erend brother had said in his sermon, "Of other governments
besides magistracy I find no institution." I cited 1 Thess. v. 12; 1 Tim.
v. 17; Heb. xiii. 7, 17, to prove another government (yea, the institution
of another government) besides magistracy. And, in my _Nihil Respondes_, I
told he had laughed, but had not yet loosed the knot. Now hear his two
answers: _Male Dicis_, p. 8, "First, for the institution; for the
Commissioner affirms so much. Had he said that these texts hold out an
office or officer already instituted, the words would have borne him out,"
&c. "But the institution in this place I cannot see." See the like in Mr
Hussey, p. 19, 22. I thank them both. That Scripture which supposeth an
institution, and holds out an office already instituted, shall to me (and,
I am confident, to others also) prove an institution; for no text of
Scripture can suppose or hold out that which is not true. Nay, hath Mr
Coleman forgotten that himself proved an institution of magistracy from
Rom. xiii. 1, 2? Yet that text doth but hold out the office of magistracy
already instituted: but the institution itself is not in that place.

Secondly, Mr Coleman answereth to all these three texts. To that, 1 Thess.
v. 12, "Them which are over you in the Lord," he saith that these words
prove not that it is not meant of magistracy. But he takes not the
strength of the argument. My words were, "Here are some who are no civil
magistrates set over the Thessalonians in the Lord." This the reverend
brother must admit to be a good proof, or otherwise say that the civil
magistrates set over the Thessalonians, though they were heathens, yet
were set over them in the Lord.

For that of 1 Tim. v. 17, he saith it doth not hold out ruling elders.
Whether it doth hold ruling elders or not, doth not at all belong to the
present question. It is easy to answer something, so that a man will not
tie himself to the point. The place was brought by me to prove "another
government beside magistracy," which he denied. Now suppose the place to
be meant only of preaching elders, yet here is a rule or government:
"Elders that rule well;" and these are no civil magistrates, but such as
"labour in the word and doctrine." Come on now. "But I will deal clearly
(saith the brother): These officers are ministers which are instituted not
here, but elsewhere,--and these are the rulers here mentioned. And so have
I loosed the knot." Now, Sir, you shall see I will not _male