Chapter 74

were infidels. If he say they are Christ’s vicegerents, then, 1. He must say, that Christ, as Mediator, reigns without the church, and is a king to those to whom he is neither priest nor prophet. 2. He must find a commission given by Christ to the infidel magistrate. 3. Whom in authority will he make to be the devil’s vicegerents if infidel magistrates be Christ’s vicegerents? If he say that they are the devil’s vicegerents, then it follows, 1. That they who resist the devil’s vicegerent resist the ordinance of God; for they that resist an infidel magistrate, and do not submit to his lawful authority (which his infidelity takes not away), is said, Rom. xiii. 2, to resist the ordinance of God. 2. That the apostle Paul bade pray for the devil’s vicegerent, 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2. The reverend brother doth but more and more wind himself into a labyrinth of errors, while he endeavours to take away the distinction of the twofold kingdom, and the twofold vicegerentship of God and of Christ.

Twelfthly, The twelfth heterodoxy followeth: “Now it is true that Christ, being God as well as man, hath of himself originally, as God, whatsoever he hath by virtue of gift as Mediator,” _Male Dicis_, p. 13. Now subsume Christ hath, by virtue of gift, as Mediator, the priestly office; therefore, by Mr Coleman’s principles, Christ hath of himself originally, as God, the priestly office. And if Christ hath it of himself originally as God, then the Father and the Holy Ghost hath it also; so that by his doctrine the Father and the Holy Ghost shall be the priests of the church as well as Christ, for Christ hath nothing of himself originally as God which the Father and the Holy Ghost have not likewise.

Thirteenthly, The thirteenth and last error concerneth the office of deacons. Not only a widow but a deacon is denied to be a church officer, or to have any warrant from Scripture. “I hold not a widow a church officer (saith he); no more do I a deacon; both having a like foundation in Scripture, which is truly none at all,” _Male Dicis,_ p. 9. If this was his opinion formerly, why did he not in so main a point enter his dissent from the votes of the Assembly concerning deacons, together with his reasons? Well, his opinion is so now, whereby he runneth contrary not only to the reformed churches (which it seems weigh not much in his balance), but to the plain Scripture, which speaks of the office of a deacon, 1 Tim.