question to be not whether this or that form
of church government be _jure divino_, but whether a church government be
_jure divino_; whether Christ hath thus far revealed his will in his word,
that there are to be church censures, and those to be dispensed by
church-officers. I said the brother is for the negative of this question,
p. 32. This he flatly denieth, p. 5, 6, whereby he acknowledgeth the
affirmative, that there is a church government _jure divino_, and that
Jesus Christ hath so far revealed his will in his word, that there are to
be church censures, and those to be dispensed by church-officers. But how
doth this agree with his sermon? "Christ hath placed governments in his
church. Of other governments (said he) beside magistracy I find no
institution, of them I do." Is magistracy church government? Are
magistrates church officers? Are the civil punishments church censures? Is
this the mystery? Yes, that it is. He will tell us anon that the Houses of
Parliament are church officers; but if that bolt do any hurt I am much
mistaken.

Fourthly, He professeth to subscribe to the votes of Parliament concerning
church government, p. 11; and yet he still pleadeth that all
ecclesiastical government is merely doctrinal, p. 11, the Parliament
having voted that power to church-officers which is not doctrinal (as I
showed before). And he adviseth the Parliament to keep wholly in their own
hands the corrective part of church government, p. 14, though the
Parliament hath put into the hands of elderships a power of suspension
from the sacrament, which is corrective.

Fifthly, He did deliver, in that sermon before the honourable House of
Commons, divers particulars, which being justly excepted against, and he
undertaking a vindication, yet he hath receded from them, or not been able
to defend them, as that concerning two co-ordinate governments in one
kingdom; and his argument concerning the fear of an ambitious ensnarement
in ministers, these being by me infringed, he hath not so much as offered
to make them good.

Sixthly, Having acknowledged, under his own hand, that he was sorry he had
given offence to the reverend Assembly, and to the Commissioners from
Scotland, he now appealeth to the Parliament, and tells us they are able
to judge of a scandalous sermon, and they thought not so of it, p. 3. I
know they are able to judge of a scandalous sermon: that they thought not
so of it, it is more than I know or believe. Howe