ers 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 institution; 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, a