he Erastian way, or the appropriating of all
ecclesiastical jurisdiction wholly to the civil magistrate, could be the
way to satisfy those who scrupled the total abolition of Prelacy. 2. How
will he reconcile himself with himself; for here, p. 22, he saith, That
his way was in practice before I was born, "and the constant practice of
England always." This, as it is a most notorious untruth (for the constant
practice of England hath granted to the clergy, as he calls them, after
the popish dialect, a power of deposition and excommunication, whereas his
way denies all corrective power or church censures to the ministry), so,
if it were a truth, it is utterly inconsistent with that which he said of
the remaining part, namely, that it will be a new government. If it be his
way, how will he make it the constant practice of England always, and a
new government too?

In the next place, the reverend brother makes short work of my five
arguments to prove the repugnancy of his doctrine to the solemn league and
covenant. They were too hot for him to be much touched upon: "All is but
this much (saith he), the covenant mentioneth and supposeth a distinct
church government." It is hard when arguments are neither repeated nor
answered. He repeats a point which was proved (and but a part of that),
but not the proofs; and so he answereth (rather to the conclusion than to
the arguments) these two things: "First (saith he), the expressions in the
covenant are according to the general apprehensions of the times, which
took such a thing for granted, yet I believe Mr Gillespie cannot make such
a supposition obligatory." Now you yield, Sir, what before you eagerly
contended against, viz., that the covenant doth suppose a church
government. Remember your simile of the jury sworn to inquire into the
felony of a prisoner, which oath doth not suppose the prisoner to be
guilty of felony, but he is to be tried, guilty or not guilty. We are now
so far agreed, that the covenant doth suppose a church government distinct
from the civil government, and yet not merely doctrinal, for that was the
point which I proved, and which here he yields. As for the obligation of
an oath sworn upon such supposition, I answer, 1. It is more than
supposed, the words and expressions of the covenant do plainly hold out
the thing as I proved, and as the reverend brother here seems to yield. 2.
That which an oath doth necessarily suppose, if the oath be lawful, and
the thin