A86003:94
Male audis or An answer to Mr. Coleman his Malè dicis. Wherein the repugnancy…
Male audis or An answer to Mr. Coleman his Malè dicis. Wherein the repugnancy of his Erastian doctrine to the word of God, to the solemn League and Covenant, and to the ordinances of Parliament: also his contradictions, tergiversations, heterodoxies, calumnies, and perverting of testimonies, are made more apparent then formerly. Together with some animadversions upon Master Hussey his Plea for Christian magistracy: showing, that in divers of the afore mentioned particulars he hath miscarried as much, and in some particulars more then Mr Coleman. / By George Gillespie, minister at Edinburgh. Published by authority.Male audis or An answer to Mr. Coleman his Malè dicis. Wherein the repugnancy of his Erastian doctrine to the word of God, to the solemne League and Covenant, and to the ordinances of Parliament: also his contradictions, tergiversations, heterodoxies, calumnies, and perverting of testimonies, are made more apparent then formerly. Together with some animadversions upon Master Hussey his Plea for Christian magistracy: shewing, that in divers of the afore mentioned particulars he hath miscarried as much, and in some particulars more then Mr Coleman. / By George Gillespie, minister at Edinbrugh. Published by authority.
London: printed for Robert Bostocke, 1646
No title page in the transcription: set from the catalogue record.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Secondly, saith the Reverend Brother, It is not a very effectual, sin-censuring, and Church-refining Government, under which after fourscore years constant practice, divers thousands in the Kingdom, and some hundreds in one particular Parish, because of ignorance and scandal, are yet unfit to communicate. Maledicis pag. 20. Answ. 1. It is notoriously false that there hath been fourscore years constant practice of Presbyterial Government in Scotland: for the Prelates there, were above thirty years standing. 2. Shall the Earth be made to bring forth in one day, or shall a Nation be born at once? saith the Prophet, Isa. 66. 8. It is no easy matter to get a whole Nation purged of ignorant and scandalous persons. 3. He may take notice that the Apostle Paul almost in all his Epistles, maketh mention of scandalous persons among those to whom he wrote, warning them not to have fellowship with such, to note them, to avoid them. If the Apostolic Churches were not free of such, what great marvel if we be not? 4. Before he objected promiscuous communicating. This being cleared to be a calumny, now he objecteth that there are such as are unfit to communicate. But while he thus seeketh a quarrel against Church-government, he doth upon the matter quarrel the preaching of the Gospel it self. For •e that imputeth it as a fault to the Church-government ⟨p. 43⟩that there are still divers thousands, who by reason of ignorance or scandal, are unfit to communicate, doth by consequence, yea much more, impute it as a fault to the Preaching of the Gospel in England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Germany, the Low-Countries, Switzerland, Swede, Poland, that in all these and other Reformed Churches after fourscore years constant Preaching of the Gospel (which is appointed of God to turn unconverted and unregenerate persons, from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God) there are not only divers thousands, but divers millions who by reason of ignorance or scandal, are yet unfit to communicate. If the Word do not open the eyes of the ignorant, and convert the scandalous, what marvel that Church-Government cannot do it? Church-Government is not an illuminating and regenerating Ordinance as the Word is. But this Church-Government can and will do, yea hath done where it is duly executed;
Secondly, saith the Reverend Brother, It is not a very effectuall, sin-censuring, and Church-refining Government, under which after forscore yeers constant practice, divers thousands in the Kingdom, and some hundreds in one particular Parish, because of ignorance and scandall, are yet unfit to communicate. Maledicis pag. 20. Answ. 1. It is notoriously false that there hath been fourscore yeers constant practice of Presbyteriall Government in Scotland: for the Prelats there, were above thirty yeers standing. 2. Shall the Earth be made to bring forth in one day, or shall a Nation be born at once? saith the Prophet,