Ans. 1. Here is a manifest contradiction; for the Bishop saith that every man did, by this oath, oblige himself only to obey and defend that discipline which is unchangeable and commanded in the word. And yet again he seemeth to import (that which Dr Forbesse plainly avoucheth(1287)), that every man obliged himself by the same oath to obey and defend all that the church should afterwards ordain, though thereby the former constitutions be altered. The Bishop doth, therefore, apparently contradict himself; or, at the best, he contradicteth his fellow-pleader for the ceremonies.

2. That ancient discipline and policy of this church which is contrary to the articles of Perth, and whereunto we are bound by the oath, was well grounded upon God's word, and therefore should not have been ranked among other alterable things.

3. Whereas the Bishop is of opinion that a man may, by his oath, tie himself to things which a church shall afterwards ordain, he may consider, that such an oath were unlawful, because not sworn in judgment, Jer. iv. 2. Now this judgment which is required as one of the inseparable companions of a lawful oath, is not executio justitiae, but judicium discretionis, as Thomas teacheth;(1288) whom Bullinger and Zanchius(1289) do herein follow. But there is no judgment of discretion in his oath who swears to that he knows not what, even to that which may fall out as readily wrong as right.

4. Whereas the Bishop and the Doctor allege that every man who sware to the discipline of this church standeth obliged to obey all that the church ordained afterward, they greatly deceive themselves.

For, 1. The discipline spoken of in the promissory part of the oath must be the same which was spoken of in the assertory part. Now that which is mentioned in the assertory part cannot be imagined to be any other but that which was then presently used in this church at the time of giving the oath; for an assertory oath(1290) is either of that which is past or of that which is present: and the assertory part of the oath whereof we speak was not of any discipline past and away, therefore of that which was present. Moreover, Thomas(1291) doth rightly put this difference betwixt an assertory and a promissory oath, that the matter of a promissory oath is a thing to come, which is alterable, as concerning the event. Materia autem juramenti assertorii, quod est de praeterito vel praesenti, in quandam necessitatem jam transiit, et immutabilis facta est. Since, then, the discipline spoken of in the assertory part was no other than that which was used in this church when the oath was sworn; and since the promissory part is illative upon, and relative unto the matter of the assertory part; therefore we conclude the discipline spoken of in the promissory part could be no other than that which was then presently used in this church at the swearing of the oath.

2. Since the doctrine mentioned in that oath is said to have been professed openly by the King's Majesty, and the whole body of this realm, before the swearing of the same, why should we not likewise understand the discipline mentioned in the oath to be that which was practised in this realm before the swearing of the same?

3. This is further proved by the word continuing. We are sworn to continue in the obedience of the doctrine and discipline of this church; but how can men be said to continue in the obedience of any other discipline than that which they have already begun to obey? This the Bishop seems to have perceived, for he speaks only of defending and obeying, but not of continuing to obey, which is the word of the oath, and which proveth the discipline there spoken of and sworn to to be no other than that which was practised in the church when the oath was sworn. 4. Whilst we hold that he who sweareth to the present discipline of a church, is not by virtue of this oath obliged to obey all which that church shall ordain afterward, both the school and the canon law do speak for us. The school teacheth, that canonicus qui jurat se servaturum statuta edita in aliquo collegio, non tenetur ex juramenta ad servandum futura;(1292) the canon law judgeth, that qui jurat servare statuta edita, &c., non tenetur ex juramento ad novitur edita.(1293)

Sect. 8. But we are more fully to consider that ground whereby the Bishop thinketh to purge himself, and those of his sect, of the breach of the oath. He still allegeth,(1294) that the points of discipline for which we contend are not contained in the matter of the oath. Now, as touching the discipline of this church which is spoken of in the oath, he questioneth what is meant by it.(1295)

Ans. 1. Put the case, it were doubtful and questionable what is meant by the word discipline in the oath; yet pars tutior were to be chosen. The Bishop nor no man among us can certainly know, that the discipline meant and spoken of in the oath by those that swear it, comprehendeth not under it those points of discipline which we now contend, and which this church had in use at the swearing of the oath. Shall we, then, put the breach of the oath in a fair hazard? God forbid; for, as Joseph Hall(1296) noteth from the example of Joshua and the princes, men may not trust to shifts for the eluding of an oath. Surely the fear of God's name should make us tremble at an oath, and to be far from adventuring upon any such shifts.

2. The Bishop doth but needlessly question what is meant by the discipline whereof the oath speaketh; for howsoever in ecclesiastical use it signify oftentimes that policy which standeth in the censuring of manners, yet in the oath it must be taken in the largest sense, namely, for the whole policy of the church; for, 1. The whole policy of this church did at that time go under the name of discipline;(1297) and those two books wherein this policy is contained were called The Books of Discipline. And, without all doubt, they who sware the oath meant by discipline that whole policy of the church which is contained in those books. Howbeit (as the preface of them showeth) discipline doth also comprehend other ecclesiastical ordinances and constitutions which are not inserted in them. 2. Doctrine and discipline, in the oath, do comprehend all that to which the church required, and we promised, to perform obedience; therefore the whole policy of the church was meant by discipline, forasmuch as it was not comprehended under doctrine.

Sect. 9. The Bishop(1298) objecteth three limitations, whereby he thinketh to seclude from the matter of the oath that policy and discipline which we plead for.

First, he saith, that the matter of the oath is the doctrine and discipline revealed to the world by the gospel, and that this limitation excludeth all ecclesiastical constitutions which are not expressly or by a necessary consequence contained in the written word.

2. That the matter of the oath is the doctrine and discipline which is received, believed and defended, by many notable churches, &c., and that this limitation excludeth all these things wherein the church of Scotland hath not the consent of many notable churches, &c.

3. That the doctrine and discipline which is the matter of the oath, is particularly expressed in the Confession of Faith, &c., and that in this confession of faith, established by parliament, there is no mention made of the articles controverted, &c.

Ans. I might here show how he confoundeth the preaching of the evangel with the written word; likewise how falsely he affirmeth, that the points of discipline for which we plead, are neither warranted by the Scripture nor by the consent of many notable churches. But to the point: These words of the oath, "We believe, &c., that this is the only true Christian faith and religion, pleasing God, and bringing salvation to man, which now is by the mercy of God revealed to the world by the preaching of the blessed evangel, and received, believed and defended, by many and sundry notable kirks and realms, but chiefly by the kirk of Scotland, the King's Majesty, and three Estates, &c., as more particularly expressed in the Confession of our Faith, &c.," are altogether perverted by the Bishop; for there is no discipline spoken of in these words, but afterward. Why, then, talks he of a discipline revealed to the world by the gospel, having the consent of many notable churches, and expressed in the Confession of Faith? And if the Bishop will have any discipline to be meant of in these words, he must comprehend it under the Christian faith and religion, which bringeth salvation unto man. But this he cannot do with so much as the least show of reason. Thus put we an end to the argument taken from the oath of God, wishing every man amongst us, out of the fear of God's glorious and fearful name, duly to regard and ponder the same.



CHAPTER IX.

A RECAPITULATION OF SUNDRY OTHER REASONS AGAINST THE INDIFFERENCY OF THE CEREMONIES.

Sect. 1. That the ceremonies are not indifferent to us, or such things as we may freely practise, we prove yet by other reasons:

For, 1. They who plead for the indifferency of the ceremonies must tell us whether they call them indifferent in actu signato, or in actu exercito; or in both these respects. Now, we have proven,(1299) that there is no action deliberated upon, and wherein we proceed with the advice of reason, which can be indifferent in actu exercito, and that because it cannot choose, but either have all the circumstances which it should have (and so be good), or else want some of them, one or more (and so be evil). And for the indifferency of the ceremonies in actu signato, though we should acknowledge it (which we do not), yet it could be no warrant for the practice of them, or else the believing Gentiles might have freely eaten of all meats, notwithstanding of the scandal of the Jews, for the eating of all meats freely was still a thing indifferent, in actu signato.

Sect. 2. The ceremonies are not indifferent eo ipso, that they are prescribed and commended unto us as indifferent; for, as Aquinas(1300) resolveth out of Isidore, every human or positive law must be both necessaria ad remotionem malorum and utilis ad consecutionem bonorum. The guides of God's church have not power to prescribe any other thing than that which is good and profitable for edifying; for they are set not as lords over Christ's inheritance, but as ministers for their good: "It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us, (say the apostles and elders to the churches,) to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things," Acts xv. 28. They would not, you see, have enacted a canon about those things, howbeit indifferent in their own nature, had they not found them necessary for the eschewing of scandal. And as for the civil magistrate, he also hath not power to prescribe any thing which he pleaseth, though it be in itself indifferent; "for he is the minister of God unto thee for good," saith the Apostle, Rom. xiii. 4. Mark that word, for good,—it lets us see that the magistrate hath not power given him to enjoin any other thing than that which may be for our good. Non enim sua causa dominantur, saith Calvin;(1301) sed publico bono; neque effroeni potentia proediti sunt, sed quoe subditorum saluti sit obstricta. Now, the first and chief good which the magistrate is bound to see for unto the subjects, is (as Pareus showeth(1302)), bonum spirituale. Let us, then, either see the good of the ceremonies, or else we must account them to be such things as God never gave princes nor pastors power to enjoin; for howsoever they have power to prescribe many things which are indifferent, that is to say, neither good nor evil in their general nature, yet they may not command us to practise any thing which in the particular use of it is not necessary or expedient for some good end.

3. The ceremonies are not indifferent, because, notwithstanding that they are prescribed and commended unto us as things in themselves indifferent, yet we are by the will and authority of men compelled and necessitated to use them. Si vero ad res suo natura medius accedat coactio, &c., then, say the Magdeburgians.(1303) Paul teacheth, Col. ii., that it is not lawful to use them freely: "If ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances (touch not, taste not, handle not, which are all to perish with the using), after the commandments and doctrines of men." Hence is Tertullian taxed(1304) for inducing a necessity in things indifferent. Now, with how great necessity and co-action the ceremonies are imposed upon us, we have made it evident elsewhere.(1305)

_Sect._ 4. 4. Whatever be the quality of the ceremonies in their own nature, they are not indifferent to us; neither may we freely practice them, because Papists make advantage of them, and take occasion from them to confirm sundry of their errors and superstitions, as we have likewise elsewhere made evident.(1306) Now, _cum adiaphora rapiuntur _ ad confessionem, libera esse desinunt_, saith the Harmony of Confessions.(1307) Mark _rapiuntur_. Though they get no just occasion, yet, if they take occasion, though unjustly, that is enough to make us abstain from things indifferent. _Etiam ea_, saith Balduine,(1308) _quoe natura sunt sua liberoe observationis, in statu confessionis, cum ab adversariis eorum mutatio postulatur, fiunt necessaria._

Sect. 5. 5. Things which are most indifferent in themselves become evil in the case of scandal, and so may not be used. So hold the Century writers;(1309) so Pareus;(1310) so Zanchius;(1311) so Chemnitius;(1312) so Augustine;(1313) and so hath the Apostle taught.(1314) But that out of the practice of the ceremonies there groweth active scandal unto the weak, we have most clearly proven.(1315) Wherefore, let them be in their own nature as indifferent as anything can be, yet they are not indifferent to be used and practised by us; and whosoever swalloweth this scandal of Christ's little ones, and repenteth not, the heavy millstone of God's dreadful wrath shall be hanged about his neck, to sink him down in the bottomless lake; and then shall he feel that which before he would not understand.

Sect. 6. 6. It is not enough for warrant of our practice that we do those things which are indifferent or lawful in themselves, except they be also expedient to be done by us according to the Apostle's rule, 1 Cor. vi. 12. But I have proven that many and weighty inconveniences do follow upon the ceremonies,(1316) as namely, that they make way and are the ushers for greater evils; that they hinder edification, and in their fleshly show and outward splendour, obscure and prejudice the life and power of godliness; that they are the unhappy occasions of much injury and cruelty against the faithful servants of Christ, that they were bellows to blow up, and are still fuel to increase the church-consuming fire of woeful dissentions amongst us, &c. Where also we show,(1317) that some of our opposites themselves acknowledge the inconveniency of the ceremonies; wherefore we cannot freely nor indifferently practise them.

Sect. 7. 7. These ceremonies are the accursed monuments of popish superstition, and have been both dedicated unto and employed in the public and solemn worship of idols, and therefore (having no necessary use for which we should still retain them) they ought to be utterly abolished, and are not left free nor indifferent to us, which argument I have also made good elsewhere,(1318) and in this place I only add, that both Jerome,(1319) Zanchius, and Amandus Polanus,(1320) do apply this argument to the surplice, holding, that though it be in itself indifferent, yet quia in cultu idololatrico veste linea utuntur clerici papaxi, et in ea non parum sanctimoniae ponunt superstitiosi homines; valedicendum est, non solum cultui idololatrico, sed etiam omnibus idololatriae monumentis, instrumentis et adminiculis. Yea, Joseph Hall himself, doth herein give testimony unto us, for upon Hezekiah's pulling down of the brazen serpent, because of the idolatrous abuse of it, thus he noteth:(1321) "God commanded the raising of it, God commanded the abolishing of it. Superstitious use can mar the very institutions of God, how much more the most wise and well-grounded devices of men!" And further, in the end of this treatise, entitled, The Honour of the Married Clergy, he adjoineth a passage taken out of the epistle of Erasmus Roterodamus to Christopher, Bishop of Basil, which passage beginneth thus: "For those things which are altogether of human constitution must (like to remedies in diseases) be attempered to the present estate of matters and times. Those things which were once religiously instituted, afterwards, according to occasion, and the changed quality of manners and times, may be with more religion and piety abrogated." Finally, If Hezekiah be praised for breaking down the brazen serpent (though instituted by God) when the Israelites began to abuse it against the honour of God, how much more (saith Zanchius(1322)) are our reformers to be praised, for that they did thus with rites instituted by men, being found full of superstitious abuse, though in themselves they had not been evil!

Sect. 8. 8. The ceremonies are not indifferent, because they depart too far from the example of Christ and his apostles, and the purer times of the church; for instead of that ancient Christian-like and soul-edifying simplicity, religion is now by their means busked with the vain trumpery of Babylonish trinkets, and her face covered with the whorish and eye-bewitching fairding of fleshly show and splendour; and I have also showed particularly(1323) how sundry of the ceremonies are flat contrary to the example of Christ and his apostles and the best times.

Sect. 9. 9. The ceremonies make us also to conform, and like the idolatrous Papists, whereas it is not lawful to symbolise with idolaters, or to be like them in a ceremony of man's devising, or anything which hath no necessary use in religion; such a distance and a dissimilitude there is required to be betwixt the church of Christ and the synagogue of Satan; betwixt the temple of God and the kingdom of the beast; betwixt the company of sound believers and the conventicles of heretics who are without; betwixt the true worshippers of God and the worshippers of idols, that we cannot, without being accessory to their superstitious and false religion, and partaking with the same, appear conform unto them in their unnecessary rites and ceremonies. Durandus tells us,(1324) that they call Easter by the Greek and not by the Hebrew name, and that they keep not that feast upon the same day with the Jews, and all for this cause, lest they should seem to Judaise. How much more reason have we to abstain from the ceremonies of the church of Rome lest we seem to Romanise! But I say no more in this place, because I have heretofore confirmed this argument at length.(1325)

Sect. 10. 10. The ceremonies, as urged upon us, are also full of superstition; holiness and worship are placed in them, as we have proven by unanswerable grounds,(1326) and by testimonies of our opposites themselves. Therefore were they never so indifferent in their own general nature, this placing of them in the state of worship maketh them cease to be indifferent.

Sect. 11. 11. The ceremonies against which we dispute are more than matters of mere order, forasmuch as sacred and mysterious significations are given unto them, and by their significations they are thought to teach men effectually sundry mysteries and duties of piety. Therefore they are not free nor indifferent, but more than men have power to institute; for except circumstances and matters of mere order there is nothing which concerneth the worship of God left to the determination of men, and this argument also hath been in all the parts of it fully explained and strengthened by us,(1327) which strongly proveth that the ceremonies are not indifferent, so much as quo ad speciem. Quare doctrina a nobis tradita (these be Zanchius' words(1328)) non licere nobis, aliis externi cultus ceremoniis Deum colere, quam quas ipse in sacris literis per apostolis proescripsit, firma ac certa manet.

Sect. 12. 12. Whatsoever indifferency the ceremonies could be thought to have in their own nature, yet if it be considered how the church of Scotland hath once been purged from them, and hath spued them out with detestation, and hath enjoyed the comfortable light and sweet beams of the glorious and bright shining gospel of Christ, without shadows and figures, then shall it appear that there is no indifferency in turning back to weak and beggarly elements, Gal. v. 9. And thus saith Calvin(1329) of the ceremonies of the interim, that granting they were things in themselves indifferent, yet the restitution of them in those churches which were once purged from them, is no indifferent thing. Wherefore, O Scotland! "strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die," Rev. iii. 2. Remember also from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else thy candlestick will be quickly removed out of his place, except thou repent, Rev. ii. 5.

THE END.



A BROTHERLY EXAMINATION OF SOME PASSAGES OF MR COLEMAN'S LATE SERMON UPON JOB XI. 20.

A BROTHERLY EXAMINATION

OF SOME PASSAGES OF

MR COLEMAN'S LATE SERMON UPON JOB XI. 20,

AS IT IS NOW PRINTED AND PUBLISHED:

BY WHICH HE HATH,

TO THE GREAT OFFENCE OF VERY MANY,

ENDEAVOURED TO STRIKE AT THE VERY ROOT OF ALL SPIRITUAL AND ECCLESIASTICAL GOVERNMENT,

CONTRARY TO

THE WORD OF GOD, THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT, OTHER REFORMED CHURCHES,

AND THE VOTES OF THE HONOURABLE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT,

AFTER ADVICE HAD WITH THE REVEREND AND LEARNED

ASSEMBLY OF DIVINES.

BY GEORGE GILLESPIE,

MINISTER AT EDINBURGH, 1642.

EDINBURGH:

ROBERT OGLE, AND OLIVER & BOYD.

M. OGLE & SON, AND WILLIAM COLLINS, GLASGOW.

J. DEWAR, PERTH. W. MIDDLETON, DUNDEE. G. & R. KING, ABERDEEN.

W. M'COMB, BELFAST.

HAMILTON, ADAMS & CO., AND JAMES NISBET & CO., LONDON.

1645.

REPRINTED BY A. W. MURRAY, MILNE SQUARE, EDINBURGH.

1844.



NOTICE.

In order to render the following controversial writings of Gillespie intelligible to the general reader, we have judged it expedient to prefix to the "Brotherly Examination" that portion of Coleman's sermon on which Gillespie thought it his duty to animadvert. And as a tolerably full account of the whole controversy between Coleman and Gillespie will be found in the Memoir of Gillespie's Life, we refrain from occupying space with any additional remarks here.



EXTRACT FROM COLEMAN'S SERMON.

"All eyes are upon government, they look upon it as the only help. If anywhere, here let wisdom be used. To prescribe is above me, only let me offer two or three rules, which may either be helpful to the work, or useful to the workmen.

"1. Establish as few things by divine right as can well be. Hold out the practice but not the ground: it will gather more, nay all, that hold it not unlawful; men differently principled may meet in one practice. It may be, will be of larger extent than it must be. This (the divine right) was the only thing that hindered union in the Assembly. Two parties came biassed, the one with a national determination, the other with a congregational engagement. The reverend Commissioners from Scotland were for the divine right of the presbyterial, the Independents for the congregational government. How should either move? where should both meet? Here was the great bar, which, if you can avoid, you may do much.

"2. Let all precepts, held out as divine institutions, have clear scriptures. I could never yet see how two co-ordinate governments, exempt from superiority and inferiority, can be in one state; and in Scripture no such thing is found, that I know of. That place, 1 Cor. v., takes not hold of my conscience for excommunication, and I admire that Matt. xviii. so should upon any; yet these two are the common places on which are erected the chiefest acts of ruling. And when I see not an institution, nor any one act of government in the whole Bible performed, how can it be evinced that a ruling elder is an instituted officer? Let the Scripture speak expressly, and institutions appear institutions, and all must bow.

"3. Lay no more burden of government upon the shoulders of ministers than Christ hath plainly laid upon them. The ministers have other work to do, and such as will take up the whole man, might I measure others by myself. It was the king of Sodom's speech to Abraham, 'Give me the persons; take thou the goods:' so say I, Give us doctrine; take you the government. As is said, Right Honourable, give me leave to make this request in the behalf of the ministry, Give us two things, and we shall do well—learning and a competency.

"4. A Christian magistrate, as a Christian magistrate, is a governor in the church. Christ has placed government in his church, 1 Cor. xii. 28. Of other governments, beside magistracy, I find no institution; of them I do, Rom. xii. 1, 2. I find all government given to Christ, and to Christ as Mediator, Eph. i. 22, 23. I desire all to consider it. To rob the kingdom of Christ of the magistrate, and his governing power, I cannot excuse, no not from a kind of sacrilege, if the magistrate be His."



A BROTHERLY EXAMINATION, &c.

I have before touched this purpose in the third branch of the third application of my second doctrine; and did, in my sermon in the Abbey church, express my thoughts of it at some length. But as I was then unwilling to fall upon such a controversy so publicly, and especially in a Fast sermon, if that which I intend to examine had not been as publicly and upon the like occasion delivered; so now, in the publishing, I have thought good to open my mind concerning this thing distinctly, and by itself. That which had been too late to be preached after sermon is not too late to be printed after sermon. Others (upon occasion offered) have given their testimony against his doctrine; and I should think myself unfaithful in the trust put upon me, if, upon such an occasion, I should be silent in this business; and I believe no man will think it strange that a piece of this nature and strain get an answer; and I go about it without any disrespect either to the person or parts of my reverend brother. Only I must give a testimony to the truth when I hear it spoken against; and I hope his objections have made no such impression in any man's mind as to make him unwilling to hear an answer. Come we therefore to the particulars.

Four rules were offered by the reverend brother, as tending to unity, and to the healing of the present controversies about church government. But in truth his cure is worse than the disease; and, instead of making any agreement, he is like to have his hand against every man, and every man's hand against him.

The first rule was this, "Establish as few things jure divino as can well be;" which is, by interpretation, as little fine gold, and as much dross as can well be. "The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times," Psal. xii, 6. What you take from the word of God is fine "gold tried in the fire" (Rev. iii. 18); but an holy thing of man's devising is the dross of silver. Can he not be content to have the dross purged from the silver except the silver itself be cast away? The very contrary rule is more sure and safe; which I prove thus:—

If it be a sin to diminish or take aught from the word of God, insomuch that it is forbidden under pain of taking away a man's part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city; then as many things are to be established jure divino as can well be. But it is a sin to diminish or take aught from the word of God, insomuch that it is forbidden under pain of taking away a man's part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city; therefore as many things are to be established jure divino as can well be.

It must be remembered, withal, 1. That the question is not now, Whether this or that form of church government be jure divino; but, Whether a church government be jure divino; whether Jesus Christ hath thus far revealed his will in his word, that there are to be church-censures, and those to be dispensed by church-officers. The brother is for the negative of this question. 2. Neither is it stood upon by any, so far as I know, that what the Parliament shall establish concerning church government must be established by them jure divino If the Parliament shall, in a parliamentary and legislative way, establish that thing which really, and in itself, is agreeable to the word of God, though they do not declare it to be the will of Jesus Christ, I am satisfied, and, I am confident, so are others. This I confess, That it is incumbent to parliament-men, to ministers, and to all other Christians, according to their vocation and interest, to search the Scriptures, and thereby to inform their own and other men's consciences, so as they may do in faith what they do in point of church government, that is, that they may know they are not sinning, but doing the will of God. And it ought to be no prejudice nor exception against a form of church government that many learned and godly divines do assert it from Scripture to be the will of God. And why should jus divinum be such a noli me tangere? The reason was given. "This was the only thing that hindered union in the Assembly (saith he). Two parties came biassed. The reverend commissioners from Scotland were for the jus divinum of the presbyterial, the Independents for the congregational government. How should either move? where should both meet?" If it was thus, how shall he make himself blameless, who made union in the Assembly yet more difficult, because he came biassed a third way, with the Erastian tenets? And where he asketh where the Independents and we should meet, I answer, In holding a church government jure divino, that is, that the pastors and elders ought to suspend or excommunicate (according to the degree of the offence) scandalous sinners. Who can tell but the purging of the church from scandals, and the keeping of the ordinances pure (when it shall be actually seen to be the great thing endeavoured on both sides), may make union between us and the Independents more easy than many imagine. As for his exceptions against us who are commissioners from the church of Scotland, I thank God it is but such, yea, not so much, as the Arminians did object(1330) against the foreign divines who came to the Synod of Dort. They complained that those divines were pre-engaged and biassed, in regard of the judgment of those churches from which they came; and that therefore they did not help, but hinder, union in that assembly. And might not the Arians have thus excepted against Alexander, who was engaged against them before he came to the Council of Nice? Might not the Nestorians have made the same exception against Cyril, because he was under an engagement against them before he came to the Council of Ephesus? Nay, had not the Jewish zealots the very same objection to make against Paul and Barnabas, who were engaged, not in the behalf of one nation, but of all the churches of the Gentiles, against the imposition of the Mosaical rites, and had so declared themselves at Antioch before they came to the synod at Jerusalem? Acts xv. 2. It is not faulty to be engaged for the truth, but against the truth. It is not blameworthy, but praiseworthy, to hold fast so much as we have already attained unto. Notwithstanding we, for our part, have also from the beginning professed, "That we are most willing to hear and learn from the word of God what needeth further to be reformed in the church of Scotland."(1331)

The second rule which was offered in that sermon was this: "Let all precepts, held out as divine institutions, have clear scriptures," &c.; "Let the Scripture speak expressly," saith he. I answer: The Scripture speaks in that manner which seemed fittest to the wisdom of God; that is, so as it must cost us much searching of the Scripture, as men search for a hid treasure, before we find out what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God concerning the government of his church. Will any divine in the world deny that it is a divine truth which, by necessary consequence, is drawn from Scripture, as well as that which, in express words and syllables, is written in Scripture? Are not divers articles of our profession,—for instance, the baptism of infants,—necessarily and certainly proved from Scripture, although it makes no express mention thereof in words and syllables? But let us hear what he hath said concerning some scriptures (for he names but two of them) upon which the acts of spiritual or ecclesiastical government have been grounded. "That place, 1 Cor. v., takes not hold (saith he) on my conscience for excommunication, and I admire that Matt. xviii. so should upon any." It is strange that he should superciliously pass them over without respect to so great a cloud of witnesses in all the reformed churches, or without so much as offering any answer at all to the arguments which so many learned and godly divines of old and of late have drawn from these places for excommunication; which, if he had done, he should not want a reply. In the meantime, he intermixeth a politic consideration into this debate of divine right. "I could never yet see (saith he) how two co-ordinate governments, exempt from superiority and inferiority, can be in one state." I suppose he hath seen the co-ordinate governments of a general and of an admiral; or, if we shall come lower, the government of parents over their children, and masters over their servants, though it fall often out, that he who is subject to one man as his master, is subject to another man as his father. In one ship there may be two co-ordinate governments, the captain governing the soldiers, the master governing the mariners. In these and such like cases you have two co-ordinate governments, when the one governor is not subordinate to the other. There is more subordination in the ministers and other church-officers towards the civil magistrate. For the minister of Christ must be in subjection to the magistrate; and if he be not, he is punishable by the law of the land as well as any other subject. The persons and estates of church-officers, and all that they have in this world, are subject to civil authority. But that which is Christ's, and not ours, the royal prerogative of the King of saints, in governing of his church according to his own will, is not subject to the pleasure of any man living. But the reverend brother might well have spared this. It is not the independency of the church government upon the civil government which he intended to speak against, it is the very thing itself, a church government, as is manifest by his other two rules.

I come therefore to his next, which is the third rule: "Lay no more burden of government upon the shoulders of ministers than Christ hath plainly laid upon them." He means none at all, as is manifest not only by his fourth rule, where he saith that he finds no institution of other governments beside magistracy, but also by the next words, "The ministers have other work to do (saith he), and such as will take up the whole man." He might have added this one word more, that without the power of church government, when ministers have done all that ever they can, they shall not keep themselves nor the ordinances from pollution. Before I proceed any farther, let it be remembered, when he excludes ministers from government: First, It is from spiritual or ecclesiastical government, for the question is not of civil government. Secondly, He excludes ruling elders too, and therefore ought to have mentioned them with the ministers as those who are to draw the same yoke together, rather than to tell us of an "innate enmity between the clergy and the laity." The keeping up of the names of the clergy and laity savoureth more of a domineering power than anything the brother can charge upon presbyteries. It is a point of controversy between Bellarmine(1332) and those that write against him; he holding up, and they crying down those names, because the Christian people are the κλῆρος, the heritage of the Lord as well as the ministers. Thus much by the way of that distinction of names; and, for the thing itself, to object an innate enmity between the ministers of the gospel and those that are not ministers, is no less than a dishonouring and aspersing of the Christian religion. To return, you see his words tend to the taking away of all church government out of the hands of church-officers. Now may we know his reasons? He fetcheth the ground of an argument out of his own heart: "I have a heart (saith he) that knows better how to be governed than govern." I wish his words might hold true in a sense of pliableness and yielding to government. How he knows to govern I know not; but it should seem in this particular he knows not how to be governed; for after both houses of parliament have concluded "that many particular congregations shall be under one presbyterial government," he still acknowledgeth no such thing as presbyterial government. I dare be bold to say he is the first divine, in all the Christian world, that ever advised a state to give no government to church-officers, after the state had resolved to establish presbyterian government; but let us take the strength of his argument as he pretendeth it. He means not of an humble pliableness and subjection (for that should ease him from his fear of an ambitious ensnarement, and so were contrary to his intention), but of a sinful infirmity and ambition in the heart, which makes it fitter for him and others to be kept under the yoke than to govern. And thus his argumentation runs: "Might I measure others by myself, and I know not why I may not (God fashions men's hearts alike; and as in water face answers face, so the heart of man to man), I ingenuously profess I have a heart that knows better how to be governed than govern,—I fear an ambitious ensnarement, and I have cause,—I see what raised Prelacy and Papacy to such a height," &c. The two scriptures will not prove what he would. The first of them, Psal. xxxiii. 15, "He fashioneth their hearts alike," gives him no ground at all, except it be the homonomy of the English word alike, which in this place noteth nothing else but τὸ καθόλου,—all men's hearts are alike in this, that God fashioneth them all, and therefore knoweth them all aeque or alike (that is the scope of the place). The Hebrew jachad is used in the same sense, Ezra iv. 3, "We ourselves together will build;"(1333) they mean not they will all build in the like fashion, or in the same manner, but that they will build all of them together, one as well as another; so Psal. ii. 2, "The rulers take counsel together;" Jer. xlvi. 12, "They are fallen both together." The other place, Prov. xxvii. 19, if you take it word by word as it is in the Hebrew, is thus: "As in water faces to faces; so the heart of man to man." Our translators add the word answereth, but the Hebrew will suffer the negative reading, As in water faces answer not to faces. The Septuagint reads: "As faces are not like faces, so neither are the hearts of men alike." The Chaldee paraphrase thus: "As waters and as countenances, which are not like one another, so the hearts of the sons of men are not alike." Thus doth Mr Cartwright, in his judicious commentary, give the sense: "As in the water face doth not answer fully to face, but in some sort, so there may be a conjecture, but no certain knowledge of the heart of man." But let the text be read affirmatively, not negatively, what shall be the sense? Some take it thus:(1334) A man's heart may be someway seen in his countenance as a face in the water. Others(1335) thus: As a face in the water is various and changeable to him that looketh upon it, so is the heart of man inconstant to a friend that trusteth in him. Others(1336) thus: As a man seeth his own face in the water, so he may see himself in his own heart or conscience. Others(1337) thus: As face answereth face in the water, so he that looketh for a friendly affection from others, must show it in himself. It will never be proved that any such thing is intended in that place as may warrant this argumentation. There is a particular corruption in one man's heart—for instance, ambition—which makes him unfit to be trusted with government; therefore the same corruption is in all other men's hearts; even as the face in the water answereth the face out of the water so just, that there is not a spot or blemish in the one but it is in the other. I am sure Paul taught us not so when he said, "In lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves," Phil. ii. 3. Nay, the brother himself hath taken off the edge of his own argument (if it had any) in his epistle printed before his sermon, where, speaking of his brethren, from whose judgment he dissenteth in point of government, he hath these words: "Whose wisdom and humility (I speak it confidently) may safely be trusted with as large a share of government as they themselves desire." Well, but suppose now the same corruption to be in other men's hearts, that they are in great danger of an ambitious ensnarement if they be trusted with government, is this corruption only in the hearts of ministers, or is it in the hearts of all other men? I suppose he will say, in all men's hearts, and then his argument will conclude against all civil government. Last of all, Admit that there be just fears of abusing the power and government ecclesiastical,—let the persons to be intrusted with it be examined, and the power itself bounded according to the strictest rules of Christ. Let abuses be prevented, reformed, corrected. The abuse cannot take away the use where the thing itself is necessary. Why might he not have satisfied himself without speaking against the thing itself? Once, indeed, he seemeth to recoil, and saith, "Only I would have it so bounded, that it might be said, Hitherto shalt thou come, and here shalt thou stay thy proud waves," yet by and by he passeth his own bounds, and totally renounceth the government to the civil power, which I shall speak to anon. But I must first ask, Whence is this fear of the proud swelling waves of presbyterial government? Where have they done hurt? Was it upon the coast of France, or upon the coast of Holland, or upon the coast of Scotland, or where was it? Or was it the dashing upon terra in cognita? He that would forewarn men to beware of presbyterial usurpations (for so the brother speaking to the present controversy about church government must be apprehended), and to make good what he saith falls upon the stories of Pope Paul V., and of the Bishop of Canterbury, is not a little wide from the mark. I should have expected some examples of evils and mischiefs which presbyterial government hath brought upon other reformed churches.

Well, the reverend brother hath not done, but he proceedeth thus: "It was the king of Sodom's speech to Abraham, 'Give me the persons, take thou the goods;' so say I, Give us doctrine, take you the government: as is said, Right Honourable, give me leave to make this request in the behalf of the ministry. Give us two things and we shall do well: 1. Give us learning; and, 2. Give us a competency."

This calls to mind a story which Clemens Alexandrinus tells us:(1338) When one had painted Helena with much gold, Apolles, looking upon it, "Friend (saith he), when you could not make her fair, you have made her rich." Learning and competency do enrich. The Jesuits have enough of both, but that which maketh a visible ministerial church to be "beautiful as Tizrah, comely as Jerusalem," that which maketh fair the outward face of a church, is government and discipline, the removing of scandals, the preserving of the ordinances from pollution. He had spoken more for the honour of God and for the power of godliness, if he had said this in the behalf of the ministry: It were better for us to want competency and helps to learning, than to partake with other men's sins, by admitting the scandalous and profane to the Lord's table. His way, which he adviseth, will perhaps "get us an able ministry, and procure us honour enough," as he speaketh; but, sure, it can neither preserve the purity, nor advance the power of religion, because it putteth no black mark upon profaneness and scandal in church-members more than in any others. The king of Sodom's speech cannot serve his turn except it be turned over, and then it will serve him as just as anything, thus: Give us the goods, take you the persons (or the souls, as the Hebrew and the Chaldee hath it); "Give us a competency," saith he,—here he asketh the goods,—"take you the government,"—here he quitteth the persons or souls to be governed only by the civil power. However, as at that time Abraham would take nothing that was not his own, insomuch as he answereth the king of Sodom: "I will not take from a thread even to a shoe-latchet, and that I will not take anything that is thine," Gen. xiv. 23; so this Parliament, I trust, shall be so counselled and guided of the Lord, that they will leave to the church what is the church's, or rather to Christ what is Christ's. And as Abraham had lift up his hand to the most high God to do that (ver. 32), so have the Honourable Houses, with hands lift up to the most high God, promised to do this.

And now, seeing I have touched upon the covenant, I wish the reverend brother may seriously consider whether he hath not violated the oath of God in advising the Parliament to lay no burden of government upon church-officers, but to take the government of the church wholly into their own hands. In the first article of the solemn league and covenant, there is thrice mention made of the government of the church; and namely, That we shall endeavour the reformation of religion in the kingdoms of England and Ireland, in doctrine, worship, discipline, and government, according to the word of God, and the example of the best reformed churches. Where observe,

1. The extirpation of church government is not the reformation of it. The second article is indeed of things to be extirpated; but this of things to be preserved and reformed. Therefore as by the covenant Prelacy was not to be reformed, but to be abolished, so, by the same covenant, church government was not to be abolished, but to be reformed.

2. Church government is mentioned in the covenant as a spiritual, not a civil thing. The matters of religion are put together—doctrine, worship, discipline, and government; the privileges of Parliament come after, in the third article.

3. That clause, "According to the word of God," implieth, that the word of God holdeth forth such light unto us as may guide and direct us in the reformation of church government.

4. And will the brother say that the example of the best reformed churches leadeth us his way; that is, to have no church government at all distinct from the civil government?

And so much concerning his third rule.

The fourth was this: "A Christian magistrate, as a Christian magistrate, is a governor in the church." And who denieth this? The question is, Whether there ought to be no other government in the church beside that of the Christian magistrate. That which he driveth at is, That the Christian magistrate should leave no power of spiritual censures to the elderships. He would have the magistrate to do like the rich man in the parable, who had exceeding many flocks and herds, and yet did take away the little ewe-lamb from the poor man, who had nothing save that. The brother saith, "Of other governments besides magistracy, I find no institution; of them I do, Rom. xiii. 1, 2." I am sorry he sought no better, else he had found more. Subjection and obedience is commanded, as due not only to civil but to spiritual governors, to those that are over us in the Lord, 1 Thess. v. 12; so, 1 Tim. v. 17, "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour;" Heb. xiii. 7, "Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God;" ver. 17, "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves; for they watch for your souls." And what understandeth he by "he that ruleth," Rom. xii. 8? If the judgment of Gualther and Bullinger have any weight with him (as I suppose it hath) they do not there exclude, but take in, under that word, the ruling officers of the church.

But now, in the close, let the reverend brother take heed he hath not split upon a rock, and taken from the magistrate more than he hath given him. He saith, "Christian magistrates are to manage their office under Christ, and for Christ. Christ hath placed governments in his church, 1 Cor. xii. 28, &c. I find all government given to Christ, and to Christ as Mediator (I desire all to consider it), Eph. i. 3, 23, and Christ, as Head of these, given to the church." If this be good divinity, then I am sure it will be the hardest task which ever he took in hand to uphold and assert the authority either of pagan or Christian magistrates.

First, He lets the pagan or infidel magistrate fall to the ground, as an usurper who hath no just title to reign, because all government is given to Christ, and to him as Mediator. But which way was the authority of government derived from Christ, and from him as Mediator, to a pagan prince or emperor?

Next, He will make it to fare little better with the Christian magistrate. For if the Christian magistrate be the vicegerent of Christ, and of Christ as Mediator; and if he be to manage his office under, and for Christ,—then the reverend brother must either prove from Scripture, that Christ, as Mediator, hath given such a commission of vicegerentship and deputyship to the Christian magistrate; or otherwise, acknowledge that he hath given a most dangerous wound to magistracy, and made it an empty title, claiming that power which it hath no warrant to assume.

God and nature hath made magistrates, and given them great authority; but from Christ as Mediator they have it not.

I find in Scripture, that church-officers have their power from Christ as Mediator; and they are to manage their office under and for Christ; and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ do we assemble ourselves together, Matt. xviii. 20; in his name do we preach, Luke xxiv. 47; Acts iv. 17, 18; v. 28, 41; ix. 27; in his name do we baptise, Acts ii. 38; iv. 12, 16; xix. 5; in his name do we excommunicate, 1 Cor. v. 5. But I do not find in Scripture that the magistrate is to rule, or to make laws, or to manage any part of his office in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And as the Mediator hath not anywhere given such a commission and power to the magistrate, so, as Mediator, he had it not to give; for he was not made a judge in civil affairs, Luke xii. 14, and his kingdom is not of this world, John xviii. 36. How can that power which Christ as Mediator hath not received of the Father be derived from Christ to the Christian magistrate? I know that Christ, as he is the eternal Son of God, and "thought it no robbery to be equal with God," doth, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, reign and rule over all the kingdoms of the sons of men. He that is Mediator, being God, hath, as God, all power in heaven and earth (and this power was given to him, Matt. xxviii. 18, both by the eternal generation, and by the declaration of him to be the Son of God with power, when he was raised from the dead, Rom. i. 4, even as he is said to be begotten, when he was raised again, Acts xiii. 33: he had relinquished and laid aside his divine dominion and power when he had made himself in the form of a servant, but after his resurrection it is gloriously manifested), and so he that is Mediator, being God, hath power to subdue his and his church's enemies, and to make his foes his footstool. But as Mediator he is only the church's King, Head, and Governor, and hath no other kingdom. The Photinians have defined the kingly office of Christ thus: "It is an office committed to him by God, to govern, with the highest authority and power, all creatures endued with understanding, and especially men, and the church gathered of them."(1339) But those that have written against them have corrected their definition in this particular, because Christ is properly King of his church only.

As for those two scriptures which the brother citeth, they are extremely misapplied. He citeth 1 Cor. xii. 28 to prove that Christ hath placed civil governments in his church. If by the governments or governors there mentioned he understood the civil magistrates, yet that place saith not that Christ hath placed them, but that God hath done it.

Next, The Apostle speaks of such governors as the church had at that time; but at that time the church had no godly nor Christian magistrates. This is Calvin's argument, whereby he proves that ecclesiastical, not civil governors, are there meant.

Thirdly, I ask, How can we conceive that civil government can come into the catalogue of ecclesiastical and spiritual administrations? for such are all the rest there reckoned forth.

Lastly, The brother, after second thoughts, may think he hath done another disservice to the magistrate, in making the magistracy to be below and behind the ministry. The Apostle puts them in this order: "God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments," &c. How makes the brother this to agree with his interpretation.

Next, He citeth Eph. i. 21-23, to prove that all government is given to Christ, and to him as Mediator; and Christ, as Head of these, given to the church. But this place maketh more against him than for him; for the Apostle saith not that Christ is given to the church as the Head of all principalities and powers. The brother saith so; and, in saying so, he makes Christ a head to those that are not of his body.

The Apostle saith far otherwise: That God gave Christ "to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body;" which the Syriac readeth more plainly,—"And him who is over all he gave to be the head to the church." He is a head to none but the church; but He who is head to the church "is over all, God blessed for ever," Rom. ix. 5; yea, even as a man, he is over or above all. The very human nature of Christ which was raised from the dead, being set at the right hand of the Majesty of God, is exalted to a higher degree of honour and glory than either man or angel ever was, or ever shall he; so that He that is head of the church is over all, because he doth not only excel his own members, but excel all creatures that ever God made. It is one thing to say that Christ is exalted to a dignity, excellency, pre-eminence, majesty, and glory, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion; another thing to say that Christ is head of all principalities and governments, and, as Mediator, exerciseth his kingly office over these. The Apostle saith the former, but not the latter.

Shall I need to illustrate this distinction? Is there anything more known in the world? Will any say that he who excels other men in dignity, splendour, honour, and glory, must therefore reign and rule over all those whom he thus excels?

The Apostle saith indeed, in another sense, that Christ "is the head of all principality and power," Col. ii. 10. But that is spoken of Christ not as he is Mediator, but only as he is God; and the Apostle's meaning in those words is nothing but this: That Christ is true God, saith Tossanus; that he is omnipotent, saith Gualther; that he, being the natural Son of God, is together with the Father, Lord of all things, saith Bullinger.

That this is the meaning will soon appear:—

1. From the scope of the place, which is to teach the Colossians not to worship angels, because they are but servants, and the Son of God is their Lord and Head.

2. The Apostle expounds himself how Christ is the head of all principality and power: Col. i. 15-17, "Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature: for by him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist." Now all this is, without controversy, to be understood not of the office, but of the person of Jesus Christ; not of his governing and kingly office, as he is Mediator, but to prove that he is true and very God; therefore Beza, Zanchius, Gualther, Bullinger, Tossanus, M. Bayne, and divers other interpreters upon the place, do generally agree that the Apostle (ver. 15-17) speaks of the dignity and excellency of the person of Jesus Christ, proving him to be true God; and that (ver. 18) he cometh to speak of his office, as he is Mediator: "And he is the head of the body, the church," &c. So that we may distinguish a twofold headship of Jesus Christ: One, in regard of his Godhead,—and so he is head of all principality and power; another, in regard of his office of Mediatorship,—and so he is head of the church only. The present question is of the latter, not of the former. The former is common to the Son of God with the Father and the Holy Ghost; the latter is proper to Christ as God and man. The former shall continue for ever; the latter shall not continue for ever. The former doth not necessarily suppose the latter; but the latter doth necessarily suppose the former. Christ can reign as God, though he reign not as Mediator; but he cannot reign as Mediator and not reign as God. The object of the former is every creature; the object of the latter is the church gathered out of the world.

This digression concerning the headship of Jesus Christ may for the future prevent divers objections, so I shall return.

And now (I desire all to consider it) there is not one word in those three last verses of Eph. i. which will give any ground for that which the brother with so much confidence averreth. Ver. 21 affordeth this argument against him: The honour and dignity of Jesus Christ there spoken of hath place "not only in this world, but also in that which is to come." But the kingdom and government which is given to Christ, as Mediator, shall not continue in the world to come (for when Christ hath put his enemies under his feet, he shall deliver up the kingdom to the Father, and reign no longer as Mediator, 1 Cor. xv. 24, 25); therefore the government given to Christ, as he is Mediator, cannot be meant in that place, but the dignifying, honouring, preferring, and exalting of Christ to a higher degree of glory than either man or angel.

Come on now and see whether ver. 22 maketh any whit more for him: He "hath put all things under his feet;" that is, saith Zanchius, all things but the church, which is his body. But this must be meant in respect of the decree and foreknowledge of God, as Jerome expounds the place; and so doth the Scripture expound itself: Heb. ii. 8, "But now we see not yet all things put under him;" 1 Cor. xv. 25, "He must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet;" Acts ii. 34, 35, "Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool." Now, when Christ shall have put down all rule, and all authority, and power, and shall put his enemies under his feet, then he shall cease to reign any more as Mediator (which I have even now proved); but before that be done he reigns as Mediator. So that it can never be proved that the meaning of these words, "He hath put all things under his feet," is, that all government in this world is given to Christ as Mediator; and whoever saith so, must needs acknowledge that Christ's exercising of government, as he is Mediator, over all principalities and powers, shall continue after all things shall be put under his feet; or that Christ shall not govern as Mediator, "till all things be put under his feet," which is so contrary to the Apostle's meaning, that Christ shall then cease to reign as Mediator.

The next words, "And he gave him to be the head over all things to the church," do furnish another argument against him. Christ's headship, and his government as Mediator, are commensurable, and of an equal extent. Christ is a head to none but to his church; therefore no government is given to him as Mediator but the government of his church.

The last verse doth further confirm that which I say; for the Apostle, continuing his speech of the church, saith, "Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all." He calls the church Christ's fulness, in reference to his headship, that which makes him full and complete so far as he is a head or king. Having his church fully gathered, he hath his complete kingdom, his perfect body; and this being done, he wants nothing, so far as he is Mediator: so that the Holy Ghost doth here, as it were on purpose, anticipate this opinion, lest any should think all civil government is given to Christ as Mediator. Though, as God, he filleth heaven and earth, yet, as Mediator, his filling of all in all extends no further than his body, his church, which is therefore called his fulness.

Finally, To avoid the mistake of this place, and upon the whole matter, let these three things be well distinguished in the Mediator Jesus Christ. 1. His ὑπεροχὴ or δυχα, his eminence and highness in respect of the glory and majesty he is exalted to, far above whatsoever is highest among all the creatures. 2. His δύναμις, the power by which he can, and doth by degrees, and will more and more subdue his and his church's enemies, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel, and break them with a rod of iron. 3. His βασιλεία, his kingly power, by which he exerciseth acts of government. These three are distinguished in an earthly king, the first two being of a larger extent than the third. The conclusion of that prayer which our Lord taught his disciples doth distinguish the same three in God: "Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory." Now these being distinguished in the Mediator Jesus Christ, I conclude with these three distinct assertions (the truth whereof I hope I have made to appear): 1. As Mediator, he is exalted and dignified above all creatures, and his glory is above all the earth; 2. As Mediator, he exerciseth acts of divine power and omnipotence over all creatures, in the behalf of, and for the good of his church, and restraineth, or diverteth, or destroyeth all his church's enemies; 3. As Mediator, he is king, head, and governor to none but his church: neither was all government put in his hand, but that of the church only.

I could enlarge myself further against that most dangerous principle, "That all government, even that which is civil, is given to Christ, and to him as Mediator;" but let these things suffice for the present. The reverend brother's opinion will find better entertainment among the Jews, who expect a temporal monarchy of the Messiah; and among Papists, who desire to uphold the Pope's temporal authority over kings, as Christ's vicegerent upon earth.



NIHIL RESPONDES: OR A DISCOVERY OF THE EXTREME UNSATISFACTORINESS OF MR COLEMAN'S PIECE.

NIHIL RESPONDES:

OR

A DISCOVERY

OF THE

EXTREME UNSATISFACTORINESS OF MR COLEMAN'S PIECE,

PUBLISHED LAST WEEK UNDER THE TITLE OF

"A BROTHERLY EXAMINATION RE-EXAMINED."

WHEREIN HIS SELF CONTRADICTIONS;

HIS YIELDING OF SOME THINGS, AND NOT ANSWERING TO OTHER THINGS OBJECTED AGAINST HIM;

HIS ABUSING OF SCRIPTURE; HIS ERRORS IN DIVINITY;

HIS ABUSING OF THE PARLIAMENT, AND ENDANGERING THEIR AUTHORITY; HIS ABUSING OF THE ASSEMBLY;

HIS CALUMNIES, NAMELY, AGAINST THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND AND AGAINST MYSELF;

THE REPUGNANCY OF HIS DOCTRINE TO THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT;—

ARE PLAINLY DEMONSTRATED.

BY GEORGE GILLESPIE,

MINISTER AT EDINBURGH, 1642.

"Understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm."—1 TIM. i. 7.

EDINBURGH:

ROBERT OGLE, AND OLIVER & BOYD.

M. OGLE & SON, AND WILLIAM COLLINS, GLASGOW.

J. DEWAR, PERTH. W. MIDDLETON, DUNDEE. G. & R. KING, ABERDEEN.

W. M'COMB, BELFAST.

HAMILTON, ADAMS & CO., AND JAMES NISBET & CO., LONDON.

1645.

REPRINTED BY A. W. MURRAY, MILNE SQUARE, EDINBURGH.

1844.

After that Mr Coleman had preached and printed such doctrine as I was, in my conscience, fully persuaded was contrary to the covenant of the three kingdoms, and destructive (if it were put in practice) to the reformation of religion, he having also flatly and publicly imputed to the Commissioners from the church of Scotland a great part of the fault of hindering union in the Assembly here, I thought myself obliged in duty, and in the trust which I bear, to give a public testimony against his doctrine (which others did also) upon occasion not sought, but by divine providence, and a public calling then offered, first for preaching, and after for printing, in either of which I think there did not appear the least disrespect or bitterness towards the reverend brother. The Lord knows my intention was to speak to the matter, to vindicate the truth, and to remove that impediment of reformation by him cast in; and if he, or any man else had, in meekness of spirit, gravely and rationally, for clearing of truth, endeavoured to confute me, I ought not, I should not, have taken it ill; but now, when this piece of his against me, called "A Brotherly Examination Re-examined" (I think he would or should have said examined, for this is the first examination of it), I find it more full of railing than of reasoning, of gibing than of gravity; and when polemics do so degenerate, the world is abused not edified. He tells me if I have not work enough I shall have more. I confess the answering of this piece is no great work; and the truth is, I am ashamed I have so little to make answer unto; yet I shall do my best to improve even this work to edification. When other work comes I wish it be work indeed, and not words. Res cum re, ratio cum ratione concertet, as the father said: Arguments, Sir, arguments, arguments, if there be any: you have affirmed great things, and new things, which you have not proved. The assertions of such as are for a church government in genere, and for the presbyterial government in specie, are known; their arguments are known, but your solutions are not yet known. If Mr Prynne's book against the suspension of scandalous persons from the sacrament be the work for the present which he means, I hope it shall be in due time most satisfactorily spoken unto, both by others and by myself. I desire rather solid than subitane lucubrations. In the meanwhile, "Let not him that putteth on his armour boast as he that putteth it off." And let the brother that puts me in mind of other work remember that himself hath other work to do which he hath not yet done.

I have, for better method and clearness, divided this following discourse into certain heads, taking in under every head such particulars in his reply as I conceive to be most proper to that point.



THAT MR COLEMAN DOTH NOT ONLY PREVARICATE, BUT CONTRADICT HIMSELF, CONCERNING THE STATE OF THE QUESTION.

He tells us often that he doth not deny to church officers all power of church government, but only the corrective part of government; that the doctrinal and declarative power is in the ministry; see p. 11, 14. He denieth that he did "advise the Parliament to take church government wholly into their own hands: I never had it in my thoughts (saith he) that the Parliament had power of dispensing the word and sacraments." I must confess it is to me new language, which I never heard before, that the dispensing of the word and sacraments is a part of church government; sure the word government is not, nor never was, so understood in the controversies concerning church government. But if it be, why did the brother in his sermon oppose doctrine and government? "Give us doctrine (said he); take you the government."

But behold now how he doth most palpably contradict himself, in one and the same page; it is the 11th. "I know no such distinction of government (saith he), ecclesiastical and civil, in the sense I take government for the corrective part thereof; all ecclesiastical (improperly called) government being merely doctrinal; the corrective or punitive part being civil or temporal." Again, within a few lines, "I do acknowledge a presbyterian government; I said so expressly in my epistle; and do heartily subscribe to the votes of the house." If he heartily subscribe to the votes and ordinances of Parliament, then he heartily subscribeth that elderships suspend men from the sacrament for any of the scandals enumerate, it being proved by witnesses upon oath: this power is corrective, not merely doctrinal. He must also subscribe to the subordination of congregational, classical, and synodical assemblies in the government of the church, and to appeals from the lesser to the greater, as likewise to ordination by presbyteries. And, I pray, is all this merely doctrinal? And will he now subscribe heartily to all this? How will that stand with the other passages before cited? or with p. 17, where it being objected to him, that he takes away from elderships all power of spiritual censures, his reply neither yieldeth excommunication nor suspension, but admonition alone, and that by the ministers who are a part of the elderships, not by the whole eldership consistorially. Again, p. 14, he confesseth: "I advised the Parliament to lay no burden of government upon them, whom he, this commissioner, thinks church officers, pastors and ruling elders." Now I argue thus: He that adviseth the Parliament to lay no burden of government upon ministers and ruling elders, he adviseth the Parliament to do contrary to their own votes and ordinances, and so is far from subscribing heartily thereunto. But Mr Coleman, by his own confession, adviseth the Parliament to lay no burden of government upon ministers and ruling elders; therefore, &c. How he will reconcile himself with himself let him look to it.

Page 11. He takes it ill that one, while I make him an enemy to all church government, then only to the presbyterial. Only is his own addition. But I had reason to make him an enemy to both, for so he hath made himself; yea, in opposing all church government, he cannot choose but oppose presbyterial government, for the consequence is necessary, a genere ad speciem,—negatively though not affirmatively. If no church government, then no presbyterial government.



THE PARTICULARS IN MY BRIEF EXAMINATION, WHICH MR COLEMAN EITHER GRANTETH EXPRESSLY, OR ELSE DOTH NOT REPLY UNTO.

My argument, p. 32, proving that as many things ought to be established jure divino as can well be, because he cannot answer it, therefore he granteth it.

Page 5. He had in his sermon called for plain and clear institutions, and let Scripture speak expressly. Now, p. 7, he yieldeth that it is not only a divine truth (as I called it) but clear scripture, which is drawn by necessary consequence from Scripture.

He hath not yet, though put in mind, produced the least exception against the known arguments for excommunication and church government drawn from Matt, xviii. and 1 Cor. v. He tells the affirmer is to prove; but the affirmers have proved, and their arguments are known (yea he himself, p. 1, saith, "I have had the opportunity to hear almost what man can say in either side," speaking of the controversy of church government); therefore he should have made a better answer than to say that those places did not take hold of his conscience; yet if he have not heard enough of those places, he shall, I trust, ere long hear more.

He had said, I could never yet see how two co-ordinate governments, exempt from superiority and inferiority, can be in one state, p. 35. I gave him three instances: A general and an admiral; a father and a master; a captain and a master of a ship. This, p. 8, he doth not deny, nor saith one word against it; only he endeavoureth to make those similes to run upon four feet, and to resemble the General Assembly and the Parliament in every circumstance. But I did not at all apply them to the General Assembly and the Parliament; only I brought them to overthrow that general thesis of his concerning the inconsistency of two co-ordinate governments, which, if he could defend, why hath not he done it?

His keeping up of the names of clergy and laity being challenged by me, p. 36, he hath not said one word in his Re-examination to justify it.

I having, p. 37, 38, confuted his argument drawn from the measuring of others by himself, whereby he did endeavour to prove that he had cause to fear an ambitious ensnarement in others as well as in himself, God having fashioned all men's hearts alike, now he quitteth his ground, and saith nothing for vindicating that argument from my exceptions.

I showed, p. 40, his misapplying of the king of Sodom's speech, but neither in this doth he vindicate himself.

That which I had at length excepted against his fourth rule concerning the magistrate, and his confirmation thereof, he hath not answered, nor so much as touched anything which I had said against him, from the end of p. 42 to the end of p. 48, except only a part of p. 43, and of p. 44, concerning 1 Cor. xii. 28. Some contrary argumentations he hath, p. 21, of which after, but no answer to mine.

Page 10, He digresseth to other objections of his own framing, instead of taking off what I had said.



HIS ABUSING OF THE SCRIPTURES.

Mr Coleman did ground an argument upon Psal. xxxiii. 15; Prov. xxvii. 29, which cannot stand with the intent of the Holy Ghost, because contrary to other scriptures and to the truth, as I proved, p. 38. He answereth, in his Re-examination, that my sense may stand, and his may stand too. But if my sense may stand, which is contrary to his, then his argument had no sure ground for it; yea, that which I said was to prove that his consequence, drawn from those scriptures, did contradict both the apostle Paul's doctrine and his own profession, which still lieth upon him since it is not answered.

Page 14, He citeth 1 Cor. x. 32, "Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God," to prove that all government is either a Jewish government, or a church government, or a heathenish government, and that there is no third. Yes, Sir, yourself hath given a third (for you have told three), but transeat cum caeteris erroribus. To the matter. This is a perverting of scripture to prove an untruth; for the government of generals, admirals, majors, sheriffs, is neither a Jewish government nor a church government, nor a heathenish government. Neither doth the Apostle speak anything of government in that place. He maketh a distribution of all men who are in danger to be scandalised—not of governments; and if he had applied the place rightly to the Parliament of England, he had said, They are either of the Jews, or of the Gentiles, or of the church of God: and this needeth not an answer. But when he saith, "The English Parliament is either a Jewish government, or a church government, or a heathenish government," I answer, It is none of these, but it is a civil government.

Page 15, Declaring his opinion of church government he citeth Rom. xiii. 4, "To execute wrath upon him that doeth evil," to prove that the punitive part belongs to the Christian magistrate. But what is this to the punitive part which is in controversy,—spiritual censures, suspension from the sacraments, deposition from the ministry, excommunication? The punitive part spoken of, Rom. xiii., belongeth to all civil magistrates, whether Christian or infidel.

Page 18. He maketh this reply to 1 Thess. v. 12; 1 Tim. xvii.; Heb. xiii. 7, 17: "Why, man, I have found these an hundred and an hundred times twice told, and yet am I as I was." Why, Sir, was the argument so ridiculous? I had brought those places to prove another government (and, if you will, the institution of another government) beside magistracy, which he said he did not find in Scripture. Here are some who are no civil magistrates set over the Thessalonians in the Lord, 1 Thess. v. 12; Paul writeth to Timothy of elders that rule well, 1 Tim. v. 17; the churches of the Hebrews had some rulers who had spoken to them the word of God, Heb. xiii. 7; rulers that watched for their souls as they that must give an account, ver. 17. Now let the reverend brother speak out, What can he answer? Were these rulers civil magistrates? Did the civil magistrate speak to them the word of God? If these rulers were not magistrates but ministers, I ask next. Is it a matter of indifferency, and no institution, to have a ministry in a church or not? I hope, though he do not acknowledge ruling elders jure divino, yet he will acknowledge that the ministers of the word are jure divino; yet these were some of the rulers mentioned in the scriptures quoted. Let him loose the knot, and laugh when he hath done.

Page 19, 20, He laboureth to prove from 1 Cor. xii. 28, that Christ hath placed civil government in his church; and whereas it is said, that though it were granted that civil governments are meant in that place, yet it proves not that Christ hath placed them in the church. He replieth, "I am sure the Commissioner will not stand to this: he that placed governors was the same that placed teachers." But his assurance deceiveth him; for upon supposition that civil governments are there meant (which is his sense), I deny it, and he doth but petere principium. God placed civil governments, Christ placed teachers; God placed all whom Christ placed, but Christ did not place all whom God placed. Next, whereas it was said, that governments in that place cannot be meant of Christian magistrates, because at that time the church had no Christian magistrates, he replieth, That Paul speaks of governments that the church had not, because in the enumeration, ver. 29, 30, he omits none but helps and governments. I answer, The reason of that omission is not because these two were not then in being (for God had set them as well as the rest in the church, ver. 28), but to make ruling elders and deacons contented with their station, though they be not prophets, teachers, &c. Thirdly, I asked, How comes civil government into the catalogue of ecclesiastical and spiritual administrations? His reply is nothing but an affirmation, that Christian magistracy is an ecclesiastical administration, and a query whether working of miracles and gifts of healings be ecclesiastical. Ans. Hence followeth, 1. That if the magistrate cease to be Christian he loseth his administration; 2. That though a worker of miracles cease to be Christian, yet it is a question whether he may not still work miracles. Lastly, Where I objected that he puts magistracy behind ministry, he makes no answer, but only that he may do this as well as my rule puts the nobility of Scotland behind the ministry. No, Sir, we put but ruling elders behind ministers in the order of their administrations because the Apostle doth so. It is accidental to the ruling elder to be of the nobility, or to nobles to be ruling elders: there are but some so, and many otherwise. That of placing deacons before elders, 1 Cor. xii. 28, is no great matter; sure the Apostle, Rom. xii., placeth elders before deacons.



HIS ERRORS IN DIVINITY.

1. Page 21, He admitteth no church government distinct from civil, except that which is merely doctrinal; and, p. 14, he adviseth the Parliament to take the corrective power wholly into their own hands, and exempteth nothing of ecclesiastical power from their hands but the dispensing of the word and sacraments. Hence it followeth that there ought to be neither suspension from the sacrament, nor excommunication, nor ordination, nor deposition of ministers, nor receiving of appeals, except all these things be done by the civil magistrate. If he say the magistrate gives leave to do these things, I answer, 1. So doth he give leave to preach the word and minister the sacraments in his dominions. 2. Why doth he then, in his sermon, and doth still, in his Re-examination, p. 14, advise the Parliament to lay no burden of corrective government upon ministers, but keep it wholly in their own hands? It must needs be far contrary to his mind that the magistrate gives leave to do the things above mentioned, they being most of them corrective, and all of them more than doctrinal. 3. He gives no more power to ministers in church government than in civil government; for, p. 11, he ascribeth to them a ministerial, doctrinal and declarative power, both in civil and ecclesiastical government.

2. Page 11, 14, He holds that the corrective or punitive part of church government is civil or temporal, and is wholly to be kept in the magistrate's own hands; and, in his sermon, p. 25, he told us he sees not in the whole Bible any one act of that church government in controversy performed. All which how erroneous it is appeareth easily from 1 Cor. v. 13, "Put away from among yourselves that wicked person" (which Mr Prynne himself, in his Vindication, p. 2, acknowledged to be a warrant for excommunication); 2 Cor. ii. 6, There is a "punishment," or censure, "inflicted of many;" 1 Tim. v. 19, "Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses." Where acts of church government or censures were neglected it is extremely blamed; Rev. ii. 14, 15, 20. Was not all this corrective? yet not civil or temporal.

3. Page 9, Whereas I had said, That without church government ministers shall not keep themselves nor the ordinances from pollution, he replieth, That he understands neither this keeping of themselves from pollution, nor what this pollution of the ordinances is. I am sorry for it, that any minister of the gospel is found unclear in such a point. I will not give my own, but scriptural answers to both. The former is answered, 1 Tim. v. 22, Be not "partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure." It is sin to dispense ordinances to the unworthy, whether ordination, or communion in the sacrament. For the other, the pollution of ordinances is the Scripture language. I hope he means not to quarrel at the Holy Ghost's language: Ezek. xxii. 26, "Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane;" Mal. i. 7, "Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar;" ver. 12, "Ye have profaned it;" Matt. xxi. 13, "Ye have made it a den of thieves;" Matt. vii. 6, "Neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet."

4. Page 11, Whereas I had objected to him, that he excludeth ruling elders as well as ministers from government, he answers, That ruling elders are either the same, for office and ordination, with the minister (which, as he thinks, the Independents own, but not I), or they are the Christian magistrate; and so he saith he doth not exclude them. Mark here, he excludeth all ruling elders from a share in church government who are not either the same, for office and ordination, with the minister, or else the Christian magistrate; and so, upon the matter, he holdeth that ruling elders are to have no hand in church government. Those ruling elders which are in the votes of the Assembly, and in the reformed churches, have neither the power of civil magistracy (qua elders, and many of them not at all, being no magistrates), nor yet are they the same, for office and ordination, with the minister; for their office, and, consequently, their ordination to that office, is distinct from that of the minister among all that I know. And so, excluding all ruling elders from government who are neither magistrates, nor the same with ministers, he must needs take upon him that which I charged him with.

5. Page 21, Where he makes reply to what I said against his argument from Eph. i. 19-21, he saith, He will blow away all my discourse with this clear demonstration, "That which is given to Christ he hath it not as God, and Christ as God cannot be given. But this place (Eph. i. 19-21) speaketh both of dignity given to Christ, and of Christ as a gift given; therefore Christ cannot be here understood as God." This is in opposition to what I said, p. 45, concerning the headship and dignity of Christ, as the natural son of God, "the image of the invisible God," Col. i. 15; and, p. 43, of the dominion of Christ, as he is the "eternal Son of God." This being premised, the brother's demonstration is so strong as to blow himself into a blasphemous heresy. I will take the proposition from himself, and the assumption from Scripture, thus: That which is given to Christ he hath it not as God. But all power in heaven and in earth is given to Christ, Matt. xxviii. 18; life is given to Christ, John v. 26; authority to execute judgment is given to Christ, ver. 27; all things are given into Christ's hands, John iii. 35; the Father hath given him power over all flesh, John xvii. 2; He hath given him glory, John xvii. 22: therefore, by Mr Coleman's principles, Christ hath neither life, nor glory, nor authority to execute judgment, nor power over all flesh, as he is the eternal Son of God, consubstantial with the Father, but only as he is Mediator, God and man. As for the giving of Christ as God, what if I argue thus? If Christ, as he is the eternal Son of God, or Second Person of the ever-blessed Trinity, could not be given, then the incarnation itself, or the sending of the Son of God to take on our flesh, cannot be called a giving of a gift to us. But this were impious to say; therefore, again, if Christ, as he is the Second Person of the blessed Trinity, could not be given, then the Holy Ghost, as the Third Person, cannot be given (for they are co-essential; and that which were a dishonour to God the Son were a dishonour to God the Holy Ghost); but to say that the Holy Ghost cannot be given as the Third Person, were to say that he cannot be given as the Holy Ghost. And what will he then say to all those scriptures that speak of the giving of the Holy Ghost, Acts xv. 8; Rom. v. 5; 1 John iv. 13, &c.?

Finally, As Mr Coleman's demonstration hath blown away itself, so it could not hurt me were it solid and good (as it is not); for he should have taken notice, that, in my examination, I did not restrict the dignity given to Christ, Eph. i. 21, nor the giving of Christ, ver. 22, to the Divine nature only. Nay, I told, p. 44, 46, that these words of the Apostle hold true even of the human nature of Christ.

6. Page 21, He concludeth with a syllogism, which he calleth the scope of my discourse (I know not by what logic, the proposition being forged by himself, and contrary to my discourse); thus it is:—

Whosoever do not manage their office and authority under Christ, and for Christ, they manage it under the devil, and for the devil; for there is no middle—either Christ or Belial: he that is not with me is against me.

But, according to the opinion of the Commissioner, Christian magistracy doth not manage the office and authority thereof under Christ, and for Christ.

Therefore,—

He believes I shall be hard put to it to give the kingdom a clear and satisfactory answer. It is well that this is the hardest task he could set me.

The truth is, his syllogism hath quatuor terminos, and is therefore worthy to be exploded by all that know the laws of disputation. Those words in the proposition, "under Christ, and for Christ," can have no other sense but to be serviceable to Christ, to take part with him, and to be for the glory of Christ, as is clear by the confirmation added, "He that is not with me is against me." But the same words in the assumption must needs have another sense, "Under Christ, and for Christ;" that is, vice Christi, in Christ's stead. For that which I denied was, That magistracy is derived from Christ as Mediator, or that Christ as Mediator hath given a commission of vicegerentship and deputyship to the Christian magistrate to manage his office and authority under, and for him, and in his name; as is clear in my examination, p. 42. Nay, Mr Coleman himself, a little before his syllogism, p. 19, takes notice of so much. His words are these: "The Commissioner saith, Magistracy is not derived from Christ: I say, Magistracy is given to Christ to be serviceable in his kingdom; so that, though the Commissioners assertion be sound (which in due place will be discussed), yet it infringeth nothing that I said." Now then, qua fide could he, in his argument against me, confound these two things which he himself had but just now carefully distinguished? If he will make anything of his syllogism he must hold at one of these two senses. In the first sense it is true that all are either for Christ or against Christ; and it is as true that his assumption must be distinguished. For, de facto, the Christian magistrate is for Christ when he doth his duty faithfully, and is against Christ if he be unfaithful. But, de jure, it holds true universally, that the Christian magistrate manageth his office under and for Christ; that is, so as to be serviceable for the kingdom and glory of Christ. In the second sense (which only concerneth me) taking "under and for Christ," to be in Christ's stead, as his deputies or vicegerents, so his assumption is lame and imperfect, because it doth not hold forth my opinion clearly. That which I did, and still do hold, is this: That the civil magistrate, whether Christian or pagan, is God's vicegerent, who, by virtue of his vicegerentship, is to manage his office and authority under God, and for God; that is, in God's stead, and as God upon earth: but he is not the vicegerent of Christ as Mediator, neither is he, by virtue of any such vicegerentship, to manage his office and authority under Christ, and for Christ; that is, in Christ's stead, and as Christ Mediator upon earth. This was and is my plain opinion (not mine alone, but of others more learned), and Mr Coleman hath not said so much as yoυ to confute it. So much for the assumption. But in the same sense I utterly deny his proposition, as being a great untruth in divinity; for the sense of it can be no other than this: Whosoever do not manage their office and authority in Christ's stead, or as deputies and vicegerents of Christ, as he is Mediator, they manage it in the devil's stead, as the devil's deputies and vicegerents. Now I assume pagan magistrates do not manage their office as the deputies and vicegerents of Jesus Christ, as he is Mediator, therefore as the devil's deputies. Which way was the authority derived to them from Christ as Mediator? Mr Coleman, p. 19, saith in answer to this particular, formerly objected, that Christ is rightful king of the whole earth, and all nations ought to receive Christ, though as yet they do not. But this helpeth him not. That which he had to show was, that the pagan magistrate, even while continuing pagan and not Christian, doth manage his office as Christ's deputy and vicegerent; if not, then I conclude by his principles, a pagan magistrate is the devil's deputy and vicegerent, which is contrary to Paul's doctrine, who will have us to be subject for conscience' sake, even to heathen magistrates, as the ministers of God for good, Rom. xiii. 1-7. By the same argument Mr Coleman must grant that generals, admirals, majors, sheriffs, constables, captains, masters, yea, every man that hath an office, is either Christ's vicegerent, or the devil's vicegerent, than which what can be more absurd? I might, beside all these, show some other flaws in his divinity, as, namely, p. 9 and 13, he doth not agree to this proposition, that "the admitting of the scandalous and profane to the Lord's table, makes ministers to partake of their sins;" and he supposeth that ministers may do their duty, though they admit the scandalous; but of this elsewhere.