tian, doth manage his office as Christ's deputy and vicegerent; if
not, then I conclude by his principles, a pagan magistrate is the devil's
deputy and vicegerent, which is contrary to Paul's doctrine, who will have
us to be subject for conscience' sake, even to heathen magistrates, as the
ministers of God for good, Rom. xiii. 1-7. By the same argument Mr Coleman
must grant that generals, admirals, majors, sheriffs, constables,
captains, masters, yea, every man that hath an office, is either Christ's
vicegerent, or the devil's vicegerent, than which what can be more absurd?
I might, beside all these, show some other flaws in his divinity, as,
namely, p. 9 and 13, he doth not agree to this proposition, that "the
admitting of the scandalous and profane to the Lord's table, makes
ministers to partake of their sins;" and he supposeth that ministers may
do their duty, though they admit the scandalous; but of this elsewhere.

HIS ABUSING OF THE HONOURABLE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT.

Most honourable senators, I humbly beseech you to look about you, and take
notice how far you are abused by Mr Coleman.

1. While he pretendeth to give you more than his brethren, he taketh a
great deal more from you, and, so far as in him lieth, even shaketh the
foundation of your authority. The known tenure of magistracy is from God.
He is the minister of God (for good, and the powers that are, are ordained
of God, saith the Apostle). The magistrate is God's vicegerent; but now
this brother seeketh a new tenure and derivation of magistracy, which
takes away the old. He told in his sermon, p. 27: "Christ hath placed
governments in his church, 1 Cor. xii. 28; of other governments besides
magistracy I find no institution, of them I do, Rom. xiii. 1, 2. I find
all government given to Christ, and to Christ as Mediator (I desire all to
consider it), Eph. i. 21-23; and Christ as head of those given to the
church." Here you have these three in subordination, God, Christ, and the
Christian magistrate. God gives once all government, even civil, to
Christ, and to him as Mediator. Well, but how comes it then to the
magistrate? Not straight by a deputation from God. Mr Coleman's doctrine
makes an interception of the power. He holds that God hath put it in
Christ's hands as Mediator. How then? The brother holdeth that Christ, as
Mediator, hath instituted and placed the Christian magistrate, yea, and no
other government, in his church. This was the ground o