that part of the church discipline at that time.
But they still pleaded the thing to be held forth in Scripture, and were
but expecting better times for restoring and settling of excommunication,
which they did approve in Geneva, and in other reformed churches, who had
received it. I give you their own words for the warrant of what I
say.(1344)

I have been the longer upon this point as being the chief objection which
can be made by Mr Coleman concerning that clause in the covenant, "The
example of the best reformed churches."

He hath only one thing more, which may well pass for a paradox. He will
take an instance, forsooth, from Geneva itself, though presbyterian in
practice. And why? Because in the Geneva Annotations upon Matt. ix. 16, it
said, that "the external discipline is to be fitted to the capacity of the
church." "This is no Scotland presbytery," saith the brother. Nay, Sir,
nor yet Geneva presbytery; for it doth not at all concern presbytery. It
is spoken in reference to the choosing of fit and convenient times for
fasting and humiliation,--that as Christ did not, at that time, tie his
disciples to fasting, it being unsuitable to that present time; so other
like circumstances of God's worship, which are not at all determined to
the word, are to be accommodated to emergent occasions, and to the
church's condition for the time, which both Scotland and Geneva, and other
reformed churches do.

If I have now more fully and convincingly spoken to that point of the
covenant, let the brother blame himself that put me to it.

The Lord guide his people in a right way, and rebuke the spirit of error
and division, and give us all more of his Spirit, to lead us into all
truth, and into all self-denial, and grant that none of his servants be
found unwilling to have the Lord Jesus Christ to reign over them in all
his ordinances!

THE END.

MALE AUDIS; OR, AN ANSWER TO MR COLEMAN'S MALE DICIS.

MALE AUDIS;

OR

AN ANSWER TO MR COLEMAN'S MALE DICIS:

WHEREIN

THE REPUGNANCY OF HIS ERASTIAN DOCTRINE TO THE WORD OF GOD,

TO THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT, AND TO THE ORDINANCES OF PARLIAMENT;

ALSO HIS CONTRADICTIONS, TERGIVERSATIONS, HETERODOXIES, CALUMNIES,

AND PERVERTING OF TESTIMONIES,

ARE MADE MORE APPARENT THAN FORMERLY.