HIS ABUSING THE REVEREND ASSEMBLY OF DIVINES.
Whereas I had objected that his sermon had given no small scandal and offence, he replieth, p. 3, “But hath it given offence? To whom? I appeal to the honourable audience.” Is this candid or fair dealing, when he himself knew both that he had given offence, and to whom? I shall give [pg 3-018] him no other answer but his own declaration which he gave under his hand after he had preached that sermon:—
“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 Assembly 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.”
Page 33, I had this passage: “And where he asketh where the Independents and we should meet,” I answer, “In holding a church government jure divino; that is, that the pastors and elders ought to suspend or excommunicate (according to the degree of the offence) scandalous sinners. Who can tell but the purging of the church from scandals, and the keeping of the ordinances pure (when it shall be actually seen to be the great work endeavoured on both sides), may make union between us and the Independents more easy than many imagine.” What reply hath he made to this? P. 6, “Sure I dream (awake then); but I will tell you news: The Presbyterians and Independents are (he should have said may be) united; nay, more, the Lutherans and Calvinists; nay, more yet, the Papist and Protestant; nay, more than so, the Turk and Christian.” But wherein? “In holding that there is a religion wherein men ought to walk.” No, Sir. They must be united upon the like terms; that is, you must first have Turks to be Christians, and Papists to be Protestants; and then you must have them as willing to purge the church of scandals, and to keep the ordinances pure. We will never despair of an union with such as are sound in the faith, holy in life, and willing to a church-refining and sin-censuring government in the hands of church officers. In the meanwhile, it is no light imputation upon the Assembly to hint this much, that the harmony and concord among the members thereof, for such a government as I have now named (though in some other particulars dissenting), can no more unite them than Turks and Christians, Papists and Protestants, can be united. And now I will tell you my news: The Presbyterians [pg 3-019] and Independents are both equally interested against the Erastian principles.
He reflecteth also upon the Assembly in the point of jus divinum, p. 6. But what his part hath been, in reference to the proceedings in the Assembly, is more fully, and in divers particulars, expressed in the Brief View of Mr Coleman's New Model, unto which he hath offered no answer.