A86004:80
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 I go along with his Re-examination, pag. 14. He explaineth himself and me thus, He should have said that I advised the Parliament to lay no burden of Government upon them whom he this Commissioner thinks Church-Officers, then had he spoken true; I thank him for his explanation. And I pray who were the Church officers, whom I said he excluded from ⟨p. 27⟩Church Government? Were they not Pastors and ruling Elders? And doth not himself think these to be Church-officers? Yes, of the Ministers he thinks so, but of ruling Elders he seems to doubt, except they be Magistrates. Well but excluding these Church-officers from Church-Government he takes with the Charge. Why seeks he a knot in the rush? But now, how doth he explain himself? He will have the Parliament to be Church-officers (of which before) and such Church-officers as shall take the corrective part of Church-Government wholly into their own hands; yet not to dispense the Word and Sacraments, but to leave the Doctrinal part to the Ministry, and their power to be merely Doctrinal as he saith, pag. 11. Thus you have his explanation. But doth this salve the violating of the Covenant? Nay, it makes it more apparent; for the Government of the Church, which the first Article of the Covenant speaks of, is distinguished from the Doctrinal part, That we shall endeavour the Reformation of Religion in the Kingdoms of England and Ireland in Doctrine, Worship, Discipline, and Government. So that excluding Pastors and ruling Elders from the corrective part of Government, and from all power which is not merely Doctrinal, he thereby excludeth them from that Discipline and Government which the Covenant speaks of, as one special part of the Reformation of Religion. Come on to the Reasons.
But I goe along with his Re-examination, pag. 14. He explaineth himselfe and me thus, He should have said that I advised the Parliament to lay no burthen of Government upon them whom he this Commissioner thinks Church-Officers, then had hee spoken true; I thank him for his explanation. And I pray who were the Church officers, whom I said hee excluded from ⟨p. 27⟩Church Government? Were they not Pastors and ruling Elders? And doth not himselfe think these to be Church-officers? Yes, of the Ministers he thinks so, but of ruling Elders he seemes to doubt, except they be Magistrates. Well but excluding these Church-officers from Church-Government he takes with the Charge. Why seeks he a knot in the rush? But now, how doth he explaine himselfe? He will have the Parliament to bee Church-officers (of which before) and such Church-officers as shall take the corrective part of Curch-Government wholy into their own hands; yet not to dispence the Word and Sacraments, but to leave the Doctrinall part to the Ministry, and their power to be meerely Doctrinall as he saith, pag. 11. Thus you have his explanation. But doth this salve the violating of the Covenant? Nay, it makes it more apparent; for the Government of the Church, which the first Article of the Covenant speaks of, is distinguished from the Doctrinall part, That we shall endeavour the Reformation of Religion in the Kingdomes of England and Ireland in Doctrine, Worship, Discipline, and Government. So that excluding Pastors and ruling Elders from the corrective part of Government, and from all power which is not meerely Doctrinall, he thereby excludeth them from that Discipline and Government which the Covenant speaks of, as one speciall part of the Reformation of Religion. Come on to the Reasons.