Fourthly, Thus saith Mr. Coleman, O y•e Honourable House of Parliament, Take you notice that you manage that great place of yours under Christ and for Christ: He is your head and you are his servants. And take you notice withal that Mr. Gillespy accounts this your reproach. Maledicis Maledicis, pag. 17. But O ye Honourable House of Parliament, be pleased to take notice of my own plain expression of my mind in my Nihil respondes, pag. 13. The Christian Magistrate manageth his Office under and for Christ, that is, so as to be serviceable for the Kingdom and Glory of Christ. And now judge whether it be suitable to the sincerity and candour of a Minister of the Gospel, to endeavour to make me odious to authority, by imputing to me that which not only I did not say, but the contrary whereof I did plainly express? The thing which I charged his doctrine with was this, that by holding all government to be given to Christ as Mediator, and from him as Mediator derived to the Magistrate as his Vicegerent, he shaketh the foundation of Magistracy. I am sure that which I hold, that all lawful Magistrates are Powers ordained by God▪ and are to be honoured ⟨p. 50⟩and obeyed as Gods Vicegerents, is a firm and strong foundation for Magistracy. But that which Mr. Coleman and Mr. Hussey hold, viz. That the Christian Magistrate holdeth his Office of, under, and for Christ as he is Mediator, and doth act vice Christi, as Christs Vicegerent, gives a most dangerous wound to Christian Magistracy, which I can demonstrate in many particulars: I shall now give instance only in these few. First, They must prove from Scripture that Christ as Mediator hath given a Commission of Vicegerentship to Christian Magistrates, and appointed them not only to be serviceable to him and to do his work: (for that they must serve Christ, and be for his Glory, is not controverted, nay can never enough be commended to them) but also to governe vice Christi, in Christs stead, and that not only as he is God (which is not controverted neither,) but as he is Mediator. This (I say) they must prove, (which they will never be able to do) or otherwise they do by their doctrine lead the Magistrate into a snare; and leave him in it. For how shall he be acknowledged for a Vicegerent who can show no Commission nor warrant for his Vicegerentship?
Fourthly, Thus saith Mr. Coleman, O y•e Honourable House of Parliament, Take you notice that you manage that great place of yours under Christ and for Christ: He is your head and you are his servants. And take you notice withall that Mr. Gillespy accounts this your reproach. Maledicis Maledicis, pag. 17. But O ye Honourable House of Parliament, be pleased to take notice of my owne plaine expression of my minde in my Nihil respondes, pag. 13. The Christian Magistrate manageth his Office under and for Christ, that is, so as to be serviceable for the Kingdome and Glory of Christ. And now judge whether it be sutable to the sincerity and candor of a Minister of the Gospell, to endeavour to make me odious to authority, by imputing to me that which not onely I did not say, but the contrary whereof I did plainly expresse? The thing which I charged his doctrin with was this, that by holding all government to be given to Christ as Mediatour, and from him as Mediatour derived to the Magistrate as his Vicegerent, he shaketh the foundation of Magistracy. I am sure that which I hold, that all lawfull Magistrates are Powers ordained by God▪ and are to be honoured ⟨p. 50⟩and obeyed as Gods Vicegerents, is a firme and strong foundation for Magistracy. But that which Mr. Coleman and Mr. Hussey hold, viz. That the Christian Magistrate holdeth his Office of, under, and for Christ as he is Mediator, and doth act vice Christi, as Christs Vicegerent, gives a most dangerous wound to Christian Magistracy, which I can demonstrate in many particulars: I shall now give instance onely in these few. First, They must prove from Scripture that Christ as Mediator hath given a Commission of Vicegerentship to Christian Magistrates, and appointed them not onely to be seviceable to him and to doe his worke: (for that they must serve Christ, and be for his Glory, is not controverted, nay can never enough be commended to them) but also to governe vice Christi, in Christs stead, and that not only as he is God (which is not controverted neither,) but as he is Mediator. This (I say) they must prove, (which they will never be able to doe) or otherwise they doe by their doctrine leade the Magistrate into a snare; and leave him in it. For how shall he be acknowledged for a Vicegerent who can shew no Commission nor warrant for his Vicegerentship?
