ng; if he did, his offence is greater, when,
after information, he will not understand.

9. He makes this to be a position of mine, p. 13, That "a learned ministry
puts no black mark upon profaneness more than upon others." A calumny.
For, first, He makes me to speak nonsense; Secondly, I did not speak it of
a learned ministry, but of "his way," p. 40. How long ago since a learned
ministry was known by the name of Mr Coleman's way! His way is a ministry
without power of government or church censures. Of this his way I said,
that "it putteth no black mark upon profaneness and scandal in church
members more than in any other;" and the reason is, because the corrective
or punitive part of government he will have to be only civil or temporal,
which striketh against those that are without, as well as those within.
But the Apostle tells us of such a corrective government as is a judging
of those that are within, and of those only, 1 Cor. v. 12; and this way
(which is not only ours, but the apostolical way) puts a black mark upon
profaneness and scandalous sins in church members more than in any others.

10. He saith of me, p. 17, "The Commissioner is the only man that we shall
meet with, that, forsaking the words, judgeth of the intentions." A
calumny. I judged nothing but _ex ore tuo_; but in this thing he himself
hath trespassed. I will instance but in two particulars: In that very
place he saith, "Admonition is a spiritual censure in the Commissioner's
opinion." Whence knows he that to be my opinion? Consistorial or
presbyterial admonition given to the unruly may be called a censure; and
if this were his meaning, then, ascribing to elderships power of
admonition, he gives them some power of spiritual censures, and so
something of the corrective part of government, which were contrary to his
own principles. But he speaketh it of the ministers' admonishing, who are
but a part of the elderships, as himself there granteth. Now, where did I
ever say or write, that admonition, by a minister, is a spiritual censure?
Again, p. 4, he so judgeth me, that he not only forsaketh, but
contradicteth my words, "How can you say you were unwilling?"

11. He saith, p. 16, "Now the Commissioner speaks out, &c. What! Not the
Parliament of England meddle with religion?" A horrid calumny! Where have
I said it? _Dic sodes._ I never preached before them but I exhorted them
to meddle with religion, and that in the first place, and above all other