A86004:82
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.
1. The extirpation of Church-Government is not the reformation of it; Here the Brother addeth these words following as mine, which are not mine, therefore he that finds no Church-government, breaks his Covenant. His reply is, we must reform it according to the word of God: if that hold out none, here is no failing. He addeth a simile of a Jury sworn to enquire into the felony of an accused person, but finds nor guilty: and of three men taking an oath to deliver in their opinions of Church-government (where by the way he lets fall, that I hold the National Synod to be above all Courts in the Kingdom; which if he mean of Ecclesiastical Courts, why did he speak so generally? if he mean above all or any Civill Courts, it is a gross ⟨p. 28⟩calumny.) But now if this be the sense (which he gives) of that first article in the Covenant, then 1. all that is in the second article might have been put into the first article; for instance, we might in Mr Colemans sense, have sworn to endeavour the reformation of Prelacy, and even of Popery it self, according to the word of God and the example of the best Reformed Churches: that is, taking an oath to deliver in our opinions of these things, according to the word of God, and to enquire into the evils of Church-government by Archbishops, Bishops, Deans &c. whether guilty or not guilty. I strengthened my argument by the different nature of the first and second article; I said, the second article is of things to be extirpated, but this of things to be preserved and reformed. Why did he not take the strength of my argument and make a reply? 2. By the same principle of his we are not tied by the first article of our Covenant to have any either doctrine or worship, but only to search the Scriptures, whether the Word hold out any; for Doctrine, Worship, Discipline and Government go hand in hand in the Covenant. 3. His own simile hath this much in it against him. If a Jury sworn to enquire into the felony of an accused person, should after such an oath, not only find the person not guilty, but further take upon them to maintain that there is no such thing as felony; surely this were inconsistent with their oath.
1. The extirpation of Church-Government is not the reformation of it; Here the Brother addeth these words following as mine, which are not mine, therefore he that finds no Church-government, breaks his Covenant. His reply is, we must reforme it according to the word of God: if that hold out none, here is no failing. He addeth a simile of a Iury sworn to enquire into the felony of an accused person, but findes nor guilty: and of three men taking an oath to deliver in their opinions of Church-government (where by the way he lets fall, that I hold the Nationall Synod to be above all Courts in the Kingdom; which if he meane of Ecclesiasticall Courts, why did he speak so generally? if he meane above all or any Civill Courts, it is a grosse