. Dec. 31, 1583. They formed a separate party in the A embly of Divines in 1643, and unsucce fully advocated their peculiar views respecting the exclusively persuasive-authority of the pastoral office, and the consequent impropriety of ecclesiastical excommunications, .