ct from the kingdoms of this world,
and from the civil government, hath this commendation and character
above all other truths, that Christ himself suffered to the death for
it, and sealed it with his blood. For it may he observed from the story
of his passion, this was the only point of his accusation, which was
confessed and avouched by himself, Luke xxiii. 3; John xviii. 33, 36,
37; was most aggravated, prosecuted, and driven home by the Jews, Luke
xxiii. 2; John xix. 22, 23; was prevalent with Pilate as the cause of
condemning him to die, John xix. 12, 13, and was mentioned also in his
superscription upon his cross, John xix. 19; and although in reference
to God, and in respect of satisfaction to the Divine justice for our
sins, his death was [Greek: lytron] a price of redemption; yet in
reference to men who did persecute, accuse, and condemn him, his death
was [Greek: martyrion] a martyr's testimony to seal such a truth.--Mr.
_G. Gillespie, in his Aaron's Rod Blossoming, &c., Epist. to the
Reader_.]

[Footnote 2: _Cent. I. lib. 2, cap._ 7, _p._ 407 _ad_ 418, _Edit. Basil.
An._ 1624. De rebus ad Gubernationem Ecclesiae pertinentibus, Apostoli
certos quosdam, Canones tradiderunt: quos ordine subjiciemus, &c.]

[Footnote 3: Directions of the Lords and Commons, &c. Aug. 19, 1645, p.
10]

[Footnote 4: (1) The ancient discipline of the Bohemian Brethren,
published in Latin, in octavo, _Anno_ 1633, pages 99, 100.

(2) The discipline of Geneva, _Anno_ 1576, in _Art._ 1, 22, 57, 86, and
87.

(3) The discipline of the French church at Frankfort, _Edit._ 2, in
octavo, _Anno_ 1555, _in cap. de Disciplina et Excom.,_ p. 75, and the
Ecclesiast. Discipline of the reformed churches of France, printed at
London, _Anno_ 1642, _Art._ 15, 16, and 24, p. 44. (1) The Synodal
Constitution of the Dutch churches in England, chap. 4, _Art._ 13, and
_Tit._ 1, _Art._ 2; and the Dutch churches in Belgia, (see _Harmonia
Synodorum Belgicarum_,) _cap._ 14, _Art._ 7, 11, and 15, p. 160. (5) The
reformed churches at Nassau, in Germany, as _Zeoper_ testifies, _De
Politei Eccles.,_ printed _Herborne, Anno_ 1607, in octavo, _Tit. de
Censuris Ecclesiast., Part_ 4, _Art._ 64, p. 813. (6) The discipline in
the churches constituted by the labor of _Joannes a Lasco_, entitled
_Forma ac ratio tota Ecclesiastici Miniterii, &c._, _author Joannes a
Lasco Poloniae Barone, Anno_ 1555, p. 291. (7) The discipline agreed
upon by the English exiles that fled f