The Works of Mr. George Gillespie Part 28

_Sect._ 10. 10. The ceremonies, as urged upon us, are also full of superst.i.tion; holiness and worship are placed in them, as we have proven by unanswerable grounds,(1326) and by testimonies of our opposites themselves. Therefore were they never so indifferent in their own general nature, this placing of them in the state of worship maketh them cease to be indifferent.

_Sect._ 11. 11. The ceremonies against which we dispute are more than matters of mere order, forasmuch as sacred and mysterious significations are given unto them, and by their significations they are thought to teach men effectually sundry mysteries and duties of piety. Therefore they are not free nor indifferent, but more than men have power to inst.i.tute; for except circ.u.mstances and matters of mere order there is nothing which concerneth the worship of G.o.d left to the determination of men, and this argument also hath been in all the parts of it fully explained and strengthened by us,(1327) which strongly proveth that the ceremonies are not indifferent, so much as _quo ad speciem_. _Quare doctrina a n.o.bis tradita_ (these be Zanchius' words(1328)) _non licere n.o.bis, aliis externi cultus ceremoniis Deum colere, quam quas ipse in sacris literis per apostolis proescripsit, firma ac certa manet_.

_Sect._ 12. 12. Whatsoever indifferency the ceremonies could be thought to have in their own nature, yet if it be considered how the church of Scotland hath once been purged from them, and hath spued them out with detestation, and hath enjoyed the comfortable light and sweet beams of the glorious and bright shining gospel of Christ, without shadows and figures, then shall it appear that there is no indifferency in turning back to weak and beggarly elements, Gal. v. 9. And thus saith Calvin(1329) of the ceremonies of the _interim_, that granting they were things in themselves indifferent, yet the rest.i.tution of them in those churches which were once purged from them, is no indifferent thing. Wherefore, O Scotland!

"strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die," Rev. iii. 2.

Remember also from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else thy candlestick will be quickly removed out of his place, except thou repent, Rev. ii. 5.

THE END.

A BROTHERLY EXAMINATION OF SOME Pa.s.sAGES OF MR COLEMAN'S LATE SERMON UPON JOB XI. 20.

A BROTHERLY EXAMINATION

OF SOME Pa.s.sAGES OF

MR COLEMAN'S LATE SERMON UPON JOB XI. 20,

AS IT IS NOW PRINTED AND PUBLISHED:

BY WHICH HE HATH,

TO THE GREAT OFFENCE OF VERY MANY,

ENDEAVOURED TO STRIKE AT THE VERY ROOT OF ALL SPIRITUAL AND ECCLESIASTICAL GOVERNMENT,

CONTRARY TO

THE WORD OF G.o.d, THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT, OTHER REFORMED CHURCHES,

AND THE VOTES OF THE HONOURABLE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT,

AFTER ADVICE HAD WITH THE REVEREND AND LEARNED

a.s.sEMBLY OF DIVINES.

BY GEORGE GILLESPIE,

MINISTER AT EDINBURGH, 1642.

EDINBURGH:

ROBERT OGLE, AND OLIVER & BOYD.

M. OGLE & SON, AND WILLIAM COLLINS, GLASGOW.

J. DEWAR, PERTH. W. MIDDLETON, DUNDEE. G. & R. KING, ABERDEEN.

W. M'COMB, BELFAST.

HAMILTON, ADAMS & CO., AND JAMES NISBET & CO., LONDON.

1645.

REPRINTED BY A. W. MURRAY, MILNE SQUARE, EDINBURGH.

1844.

NOTICE.

In order to render the following controversial writings of Gillespie intelligible to the general reader, we have judged it expedient to prefix to the "Brotherly Examination" that portion of Coleman's sermon on which Gillespie thought it his duty to animadvert. And as a tolerably full account of the whole controversy between Coleman and Gillespie will be found in the Memoir of Gillespie's Life, we refrain from occupying s.p.a.ce with any additional remarks here.

EXTRACT FROM COLEMAN'S SERMON.

"All eyes are upon government, they look upon it as the only help. If anywhere, here let wisdom be used. To prescribe is above me, only let me offer two or three rules, which may either be helpful to the work, or useful to the workmen.

"1. _Establish as few things by divine right as can well be._ Hold out the practice but not the ground: it will gather more, nay all, that hold it not unlawful; men differently principled may meet in one practice. _It may be_, will be of larger extent than _it must be_. This (the divine right) was the only thing that hindered union in the a.s.sembly. Two parties came bia.s.sed, the one with a national determination, the other with a congregational engagement. The reverend Commissioners from Scotland were for the divine right of the presbyterial, the Independents for the congregational government. How should either move? where should both meet?

Here was the great bar, which, if you can avoid, you may do much.

"2. _Let all precepts, held out as divine inst.i.tutions, have clear scriptures._ I could never yet see how two co-ordinate governments, exempt from superiority and inferiority, can be in one state; and in Scripture no such thing is found, that I know of. That place, 1 Cor. v., takes not hold of my conscience for excommunication, and I admire that Matt. xviii. so should upon any; yet these two are the common places on which are erected the chiefest acts of ruling. And when I see not an inst.i.tution, nor any one act of government in the whole Bible performed, how can it be evinced that a ruling elder is an inst.i.tuted officer? Let the Scripture speak expressly, and inst.i.tutions appear inst.i.tutions, and all must bow.

"3. _Lay no more burden of government upon the shoulders of ministers than Christ hath plainly laid upon them._ The ministers have other work to do, and such as will take up the whole man, might I measure others by myself.

It was the king of Sodom's speech to Abraham, 'Give me the persons; take thou the goods:' so say I, Give us doctrine; take you the government. As is said, Right Honourable, give me leave to make this request in the behalf of the ministry, Give us two things, and we shall do well-learning and a competency.

"4. _A Christian magistrate, as a Christian magistrate, is a governor in the church._ Christ has placed government in his church, 1 Cor. xii. 28.

Of other governments, beside magistracy, I find no inst.i.tution; of them I do, Rom. xii. 1, 2. I find all government given to Christ, and to Christ as Mediator, Eph. i. 22, 23. I desire all to consider it. To rob the kingdom of Christ of the magistrate, and his governing power, I cannot excuse, no not from a kind of sacrilege, if the magistrate be His."

A BROTHERLY EXAMINATION, &c.

I have before touched this purpose in the third branch of the third application of my second doctrine; and did, in my sermon in the Abbey church, express my thoughts of it at some length. But as I was then unwilling to fall upon such a controversy so publicly, and especially in a Fast sermon, if that which I intend to examine had not been as publicly and upon the like occasion delivered; so now, in the publishing, I have thought good to open my mind concerning this thing distinctly, and by itself. That which had been too late to be preached after sermon is not too late to be printed after sermon. Others (upon occasion offered) have given their testimony against his doctrine; and I should think myself unfaithful in the trust put upon me, if, upon such an occasion, I should be silent in this business; and I believe no man will think it strange that a piece of this nature and strain get an answer; and I go about it without any disrespect either to the person or parts of my reverend brother. Only I must give a testimony to the truth when I hear it spoken against; and I hope his objections have made no such impression in any man's mind as to make him unwilling to hear an answer. Come we therefore to the particulars.

Four rules were offered by the reverend brother, as tending to unity, and to the healing of the present controversies about church government. But in truth his cure is worse than the disease; and, instead of making any agreement, he is like to have his hand against every man, and every man's hand against him.