CHAPTER VII.
CALUMNIES CONFUTED, AND THAT QUESTION BRIEFLY CLEARED, WHETHER THE MAGISTRATE BE CHRIST'S VICEGERENT.
Mr Hussey, in his title 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 God and the promoting of reformation, I have proposed [pg 4-044] 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 God, 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 God, 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 principally 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 God, 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 [pg 4-045] 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 assisteth 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 title-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 title-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 title-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 [pg 4-046] 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 God, and are to be honoured and obeyed as God'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 God, 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 God; for they hold that God 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 God shall fail too. Thirdly, The vicegerent cannot act in that capacity, nor assume that power which his sovereign, whose vicegerent he is, ought not to assume if he were [pg 4-047] personally present; so that, by their principles, it will follow that the Christian magistrate can act no farther, nor assume any other power of government, than Christ himself might have assumed when he was on earth, or might now assume 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 God placed them there, and God 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.