A86004:43
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.
Therefore,
He believes I shall be hard put to it, to give the Kingdom a clear and satisfactory answer. Its well that this is the hardest task he could set me.
He beleeves I shall be hard put to it, to give the Kingdom a clear and satisfactory answer. Its wel 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 Christs 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 ⟨p. 13⟩and Deputy-ship to the Christian Magistrate to manage his office and authority under & for him, and in his Name. As is clear in my Examination, pag. 42. Nay Mr. Coleman himself a little before his Syllogism, pa. 19. takes notice of so much. His words are these. The Commissioner saith, Magistracy i• 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 quâ 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 any thing 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 unfaithfull. 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.