The Works of Mr. George Gillespie Part 36

CALUMNIES CONFUTED, AND THAT QUESTION BRIEFLY CLEARED, WHETHER THE MAGISTRATE BE CHRIST'S VICEGERENT.

Mr Hussey, in his t.i.tle page, tells us he hath prosecuted the argumentative part without any personal reflections, yet I could instance divers personal reflections in his book which any moderate impartial man will extremely dislike; but what should this be to the edifying of my reader, the end which, next to the glory of G.o.d and the promoting of reformation, I have proposed to myself? Yet I must needs take notice of some calumnies.

First, In his _Epistle_, p. 8, he offereth it to be examined whether I was not beside my text, Mal. iii. 2, when I pressed from it reformation by ecclesiastical discipline: whether that refiner's fire and fuller's soap 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 G.o.d, or men's own fancy. It is no discontent to me, but I shall rejoice in it, that men of piety and judgment examine my doctrine by the word of G.o.d, and hold fast what they find agreeable to the Scriptures, and no more. But is this brotherly, or fair, or conscionable dealing, to offer my sermon to be examined under such a notion, when he hath not only 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 untruly represented my sermon, as coming short of, or not expressing that which indeed it hath most princ.i.p.ally and most expressly 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 fuller's soap in the house of G.o.d, take off those spots in our feasts? Why should not the refiner's fire purge away the wicked of the earth like dross? so David calls them. That reformation is one part of the Holy Ghost's 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 proofs? But beside all that I said of reformation, had I not other three doctrines out of that text comprehending all that which Mr 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 confess 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 expressly say that Christ is to us as a refiner's fire and as fuller's soap three ways,-by reformation, by tribulation, by mortification? Did I not handle the last two as well as the first? Oh let no more such gross calumnies be found among those who profess to be brethren!

Secondly, Mr Hussey, in his epistle to myself, gives it out that I say, "We have leave from the civil 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 a.s.sisteth or countenanceth, or so much as doth not hinder the preaching of the gospel, then he gives leave to it.

Thirdly, Mr Coleman, in his _Male Dicis_, p. 3, saith, "I am confident the church of Scotland sent this Commissioner to dispute down our reasons, not to revile our persons." 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 speaks to my place and relation, which is both the _alpha_ and _omega_ of his _Male Dicis_.

Fourthly, "Knowledge (saith he) is only with Mr Gillespie; others understand neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm," p. 3. He will sooner bring water out of flint than prove this consequence out of my t.i.tle-page. Although I confess himself hath affirmed divers things of the church of Scotland which he doth not understand, as I have made plainly to appear. If he take a review of the t.i.tle-page of his _Re-examination_, he gives more ground for this consequence,-that Mr Coleman is the only man that denies himself; others seek great things for themselves. Or from the t.i.tle-page of his _Male Dicis_ this consequence will be as good,-that Mr Coleman is the only man that blesseth; others are revilers.

Fifthly, Thus saith Mr Coleman, "O ye 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 Gillespie accounts this your reproach," _Male Dicis Maledicis_, p. 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._ p. 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 G.o.d, and are to be honoured and obeyed as G.o.d's 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 Christ's 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 govern _vice Christi_, in Christ's stead, and that not only as he is G.o.d, 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? Secondly, Their doctrine tendeth to the altering of the surest and best known tenure of magistracy, which is from G.o.d; for they hold that G.o.d hath put all government, and all authority civil, and all, into the hands of Christ as Mediator; if the tenure from Christ fail, then, by their doctrine, the tenure from G.o.d shall fail too. Thirdly, The vicegerent cannot act in that capacity, nor a.s.sume that power which his sovereign, whose vicegerent he is, ought not to a.s.sume if he were personally present; so that, by their principles, it will follow that the Christian magistrate can act no farther, nor a.s.sume any other power of government, than Christ himself might have a.s.sumed when he was on earth, or might now a.s.sume and exercise as Mediator if he were on earth. But Christ himself, when he was on earth, neither did exercise, nor was sent to exercise, civil judgment, Luke xii. 14; and the temporal sword, John xviii. 36; nor external observation and state, Luke xvii. 20, 21; and he declined to be an earthly king, John vi. 15. Therefore, by their principles, the Christian magistrate ought to forbear and avoid all these.

A sixth calumny is this: Mr Coleman, descanting upon the governments mentioned 1 Cor. xii. 28, chargeth me with a circular argumentation: "He circularly argues (saith he): they are civil, because G.o.d placed them there, and G.o.d placed them there because they are civil," _Male Dicis Maledicis_, p. 9. I neither argued the one nor the other; they are both, Sir, of your own 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 yourself that I have said what you would, and then to bring forth your own apprehensions for my arguments.

CHAPTER VIII.

THAT MR COLEMAN DOTH GREAT VIOLENCE, BOTH TO HIS OWN 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 leader now judge, comparing his declaration with his interpretation.-

_Declaration_

For much of what is reported of my sermon I utterly deny, and refer myself to the sermon itself, for what I have acknowledged to be delivered by me, although it is my judgment, yet because I see it hath given a great deal of offence to this a.s.sembly and the reverend Commissioners of Scotland, I am sorry I have given offence in the delivery thereof; and for the printing, although I have an order, I will forbear, 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 needs be the sense; I am sure this was the sense intended, _Male Dicis, Maledicis_, p. 18.

Surely if such Orleans glosses be admitted upon men's declarations, signed with their hands, and if he who hath subscribed himself sorry that he hath given offence in the delivery of such a doctrine, shall be allowed to expound himself 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 own. I know not how men shall trust one another's declarations, or how we can practically, as well as doctrinally, confute the Jesuitical equivocations and mental reservations. And if this must needs be the sense which now the reverend brother gives, and was the sense intended, why saith he that he did publicly recal that declaration? He might make a revocation of it, in the sense wherein I understood it: but how could he make a revocation of it as himself understood it, and as he saith the sense must needs be? Was this his sorrow for our taking offence at a Scripture truth, a sorrow to be sorrowed for? Why did he not rather make a second declaration the next day interpreting the former? And whereas he thinks that his revocation ought to have been mentioned together with his declaration, because the whole truth is to be told as well as the truth, his own heart knows that he himself hath not told the whole truth, for he could tell much more if he pleased, how he was brought upon the business, and particularly upon that revocation. Why will he challenge others for not telling the whole truth, when himself doth it not? I should have thought that this revocation was neither here nor there as to the point of scandal, for proof whereof his declaration was brought; and that, as it was not to the business in hand, so it might rather serve for impairing his credit than for anything else. But seeing himself 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 plain and full testimonies of the Zurich divines, showing that Gualther expounds 1 Cor. v. all along of excommunication; that Bullinger holds excommunication to be inst.i.tuted by Christ, Matt. xviii.; that Aretius saith G.o.d was the author of excommunication in the Old Testament, and Christ in the New, all which see in _Nihil Respondes_, p. 32.

The reverend brother, notwithstanding of their plain testimonies, speaking for me and against him in the main controversy between him and me, doth still allege that they are for him, not for me, _Male Dicis_, p. 23, yet he doth not so much as offer any answer to their testimonies by me cited, only he bringeth three other pa.s.sages 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 himself makes the main controversy between him and me about the scriptural warrants of church censures, now in that they are clearly against him. Next Aretius, who thought it hard, yea impossible, to bring in excommunication at that time, saith also, _Dabit posterior aetas tractabiliores forte animas_,-peradventure the following age shall bring forth more tractable souls; and thereupon he adviseth not to despair of the rest.i.tution of excommunication. I cited also other testimonies to show that the Zurich 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 Zurich 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 makes this the state of the question, then he must make a revocation of that word, "I deny an inst.i.tution, I a.s.sent to a prudence." For the tables were turned with the Zurich divines; they a.s.sented to an inst.i.tution; they denied 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 ways 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 speaks of private Christians, and what is inc.u.mbent to them. 2. He speaks of separation, not of suspension from the sacrament; that a man is not bound to withdraw and lie off from the sacrament, because every 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's(1358) words as they are, and then let the reverend brother consider what he hath gained.

What hath this now to do with church officers' power of suspension from the sacrament?

Observe another testimony which he addeth out of Augustine, _lib. de Fide, Excommunicatio debet supplere loc.u.m visibilis gladii_, which he Englisheth thus: "Excommunication comes in only to supply the want of the civil sword." But how comes in your _only_, Sir? Augustine saith no such thing.

And when I have expunged that word, I must tell you farther, that I can find no such pa.s.sage in Augustine's book _de Fide_; but I find somewhat to this purpose in another book of his, which is ent.i.tled _De Fide et Operibus_, a book which he wrote against the admission of such persons to baptism, as being instructed in the faith, are, notwithstanding, still scandalous in their lives (which, by the way, will hold _a fortiori_, for the exclusion of notorious scandalous sinners from the Lord's supper; for they who ought not to be admitted to the sacrament of initiation, ought much less to be admitted to the sacrament of confirmation). Now because divers scriptures speak of a mixture of good and bad in the church, Augustine takes there occasion to reprove those who abused these scriptures against the exercise of discipline and church censures, the necessity whereof he showeth to be the greater, because the magistrate doth not punish by death all such crimes as under the law were punished by death, as, namely, adultery, the scandal chiefly by him insisted upon. As for that pa.s.sage concerning excommunication supplying the place of the sword,(1359) it plainly holds forth excommunication under Christian emperors and magistrates, for such they were at that time, so far it is from making against us. For these are the words which say no such thing as Mr Coleman would make them say: "And Phinehas the priest did thrust through the adulterous persons found together with the avenging sword;"

which signified that it should be none by degradations and excommunications in this time, when, in the discipline of the church, the visible sword was to cease.

If the reverend brother had let me know where to find his other testimonies of Origen and Chrysostom, peradventure I had given him as good an account of them. Tertullian's(1360) words which he citeth, _Praesident probati seniores_, I know very well where to find; and I know also, that if there be a pa.s.sage in all antiquity against the Erastians, that is one.

Which therefore I here offer as it is to be considered.

One instance more of his misalleging and perverting of testimonies. In the close, he citeth a pa.s.sage of Mr Case's sermon, Aug. 22, 1645. "He (Christ) is king of nations and king of saints. As king of nations he hath a temporal kingdom and government over the world," &c., "and the rule and regiment of this kingdom he hath committed to monarchies," &c. "Here is Erastianism (saith Mr Coleman, p. 38), a step higher than ever I or Erastus himself went. And I desire to know of Mr Gillespie, if he will own this as good divinity?" Yes, Sir, I own it for very good divinity; for my reverend brother, Mr Case, saith not that Christ, as Mediator, is king of nations, and hath a temporal kingdom in the world, and hath committed rule and regiment to monarchies or other lawful magistrates (which is the point that you and Mr Hussey contend for, being a great heterodoxy in divinity), but he saith of the Son of G.o.d, that he is king of nations, and hath committed rule to monarchies, which I own with all my heart. The distinction of the twofold kingdom of Christ,-an universal kingdom, whereby he reigneth over all things as G.o.d, and a special economical kingdom, whereby he is king to the church only, and ruleth and governeth it,-is that which, being rightly understood, overturneth, overturneth, overturneth the Erastian principles. Let Mr Coleman but own this distinction, and that which Mr Case addeth concerning the kingdom, which Christ, as king of saints (and so as Mediator), doth exercise both invisibly, in the conscience, and visibly, in the church: First, By conquering a people and visible subjects; secondly, By giving them laws distinct from all the laws and statutes of all the kingdoms and republics in the world, Isa. x.x.xiii. 22; thirdly, By const.i.tuting special officers in the church not only to promulgate these laws, Matt, xviii. 19, but to govern his people according to them, Acts xx. 28; Rom. xii. 8; 1 Cor. xii.

28; xiv. 32; fourthly, In that he hath commanded all his people to obey these ecclesiastical officers, Heb. xiii. 7, 17; fifthly, And hath appointed censures proper to this government, Matt, xviii. 17; 1 Cor. v.

13: I say, let Mr Coleman but own this doctrine of Mr Case, which was printed by order of the honourable House of Commons as well as his was, then we are agreed. And so much for this time.

THE END.

ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN PROPOSITIONS CONCERNING THE MINISTRY AND GOVERNMENT OF THE CHURCH.

ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN

PROPOSITIONS

CONCERNING

THE MINISTRY AND GOVERNMENT OF THE CHURCH.

BY GEORGE GILLESPIE,

MINISTER AT EDINBURGH, 1642

EDINBURGH:

ROBERT OGLE AND OLIVER AND 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.

1642.

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

1844.

_Act approving Eight general Heads of Doctrine against the Tenets of Erastianism, Independency, and Liberty of Conscience, a.s.serted in the One Hundred and Eleven Propositions, which are to be examined against the next a.s.sembly._

Being tender of so great an engagement by solemn covenant,-sincerely, really, and constantly to endeavour in our places and callings, the preservation of the reformed religion in this kirk of Scotland, in doctrine, worship, discipline, and government, the reformation of religion in the kingdoms of England and Ireland, in doctrine, worship, discipline, and government, according to the word of G.o.d and the example of the best reformed kirks, and to endeavour the nearest conjunction and uniformity in all these, together with the extirpation of heresy, schism, and whatsoever shall be found contrary to sound doctrine: and considering, withal, that one of the special means which it becometh us in our places and callings to use in pursuance of these ends is, in zeal for the true reformed religion, to give our public testimony against the dangerous tenets of Erastianism, Independency, and (which is falsely called) _Liberty of Conscience_, which are not only contrary to sound doctrine, but more special lets and hinderances as well to the preservation of our own received doctrine, worship, discipline and government, as to the work of reformation and uniformity in England and Ireland. The General a.s.sembly upon these considerations, having heard publicly read the one hundred and eleven following propositions, exhibited and tendered by some brethren who were appointed to prepare articles or propositions for the vindication of the truth in those particulars, doth unanimously approve and agree unto these eight general heads of doctrine therein contained and a.s.serted, viz, 1. That the ministry of the word and the administration of the sacraments of the New Testament, baptism and the Lord's supper, are standing ordinances, inst.i.tuted by G.o.d himself, to continue in the church to the end of the world; 2. That such as administer the word and sacraments ought to be duly called and ordained thereunto; 3. That some ecclesiastical censures are proper and peculiar to be inflicted only upon such as bear office in the kirk; other censures are common, and may be inflicted both on ministers and other members of the kirk; 4. That the censure of suspension from the sacrament of the Lord's supper, inflicted because of gross ignorance, or because of a scandalous life and conversation, as likewise the censure of excommunication or casting out of the kirk flagitious or contumacious offenders, both the one censure and the other is warrantable by and grounded upon the word of G.o.d, and is necessary (in respect of divine inst.i.tution) to be in the kirk; 5. That as the rights, power, and authority of the civil magistrate are to be maintained according to the word of G.o.d, and the confessions of the faith of the reformed kirks, so it is no less true and certain, that Jesus Christ, the only Head and only King of the kirk, hath inst.i.tuted and appointed a kirk government, distinct from the civil government or magistracy; 6. That the ecclesiastical government is committed and entrusted by Christ to the a.s.semblies of the kirk, made up of the ministers of the word and ruling elders; 7. That the lesser and inferior ecclesiastical a.s.semblies ought to be subordinate and subject unto the greater and superior a.s.semblies; 8.

That notwithstanding hereof, the civil magistrate may and ought to suppress, by corporal or civil punishments, such as by spreading error or heresy, or by fomenting schism, greatly dishonour G.o.d, dangerously hurt religion, and disturb the peace of the kirk. Which heads of doctrine (howsoever opposed by the authors and fomenters of the foresaid errors respectively) the General a.s.sembly doth firmly believe, own, maintain, and commend unto others, as solid, true, orthodox, grounded upon the word of G.o.d, consonant to the judgment both of the ancient and the best reformed kirks. And because this a.s.sembly (through the mult.i.tude of other necessary and pressing business) cannot now have so much leisure as to examine and consider particularly the foresaid one hundred and eleven propositions; therefore a more particular examination thereof is committed and referred to the theological faculties in the four universities of this kingdom, and the judgment of each of these faculties concerning the same is appointed to be reported to the next General a.s.sembly. In the mean while these propositions shall be printed, both that copies thereof may be sent to presbyteries, and that it may be free for any that pleaseth to peruse them, and to make known or send their judgment concerning the same to the said next a.s.sembly.