JAMES NISBET & CO., LONDON.

1645.

REPRINTED BY A. W. MURRAY, MILNE SQUARE, EDINBURGH.

1844.

After that Mr Coleman had preached and printed such doctrine as I was, in
my conscience, fully persuaded was contrary to the covenant of the three
kingdoms, and destructive (if it were put in practice) to the reformation
of religion, he having also flatly and publicly imputed to the
Commissioners from the church of Scotland a great part of the fault of
hindering union in the Assembly here, I thought myself obliged in duty,
and in the trust which I bear, to give a public testimony against his
doctrine (which others did also) upon occasion not sought, but by divine
providence, and a public calling then offered, first for preaching, and
after for printing, in either of which I think there did not appear the
least disrespect or bitterness towards the reverend brother. The Lord
knows my intention was to speak to the matter, to vindicate the truth, and
to remove that impediment of reformation by him cast in; and if he, or any
man else had, in meekness of spirit, gravely and rationally, for clearing
of truth, endeavoured to confute me, I ought not, I should not, have taken
it ill; but now, when this piece of his against me, called "A Brotherly
Examination Re-examined" (I think he would or should have said _examined_,
for this is the first examination of it), I find it more full of _railing_
than of _reasoning_, of _gibing_ than of _gravity_; and when polemics do
so degenerate, the world is abused not edified. He tells me if I have not
work enough I shall have more. I confess the answering of this piece is no
great work; and the truth is, I am ashamed I have so little to make answer
unto; yet I shall do my best to improve even this work to edification.
When other work comes I wish it be work indeed, and not words. _Res cum
re, ratio cum ratione concertet_, as the father said: Arguments, Sir,
arguments, arguments, if there be any: you have affirmed great things, and
new things, which you have not proved. The assertions of such as are for a
church government _in genere_, and for the presbyterial government _in
specie_, are known; their arguments are known, but your solutions are not
yet known. If Mr Prynne's book against the suspension of scandalous
persons from the sacrament be the work for the present which he means, I
hope it shall be in due time most s