ited, and unto
which he makes this reply), did speak not only of our learning, but of the
church of Scotland's receiving, and, which is more, there is an actual
experiment of it, the last General Assembly having ordered the laying
aside of some particular customs in that church, and that for the nearer
uniformity with this church of England, as was expressed in their own
letter to the reverend Assembly of Divines.

A fifth calumny there is, p. 9, 6. "The Commissioner is content that _jus
divinum_ should be a _noli me tangere_ to the Parliament, yet blames what
himself grants." I was never content it should be a _noli me tangere_ to
the Parliament, but at most a _non necesse est tangere_, for so I
explained myself, p. 32, 33. If the Parliament establish that thing which
is agreeable to the word of God, though they do not establish it as _jure
divino_, I acquiesce; in the meantime, both they and all Christians, but
especially ministers, ought to search the Scriptures, that what they do in
matters of church government, they may do it in faith and assurance, that
it is acceptable to God. It was not of parliamentary sanction, but of
divines doctrinal asserting of the will of God that I said, Why should
_jus divinum_ be such a _noli me tangere_?

6. It seems strange to him that I did at all give instance of the
usefulness of church government in the preservation of purity in the
ordinances and in church-members. He saith, For an Independent to have
given this instance had been something; but it seems strange to him that
"I should have given an instance of the power and efficacy of government,
as it is presbyterial, and contradistinct to congregational." This is a
calumny against presbyterial government, which is neither privative nor
contradistinct, but cumulative to congregational government; and the
congregational is a part of that government which is comprehended under
the name of presbyterial. But in cases of common concernment, difficulty,
appeals, and the like, the preserving of the ordinances and church-members
from pollution, doth belong to presbyteries and synods.

7. He saith of me, p. 9, "He ascribeth this power of purifying men, and
means of advancing the power of godliness afterward, to government." A
calumny. It was only a _sine quo non_ which I ascribed to government thus
far, that without it, ministers "shall not keep themselves nor the
ordinances from pollution," p. 23. But that church government hath power