A86004:86
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.
The other argument which I now add, is this; In the third part of that first article we swear that we shall endeavour to bring the Churches of God in the three Kingdoms to the nearest conjunction and uniformity in Religion, confession of faith, form of Church Government, Directory for worship and catechising; where 1. Church Government doth agree generically with a confession of faith, Directory of worship, and catechising: I mean all these are matters of Religion, none of them civill matters. 2. It is supposed there is such a thing as Church Government distinct from civill Government; and therefore it is put out of all question, that so far there shall be an uniformity between the Churches of God in the three Kingdoms (and otherwise it were an unswearing of what was sworn in the first part of that article) but it tieth us to endeavour the nearest conjunction and uniformity in a form of Church government; which were a vain and rash oath, if we were not tied to a Church government in general, and that as a matter of Religion. 3 The uniformity in a form of Church-Government which we swear to endeavour, must needs be meant of corrective Government, it being clearly distinguished from the Confession of Faith, and Directory of Worship. So that Mr Colemans distinction of the Doctrinal part, and of the dispensing of the Word and Sacraments cannot here help him.
The other argument which I now adde, is this; In the third part of that first article we sweare that we shall endeavour to bring the Churches of God in the three Kingdoms to the nearest conjunction and uniformity in Religion, confession of faith, forme of Church Government, Directory for worship and catechising; where 1. Church Government doth agree generically with a confession of faith, Directory of worship, and catechising: I mean all these are matters of Religion, none of them civill matters. 2. It is supposed there is such a thing as Church Government distinct from civill Government; and therefore it is put out of all question, that so farre there shall be an uniformity between the Churches of God in the three Kingdoms (and otherwise it were an unswearing of what was sworn in the first part of that article) but it tieth us to endeavour the nearest conjunction and uniformity in a form of Church government; which were a vaine and rash oath, if we were not tied to a Church government in generall, and that as a matter of Religion. 3 The uniformity in a form of Church-Government which we sweare to endeavour, must needs be meant of corrective Government, it being clearly distinguished from the Confession of Faith, and Directory of Worship. So that Mr Colemans distinction of the Doctrinall part, and of the dispensing of the Word and Sacraments cannot here help him.