Part 36 (2/2)
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, wors.h.i.+p, discipline, and government, the reformation of religion in the kingdoms of England and Ireland, in doctrine, wors.h.i.+p, 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, wors.h.i.+p, 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.
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