Antiquere.

Whether any such consequence of admission or suspension from Ordinances, ought to be grounded upon damnation or judgement, but rather upon words of command and institu∣tion, and Scripture practise? And if any such appeared, all these Consequences which the Vindication draws forth, wring∣ing blood, and not milk from the Word, might be saved; and he need not go so far about, which when all is done, brings a soul, but at best, upon a probable, specious, or real coloured Ar∣gument.

Whether,* since the Vindication pulls down clear Scripture Texts and grounds in this controversie, to weaken the building of his adversary, he ought not in conscience first to have had a clear Word or Institution for the contrary practise, and not onely probable, and literally conclusive grounds, that souls can stand at surest upon;* but like men upon Ice, who are in as fair a possibility to fall, as stand? And whether having taken away the Scripture Texts for Presbytery it self, he can well hold up any upon his grounds? And whether is not this scep∣tial or doubtful way of reasoning upon Scripture; neither pulling quite down, nor building up, a way rather to fill all the rooms with rubbish; and at length, neither to have new build∣ing nor old. What man going to build a Tower, sitteth not down first, and seeth what it will cost him, lest having begun, and not able to finish all, men begin to laugh at him, saying, &c. But whether is not all this ado about Ordinances, rather for want of a right and purer constitution of Churches, which would Page  32 save all this controversie about scandalous and impenitent sin∣ners, when the Church were not troubled with such, where the Ordinances are.