nant. Since that time he did in his _Re-examination_, and
now again in his _Male Dicis_, fall foully upon the church of Scotland,
not only by gross mistakes and misrepresentations of our way, but by most
groundless aspersions and most uncharitable and unjust calumnies. I am
sure I am not so much a stranger to this doctrine as he is to the church
of Scotland, of which notwithstanding he boldly speaks his pleasure in
divers particulars, which he will never be able to make good.

First, He hath aspersed that church in the point of promiscuous
communicating. This I confuted in my _Nihil Respondes_: and told him both
of the order of the church and practice of conscientious ministers to the
contrary. Now what replieth he?

"_First_, This refining work, I think, is not one year old in Scotland, or
much more. I was lately informed that in Edinburgh it is begun: whether
anywhere else I know not," _Male Dicis_, p. 20. Are not these now good
grounds of censuring and aspersing a reformed church (whose name hath been
as precious ointment among other churches abroad), "I think; I was
informed; whether it be otherwise I know not?" He will sit in Cornhill,
and tell the world what he imagines or hears of the church of Scotland,
and that, forsooth, must be taken for a truth. Yet there was both rules
and practice in the church of Scotland for debarring ignorant and
scandalous persons from the sacrament before he was born, though all was
put out of course under the prelates.

"_Secondly_ (saith the reverend brother), It is not a very effectual
sin-censuring and church-refining government, under which, after fourscore
years' constant practice, divers thousands in the kingdom, and some
hundreds in one particular parish, because of ignorance and scandal, are
yet unfit to communicate," _Male Dicis_, p. 20. _Ans._ 1. It is
notoriously false that there hath been fourscore years' constant practice
of presbyterial government in Scotland; for the prelates there were above
thirty years' standing. 2. "Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one
day, or shall a nation be born at once?" saith the prophet, Isa. lxvi. 8.
It is no easy matter to get a whole nation purged of ignorant and
scandalous persons. 3. He may take notice that the apostle Paul, almost in
all his epistles, maketh mention of scandalous persons among those to whom
he wrote, warning them not to have fellowship with such, to note them, to
avoid them. If the apostolic churches were not