A counter-essay, or, A vindication and assertion of Calvin and Beza's presbyterian judgment and principles drawn from their writings, in answer to the imputations of a late pamphlet, entituled, An essay concerning church-government ... attempting to fasten upon them an episcopal perswasion ... / by a minister of the true Presbyterian Church of Scotland, established by law.

Answer.

1. This Proposition in it self considered, we may safely admit, without the least prejudice to our cause, or help to his design. We might on the by here tell him (as our learned Mr. Gilespie admonish∣ed some of his fellows) that the Scripture Saints, (we may add, and inspecial, such an eminent Saint, and Divine, as the Apostle Iohn) needs no titles of Honour out of the Popes Callendar, and was acknow∣ledged such by the Churches, before this Canonizing came in use. And enquire whether our Author useth to prefix St. to Aaron when he names him, who is called the Saint of the Lord, together with Moses, and other old Testament Saints, and what ground of dispari∣ty and difference he can assign. But to pass this.

2. Since he referrs to Postulatum 4. where we have the same Pro∣position with an annext Sentence of Beza, on Revel, 2. 26. v. Where he expons, My Works, &c. of the faithful performance of the works laid upon this Angel, and shews that the Assembly of Pastors, are be∣spoken in the person of the President, to whom victory is promised, if he rely upon Christs power, &c. I shall here only resume what we have answered upon that 4 Postulatum, viz. That Bezas taking the An∣gel for a single Person, is the utmost conclusion he can draw from this passage, wherein as Beza differs from the ordinary current of Inter∣preters; So we have evinced the gross palpable folly, and forgery of this mans design and inference here-from, viz. That Beza ownes this president Bishop, which he hath shapen out, and described, since he can∣not

conclude from these words, that Beza asserts his Official Prehe∣minence and Authority, over his Colleagues, which we told him, is so Demonstratively evident, that Beza, disowns even the very infer∣ence of the necessity of a fixed Moderator, as following upon his As∣sertion, anent the president Angel, expressly adding this Proviso & Cauti∣on, to guard against any mis-application, of what he sayes anent the Angel, his being a single person; and thus in terminis gives this Pam∣phleter the lie, as if by a Prophetick Spirit, he had forseen this forgery, And holding the very first fixed Moderators, to have been the hu∣mane Custom, subsequent and opposite to the first divine appointment, and practice of the Official compleat parity among Pastors, our Lords enjoyning the Pastors, faithfulness in their administrations, and be∣speaking them thus in the person of the President, we told him, will therefore in Bezas sense and words, import no more, then a faithful exercise, of their joynt Collegiat Power and Authority, which Beza holds, was our Lords Institution, and at this time is existent. So we see the Major is nought. The Assumption is