Againe God is said to put all things under him whereby it is implied that all things were not under him before they were put under him but as the second Person in Trinity so nothing could be said to be put under him because they were in that respect alwaies under him And lastly nothing is excepted from this subjection 1 Cor. 15.28 the Son also himselfe shall be subject to him that put all things under him so Christ hath dominion over all things they are put under his feet in such a condition in such a consideration as he himselfe is subject to God but in the consideration that Christ is the second person of Trinity so he is not inferiour to God the Father therefore he hath not all things put under his feet as second Person in Trinity Phil. 2.8.9.10 being found in fashion as a man he humbled himselfe and became obedient to death even the death of the crosse wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name that in the name of Iesus every knee should bow you see he that was in the forme of a servant was exalted under that description and so high that every knee should bow to him but as second Person in Trinity hee was not found in the forme of a servant but as mediator so he was God in the forme of a servant But Mr. Gillespie hath a distinction between dignity power and kingdome but proveth only a posse that such a distinction is conceiveable and may be found in earthly Kings but a posse ad esse in Christâ— non valet consequentia but here I further note that Mr. Gillespie in the close of his brotherly examination when hee commeth to apply this his distinction to the mediator he saith as mediator he exerciseth acts of divine power and omnipotencie over all creatures in the behalfe and for the good of his Church and restraineth or diverteth or destroyeth all his Churches enemies notwithstanding in the 43 page he denieth any such working to belong to Christ as mediator but as God whereby yee may see how weake these grounds are and how small a matter it is for a Rhetorician to forget himselfe in the following of an argument There remaineth now that something bee said in vindication of Mr. Coleman from the charge of mis-application of two Scriptures The first is the 1 Cor. 12.28 hee citeth to prove civill governments in the Church unto which Mr. Gillespie saith first if by governments in that plate Civill Magistrates were understood yet that place saith not that Christ hath placed them then à foreiori you disclaime by that means any government in this place as officers under Christ I thought Mr. Gillespie would not have let goe the hold he hath under Christ for his Church governments from this place so easie Mr. Coleman need not trouble him false about proving that they were put in the Church under Christ I hope if in the Church they will be content to be Christs Vicars or else if Mr. Coleman will be ruled by me so as Mr. Gillespie will not urge this for constitution of Church governments hee shall let it goe God hath placed governments in his Church and if they be meant civill governments hee hath gotten thus much that civill governours are in the Church by Gods appointment and then I hope Mr. Gillespie will not deny the roome that God hath given them in the Church upon this ground that God hath nothing to doe to place them there they should have come in by Christ Hee brings an argument out of Calvin because the Apostle spake of such governments as the Church had at that time but the Church had no civill Christian Magistrates at that time only the major of that argument wanteth proofe that the Apostle speaketh of such officers as were in the Church in his time only that cannot be proved I shall urge some few arguments to the contrary the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will not enforce is seeing that word will signifie proposuit or decreâ—â—â— as well as posuit he hath appointed and that may take in not onely such officers the present state of the Church did affoord but also hose as should hear caster by Gods appointment come to the Church and this is plain that in sundry places the word doth so signifie as Joh. 15.16 I have ordained you that you shall goe and bring forth fruit Act. 19.21 Paul purposed both made by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet both are referred to time to come and then that which you translate placed may be rendred he hath appointed to his Church the execution referred to the providence of God when he shal be pleased to affoord his Church the enjoyment of these severall endowments and gifts for it is plaine there is in that catalogue some such as the Church shall not alwayes have and why not some also which at that time the Church had not This cannot be a catalogue of such officers as are at all times necessary to the Church for then Apostles might not be mentioned because the Church is and long time hath beene without them as workers of miracles 2. At that time there were workers of miracles which did supply the defect of civill Magistrates which is to workt upon naturalls to induce men to attend upon the means Act. 8.6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake hearing and seeing the miracles which he did Thus much a nationall covenant and civill Magistrate may require of the people that they will attend upon the meanes out of naturall principles Deum esse 〈◊〉 in the maner of which worship so farre as concerneth the externall education from youth and tradition instruction of parents and humane lawes are the foundations and the bounds of nationall and publique worship and upon this ground the Israelites were commanded to reach their children the Law of God and God entred into covenant with the father for the child as with Abraham and the same obligation lieth upon Christian parents to instruct their children Eph. 6.4 And you fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the â—urture and admonition of the Lord. Which yet they might not if the doctrine of the Gospell might not be received of the father for the son and the father might not require of his son the forme of doctrine Saint Paul calleth the doctrine of the Gospell Rom. 6.7 a forme God be thanked ye have obeyed the forme of doctrine that was delivered unto you 2. Tim. 1.13 Hold fast the so me of sound words which thou hast heard of me this is called fides quoÌ„ crâ—dimus and this may be the obligation of humans society and God and Christ and Scripture may be agreed on by naturall men even as Idolaters set up their worship yet if the Scripture be received for the rule there is a sound forme of words and he that heareth and beleaveth
Christ doth not governe his Church he hath so troubled the sense of these words that truly I cannot understand what he meaneth he citeth 1 Cor. 15.25 he must reigne till he hath put all his enemies under his feet and in Act. 2.34.35 Sit thou on my right hand till I make thy foes thy footstool Now saith Mr. Gillespie When Christ bath put downe all rule and all authority and power and put all his enemies under his feet then he shall cease to reigne as Mediator but till that bee done hee shall reigne as Mediator so that it can never bee proved that the meaning of these words hee hath put all things under his feet is that all government is given to Christ as Mediator Here is great strugling to finde out a Kingdome for Christ as Mediator over the Church only and this putting all things under his feet must signifie Christs Kingdome after the Mediators Kingdome is given up to the Father because as soone as Christ hath put all things under his feet he reigneth as Mediator no longer For answer to this argument I say that untill he hath put all his enemies under his feet in 1 Cor. 15.25 and he that hath put all things under 27. have not the same antecedent the former hee is God man the Mediator the latter is God the Father in the former the subject of this subjection is his enemies this latter all things the former is an actuall putting them under this latter as Mr. Gillespie doth allow out of Jerome is but in decree put under his feet in the former is finall destruction of death a putting downe of all rule authority and power a confusion and destruction of all his enemies in the latter God put Christs enemies under his feet but under the common condition of all things friends and foes are put under the government of Christ by God his Father here he is set above principalities but letteth them alone in their inferior condition there he putteth them downe here they are under him but there hee â—â—keth them quite away here he receiveth the government of the Mediator there he finisheth it here God putteth all things under Christ Church and all whatsoever Zanchius saith to the contrary there Christ according to the power that is heere given him putteth his enemies only under his feet heere God giveth the right in recompence of his suffering as Phil. 2. wherefore God hath exalted him c. There hee executeth his wrath upon his enemies in the meane time he governeth as mediator and keepeth off the destruction from the wicked and confirmeth his people that they may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ The next words furnish Mr. Gillespie with another argument against Mr. Coleman gave him to bee head over all things to his Church I know not how Mr. Gillespie doth finde out his arguments the words stand for Mr. Coleman still the gift is given to his Church or for the helpe and benefit of his Church but hee was given to be head over all he is head over none sayth Mr. Gillespie but his Church Is this to argue out of Scripture or rather to deny and outface the Scripture the Scripture sayth he is over all for the good and benefit of his Church what good can he doe his Church by an empty dignity without any governement or authority but if he that hath power over all things bee given to his Church this is a gift indeed full of comfort to his Church that he that is head in respect of influence and life is head of all things or at least over them in government The last verse doth further confirme what I say sayth Mr. Gillespie for the Apostle continuing his speech sayth which is his body the fulnes of him that filleth all in all he calleth the Church Christs fulnes in reference to his headship That seemeth tolerably to come from the Text but see the fallacy comming after that which maketh him compleat so far as he is head or King how commeth this word King in heere Having his Church fully gathered he hath his compleat Kingdome his perfect body Then as soone as he hath gotten his Kingdome he presently layeth downe such a Kingdome scarce worth the name of a Kingdome that exceedeth not the bounds of his owne body and continueth no longer then he hath got the crowne for Christs body not compleat till the last day This is very great liberty that Mr. Gillespie taketh in arguing more then poetica licentia to put in King when it is not in the Text whence he will ground his argument Doth not Christ as mediator fill heaven and earth sure as mediator he is God what is he God as mediator without the properties of God I never heard of such argumentation but in the question of transubstantiation there is accidens sine subjecto and subjectum fine accidentibus propriis heere is Deus sine Deo as for his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glory power and kingdome glory not derived from a Kingdome I know none a kingdome without power and glory a nominall empty thing kingdome power and glory is nothing but a compleat Kingdome Hee telleth us that Christ as Mediator executeth acts of divine power over all creatures in behalfe of his Church if he hath right to doe it then he is King I thinke I desire Mr. Gillespie to give us some descriptions of the termes of his division of kingdome power and glory and see how by Scripture he can prove how they do agree or not to Christ as Mediator under his description and see further how these termes may serve for interpreting of Scripture and setting up of his opinion But Mr. Gillespie is very angry with this opinion that Christ as Mediator is King of Kings and all doe governe under him and ought to governe for him I wonder he is so much offended sure it is not because he would not have Christ have so much power nay he is afraid that Ministers shall be deprived of some part of the office that Christ hath committed to them by my consent if Mr. Gillespie can prove that any part of government was given to the Ministers by Christ no man shall question Christs title and I hope our Magistrates will not take any thing from us Christ hath given us I wish that men would looke impartially upon the word of God and see how it can be proved that Christ hath given any government to Ministers immediately or whether any to the Church to give all disputants and godly men opportunity to deale clearly in these points I wish these points might be decided among our selves in a candid dispute rather then to fill the world with our differences Let these be the questions 1. Whether Christ gave any more government to Ministers then is contained in preaching and baptizing Neg. 2. Whether hee gave any government to the Church at all Neg. 3. Whether Ministers have any right to those priviledges that are given to the Church more then another Christian Neg. 4. Whether a Commonwealth professing the Gospell bee a visible Church Aff. 5. Whether any member of such a Commonwealth rightly ordered where he hath his consent to making of Civill Lawes may hold himselfe free from such Lawes in matters of conscience Neg. 6. Whether Ministers have commission from Christ to preach Aff. 7. Whether the people have any power to choose their Ministers Neg. These things being candidly discussed and we being all of one minde in them I hope peace may be expected amongst all the members of the Kingdome Which God grant FINIS
To the Right Honourable the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament RIght Honourable I have ever thought it the duty of us Ministers to debate matters of doctrine which is jus divinum amongst our selves so as that wee might all agree in the things that should be taught among the people which blessing of unity would certainly in a great measure be granted to us of God if we were set in such a station that we might use the means which were Schools of Divinity were we set into Classes and from our youth kept in the exercise of Divinity disputation before we were swaied with ambitious ends truth would in a great measure appeare to us which is now hid truth is but one the Gospell is the Gospell of peace it is our ignorance of truth and of the Gospell that maketh us at such distance in opinions now there is no such meanes in all the world to acquire knowledge as disputation therefore is that art which hath truth for its end studied and gotten in Schooles of Disputation I meane Logick Rhetoricke is ornatus the beauty or ornament of speech Now though persons of greatest quality doe usually weare the richest garments yet garments of greatest value may be borrowed and put upon the poorest slave and vilest begger the falsest and least probable matter is capable of curious ornament of words where it is a matter of the greatest skill in the world to find out the truth among these colours of Rhetoricke and those things that ought not to be taught will most forcibly draw disciples after their teachers At this time ye may heere the Pulpits filled with eager and earnest perswasions to accept of the government of Christ set up in the word of God without any argument out of Gods word to proove that Christ set up any such government as they aime at If any argument can be produced it is fit we all should know it and if so the word of God and the authority of Christ must not be bounded by any authority on earth no power among the sonnes of men may limit the Holy One of Israell If Christ hath set officers in his Church Kings and Nobles and Senators must stoop to them this intermixing of the Parliament authority with divine is but dawbing if it be any other then an acknowledgement of duty of submission if Christ hath set up any government in his Church to be executed by Church officers As for giving leave to execute discipline as to preach the word that is but a fraud you may indeed nay you ought to receive the word of God not for your selves alone but for the whole Nation as being the Representative Body thereof you may require a Covenant over all the Kingdome to wait on the means not by pieces and parcells but the whole word which ought to have a free passage not by plurality of votes but by an unanimous consent of the Preachers That the word ought to be so preached is plaine by these arguments First Christ gave a Commission to preach the Gospell unto his disciples which was to last unto the end of the world in which there was no Quorum duobus tribus vel pluribus vestrum by which they might not preach but by an universall consent If any shall object that the Apostles walked by an higher principle even by the ducture of an infallible spirit I answer first the Commission was penned in words that must last to the end of the world by which we must walke 2. The infallibility of the Spirit by which the Apostles walked did imply an impossibility of dissent 3. Though the Apostles did know that it was impossible for them to disagree in their doctrine yet St. Paul went up by the Spirit to communicate his doctrine to other of the Apostles James and Peter lest in regard of the people he had run in vain hee knew the unity of the Preachers would prevaile much among the people Gal. 2.2 2. Secondly St. Paul wrote to Timothy to charge those that taught any other doctrine that they should not whereby it appeareth that he had a care that no other doctrine might be taught but one 1 Tim. 1.3 3. Christ promised his presence among two or three that are gathered together in his name he promised nothing to the major part of such an assembly this gathering together cannot bee understood of a locall but a gathering by the Spirit into an unity of minde and judgement Christs promises attend on the performance of our duties when we doe our duties we may expect a blessing St. Paul to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 1.10 beseecheth them by the name of our Lord Jesus that they all speake the same thing that there be no divisions among them but that they bee perfectly joyned together in the same minde and the same judgement where you see he urgeth them by the name by the reverence and honour that they beare to the name of Christ that they be of one minde those that are gathered together in the name of Christ are of one minde I doe not say that all those to the number of two or three that are of one minde are gathered in the name of Christ nay the gathering in the name is differenced from other ambitious and hereticall gatherings cumulo accidentium whereof this being of one minde is one such a gathering together is worthy the presence of Christ seldome can many agree in one judgement that Christ doth not unite in any thing that tendeth to the glory of God Ob. Some may say that it is impossible that men should be all of one minde so much division is found among us Resp I answer that this unity hath not beene sought after means have not been used for the obtaining it all things have been carried by vote and the dissenting party kept under by censure accompained with fire and sword under Antichristian Tyranny the truth was kept under by the vote of the ambitious and Schooles wholly neglected or used only more imperato questions not stated by Scripture but the Scripture overswayed by humane authority I confesse I conceive it necessary for Classes and Assemblies to meet but their businesse is only about matters of their Commission about preaching the word to communicate their doctrine and by dispute to finde out the truth their disputes ought to end in a brotherly accord as in Act. 15. much disputing but all ended in accord no putting to the vote Votes have too great an influence upon the will to decide matters of doctrine by them men may vote what they have an interest to dispose of I may vote my estate and liberty but will-worship is unlawfull I meane the matters that are essentiall to Gods worship which are matters of duty as for circumstantialls of time and place except the Sabbath which are matters of liberty in these things the Commonwealth may vote and the Ministers must by the duty of their place preach the Gospell when and where they can get
but such as by force can put his judgements in execution he only is a magistrate Mr. Coleman sayth Church government distinct from civill maketh an irreconcilable difference betweene the Minister and the Magistrate as two governments must needs do Mr. Gillespie supposeth two governments must needs be and then chideth with the argument and with Mr. Coleman but letteth it alone without an answer But Mr. Gillespie falleth upon an argument against government committed to Ministers taken from feare of ambition and here he spendeth many words about the words which Mr. Coleman alludeth only unto which I will not trouble my Reader withall that Mr. Coleman in plaine tearmes aimeth at is ambition is to be feared in Ministers and sheweth what great contestation hath been for this censure of the Church that some have preferred it before all acts of piety and have ambitiously endeavoured that all should passe through their fingers and that this censure hath plunged the world in blood this many hundred years Mr. Gillespies answer to the matter of ambition is only by involving the Civill Magistrate in the same danger of ambition Now is this a good argument government is necessary but he that is imployed therein hath great temptations to ambition therefore the Ministers of the word must be ensnared in the like temptation that they may both contest one with another and so imbroile the world in bloud as the Popes have done or else both joyne together to enthrall the people as the Bishops in the Courts of Princes and not rather in regard that government doth naturally lift up the heart of man and therefore Ministers have the name of servants and Lordship and Dominion over the slocke denied them in Scripture to keep them from the like temptation that they may the more freely from God warn them that are in authority that they take heed of that temptation I am confident if this Assembly had stooke close to their commission which they received from Christ which was to preach the Gospell and spent themselves wholly in matters of doctrine and told the Lords of the duty of their place to doe justice in Parliament without respect of persons and put the Commons in mind of all their wholesome Ordinances that they looke to carefull performance of them without turning their thoughts after government the Reformation had gone on much faster and more comfortable then it hath Mr. Coleman saith That Church government hath disquieted all the world in the hand of the Pope and his Clergy in the hand of the Archbishop of Canterbury Mr. Gillespie telleth him That these stories are not a little beside the warke he should have told what hurt is had done in France in Holland in Scotland in Reformed Churches I answer it was the same censure that raised the Pope so high but it grew not to that height in one age a young Lion will not bite and you boast that your Churches are according to Primitive times well what they will come to after times will see we are beholding to the Presbytery for throwing downe the Bishops if they cast away their ambition with them and take Mr. Colemans advice and set up Schooles of Divinity and move the Parliament for due encouragement you shall then appeare to be men seeking the things of Christ and not your own but of this more by and by A word or two about that place 1 Tim. 5.17 the Elder that ruleth well is worthy double honour from hence two sorts of Elders are proved an Elder that ruleth well he that laboureth in word doctrine here two Elders are mentioned but the difference whether officiall or personall is very doubtfull one office may comprehend both these duties and the comparison may lye in their personall excellencies one may excell in the governing part of the office and the other person in the doctrinall part one may heare the causes and differences of his brethren well and yet be but a dull preacher another may preach excellent well and yet be an unpatient and peevish judge or not to countenance your Ecclesiasticall government so farre the Scripture hath these effects it is profitable for doctrine reproofe correction instruction one Ministers excellencie may lye in labouring in doctrine and instruction and this may be his that laboured in word and doctrine he that reproveth and correcteth may be said to rule and then there is no place for your Lay-elders but if this place doe set up your lay-Lay-elder and the difference is in two distinct offices that here is an Elder that doth governe and doth not preach then preaching and governing be the differences and differences be convertable with their subjects so that if one doe governe and not preach the other must preach and not governe and this agreeth plainly with the 1 Pet. 5.3 not as governing the flock 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nique ut dominautes not as Lords for my part I know not how Lordship and government doth differ one from another dominus and dominari 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be denominatives he that governeth is a Lord and he that is a Lord governeth to imagine that ambition and pride injury and oppression or any such vice did necessarily belong to a Lord is very injurious unto the very title and honour of a Lord. That more reckoning hath been made of this dominion then acts of piety to this Mr. Gillespie seemeth to adhere that all the rest is worth nothing without this further occasion will be given to speake of these things Mr. Coleman doth desire doctrine and wisheth the Civill Magistrate to take Government Doctrine is committed to the Ministers of the word by Commission from Christ Mat. 28. and that Commission is to last to the end of the world this Mr. Coleman had reason to challenge as due from Christ not the Church but to the Ministers of the word the Church hath no where power to preach the Gospell but the Apostles and their successors unto the end of the world and therefore as before he had implied that the preaching of the Gospel would take up the whole man especially in our time our knowledge of the Scriptures is to be acquired by ordinary means tongues for the language exercise and art for the argument that the word might be preached in the demonstration and argument of the Scripture and not in the enticing words of mens wisdome well might Mr. Coleman call for Schools of Divinity that there might be unity found among the Preachers of the Gospell nothing more conducing to unity then the continuall exercise in Schooles the very people complaine women and such as are well minded why do not you Ministers meet and dispute it out among your selves one teacheth one thing and another another thing and we are much troubled and disquieted by it there is use of Schooles or otherwise it would never be set up in Universities Paul disputed daily in the Schoole of one Tyrannus Mr. Coleman
and obayeth from the heart shall be saved though the Magistrate and Minister should drive on to politique and ambitious ends yet the beleever shall bee saved and this is the assistance and helpe the Church can have from a civill Magistrate and how great a mercy is this to Gods people when all incouragement shall be given to the preaching of the Gospel when the lust and riot of a people shall be restrayned by the civil Magistrate men that refuse to heare the word punished in their persons and estates and thereby for feare of the Magistrate bee brought to the meanes God must judge of the successe as likewise give it Compare this with the contrary motions of authority by fire and sword to suppresse the Gospel and then see whether this be not indeed helps to the Church which though those times wanted yet God appointed that after ages should have and in the meane time did cause men to attend to the meanes by miracles I have proved that the people were inclined to hearken to doctrine by miracles which moveth naturall men to flock together to see strange things if a mount chancke come and tell people be both medicines of strange operations to cure and kill to wound and heale how will people flocks together to heare and see some strange thing est natura heminum novimtis avids I have likewise shewed you that people may and ought to receive God and Christ and Scripture by publique consent and whatsoever it received by publique consent is an act of humane law and to be acted by the civill Magistrate Now God doth not worke miracles but to supply defect of naturall meanes when they are wanting Christ cured when Physitians could not maketh wine of water when they had no wine provided Manna when they were in the wildernes and wanted provision which coased when they enjoyed the provision of the Land When the Gospell was first and nations were not converted then miracles were necessary to cause attention but after when nations were converted which Christ sent out his Disciples to doe with all speed then there will be no use of miracles attention and use of meanes may be agreed upon the effect of them every man is concerned to looke to for his owne salvation and happy are we if we can enjoy the meanes without Inquisitions and faggots and bloud And to looke nearer into the Text to see that this was but an appointment and not a present execution lye have not heere a continued catalogue but ye have these interruptions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all these might be present and liable to view then ye have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to that ye have annexed miracles they lasted somewhat longer then the Apostles and Prophets and last ye have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and these may be ordinary gift healing if distinguished from miracles is an ordinary gift so are divers tongues and there remayneth no more but helps governments and what these helps are Calvin confesseth he cannot tell hee thinketh they were some officers the Church hath lost men are mightily troubled for want of officers but being put both in one case without any conjunction copulative why they may not belong both to one thing and this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may not have some influence upon the times and after age seeing this catalogue is superadditum ecclesia and the gifts mentioned not limited by their ends but onely noted as different gifts to note that all have not the like qualifications but in Eph. 4.11 there when the Apostle setteth downe officers as meanes to the ends which in actions and moralls have a great influence upon the nature of the thing he leaveth out helps and governments and reckoneth only fowr Apostles Prophets Evangelists and Teachers all but Teachers imployed about the word it selfe the foundation penmen of the word no more left to us but the Teacher and he alone with the helpe of the labours of the Apostles Prophets and Evangelists for without them they can doe nothing yet there this poore teacher is left alone to perfect the Saints to performe the worke of the Ministry to edifie the body of Christ heere is neither helpe nor government yet all these things done without them Besides in that very place where S. Paul by an induction doth demonstrate that God hath appointed diversities of gifts reckoneth all the rest and skippeth over helpes governments and leaveth them wholly out which of necessity he must doe where he was in his induction to deale with their experience if none such were to be found at that time they might tell him you aske us whether all be helps and governments we see no such thing we are so far from thinking all governments that we finde none at all but why otherwise they should be left out I know not seeing they did cleerest set forth the difference that one member hath from another especially to naturall men which was S. Pauls argument and therefore I thinke there were none then He hath two other arguments to shew the mis-application of this text but are trifles not worth answer The first is the catalogue of Church officers The Magistrate is behinde the Minister Next he citeth Eph. 1.21 22 23. to prove that all government is given to Christ and to him as mediator and Christ as head of these is given to the Church Mr. Gillespie saith this place maketh more against him then for him something for him by your confession is the Scripture contrary to it selfe in the same place pro and con The Apostle saith not that Christ is given to the Church a head of all principalities and powers The brother saith so and in so saying he maketh Christ a head to those that are not his body 1 Is This a very nice exception the text saith plainly that the power of God shewed it self in Christ 1 in raising him from the dead 2 In setting him at the right hand of God which Calvin expoundeth to signifie the power which the Father bestowed upon Christ and further saith that these words of the 21 verâ—e far above principality is an exegesis explaining the right hand of God the words are hee set him at his owne right hand far above principalities c. but in 22 he gave him to bee head over all things to his Church he saith not head over principalities but all things here is great cause of exception here is farre above principalities but not head here is head of all things but not principalities may not hee that is farre above be called the chiefe or head or may not he that is head of all things bee well called head of Principalities it is true disputations doe require men to keep close to termes but in Col. 2.10 ye have the very words head of all principalities and powers the brother is to blame for saying so why may not the brother speake as St. Paul
speaketh but it seemeth the Commissioner will confute St. Paul inso saying hee shall make Christ head of them that are not his body Well the Commissioner will not have Christ head of any but his body then I trust he is not head of your Presbytery for then he must be head of many that are not of his body for howsoever men may by rules of charity have the estimation of members of Christ yet certainly Christ is head of none but his elect no visible Church can challenge the priviledge of being the members of Christ every faithfull man may but the visible Church cannot I desire this may be proved that unbeleevers and hypocrites are members of Christ If in the visible Church if Christ be considered as head of the Church which doth by his mediation convey the graces of justification and sanctification upon the faithfull so the visible Church is not the body of Christ as having many members that have no life of grace nor any such growth as is mentioned Eph. 4.15 in that argument that government that Christ hath over the faithfull is truly spirituall and not of this world and of this Kingdome he hath indeed no officers but his Spirit all these members have immediate union with Christ by faith As for applying that distinction of the exaltation of Christ in respect of honour and dignity but not his Kingly office to the interpretation of this text that Christ is in more honour then any creature but he executeth his Kingly office as mediator over the Church only and the Apostle saith only he is far above them he saith not he is head or King of them I hope the Commissioner will have the Holy Ghost speake sense and make the comparison to bee made in all these things that he is preferred in he sitteth nearer the right hand of God then any principality you will allow that Christ is here spoken of as mediator as raised from the dead and set at the right hand of God the Father See what the Apostle saith he saith he is above principality in principality power in power might in might dominion in dominion power and might are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first is right the other is power to maintaine that right thus the words must bee understood if the comparison bee artificiall and a due comparison I hope you cannot deny that all these in any acception are under the right hand of God and there Christ as mediator sitteth and is nearer the right hand of God in all these respects he is above them but not head but if this had been to be understood above in dignity only that is in estimation only this must have beene limited to estimation with God for wee all know that he hath no such estimation among many names on earth which yet hee is above even in their owne greatnesse whensoever he is pleased to make use of that right hand of God where he is set For that his illustration as he called it it is rather an aberration from the matter in hand then any thing toward the manifestation of it our excellencies dignities and powers are so derivative and in estimation only that they yeeld us no government at all no man can so far exceed another as to obtaine government by his excellencie without some law or consent of others to bestow it this is nothing to the interpreter of the place if all this had no more but expressed the dignity of Christ what need all this accumulation of words when all might have been expressed in this word Hee is far above all dignities for though here is a preferring of Christ before rights and powers and dominions yet hee hath none of all these but dignities and these are all in this world and that which is to come if yee understand the word World as many doe to make roome for the Church he hath no dignity there neither so all this majesty of words commeth to nothing in this world and in the end of the world he layeth downe all to his Father But volens nolens at last the Commissioner must come to it Christ is head of principalities in the place before cited Col. 2.10 but that is in another sense not as he is mediator but only as he is God and the Apostles meaning is nothing but this that Christ is true God doth he not meane also that he is true Christ as well as that he is true God and if Christ doth he not meane that he is mediator but the Commissioner saith that in that place the Apostle sheweth is true God doth that follow that speaketh not of Christ as mediator because he speaketh of him as true God is not Christ true God as mediator he teacheth the Collossians not to worship Angells because servants but may they not worship Christ as Mediator yes doubtlesse they may Now it is plaine that hee speaketh of Christ as mediator as may clearly appear both in the 9 verse and beginning of 10 verse in him dwelleth the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily that in Christ the mediator yee are compleat in him that is as mediator the text saith that he is head of principality and power that proveth that Christ is God saith Mr. Gillespie God not mediator that is no consequence yee ought not to worship Angells who are but creatures because ye are compleat in him that is God and in him that is better then Angells and is head over them therefore not as mediator but as second Person in Trinity I see no consequence in this collection But it is plainly interpreted in the Colloss 1.15.16.17 how Christ is head of principality and power It is plaine in that place the Apostle speaketh of Christ in whom we have redemption through his bloud that is as mediator the image of the invisible God that is we have the knowledge of God made knowne to us in him Joh. 1.18 that is as mediator if by communication of properties the creation were attributed to Christ as God is it therefore denied to him as mediator well let the Commissioner acute Philosophari do Deo and say as God and not as mediator he did create the world and together with other things did create principalities and powers well if it be not the office of the mediator to create the world shall it not therefore bee in the compasse of the mediators office to governe any thing that was created now here is a new distinction between the person and office of Christ what kinde of division shall this bee shall this be a lawfull distribution of Christs actions some personall some officiall those things that prove Christ to be God doe by no meanes belong to the office of Christ he saith all this is to bee understood not of his governing and Kingly office but to prove that he is true God I formerly shewed that what doth belong to the second Person in Trinity together with Father and Holy