Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	doctrine_n	judgement_n	reformation_n	2,513	5	10.2613	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86003	Male audis or An answer to Mr. Coleman his Malè dicis. Wherein the repugnancy of his Erastian doctrine to the word of God, to the solemne League and Covenant, and to the ordinances of Parliament: also his contradictions, tergiversations, heterodoxies, calumnies, and perverting of testimonies, are made more apparent then formerly. Together with some animadversions upon Master Hussey his Plea for Christian magistracy: shewing, that in divers of the afore mentioned particulars he hath miscarried as much, and in some particulars more then Mr Coleman. / By George Gillespie, minister at Edinbrugh. Published by authority.	Gillespie, George, 1613-1648.	1646 (1646)	Wing G754; Thomason E317_16; ESTC R200545	44,904	65

I had rectified a great mistake of the Reverend Brother when I told him It is accidental to the ruling Elder to be of the Nobility or to Nobles to be ruling Elders there are but some so and many otherwise He is not pleased to be rectified in this but replyeth I say first it is continually so Secondly The Kings Commissioner in the General Assembly is his presence accidental Male dicis pag. 10. See now here whether he understandeth what he saith or whereof he affirmeth That which he saith is continually so is almost continually otherwise that is there are continually some Ruling Elders who are not Nobles and there are continually some Nobles who are not Ruling Elders So that if any thing be accidental this is accidental that an Elder be of the Nobility or Nobles be Elders they are neither Nobles qua Elders nor Elders qua Nobles It is no lesse accidental that the Kings Commissioner be present in the General Assembly for there have been General Assemblies in Scotland both before the erection and since the last casting out of Prelacy in which there was no Commissioner from the King And when the King sends a Commissioner it is accidental that he be of the Nobility for the King hath sent Commissioners to General Assemblies who were not of the Nobility A fourth Injury not to be passed in silence is this Master Coleman hath endeavoured to make the world beleeve that the Commissioners from the Church of Scotland came to the Assembly byassed with something adventitious from without which he calls a National determination and that we are not permitted by those that sent us to receive any further light from the Word of God I shall say no more of the byas because as I told him before the standers by see well enough which way the byas runs But most strange it is that after I had confuted his Calumny not onely from our Paper first presented to the Grand Committee but from the General Assemblies own Letter to the Assembly of Divines shewing that they had ordered the laying aside of some particular Customes in the Church of Scotland for the neerer uniformity with the Church of England so much endeared unto them yet he still adhereth to his former Calumny Male dicis pag. 20. without taking notice of the Evidence which I had given to the contrary And not content with this he still qua●relleth with my allegation of certain parallel examples which are by him so far disesteemed that he hath not stuck to passe the very same censure upon the forrain Divines who came to the Synod of Dort which the Arminians did The same he saith of Alexander his coming to the Councel of Nice and of Cyril his coming to the Councel of Ephesus All these I say he still involveth under the same Censure with us for whereas he had alleaged that I justified the byas this I denyed and called for his proof his Reply now is thus Is not the allegation of examples of the like doing a justification of the act done Male dicis pag. 20. This Reply can have no other sence but this That I justified the thing which he thinks our byas because I justified those other Divines who as he holds came also byassed in like manner I am perswaded this one particular his joyning with the Arminians in their Exceptions against the Synod of Dort would make all the Reformed Churches if they could all speak to him uno ore to cry Male audis And I am as firmly perswaded that the Confession which I have extorted from him in this place That he knoweth no adventitious ingagements those Divines had makes him irreconcileably to contradict himself for he made them but just now byassed in the same manner as he thinks us and made my allegation of their examples to be a justification of the byas charged by him upon us As therefore he doth most uncharitably and untruly judge us to be byassed with adventitious engagements so doth he judge of them Neither can he assoil them while he condemneth us for the Articles concerning Predestination the death of Christ grace freewill and perseverance were determined before the Synod of Dort by most if not by all of those Reformed Churches who sent Commissioners thither as much as Presbyterial Government was determined in the Church of Scotland before the Reverend Assembly of Divines was called And this Preingagement and Predetermination of those Reformed Churches was the main objection of the Arminians against the forrain Divines who came to the Synod of Dort To conclude this point Master Coleman himself in his Reexamination pag. 7. avoucheth roundly That the forrain Divines came to Dort not as Divines by dispute and disquisition to finde out truth but as Judges to censure all different Opinions as Erroneous CHAP. VII Calumnies confuted and that Question briefly cleared Whether the Magistrate be Christs Vice-gerent MAster Hussey in his Title page tels us he hath prosecuted the argumentative part without any personall reflections yet I could instance divers personall reflections in his Book which any moderate impartiall man will extremely dislike but what should this be to the edifying of my Reader the end which next to the glory of God and the promoting of Reformation I have proposed to my self Yet I must needs take notice of some calumnies First In his Epistle pag. 8. he offereth it to be examined whether I was not beside my Text Mal. 3. 2. when I pressed from it Reformation by Ecclesiasticall Discipline whether that refiners fire and fullers sope doth not point at another and a nearer operation upon the souls and spirits of men by the Blood Word Spirit and Grace of Christ and whether such handling of a similitude in a Text be to preach the mind of God or mens own fancy It is no discontent to me but I shall rejoyce in it that men of piety and judgement examine my Doctrine by the Word of God and hold fast what they finde agreeable to the Scriptures and no more But i● this brotherly or fair or conscionable dealing to offer my Sermon to be examined under such a notion when he hath not onely said nothing to confute any of my Doctrines as not arising from my Text or any of my applications as not arising from my Doctrines but hath also untruely represented my Sermon as coming short of or not expressing that which indeed it hath most principally and most expressely in it That of Reformation was but a part of my Sermon and that of Church-censures against scandalous sinners was but the least part of that part And why should not the fullers sope in the House of God take off those spots in our feasts Why should not the refiners fire purge away the wicked of the Earth like drosse so David calls them That Reformation is one part of the holy Ghosts intendment in that Text is Gualther's opinion as well as mine yet he thinks Gualther his own Nay I proved it from

comparing Scripture with Scripture which is the best way that I know to clear Scripture Why did he not answer my proofes But beside all that I said of Reformation had I not other three Doctrines out of that Text comprehending all that which Master Hussey hinteth as omitted by me and yet intended in the text Dare he say that I did not take in purgation by the Word though I confesse he doth not well prove it from the words which he citeth Is not my word an hammer but it is proved by the words which he citeth not Is not my word like as a fire Did I not expressely say that Christ is to us as a refiners fire and as fullers sope three wayes by reformation by tribulation by mortification Did I not handle the last two as well as the first Oh let no more any such grosse calumnies be found among those who professe to be Brethren Secondly Master Hussey in his Epistle to my self gives it out that I say We have leave from the Civill Magistrate to preach the Gospel which he interprets as if I denied that we preach the Word with Authority from Christ It was de facto not de Jure that I spake it The Magistrate hath power in his hand to hinder both Doctrine and Discipline if he be an adversary though it be the will of Christ that there be both Doctrine and Discipline and the Authority of both is from Christ When the Magistrate assisteth or countenanceth or so much as he doth not hinder the preaching of the Gospel then he gives leave to it Thirdly Master Coleman in his Maledicis pag. 1. saith I am confident the Church of Scotland sent this Commissioner to dispute down our reasons not to revile our persons Maledicis Maledicis pag. 1. Why did he not if he could give instance of some reviling word written by me against his person I have not so learned Christ The Lord rebuke every railing and reviling Spirit I have given him reason against railing he hath given me railing against reason I spake to his doctrine he speakes to my place and relation which is both the Alpha and Omega of his Maledicis Thirdly ibid. Knowledge saith he is onely with Mr. Gillespie others understand neither what they say nor whereof they affirms He will sooner bring water out of flint then prove this consequence out of my Title page Although I confesse himselfe hath affirmed divers things of the Church of Scotland which he doth not understand as I have made plainely to appeare If he take a review of the Title page of his re-examination he gives more ground for this consequence that Mr. Coleman is the onely man that denies himselfe others seeke great things for themselves Or from the Title page of his Maledicis this consequence will be as good that Mr. Coleman is the onely man that blesseth others are revilers 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 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 Secondly Their doctrine tendeth to the altering of the surest and best knowne tenure of Magistracy which is from God for they hold that God hath put all Government and all authority civill and all into the hands of Christ as Mediatour if the tenure from Christ faile then by their doctrine the tenure from God shall faile too Thirdly The Vicegerent cannot act in that capacity nor assume that power which his Soveraigne whose Vicegerent he is ought not to assume if he were personally present So that by their principles it will follow that the Christian Magistrate can act no further nor assume any other power of Government then Christ himselfe might have assumed when he was on earth or might now assume and exercise as Mediatour if he were on earth But Christ himselfe when he was on earth neither did exercise nor was sent to exercise civill Judgement Luke 12. 14. and the temporall sword John 18. 36. nor externall observation and State Luk. 17. 20 21. and he declined to be an earthly King John 6. 15. Therefore by their principles the Christian Magistrate ought to forbeare and avoide all these A fifth Calumny is this Mr. Coleman descanting upon the Governments mentioned 1 Cor. 12. 28. chargeth me with a circular argumentation he circularly argues saith he They are civill because God placed them there and God placed them there because they are civill Maledicis Maledicis pag. 9. I neither argued the one nor the other they are both Sir of your owne forging But this is not your first allegation of this kind I sometime admire what oscitancy or supine negligence to judge it no worse this can be to fancy to your selfe that I have said what you

would and then to bring forth your owne apprehensions for my arguments CHAP. VIII That Mr. Coleman doth great violence both to his owne words and to the words of others whom he citeth THE Reverend Brother hath offered extreme violence to his own Declaration of which let the Reader now Judge comparing his Declaration with his Interpretation Declaration For much of what is reported of my Sermon I utterly deny and referre my selfe to the Sermon it selfe for what I have acknowledged to be delivered by me although it is my judgement yet because I see it hath given a great deale of offence to this Assembly and the Reverend Commissioners of Scotland I am sorry I have given ●ff●nce in the delivery thereof And for the Printing although I have an Order I will forbeare except I be further commanded THO. COLEMAN Interpretation It is a truth and a Scripture truth which I have delivered and because I see a Scripture truth hath given offence to the Commissioners of Scotland c. I am sorry This must needes be the sence I am sure this was the sence intended Maledicis Maledicis pag. 18. Surely if such Orleance Glosses be admitted upon mens Declarations signed with their hands and if he who hath subscribed himselfe sorry that he hath given offence in the delivery of such a doctrine shall be allowed to expound himselfe thus that he meant he was sorry others had taken offence at a Scripture truth that is he was sorry for our fault not for his owne I know not how men shall trust one anothers Declarations or how we can practically as well as doctrinally confute the Jesuiticall aequivocations and mentall reservations And if this must needes be the sence which now the Reverend Brother gives and was the sence intended Why saith he that he did publickly recall that Declaration He might make a revocation of it in the sence wherein I understood it but how could he make a revocation of it as himselfe understood it and as he faith the sence must needes be Was this his sorrow for our taking offence at a Scripture truth a sorrow to be sorrowed for Why did hee not rather make a second Declaration the next day interpreting the former And whereas he thinks that his Revocation ought to have beene mentioned together with his declaration because the whole truth is to be told as well as the truth his owne heart knowes that he himselfe hath not told the whole truth for he could tell much more if he pleased how he was brought upon the businesse and particularly upon that Revocation Why will he challenge others for not telling the whole truth when himselfe doth it not I should have thought that this Revocation was neither here nor there as to the point of scandall for proofe whereof his Declaration was brought and that as it was not to the businesse in hand so it might rather serve for impairing his credit then for any thing else But seeing himselfe thinks it more for his credit to tell the world of his saying and unsaying declaring and undeclaring let him be doing In the next place will you see how much violence he offereth to Divines whom he citeth I had cited plaine and full Testimonies of the Zurick Divines shewing that Gualther expounds I Cor. 5. all along of Excommunication that Bullinger holds excommunication to be instituted by Christ Matth. 18. That Aretius saith God was the Author of excommunication in the Old Testament and Christ in the New all which see in Nihil respondes pag. 32. The Reverend Brother notwithstanding of their plaine Testimonies speaking for me and against him in the maine Controversie betweene him and me doth still alledge that they are for him not for me Maledicis pap 23. yet he doth not so much as offer any answer to their Testimonies by me cited onely he bringeth three other passages of theirs intimating that there may be a true Church without Excommunication that they thought it not necessary where they lived that they thought it hard yea impossible arduum nec non impossible to introduce Excommunication in those parts By which citations the Brother hath proved nothing against me but confirmed what I said Let him remember first he himselfe makes the maine controversie betweene him and me about the Scripturall warrants of Church censures now in that they are clearely against him Next Aretius who thought it hard yea impossible to bring in Excommunication at that time saith also dabit posterior at as tractabili●res forte animas peradventure the following age shall bring forth more tractable soules and thereupon he adviseth not to despaire of the restitution of Excommunication I cited also other Testimonies to shew that the Zurick Divines did endeavour and long for the discipline of Excommunication though as things stood then and there they did prudentially supersede the restoring of it where they lived because of the difficulty and apprehended impossibility of the thing If Mr. Coleman will follow the Zurick Divines he must change his tone and quite alter the state of the Question and make it thus Whether as things now stand it be expedient to settle Excommunication in the Church of England Now if he make this the state of the Question then he must make a Revocation of that word I deny an Institution I assent to a Prudence For the Tables were turned with the Zurick Divines they assented to an Institution they denyed a Prudence they held an affirmative precept for Excommunication but that it doth not bind ad semper that the thing is not at all times nor in all places necessary that weighty inconveniences may warrant the superseding of it The Reverend Brother brings another Testimony out of Aretius against Suspension from the Sacrament And further saith he for this grand desired power Suspension from Sacrament these are his words c. A Testimony three wayes falsified 1. Aretius speaks not at all in that place of the power or duty of Church-Officers of which Suspension is a part but he speakes of private Christians and what is incumbent to them 2. He speakes of Separation not of Suspension from the Sacrament that a man is not bound to withdraw and lie off from the Sacrament because everie one who is to communicate with him is not in his opinion a Saint 3. He speaketh against Separation from both Word and Sacrament because of the mixture of good and bad in hearing and in communicating but scandalous sinners are invited to not suspended from the hearing of the Word Wherefore take Aretius his words as they are and then let the Reverend Brother consider what he hath gained What hath this now to doe with Church-Officers their power of suspension from the Sacrament Observe another Testimony which he addeth out of Augustine lib. de fide Excommunicatio debet supplere locum visibilis gladii which he Englisheth thus Excommunication comes in onely to supply the want of the civill sword But how comes in your onely