A86004:37
Nihil respondes
Nihil respondes: or, A discovery of the extreme unsatisfactoriness of Master Colemans 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, and namely against the Church of Scotland, and against my self: the repugnancy of his doctrine to the solemn League and Covenant, are plainly demonstrated. / By George Gillespie minister at Edinburgh. Published by authority.Nihil respondes: or, A discovery of the extream unsatisfactorinesse of Master Colemans peece, published last weeke under the title of A brotherly examination re-examined. Wherein, his self-contradictions: his yeelding 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 indangering their authority: his abusing of the Assembly: his calumnies, and namely against the Church of Scotland, and against my selfe: the repugnancy of his doctrin to the solemne League and Covenant, are plainly demonstrated. / By George Gillespie minister at Edenburgh. Published by authority.
London: printed for Robert Bostock, 1645
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
4. Pag. 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 Civill 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 ⟨p. 11⟩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. Pag. 21. Where he makes reply to what he had said against his Argument from Ephes. 1. three last verses. 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 (Ephes. 1. three last verses) 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 pag. 45. concerning the headship and dignity of Christ, as the natural Son of God, the Image of the invisible God. Colos. 1. 15. And pag. 43. of the dominion of Christ as he is the eternal Son of God. This being premised, the Brothers 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,