A86004:51
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.
But by his good leave and favour he said a great deal more then this, for he spake of Christ his being head of all civill Governments, and his placing these in his Church, as he is Mediator. Yea that fourth rule delivered by him in his Sermon, did hold forth these assertions. 1. That God gave all government even civill to Christ, ⟨p. 16⟩and to him as Mediator. 2. That Christ as Mediator hath power and authority to place and substitute under and for him the Christian Magistrate. 3. That Christ hath placed and instituted civill Governments in his Church, to be under and for him as he is Mediator. 4. That the Christian Magistrate doth, and all Magistrates should manage their office under and for Christ, (that is, as his Vicegerents) he being as Mediator head of all civil Government. Now in stead of defending his Doctrine from my just exceptions made against it, he revileth, and having brought the Magistrate in a snare, leaves him there. He endeavours to vindicate no more but this, that Magistracy is given to Christ to be serviceable in his kingdom. But if he had said so at first, I had said with him, and not against him in that point. And if he will yet hold at that, why doth he pag. 19. refer my Assertion to further discussion?
Secondly, he hath abused the Parliament in holding forth that rule to them in his Sermon, Establish as few things Jure divino as can well be. And yet now he is made by strength of argument to acknowledge pag. 5. that this is a good rule. Establish as many things. Jure divino as can well be.
Thirdly, I having stated the question to be not whether this or that form of Church-Government be Jure divino, but whether a Church Government be Jure divino? whether 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. I said the Brother is for the negative of this question, pa. 32. This he flatly denieth, pag. 5, 6. Whereby he acknowledgeth the affirmative, that there is a Church Government Jure divino, and that Jesus Christ hath so far revealed his will in his Word, that there are to be Church Censures, and those to be dispensed by Church-officers. But how doth this agree with his Sermon? Christ hath placed Governments in his Church. Of other Governments (said he) beside Magistracy I find no institution, of them I do. Is Magistracy Church-Government? Are Magistrates Church-officers? are the civill punishments Church Censures? Is this the mystery? Yes, that it is: