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<DATE>12-1-14</DATE>
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<NAME>John Latta</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P><HI>Diotrephes Catechi&s;ed:</HI> OR Sixteen IMPORTANT QUESTIONS Touching the <HI>ECCLESIASTICAL</HI> Iuri&s;diction and Cen&s;ures (contradi&s;tinct to Civill) now eagerly pretended to and challenged by a <HI>Divine Right,</HI> by &s;ome <HI>Over-rigid Pre&s;byterians,</HI> and <HI>Independents.</HI></P>
<P>Propounded to both the&s;e <HI>D<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;enting Parties,</HI> for the further <HI>Di&s;covery</HI> of <HI>Truth;</HI> the <HI>pre&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">rvation</HI> of the <HI>Civill Christian Magistrates Intere&s;t,</HI> and &s;peedier <HI>comprimi&s;ing</HI> of our pre&s;ent unhappie <HI>Controver&s;ies</HI> touching CHURCH-<HI>Govern|ment.</HI> On which many &s;o <HI>over-dote,</HI> as to place the whole <HI>Kingdome of Chri&s;t and &s;ub&s;tance of Religion therein;</HI> to repute all our former <HI>Reformation,</HI> a meer <HI>nothing,</HI> the <HI>Church of Chri&s;t undone,</HI> and the exerci&s;e of their <HI>Mini&s;try,</HI> not only <HI>fruitle&s;&s;e</HI> but <HI>unlawfull,</HI> &s;o as they cannot with good <HI>Con&s;cience continue,</HI> but threaten to <HI>relinqui&s;h</HI> it, in ca&s;e they cannot obtaine their <HI>demands</HI> of &s;uch an <HI>Exorbitant power,</HI> by <HI>Divine Jn&s;titution,</HI> which <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> and his Apo&s;tles never claimed, exerci&s;ed, nor them&s;elves, nor Predece&s;&s;ors, ever formerly enjoyed, petitioned for, or pretended to in any age, but this.</P>
<P>Propo&s;ed, publi&s;hed by <HI>W. Pryn,</HI> a <HI>Well-wi&s;her</HI> to <HI>Verity</HI> and Unitie. The third Edition with &s;ome <HI>Enlargments.</HI></P>
<Q><BIBL>LUKE 22.24, 25, 26. MAT. 20.25, 26, 27.</BIBL>
<P>And there was a &s;trife among them, which of them &s;hould be accounted the <HI>Greate&s;t.</HI> But <HI>Je&s;us</HI> called them unto him and &s;aid; <HI>ye know,</HI> that the Princes of the Gentiles <HI>Exerc<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;e Lord&s;hip</HI> (or <HI>Dominion</HI>) over them, and they that are great <HI>exerci&s;e Authority upon them;</HI> But <HI>it &s;hall be &s;o among you;</HI> But who&s;oever will not bee <HI>Great among you,</HI> let him be your Se<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">vant; Even as the Sonne of man came, not to be <HI>Mini&s;tred unto,</HI> but to <HI>Mini&s;ter</HI></P></Q>
<Q><BIBL>1 PET. 5, 2, 3, 5.</BIBL> <P>Feed the Flock of God which is among you, taking the over&s;ight, (or care) thereof, not by con&s;traint, but willingly; not for filthy luchre, but of a ready mind, Neither as over-ruling, <HI>(or being Lords over)</HI> Gods heritage, but being en&s;amples to the flocke: Yea all of you, be yee &s;ubject one to another, and be cloathed with <HI>humility;</HI> for God <HI>re&s;i&s;teth</HI> the <HI>Proud,</HI> and giveth <HI>Grace</HI> to the humble.</P></Q>
<P><HI>London,</HI> Printed for <HI>Michael Sparke. Anno Dom.</HI> 1646.</P>
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<DIV1 TYPE="treatise">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="1" REF="2">
<HEAD>Sixteene <HI>Jmportant Que&s;tions</HI> touching the <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Iuri&s;diction</HI> and <HI>Cen&s;ures,</HI> Contradi&s;tinct to <HI>Civill,</HI> now challenged by a Divine Right.</HEAD>
<P>_THe &s;erious con&s;ideration of the <HI>importunate Claimes</HI> of a <HI>new</HI> kind of <HI>Eccle&s;iasticall juri&s;diction</HI> by a pretended <HI>Di|vine Right,</HI> by tho&s;e very men who of late &s;o eagerly de|claimed again&s;t the <HI>Old,</HI> as <HI>Antichri&s;tian</HI> and <HI>Papall,</HI> when challenged by our <HI>Prelates</HI> upon the &s;elf-&s;ame grounds and Title, hath induced me to propound the&s;e few <HI>Important</HI> Que&s;tions to the <HI>over-eager pro&s;ecutors</HI> of this &s;uppo&s;ed <HI>Divine Authority,</HI> at lea&s;twi&s;e to <HI>moderate,</HI> if not <HI>extingui&s;h</HI> tho&s;e un&s;ea&s;onable deplorable <HI>late kindled flames of contention,</HI> which if not timely prevented may prove more fatall to our <HI>Churches, Kingdoms,</HI> then all the former <HI>di&s;&s;entions,</HI> and break forth into a new <HI>Civill war,</HI> between our &s;elves, when we have totally van|qui&s;hed the <HI>common enemy.</HI> The <HI>Prelates</HI> de&s;erting of their undoubted <HI>jus humanum,</HI> and unadvi&s;ed challenge of a <HI>jus Divinum</HI> to advance per|petuate their <HI>Juri&s;dictions,</HI> and &s;wearing men to this their <HI>Title</HI> by a new, &amp;c. <HI>Oath,</HI> was the <HI>immediate forerunner,</HI> yea <HI>principall meanes</HI> of the utter &s;ubver&s;ion both of their <HI>Hierarchy</HI> and <HI>Authority.</HI> And we have cau&s;e to feare that &s;ome <HI>over-rigid Presbyterians</HI> incon&s;iderate zeale, in waving the <HI>Presbyteriall Authority</HI> ve&s;ted in them by an <HI>unque&s;tionable Ordinance of Parliament</HI> (to their full contents as mo&s;t men deemed;) and re&s;orting to a more <HI>dubious di&s;putable</HI> (pretended) <HI>jus Divinum</HI> (formerly laid a&s;ide by both Hou&s;es of Parliament and the A&s;&s;embly, though new re&s;umed, re|vived,) the more highly to advance and firmely &s;ettle it in our Churches, may produce the like contrary unexpected effects: and either revive the <HI>old exploded Luciferian Epi&s;copacy,</HI> or introduce that more feared <HI>Anar|chicall Hydra</HI> or <HI>Bible</HI> of <HI>Independency,</HI> which they mo&s;t endeavour to &s;up|pre&s;&s;e; or at lea&s;twi&s;e revolve the <HI>cen&s;orius</HI> or <HI>corrective power</HI> of all <HI>&s;can|dalous &s;ins and &s;inners into the Civill Majestrates hands,</HI> the farre &s;afe&s;t of the three: on who&s;e behalfe, I &s;hall with the &s;pirit of <HI>Peace</HI> and <HI>Meekene&s;&s;e</HI> propo&s;e the&s;e following <HI>Queries,</HI> both to my <HI>Pre&s;byterian</HI> and <HI>Independent Brethren;</HI> de&s;iring their acquie&s;cens in, or &s;erious an&s;wers to them after <HI>&s;ound deliberation</HI> (laying a&s;ide all private Intere&s;ts and de&s;ignes, what&s;oe|ver, which may mi&s;guide their judgments) for the &s;i&s;ting out of that one Golden <HI>medium</HI> of <HI>&s;acred truth,</HI> which can onely reconcile and cordially re-unite us in the <HI>bonds of Love.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. Whether all &s;candalous &s;ins and offences now pretended by <HI>Pre&s;byte|rians</HI> or <HI>Independents</HI> to be of <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tical cogni&s;ance,</HI> be not by Gods own
<PB N="4" REF="3">In&s;titution and command (as well before, as under the Law, and through out the <HI>Old Te&s;tament,</HI>) inquirable, examinable, and to bee determined, judged onely by the <HI>temporall Maje&s;trates,</HI> or <HI>Civill powers,</HI> and puni&s;hed only with temporall or corporall puni&s;hments, not by any <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Per&s;ons Officers,</HI> or Church Cen&s;ures only, di&s;tinct from civill; &s;ince, we read that the &s;everall &s;candalous &s;ins of<NOTE N="(a)" PLACE="marg">Levit. 20.4 to 8. Deut. 13.4. to 18. c. 17.2 to 8 Jo&s;h 22.10. to 34.2 Chron. 23.17.15.13. Judg 6 30, 31 1 King 18, 40. 2 King 10, 20. to 29. c. 11, 18.</NOTE> <HI>Idolatry,</HI><NOTE N="(b)" PLACE="marg">Exod. 21.17. <HI>Levi.</HI> 20.9. c. 24.10. to 16. 1 Kings 24.10. to 16. Dan. 3.29. Mat. 26.65.</NOTE> <HI>cur&s;ing, blaspreming,</HI><NOTE N="(c)" PLACE="marg">Exod. 21.14. Numb. 15.<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">2, to 37.</NOTE> <HI>Sabbath-breaking,</HI><NOTE N="(d)" PLACE="marg">Exod. 21.15, 17. Levit. 20.9. Deutr 22 18.19, 20. Io&s;h 1.18.1. Sa. 11, <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="2 letters">. <HI>Ez.</HI> 7.25.29</NOTE> <HI>di&s;obedience to Parents naturall or civill,</HI><NOTE N="(e)" PLACE="marg">Gen. 26.11 c. 38, 24, 25, Levit. 20.10, 15, 17, 18. Deut. 22.22 to 25 Levit. 18.6. to 30. c. 21.9 John 8, 4, 5,</NOTE> <HI>Whor|dome, Adultery</HI><NOTE N="(f)" PLACE="marg">Levit. 18.22, to 30. c. 20, 11, to 22. Exod. 22.19. Iudg. 20, 1. to 15</NOTE> <HI>Ince&s;t, rape, Sodomy, Buggery,</HI><NOTE N="(g)" PLACE="marg">Gen. 9.5.6 Exod. 21.12, 13, 14. Levit. 24, 17. Num. 35.15, to 34. 1 King 2.32 to 35</NOTE> <HI>Murther,</HI><NOTE N="(h)" PLACE="marg">Levit. 20 27. Deutr. 18.11. 1 Sam. 28.9. 1 Deu. 21 22</NOTE> <HI>Witch|craft, Sorcery,</HI> with &s;undry <HI>other &s;ins,</HI> were <HI>by Gods own precept,</HI> to bee inqui|red after, cen&s;ured, puni&s;hed by the <HI>Temporall Maje&s;tra e, civill Congre|gation, powers and People only,</HI> with civill puni&s;hments alone, <HI>as putting or &s;toning to death, burning,</HI><NOTE N="(i)" PLACE="marg">Deut. 22.28 29.9, c 23 2, 3 2 Cor. 11, 23.24. c. 6.5. Deu. 12.47, 48. Acts 16.22.23</NOTE> <HI>hanging [k] fines, &s;tripes and the like,</HI> but never en|joyned to be examined, cen&s;ured by Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Per&s;ons, Officer, or to be puni&s;hed by them with Church-cen&s;ures, as Excommunication, Su&s;pen|tion from the Pa&s;&s;eover, Circumci&s;ion, Sacrifices, Fe&s;tivalls, or any publike Ordinances then in u&s;e, or exclu&s;ion from the Temple or Syna|gogues, as the marginall texts demon&s;trat. And more e&s;pecially Ezra. 7.25.26. where King <HI>Artaxerxes</HI> &s;ending Ezra the <HI>Prie&s;t</HI> (de&s;cended lini|ally from the <HI>High-Prie&s;ts before him,</HI> as is evident by <HI>v.</HI> 1. to 6) up to <HI>Ieru|&s;alem,</HI> with a &s;peciall <HI>Commi&s;&s;ion</HI> to repaire <HI>the City, Temple, re&s;tore the &s;er|vice of God therein,</HI> and &s;ettle the Government of that place according to the Law of God, gives him this command: <HI>And thou</HI> Ezra, <HI>after the wi&s;dome of thy God, that is in thine hand, &s;et Majestrates and Iudges that may judge ALL THE PEOPLE that are beyond the River, all &s;uch as know the LAW OF THY GOD, and teach yee them that know them not:</HI> AND WHOSOEVER WILL NOT DO THE LAW OF THY GOD, <HI>and the Law of the King; let judgment be executed &s;peedily again&s;t him,</HI> [not by <HI>Ezra</HI> the Prie&s;t, or any Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Con&s;i&s;tory or Presbytery of Prie&s;ts, with meere Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Cen&s;ures of Excommunication or &s;u&s;pention from the Temple, or publike Ordinances of God no &s;uch Church Officers, puni&s;hments being then knowne, or in&s;tituted by Gods Law; but by the <HI>Maje&s;trates and Iudges</HI> appointed, who were to puni&s;h them only with temporall cen&s;ures, as the following words thus re&s;olve] <HI>Whether it be unto DEATH, or to BANISHMENT, or to CONFISCATION of GOODS or to IMPRISONMENT:</HI> the only puni&s;hments cen&s;ures then inflicted on Delinquents again&s;t <HI>Gods Law,</HI> as well as again&s;t the Kings: Yea had there bin any other cen&s;ures Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall di&s;tinct from tho&s;e temporall, which ought by any Divine Right or in&s;titution then to have bin inflicted upon notorious &s;candalous offendors again&s;t Gods Law, by the <HI>high Prie&s;t,</HI> or any other Church Officers or Judicatory, no doubt this devout King upon this occa&s;ion would have expre&s;ly commanded <HI>Ezra</HI> the Prie&s;t him|&s;elfe, or tho&s;e Church Officers or Judicatories to have duely executed the &s;ame when he gave him this large Commi&s;&s;ion, and extended &s;o much ex|traordinary favour to him, that hee cryes out in the very next en&s;uing words, <HI>ver.</HI> 27. <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed be the Lord God of our Fathers, who hath put &s;uch a thing as this into the Kings heart, &amp;c.</HI> Which as it expre&s;ly determines, that
<PB N="5" REF="3">this Commi&s;&s;ion and forecited direction was in&s;pired into the Kings heart by God him&s;elfe, and &s;o mo&s;t con&s;onant to his written word and Law? &s;o it in&s;inuates, that by the Law of God in tho&s;e dayes, all &s;candalous Offen|ders again. Gods Law were to be puni&s;hed only by the civill Maje&s;trates and Judges with civill puni&s;hments, not by any Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Officers, or judicatory, with any Church cen&s;ures what&s;oever. This may bee further evidenced by the Prie&s;ts, Prophets Peoples, and Princes proceedings a|gain&s;t <HI>Jeremiah,</HI> and <HI>&V;riah,</HI> who for Preaching and prophecying fal&s;ly, [as was &s;uppo&s;ed] were puni&s;hed by the <HI>King &amp; Princes, upon the Priests, Pro|phets, and peoples malicious accu&s;ation,</HI> only <HI>by</HI><NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Jer. 26. throughout c. 29, 26. c. 31.33, c. 37.18, 19 c. 38. &amp;. 39.</NOTE> <HI>impri&s;onment and death alone,</HI> not by Church cen&s;ures Church judicatories: Yea <HI>Deu.</HI> 13.5. <HI>fal&s;e Prophets are expre&s;ly enjoyned to be put to death by the civill Maje&s;trate, not puni&s;hed by the Eccle&s;iastical powers with excommunications or &s;u&s;pentions.</HI> And it is mo&s;t cleare and undeniable by the 1 <HI>King</HI> 22.26, 27. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 16.10. c. 18.25.26. <HI>Mat.</HI> 14.3 4 5. <HI>Luk.</HI> 22.23. <HI>Acts</HI> 5.18.19. c. 8.3. c. 12.2, 3 4. c. 16.23, 24. c. 22.19.20. to 30. c. 24. &amp; 25. &amp; 26. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6.5. <HI>Heb.</HI> 11.36.37. That both in the Old and new Te&s;tament, <HI>fal&s;e Prophets, teachers and broachers of Erronious doctrins;</HI> or &s;uch who were &s;o reputed though true, yea the <HI>Apo&s;tls</HI> &amp; Saints of <HI>Christ,</HI> for preaching, profe&s;&s;ing the <HI>Go&s;pell and truth of God</HI> among&s;t the <HI>Jewes</HI> and others who reputed it<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Acts 24, 14. c. 28, 22.</NOTE> <HI>Here&s;ie, &s;ci&s;me or fal&s;e doctrine,</HI> con|trary to what they had formerly received were u&s;ually convented before the civill Maje&s;trates, and puni&s;hed with <HI>impri&s;onment, &s;tripes, putting or &s;toning to death,</HI> and the like, but not with excommunication, or any Ec|cle&s;ia&s;ticall cen&s;ures of divine in&s;titution, though now made matters of meer Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Cogni&s;ance. And if &s;o, whether the temporall Chri&s;ti|an Maje&s;trates and civill powers as &s;uch, have not now the &s;elf-&s;ame divine Authority to puni&s;h &s;uch &s;innes and &s;inners under the Go&s;pell, onely with temporall puni&s;hments, without the interpo&s;ition, examination, or Cen|&s;ures of any Church-Officers or Presbyteries, as the Godly temporall Ma|je&s;trates and civill powers had then under the Law? If not, how the contra|rie can be evidenced by cleare Scriptures, and by what texts in particular?</P>
<P N="2">2. Whether the texts of <HI>Deut.</HI> 17.8. to 14. and 2 <HI>Chr.</HI> 19.8. to the end, do warrant any <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall juri&s;diction,</HI> Congregationall or <HI>Cla&s;&s;icall</HI> in cau|&s;es meerly Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall, or any meere Church cen&s;ures, di&s;tinct from the civill Maje&s;tracy, and temporall cen&s;ures, as<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">See Mr. <HI>Ru|therfords</HI> Di|vine Right of Church-Go|vernment, c. 14 <HI>qu<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1+ letters"></HI> 10. <HI>p.</HI> 386 <HI>&amp;c.</HI> 408. 412. 416. 505, 506. 545.</NOTE> &s;ome now pretend? Whether the genuine &s;cope and &s;ence of the&s;e texts, hold forth any more or other ju|ri&s;diction and power in the <HI>Prie&s;ts, Levites,</HI> or <HI>High Prie&s;t</HI> him&s;elfe, then this: That they joyntly with the <HI>temporall Judges, and chiefe of the Fathers of I&s;rael</HI> not alone by them&s;elves] &s;hould re&s;olve (not ordinary plaine, or undi&s;putable but only] <HI>all &s;uch doubtfulll, ca&s;es, or controver&s;ies which the or|dinary Judges or Maje&s;trates in their Cities held dubious, or too hard for them to determine aright between</HI> [not &s;candall and &s;candall, or who &s;hould be ex|communicated, &s;u&s;pended from the Ordinances, as &s;candalous, ignorant or unfit and who not; but <HI>between bloud and bloud, plea and plea, &s;troke and &s;troke, (being matters of civill controver&s;ie) in their gates; and between Law and Commandement, Statutes and judgments,</HI> (to wit the <HI>judicial written Law</HI> of God) upon who&s;e expo&s;ition any civill doubts, or controver&s;ies &s;hould
<PB N="6" REF="4">ari&s;e which the people them&s;elves could not re&s;olve,] <HI>who&s;e &s;uperior re&s;olu|tions they &s;hould &s;ubmit to, and proceed accordingly to execution;</HI> and he <HI>that would pre&s;umptuou&s;ly di&s;obey and not &s;ubmit to their &s;entence,</HI> was not to be excommunicated or &s;u&s;pended,<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Deut. 17.12.13.</NOTE> <HI>but put to death;</HI> (a meer civill cen&s;ure) to terrifie others. And if this only be the ful &s;ence and meaning of the&s;e texts, whether any epi&s;copall presbiteriall, cla&s;&s;ical or congregationall juri&s;dicti|on to correct &s;candalls with meer Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall cen&s;ures can bee deduced from them? Whether that &s;peech of <HI>Jeho&s;haphat,</HI> 2 <HI>Chro.</HI> 19.11. <HI>And behold Amariah the chiefe Priest is over you in all matters of the Lord</HI> [not &s;canda|lous &s;ins and Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall offences committed by the Prie&s;ts or people, no matters of the Lord, but &s;ins of men, dete&s;ted by the Lord;] imply or nece&s;&s;arily enforce, that he had any Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall juri&s;diction in point of judicature, to cen&s;ure, puni&s;h all or any &s;ort of &s;candalous &s;inners with <HI>Church</HI> cen&s;ures] of which there is not one &s;illable in the text] ve&s;ted in him by any divine Authority? And if &s;o, whether it makes not more for Papall and Archiepi&s;copall, then <HI>Pre&s;byteriall, Cla&s;&s;icall, or Congregationall</HI> Autho|rity? this power or &s;uperintendent juri&s;diction <HI>over all matters of the Lord,</HI> being ve&s;ted in this <HI>High Prie&s;t alone,</HI> and no other. Or rather, whether it be not clearly meant, that as King <HI>Jo&s;iah</HI> him&s;elfe did by his owne <HI>Regall Authority</HI> appoint Judges in the Land, and in <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> in the preceeding 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. and 10. ver&s;es, <HI>to determin all controver&s;ies, and puni&s;h all Offences what&s;oever, according to the Laws of God and that Kingdom;</HI> &s;o, hee did by the &s;elfe-&s;ame regall authority appoint <HI>Amariah, then chiefe Prie&s;t,</HI> over the Prie&s;ts and Levites only, (implyed in the word <HI>You,</HI> not over the peo|ple of the Land] <HI>in all matters of the Lord,</HI> that is, to order, direct the Prie&s;ts and Levites under him in their &s;everall <HI>cour&s;es, and all matters what&s;oever concerning the wor&s;hip, &s;ervice, Oblations, and &s;acrifices of the Lord to be per. formed by them in the Temple at</HI> Jeru&s;alem: in the &s;elf-&s;ame manner, as he &s;et <HI>Zebadiah the ruler of the Hou&s;e of Judah, over all the Kings matters;</HI> in the very next en&s;uing words? That is, (as all con&s;ent,) not over the people and kingdom for to judg and govern them, for that the Iudges forementioned were to do; but over his hou&s;hold, lands, revenewes as his Lord Trea&s;urer, or Lord high Steward of the Revenews of the Crown, as the comparing of it with 1 <HI>Chr.</HI> 26.30.33. [<HI>And of the Hebronites, Ha&s;habiah and his brethren, men of valour, a thou&s;and and</HI> 700. <HI>were Officers among them of</HI> I&s;rael <HI>on this &s;ide of Iordan we&s;tward IN ALL BUSINESSES OF THE LORD and in the &s;ervice of the King,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>And his Brethren, men of Vallour were</HI> 2000. 700. <HI>chiefe Fathers, whom King</HI> David <HI>made Rulers over the Rubenites, Gadites, and the halfe Tribe of Mana&s;&s;eth, for EVERY MATTER PER|TAINING UNTO GOD and Officers of the King,</HI> joyntly: <HI>(therefore Church Officers made by the King, and alterable at his plea&s;ure, not by any Di|vine in&s;titution of God him&s;elfe;) and the paralleling it with the&s;e explenatory texts, Num.</HI> c. 3. &amp;. 4. &amp; 18.3. to 12. 1 <HI>Chr.</HI> 9.10. to 35. c. 23. &amp; 24. &amp; 25. and 26. 2 <HI>Chro.</HI> 5.7. to 14. c. 8.14.15. c. 13.9.10.11.12. c. 26.16. to 21. c. 29.3. to 35. c. 30.16. c. 31.2.3.11. to 20. c. 35.2.12. <HI>Ezra.</HI> 6.17.18. <HI>Neh.</HI> 12.40. to 47.
<PB N="7" REF="4">compared with <HI>Heb.</HI> 5.1, 2. <HI>For every high Prie&s;t taken from among men, is ordained for men IN THINGS PERTAINING TO GOD, that hee may offer both gifts and &s;acrifices for &s;ine, &amp;c.</HI> infallibly demon&s;trate? And if &s;o, then what Divine warrant is there from hence for any &s;uch <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;ti|call Juri&s;diction</HI> di&s;tinct from the <HI>temporall,</HI> as many now comend for, from the&s;e two noted texts? or for any Prie&s;ts, Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pell, or Church Officers di&s;tinct from the temporall Maje&s;tracy, to examine, cor|rect any &s;candalous offences by a meer Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall power, or to puni&s;h them with Church Cen&s;ures, different from civill puni&s;hments?</P>
<P N="3">3. Whether the Prie&s;ts juri&s;diction to judge <HI>of</HI><NOTE N="(l)" PLACE="marg">Lev. c. 13. &amp; 14.</NOTE> <HI>all cau&s;es of Lepro&s;ie</HI> (no &s;candalous &s;in nor offence, but a meer naturall infirmity,) and that on|ly among the <HI>Jews,</HI> yea as well in <HI>hou&s;es, garments, Ve&s;&s;els;</HI> [no &s;ubjects of Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall cen&s;ures] as <HI>per&s;ons:</HI> or their <HI>proceedings in the ca&s;e of</HI><NOTE N="(m)" PLACE="marg">Num. 5.12. to 31.</NOTE> <HI>Ie|lou&s;ie,</HI> by vertue of expre&s;&s;e &s;peciall Leviticall or Ceremoniall Lawes (the only ca&s;es wherein the Prie&s;ts were appointed to bee as &s;ole Judges in the old Te&s;tament, who&s;e proper office was,<NOTE N="(n)" PLACE="marg">Exod. 30.10. Lev. 4. and 5, c. 6, 7. c. 7, 7.8. Num. 8.19.21. c. 15.25. &amp;c. Heb. 5.1, 2, 3.</NOTE> <HI>to offer &s;acrifices &amp; make attone|ment for &s;ins, not to cen&s;ure</HI> or <HI>puni&s;h them;</HI>] be any infallible proofe of the Aaroricall Prie&s;ts or Presbyteries <HI>Eccle&s;iasticall Iudicature</HI> or <HI>juri&s;diction</HI> to cen&s;ure all &s;pirituall Lepro&s;ies of the &s;oule with Church cen&s;ures? Or of the Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall juri&s;diction of <HI>Pre&s;byteries</HI> or <HI>Independent Congregati|ons</HI> to judg or cen&s;ure all cau&s;es of <HI>&s;pirituall Lepro&s;ie,</HI> or <HI>&s;candalous offences</HI> under the Go&s;pell? And whither we may not as &s;oundly argue from the Writ,<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Regi&s;t. <HI>f. 267.</HI> Fit. Nat. Bre. <HI>f. 234.</HI></NOTE> <HI>De Lepro&s;o amovendo;</HI> and the Statute of 1 <HI>Iac.</HI> chap. 31. as they from the&s;e Texts; <HI>Majors, Bayliffes of Towns, Iu&s;tices of Peace, Con&s;tables and other Officers may lawfully remove Lepers, and &s;hut up per&s;ons infected with the Plague of Pe&s;tilence, Ergo,</HI> they may excommunicate and &s;u&s;pend from the Sacrament a l &s;uch as are &s;candalou&s;ly or notoriou&s;ly infected with the Lepro&s;ie and plague of &s;in?</P>
<P N="4">4. Whether, <HI>Deut.</HI> 13.12, 13.14. <HI>Io&s;h.</HI> 22.10. to 34. <HI>Iudg.</HI> 20.1. to 18. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 19.9. to 11. <HI>Ezra.</HI> 10.16, 17. [where we read of temporall Offi|cers, Princes &s;ent and imployed Commi&s;&s;ioners, as well as Prie&s;ts, to in|quire after Idolaters, Idolatry, rapes, mariages with heathni&s;h Wives, and other Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall crimes] compared together, bee not a &s;tronger Scrip|ture evidence for proofe of the Parliaments, and <HI>Lay-Commi&s;&s;ioners</HI> Au|thority, to inquire after, yea puni&s;h <HI>Idolaters</HI> and <HI>&s;candalous &s;inners,</HI> then any texts that can be produced by the <HI>Pre&s;byterians</HI> or <HI>Independents</HI> out of the Old Te&s;tament, for probat of a divine right either in their <HI>Cla&s;&s;es, Pre&s;|byteries</HI> or <HI>Independent Congregations</HI> to cen&s;ure &s;candalous &s;ins and &s;inners with Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall cen&s;ures? And whither the <HI>Statutes</HI> of 31. <HI>H.</HI> 8. c. 10. [appointing <HI>a Lay Vicegerent in all Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall matters</HI>] 26. <HI>H.</HI> 8. cap. 1.37. <HI>H.</HI> 8. c. 17.1. <HI>E.</HI> 6. c. 2.1. <HI>E.</HI> c. 1. [<HI>appointing Laymen, and Lay-Com|mi&s;&s;ioners, to exerci&s;e all manner of Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall juri&s;diction</HI> by way of cen&s;ure,] doe not ju&s;tifie &s;uch Commi&s;&s;ioners to be legall, as well as the&s;e texts, warrant them to be in &s;ome &s;ort divine?</P>
<P N="5">5ly. Whether there bee any precept or pre&s;ident in all the Old Te&s;ta|ment directly or punctually determining, that there was by divine in&s;ti|tution
<PB N="8" REF="5">an unque&s;tionable Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall juri&s;diction ve&s;ted by God him&s;elfe in Prie&s;ts Levites, or any Jewi&s;h Officers, to examine witne&s;&s;e upon Oath, convent or cen&s;ure any &s;candalous &s;inners by excommunication, or &s;u&s;|pen&s;ion of them from the Tabernacle, Temple, pub ike A&s;&s;emblies, Syna|gouges, &s;acrifices &s;olemn publike fe&s;tivalls, or other &s;acred Ordinances for any &s;candalous &s;in what&s;oever? If &s;o, then what are the&s;e precepts, pre&s;i|dents, and &s;candalous &s;ins in particular? And whether it be probable they had any direct authority given them by God him&s;elfe, to &s;u&s;pend or put back any from the Sacraments of Circumci&s;ion or the Pa&s;&s;eover (which Bapti&s;me and the Lords Supper now &s;ucceed) &s;ince both of them originally were ordered to be performed in private, by the<NOTE N="(o)" PLACE="marg">Gen. 17.10. to 28. c. 21 4. c 24, 22, 23, 24. Exod. 12.48. c 4.24, 25 26 Luk 2 21. Jo&s;h. 10.2, 3, 7 Acts 7.8.</NOTE> <HI>Parents</HI> or <HI>Ma&s;ters</HI> of <HI>the Family</HI> not Prie&s;ts or Levites; and executed or eaten by them in their<NOTE N="(p)" PLACE="marg">Exod. 12.3, 4, 15, 21, 40 to 46. Mat. 26 17. to 26. Mar. 14, 12. to 19 Ma&s;ter <HI>Ru|therford<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> due Right of Pre&s;|byteries, <HI>p.</HI> 473 474, 475.</NOTE> <HI>&s;everal private hou&s;es,</HI> where the Prie&s;ts and Levites had no Eccle&s;ia&s;ti|call juri&s;diction that we read of, and were not pre&s;ent at the&s;e &s;acred acti|ons unles only at &s;ome few &s;olemn generall Pa&s;&s;eovers at <HI>Ieru&s;alem</HI> where they were but <HI>Mini&s;teriall, to</HI><NOTE N="(q)" PLACE="marg">2 Chro. 30 13. to 21. c 35 1. to 20. Ezra 6.18. to 22. 1 Cor. 10. <HI>l.</HI> to 8. compared together.</NOTE> <HI>helpe kill the Pa&s;&s;eover, and &s;prinkle the bloud</HI> not <HI>Magi&s;teriall,</HI> to keep any back from eating thereof, by any pre|text of Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Authority.</P>
<P N="6">6ly. Whether Mini&s;ters or Presbyteries under the Go&s;pell, have any o|ther or greater Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall juri&s;diction then the Jewi&s;h High Prie&s;t, Prie&s;ts and Levites had under the Law? And whether Chri&s;tian Kings, Ma|gi&s;trates have not as large an Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall power and Authority under the Go&s;pell, as any godly Kings or Magi&s;trates exerci&s;ed under the Law? If you an&s;wer negatively to the fir&s;t and affirmatively to the latter of the&s;e demands; then how can that Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall juri&s;diction of Presbyteries or Congregations, and their power of Church cen&s;ures, di&s;tinct from the ci|vill Magi&s;tracy, be any way u&s;tified or maintained by the Scripture? If af|firmatively in the fir&s;t, and Negatively in the latter, then &s;hew us direct Scripture Authorities to convince our judgments of what you thus a&s;&s;ert, or el&s;e give over your pretence of <HI>jus divinum?</HI> It is confe&s;&s;ed both by the <HI>Pre&s;byterians,</HI> and <HI>Independents</HI> and cleare by <HI>&s;undry</HI><NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">See Que&s;ti|on 1. in the Margin.</NOTE> <HI>expre&s;&s;e texts,</HI> that Chri&s;tian Maje&s;trates are <HI>jure Divino,</HI> and have an undoubted divine Au|thority, yea command to puni&s;h and cut off all &s;candalous &s;inners, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 100 5.7, 8. <HI>Rom.</HI> 13.1 to 8. <HI>Pro.</HI> 20.26. Whether <HI>Pre&s;byteries, or Independent</HI> Congregations have any divine Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">ight to puni&s;h them with Church cen&s;ures, is very di&s;putable and denyed by many. Therefore it is the &s;afe&s;t, readie&s;t way to Unity and Reformation to remit the puni&s;hment of all &s;candalous offences to the Civill Magi&s;trate, rather than to the pre|tended di&s;putable que&s;tioned authority of Presbyteries, Cla&s;&s;es, or Inde|pendent Congregations.</P>
<P N="7">7ly. Whether there be any expre&s;&s;e texts in all the New Te&s;tament, and what in particular, which infallibly evince an Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall juri&s;diction by divine right to be &s;etled by Chri&s;t in all Chri&s;tian Mini&s;ters, Presbyteries, or Congregations and in which of them in particular, to continue un alte|rably in all Churches of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> to the end of the world for the excommuni|cation or &s;u&s;pention of all kinds of &s;candalous per&s;ons from the Sacrament,
<PB N="9" REF="5">though they externally pretend and profe&s;&s;e their &s;incere repentance in general? or any certain rules pre&s;cribed them in the Go&s;pell and in what particular Texts for the due e ecution of this juri&s;diction in<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">I am confi|dent there are hundreds of ca&s;es <HI>in &s;umma Angelica, Ro|&s;ella, Ho&s;tien|&s;is, Antonius Cor&s;e<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">us, Tho. Ze<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="4 letters">,</HI> and o|ther <HI>Canoni&s;t: T<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="2 letters"> Excommu|nicatio,</HI> and o|thers which wil happen in our Presbyteries concerning <HI>excommunica|tions</HI> and <HI>&s;u&s;|pention<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> for the deciding whereof there is no one rule nor Text in Scripture: Then how can their proceed|ings therein be <HI>Jure Divine,</HI> and regulated by Gods words.</NOTE> all ca&s;es or &s;candalls that may happen? If not whether in can probably bee imagined that Chri&s;t in his wi&s;dome would erect, in&s;titute and ve&s;t an Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Government in Church Officers, without pre&s;cribing them any certaine rules whereby to manage it in all particulars, and leave them to proceed in an arbitrary way, according to their meere plea&s;ures contrary to <HI>Mat.</HI> 28.19 20. If yea, then produce the&s;e texts to us for our &s;atisfaction.</P>
<P N="8">8ly. What rules or pre&s;idents are there in Scripture to relieve parties grieved by unju&s;t, Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall cen&s;ures, either by appeales or other ways and to what &s;uperior Tribunalls? If no &s;uch rules or pre&s;idents appeare therein; admitting Presbyteries, or Congregations Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall juri&s;di|ctions, cen&s;ures to be <HI>Jure divino,</HI>] then whether by Gods own Law which provides them no reliefe the parties injured mu&s;t not remain remedile&s;&s;e when mo<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">t injuriou&s;ly &s;entenced by any private Presbytery Cla&s;&s;is Con|gregation without any help or benefit of Appeale to Provincial Nationall Synods, Parliaments or the Civill Magi&s;trate? And if &s;o: whether this will not introduce as many ab&s;olute tyrannies, and arbitrary Tribunalls, [again&s;t which we have &s;o much conte&s;ted of late] as there are Presbyte|ries or Congregations: e&s;pecially if wee grant them a generall power of all things they them&s;elves &s;hall judge to bee &s;canda<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">ls, without confining them to particulars, or e&s;tabli&s;h their juri&s;dictions by a divine right, which no meer humane power or in&s;titution can controle?</P>
<P>Ninthly Whether if Chri&s;t hath in&s;tituted or left any exact Eccle&s;ia&s;ti|call juri&s;diction, di&s;cipline or power of cen&s;ures to his Church di&s;tinct from the Civill Magi&s;tracy and cen&s;ues this pretended juri&s;diction di&s;ci|pline or power be &s;o ab&s;olute and &s;ufficient of it &s;elfe alone as to bee fully able to correct redre&s;&s;e, reform all abu&s;es, &s;candalls, corruptions, and &s;up|pre&s;&s;e all Here&s;ies, Schi&s;mes Errors, Vices, ari&s;ing in every Church? If not, then we may ju&s;tly &s;u&s;pect, it is no reall juri&s;diction nor di&s;cipline in|&s;tituted by Chri&s;t, <HI>ho would</HI><NOTE N="(r)" PLACE="marg">Deut. 22.4 2 S m. 22.31. P&s;al. 19.7. 2 Tim. 3.17.</NOTE> <HI>in&s;titute and bequeath no incompleate, nor imperfect juri&s;diction, judicatory, or di&s;cipline to his be&s;t Beloved Spou&s;e the Church:</HI> If yea, whether is that juri&s;diction now contended for by <HI>Pre&s;|byterians</HI> or <HI>Independents,</HI> &s;uch? If &s;o, then it is compleate, and every way &s;elfe-&s;ufficient without the concurtence or a&s;&s;i&s;tance of the Chri&s;tian Ma|gi&s;trate or any temporall authority to a&s;&s;i&s;t, maintaine it, or &s;upply its de|fects: But this none can truly a&s;&s;ert nor affirme.</P>
<P>For <HI>Fir&s;t, no Pre&s;bytery Cla&s;&s;is</HI> or <HI>Independent Congregation</HI> hath yet chal|lenged, not can claim by divine right, any coercive power by way of <HI>at|tachment, impri&s;onment, or fine</HI> to bring any party or witne&s;&s;e &s;ummened &s;o much as to appeare before them, in ca&s;e of wilfull neglect or refu&s;all to appeare or be examined, to prepare any cau&s;e or &s;entence.</P>
<P>Secondly In ca&s;e any Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall cen&s;ure of <HI>Excommunication</HI> or &s;u&s;|pention bee inflicted by them upon &s;candalous per&s;on after ful hearing, if they ab&s;olutely contemne the &s;ame or refu&s;e to conform them&s;elves, or by
<PB N="10" REF="6">open violence intrude into the Congregation, Church, or force the Mi|ni&s;ter to give the Sacrament to them though excommunicated or &s;u&s;|pended.</P>
<P>Thirdly, In ca&s;e any <HI>Hereticke Schi&s;maticke,</HI> or <HI>prophane per&s;on</HI> &s;hall wil|fully &s;eperate from our Congregations, (as thou&s;ands nov doe) refu&s;ing to communicate with us in any Ordinances, proclaiming us to bee no Churches, and pa&s;&s;e a &s;chimaticall &s;entence o <HI>Non-Communion</HI> with us, by rea&s;on of &s;ome unju&s;t exceptions or pretences again&s;t our Orthodox Doctrine di&s;cipline, or form of government; and thereupon refu&s;e to ap|peare before our Presbyteries, Congregations, or to &s;ubmit unto their ju|ri&s;dictions or cen&s;ures; in all the&s;e and &s;uch like ca&s;es, the pretended di|vine Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall power, cen&s;ures of Presbyteries, Cla&s;&s;es, or Independent Congregations are at a <HI>Nonplus,</HI> and &s;o defective, invalid of them&s;elves to enforce obedience to &s;uch contumatious, or reduce, reclaime &s;uch here|ticall, &s;chi&s;maticall, or prophane per&s;ons from their ob&s;tinacy, Here&s;ies, Schi&s;mes and neglect of publike Ordinances, that they are enforced to pray in ayde from the <HI>Civill Magistrate by Capias excommunicatums, impri&s;on|ments fines</HI> or other &s;uch civil compul&s;ory means the only effectuall cour&s;e by way of cen&s;ure u&s;ed in all ages to &s;uppre&s;&s;e, reform<NOTE N="(*)" PLACE="marg">I am a&s;&s;u|red a &s;peciall (much de&s;ired) active Com|mittee to exa|mine and pu|ni&s;h the broach|ers of new bla&s;|phemous Here|ticall Anabap|ti&s;ticall errors, and gatherers of Schi&s;mati|call Conven|ticles, and <HI>Jn|dictments</HI> of &s;uch as our A&s;|&s;izes and Se&s;&s;ions, would more &s;uppre&s;&s;e them in one moneth, then all Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Judicatories in an Age. See <HI>Ju&s;tinian: Cod. lib.</HI> 1. <HI>Tit.</HI> 4.6.8. <HI>&amp; Codex. Theod: lib.</HI> 16. Where we finde ob&s;tinate Hereticks, and Schi&s;maticks, puni&s;hed and &s;uppre&s;&s;ed by temporall Laws. 1. They were di&s;abled to thus inherit by di&s;cent, or to purcha&s;e any Lands; to buy, &s;ell, make any contract Will, or take any Legacy: to &s;ue, or to be witne&s;&s;es in any Court of Ju&s;tice; to beare any Office, civill; or Military; to bee pre&s;ent at any councells or elections, or to Li&s;t them&s;elves Souldiers in the Army, whence they were ca&s;hiered when detected to bee &s;uch. Secondly, Their goods were all confi&s;cated, or went to their next heires that were Orthodox, their per&s;ons bani&s;hed, and in &s;ome ca&s;es impri&s;oned and put to death. Thirdly, Their hereticall books were prohibited and burnt, the hou&s;es where they kept Diurnall or Nocturnall Conventicles confi&s;cated, if kept there with the Owners privity or con&s;ent: If by the Tenants privitie without the Land-lords, if the Tenant were poore; then he was publikely ba&s;tana|doed or whipt, if rich, then fined; and their conventicles both in Churches and private places prohibited, &s;up|pre&s;&s;ed, under &s;evere penalties. By the&s;e meanes and cen&s;ures alone Heretickes. Here&s;ies, Sci&s;maticks have al|wayes beene &s;uppre&s;&s;ed, re&s;trained informer ages; but never by church cen&s;ures, which they both derided and contemned. See <HI>Frid: Lindeb<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">ogus Codex Legum Antiqu. Leges Wi&s;igothor, lib.</HI> 12. <HI>Tit.</HI> 2. <HI>Lex</HI> 2. <HI>Neap.</HI> 1. <HI>Tit.</HI> 1.2. <HI>Capitul: Karoli &amp; Lud: lib.</HI> 5. <HI>Tit.</HI> 183. <HI>Paul. Ge&s;chinij, Con&s;tit: Carolinae, Ruhr.</HI> 3.4, 5. with our owne Statutes again&s;t Recu&s;ants, and Heretickes; And the&s;e will be the only meanes to &s;uppre&s;&s;e them now.</NOTE> here&s;ies, &s;chi&s;mes, and the only way to &s;uppre&s;&s;e, redre&s;&s;e them now) without which all their Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall cen&s;ures, are both contemptible, ineffectuall and altogether in&s;ufficient to reform abu&s;es: So that if the Magi&s;trates bee <HI>Infidels, Here|ticks,</HI> or <HI>Schi&s;maticks,</HI> who will not; or prophane, negligent timorous or li|centious per&s;ons, who care not or dare not to a&s;&s;i&s;t the <HI>Pre&s;byteries Cla&s;&s;es</HI> or <HI>Congregations</HI> inforcing &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion to their Church proce&s;&s;es, cen&s;ures, they are &s;o defective and ineffectuall of them&s;elves, that none can ju&s;tly call, or infallibly prove them to be the <HI>Kingdom, Scepter, Government, di&s;ci|pline and cen&s;ures of Chri&s;t,</HI> whereby his Church mu&s;t onely bee governed, purged, reformed as &s;ome now pretend them to bee without any Scrip|ture authority, which no where &s;o much as once &s;tiles Church-Di&s;cipline, Chri&s;ts kingdome or Scepter.</P>
<P N="10"><PB N="11" REF="6"> 10ly. Whether <HI>Mat.</HI> 18.15, 16, 17. (if meant of Chri&s;tian <HI>Pre&s;byte|ries</HI> or <HI>Church Officers,</HI> as is pretended, not of the civill Magi&s;tracy or Jew|i&s;h Sanhedrim, whereas the word <GAP DESC="foreign">, which wee tran&s;late Church, both in the Old and New Te&s;tament &s;ignifieth any A&s;&s;embly, as well civill and prophane, as <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall,</HI> or <HI>Religious,</HI> as is cleare by <HI>Acts</HI> 19.39.41. and &s;undry Texts of the Old Te&s;tament, as Ma&s;ter<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Due Rights of Presbyteries, <HI>pag.</HI> 349. 350. and Divine Right of church Government, <HI>pag.</HI> 231.</NOTE> <HI>Rutherford</HI> him|&s;elfe confe&s;&s;eth) gives any authority to them to proceed <HI>ex officio,</HI> again&s;t notorious &s;candalous &s;ins (as <HI>Idolatry, Bla&s;phemy &s;wearing drunkenne&s;&s;e, &amp;c.</HI>) &s;ince it &s;peakes not of any publike &s;candalous offences again&s;t God and the Church, but only of private per&s;onall<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">So this word <HI>Tre&s;pas</HI> is u&s;ed here, and in Mat. 6.14, 15. Luke 17.3, 4. Gen. 31.36. cap. 50.17, 1. Sam. 25, 28. Though &s;ome fal&s;ly aver it is never u&s;ed in Scripture but for a <HI>tre&s;pa&s;&s;e</HI> or &s;in again&s;t God.</NOTE> <HI>tre&s;pa&s;&s;es</HI> between man and man, to bee proceeded again&s;t only upon the voluntary complaint of the party offended, after previous private admonitions, and then reproofes be|fore witne&s;&s;es, yea, of &s;uch offences, <HI>which upon private &s;atisfaction wee are to forgive</HI> 77. <HI>times,</HI> without any publike complaint, or cen&s;ure, <HI>Luk.</HI> 17.3, 4. Therefore not meant of meer publike &s;candalls, which no private man can remit, and no Church or Presbytery will grant that they ought to be 77. <HI>times remitted</HI> one after another, without the lea&s;t <HI>&s;u&s;pention</HI> or <HI>ex|communication,</HI> upon meet externall &s;hews of Repentance: And whether, <HI>thou hast gained thy brother,</HI> in this Text be meant properly of gaining him to God by true repentance, or only unto him who gaines him, by way of reconciliation, and renewing friend&s;hip, as the phra&s;e it &s;elfe, compared with <HI>Prov.</HI> 18.19. intimates?</P>
<P N="11">11ly. Whether, <HI>Acts</HI> 15.1. to 36. where a <HI>Synod</HI> of <HI>Apo&s;tles, Elders,</HI> and <HI>Brethren</HI> met together at <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> to debate and re&s;olve a dubious point of doctrine only about Circumci&s;ion without exerci&s;ing any act of di&s;ci|pline or Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall cen&s;ure on any &s;candalous per&s;on be a &s;ound divine Au<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">hority to evidence to any mans con&s;eience, the Divine Right of <HI>Pre&s;|byteries, Cla&s;&s;es,</HI> or <HI>Independent Congregations,</HI> to inflict Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall cen|&s;ures upon &s;candalous Delinquents, or to examine witne&s;&s;es upon Oath a|gain&s;t them, of which there is not one &s;illable in that text?</P>
<P N="12">12ly. Whether the precept of <HI>Paul</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.13. <HI>for putting away from among them the ince&s;tuous per&s;on,</HI> written to this particular Church in this one ca&s;e of ince&s;t onely, again&s;t which heinous &s;candalous &s;inne, (<HI>not &s;o much at named among the very Gentiles,</HI> ver. 1.) being then under Heathen Magi&s;trates they could not &s;afely complaine to them of it without great &s;candall, nor go <HI>to Law before them for ordinary ju&s;t civill things without of|fence</HI> as appeares by the very next words, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6 1. to 9. when as by the Law of God had the Magi&s;trates there bin Jewes or Chri&s;tians this &s;in of <HI>Ince&s;t</HI> was to be puni&s;hed <HI>by them,</HI> not with excommunication or &s;u&s;penti|on from the Church, <HI>but death it &s;elfe, Lev.</HI> 18.8. c 20.11 12. Be any &s;ati&s;|factory or infallible argument for the continuance &amp; exerci&s;e of excom|munication, or &s;u&s;pention from the Sacrament in all <HI>Churches</HI> of Chri&s;t in all &s;ucceeding ages in all other ca&s;es of &s;in or &s;candall, though the Magi|&s;trates in them be Chri&s;tian, and may, yea ought to puni&s;h tho&s;e &s;ins with death or other temporall cen&s;ures, if complained of? Whether tho&s;e that pre&s;&s;e this text may not as well conclude from the very next words, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI>
<PB N="12" REF="7">6.1. to 9. that it is unlawfull for Chri&s;tians to goe to Law before any Chri|&s;tian Judges now, and that they mu&s;t &s;ue onely before their Presbyteries or Congregations for meere temporall matters, becau&s;e <HI>Paul</HI> then com|manded the Corinthians not to go to Law before heathen Judges to pre|vent &s;candall, but only in the Church before the Saints, or &s;uch Judges as the Church &s;hold appoint them? As inferre, that all &s;candalous per&s;ons mu&s;t bee excommunicated and &s;u&s;pended from the Sacrament by Cla&s;&s;es, Pre&s;|byteries, and cen&s;ured only by them now, not by the Chri&s;tian Maje&s;trate, becau&s;e the ince&s;tuous <HI>Corinthian</HI> was then Ordered to bee put away and puni&s;hed by the Church and Saints of <HI>Corinth,</HI> for want of a Chri&s;tian Maje&s;trate to puni&s;h him with death, or corporall cen&s;ures? Yea, whether they may not as <HI>Logically</HI> and <HI>Theologically</HI> argue from the very next chap. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 7.27. <HI>where Paul</HI> writes thus: <HI>I &s;uppo&s;e therefore that this is good for the pre&s;ent di&s;tre&s;&s;e [or nece&s;&s;ity] for a man not to touch a Woman, or marry; Ergo,</HI> it is lawfull, yea it is nece&s;&s;ary for Chri&s;tian men or Women in all ages, Churches of Chri&s;t to vow perpetuall <HI>Virginity,</HI> and not <HI>to marry at all,</HI> as the <HI>Papi&s;ts</HI> thence inferre in defence of their <HI>Monks, Nons,</HI> and <HI>un|married Clargie;</HI> As rea&s;on from this Text, That <HI>Paul</HI> in regard of the Corinthians pre&s;ent di&s;tre&s;&s;e and nece&s;&s;ity for want of Chri&s;tian Maje|&s;trates to puni&s;h this ince&s;tuous; <HI>per&s;on</HI> with death, and civill cen&s;ures ad|vi&s;eth the <HI>Church of Corinth, To put away from AMONG THEM|SELVES that wicked per&s;on;</HI> [or <HI>thing</HI> as &s;ome read it:] <HI>Ergo</HI> all Mini&s;ters Presbyteries and particular congregations of <HI>Christ</HI> have a divine inherent Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall right and power in them to puni&s;h not only ince&s;tuous per|&s;ons, but all other &s;candalous &s;inners with excommunication, &s;u&s;pention from the <HI>Sacrament,</HI> and other <HI>Church cen&s;ures,</HI> even when and where there is no &s;uch nece&s;&s;ity nor defect of Chri&s;tian Magi&s;trates but &s;ufficient &s;tore of them both able and willing to puni&s;h &s;uch with civill puni&s;hments an|&s;werable to their crimes and &s;candals? This is all that can bee extracted from this Text, whereon they mo&s;t rely; which mu&s;t needs bee a gro&s;&s;e incon&s;equent, becau&s;e no Apo&s;tolicall advice to any one particular <HI>Church</HI> upon a private extraordinary occa&s;ion and nece&s;&s;ity only, can or ought to bee a generall binding Law or In&s;titution of Chri&s;t to oblige all other Churches what&s;oever in the like, or any other ca&s;es, where there is no &s;uch extraordinary occa&s;ion or nece&s;&s;ity; As is cleare by one pregnant evidence in the 16. chap. of this very Epi&s;tle, <HI>v.</HI> 1.2. <HI>concerning the Collection then advi&s;ed to be made for the Saints,</HI> by the <HI>Corinthians on every fir&s;t day of the weeke, or weekely;</HI> which being but a particular advice and <HI>direction to this Church for that one Collection;</HI> is<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">See truth triumphing over fal&s;hood, <HI>p.</HI> 155. 156.</NOTE> no <HI>binding Law or Rule</HI> to all other Churches of Chri&s;t &s;trictly to imitate in all their en&s;uing Collections, as is evident by <HI>Acts</HI> 13.28.29 30. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 8.1. to 21. <HI>c.</HI> 9.1. to 15. <HI>Rom.</HI> 13.25.26. <HI>Philip.</HI> 4.14. to 20. El&s;e no Church could &s;ince appoint any publike monthly collections on week dayes, or fa&s;ting dayes, but only weekly Col|lections on the Lords day, under paine of tran&s;gre&s;&s;ing the in&s;titution of Chri&s;t and this Apo&s;tle; which none dare aver: However, &s;ince the Apo|&s;tle writes not here to any <HI>Cla&s;&s;is, Pre&s;bytery,</HI> or <HI>Pre&s;byter,</HI> but to the whole
<PB N="13" REF="7">Church at <HI>Corinth; TO PUT AWAY FROM AMONG THEMSELVES, that wicked per&s;on:</HI> [that is, to &s;eclude him whol|ly from their <HI>Congregation, Church, Company,</HI> and not &s;o much <HI>as to eate at their Tables</HI> or <HI>keep any company with him at all,</HI> as is evident by ver. 7.9 11.] not to &s;u&s;pend him only <HI>from the Lords Supper</HI> of which there is not one fillable in this cha. nor of any &s;uch &s;u&s;pention in the 10. and 11. chap|ters where he purpo&s;ely treates of this Sacrament] we may well que&s;tion whether it makes not more again&s;t Presbyteries and Cla&s;&s;es divine power of Excommunication, and a bare &s;u&s;pention of &s;candalous per&s;ons from the Lords Supper only, without &s;ecluding them from all other Ordinances and Church A&s;&s;emblies as well as it, then for them, it being contrary to the very definition and practi&s;e of <HI>Excommunication</HI> hitherto known and u&s;ed in the Church, to excommunicate a notorious &s;candalous per&s;on from the Lords Supper only once a moneth, a quarter, a yeare, for feare of infecting others, and yet to admit him daily or weekly to joyne with the Church in all other Ordinances but it alone; when all [<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><HI>Alexan. Alen|&s;is</HI> &s;um. Theol: pa. s 4. qu. 21.22. <HI>Sotus</HI> in 4. Sent. di&s;t. 22. Thomas, <HI>Ri|chardus, Palu|danus, Duran|dus;</HI> in 4. &s;ent. di&s;t. 18. p. <HI>Bin&s;. fe<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">ldius Enchi. rid Theolog: pars</HI> 5. c. 1.</NOTE>] <HI>Schoolmen</HI> [<NOTE N="(b)" PLACE="marg"><HI>Gratian Cau&s;.</HI> 11. qu. 3. <HI>Summa Ange|lica, &amp; Ro&s;ella Tit. Excommu|nicatio Ho&s;ti|en&s;i<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">. Sum.</HI> l. 5. <HI>Tit. De Senten: Excom. Anto|nius Cor&s;etus. Tit. Excom. Bochellus, De|cret. Eccle&s;.</HI> Gal 2. Tit. 14. <HI>c</HI> 2 The&s;. 3.14. 2 John 10.11. 2 Tim 2.17. Tit. 1.13. c. 3.10. Rom. 11, 3. John 10.16.17. John 9.22.32, 33. cap. 12 42. c. 16.2. Numb. 5.2, 3.4. c. 21.14, 15. D ut. 23.1.2, 3</NOTE>] <HI>Canoni&s;ts</HI> re&s;olve, that excommunication [e&s;pecially that they call <HI>Ma|jor Excommunication</HI>] excludes men, not onely from <HI>the Sacrament but likewi&s;e from entring into the Church, the very &s;ociety and prayers of the faith|full, and tho&s;e who wittingly keepe company, buy or &s;ell with &s;uch</HI> are to be <HI>ip&s;o facto excommunicated;</HI> Whereas many now pretend it &s;hould &s;eclude men from the Lords Supper onely, but not from any other Ordinance, contrary to this, <HI>to (c) other Texts produced by our oppo&s;ites for proofe of Excommuni|cation, and all &s;ound Antiquity.</HI></P>
<P N="13">13ly. Whether there bee any ground or example at all in Scripture to enjoyn the civill Chri&s;tian Magi&s;trate, in ca&s;es of ob&s;tinacy contumacy a|gain&s;t Church cen&s;ures inflicted by Presbyteries or Congregations to be|come a meet &s;ervant and executioner to Presbyteries, Congregations or Church Officers, (as the Pope and Prelates anciently made them, to en|force Obedience to their cen&s;ures by impri&s;onment or other coercive meanes without any particular examination of the merits of the cau&s;e, or ju&s;tice of the proceedings? Whether &s;uch Mini&s;teriall execution of their cen&s;ures, if admitted, do not nece&s;&s;arily &s;ubject the people to a double ju|ri&s;diction, vexation for one and the &s;elf-&s;ame &s;candalous crime which may prove more intolerably oppre&s;&s;ive to them then the mo&s;t exorbitant coun|try Committees or <HI>Prelates con&s;i&s;tories</HI> if not exactly bounded, &amp; &s;ubordi|nate the <HI>Maj<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;tracy</HI> to the <HI>Mini&s;tery, Pre&s;byteries</HI> &amp; particular congregati|ons in point of Authority? Wch if obliged by any divine Law to &s;ee <HI>Church cen&s;ures</HI> executed and enforce obedience to them, then certainely Chri&s;tian Maje&s;trates as &s;uch, mu&s;t either be Church Officers as well as Mini&s;ters or Lay-Elders; (the rather, becau&s;e all Precepts given to <HI>Maje&s;trates</HI> them|&s;elves in Scripture are given only to &s;uch<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">See Deut. 17.14, to 21. 2 Sam. 7.8, c. 32.1, 3. 1 Kings 17.9. 2 Chron. 9.8. c. 19.5. to 11. c. 1.9. to 13. I&s;ay 49.23.</NOTE> <HI>Godly</HI> or <HI>Chri&s;tian Maje&s;trates who belive, embrace the Scriptures,</HI> and are Members of a vi&s;ible <HI>Church</HI> or Chri&s;tian &s;tate, as &s;uch, not to any Infidels or heathen Maje&s;trates as hea|theni&s;h, or meer Maje&s;trates out of the <HI>Church,</HI> as &s;ome gro&s;ly mi&s;take, el&s;e they were not obliged by Gods Law to &s;ee <HI>Church</HI> cen&s;ures executed, obeyed, &s;ubmitted too, if no Church Officers.</P>
<PB N="14" REF="8">
<P> And whether the <HI>Antiqueries</HI> by affirming, <HI>it is the Magi&s;trates duty to puni&s;h an obstinate Offender, at the motion of the Church or of one parti|cular Mini&s;ter which he ought <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">o do whether de&s;ired by them or no:</HI> doth not thereby grant that the power of puni&s;hing ob&s;tinate &s;candalous &s;inners, even for pretended Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Offences, belongs properly to the Chri|&s;tian Magi&s;trates, not to Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Con&s;i&s;tories and Presbyteries?</P>
<P N="14">14ly. Whether it be not more agreeable to the word of God, the Rules of Ju&s;tice, and more conducing to the Churches peace for the <HI>Civill Ma|je&s;trate</HI> juditially to examine puni&s;h all pretended &s;candalous per&s;ons with temporall cen&s;ures, and then (if they &s;till continue impenitent to cer|tifie the proofs taken before him to the Presbytery, <HI>Cla&s;&s;is,</HI> or Congregati|on, upon their reque&s;t, for their conviction there, to ground an Excommu|nication or &s;u&s;pention upon, if there be cau&s;e: then to give them imme|diate power to examine all &s;candalls them&s;elves upon Oath; without fir&s;t acquainting the Civill Maje&s;trate with it, or de&s;iring his antecedent exa|mination of the &s;candalls, of purpo&s;e to &s;ubject them to Church cen&s;ures? Since we read of no &s;uch Examinatious upon Oath practi&s;ed by <HI>Pre&s;byte|ries, Church Officers,</HI> or particular Congregations among the Jewes or Chri&s;tians in Scripture: which if taken in writing and recorded (as they ought to bee, that &s;o they may be &s;canned upon Appeales) there mu&s;t then be a particular <HI>Examiner or Regi&s;ter</HI> at lea&s;t appointed in every <HI>Pre&s;bytery, Cla&s;&s;is</HI> and <HI>Provinciall Synod</HI> to record them; for which they will expect a con&s;tant Fee from the Church or State or an an&s;werable recompence from the parties accu&s;ing or accu&s;ed; (which cannot be &s;etled without <HI>Act</HI> or <HI>Ordinance</HI> of Parliament being new Fees and Offices) and &s;o it will draw a very great unnece&s;&s;ary charge (farre greater then that of Bi|&s;hops and their Officialls) upon the people, which they will unwillingly beare. In which regard it is fite&s;t the civill Maje&s;trates or Ju&s;tices of Peace &s;hould only take the Examinations of &s;candalls, as they doe in ca&s;es of <HI>Felony and other &s;candalous crimes,</HI> and certifie them to the Presbyterie, or Cla&s;&s;is, as there &s;hall be need.</P>
<P N="15">15ly. Whether it be not both unju&s;t and unrea&s;onable to pre&s;&s;e the Par|liament to &s;ettle any kind of Church government, as pre&s;cribed <HI>Jure divi|no,</HI> before it be clearly demon&s;trated or manife&s;ted to their judgments and con&s;ciences to be &s;o, by per&s;picuous undenyable proofes from Scripture? Or to importune them to grant any unlimited arbitrary power to <HI>Cla&s;&s;es, Pre&s;byteries,</HI> or <HI>Congregations,</HI> to judge of or cen&s;ure unknown contingent &s;candals [never yet thus cen&s;ured from <HI>Adams</HI> dayes till now] before they can &s;o much as conjecture what they are, or where ever they will bee perpetrated in our Churches? &s;ince offences alwayes u&s;e to (<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Lev. 24.10.10 27. Num. 25.32, 37.</NOTE>) <HI>preceed Lawes</HI> made to puni&s;h them; and <HI>ex malis moribus optimae oriuntur leges,</HI> as all Polititians have re&s;olved? whether the demanding of &s;uch an unlimited power to bee now e&s;tabli&s;hed, be not as bad, yea more unrea&s;onable then the late Prelates &amp;c. <HI>Oath</HI> (mo&s;t ju&s;tly damned, declaimed again&s;t, and &s;avours not more of <HI>wilfulnes</HI> then <HI>con&s;cience,</HI> of the &s;pirit of (<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">1 John 3 9.10, 11.</NOTE>) <HI>Diotre|phes,</HI> then of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> of who&s;e kingdom &s;ome pretend it to be a mo&s;t nece&s;|&s;ary
<PB N="15" REF="8">and in&s;eperable Branch? Whether any Prophet, Apo&s;tle, godly Pre&s;|byter private Congregation or Cla&s;&s;is in the primitive Church, ever &s;ol|licited their <HI>Princes</HI> or <HI>Parliaments</HI> for &s;uch an exorbitant unlimited power, and who in particular? Or whether any reformed Churches be|yond the Seas doe at this day claime, or really enjoy, execute any &s;uch an indefinite Arbitrary power (as &s;ome fal&s;ly pretend they doe) and what Churches in particular?</P>
<P N="16">16. Whether Chri&s;tian Princes and Maje&s;trates<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">See Iu&s;tin. Cod. l. 1. Tit. 7. De Epi&s;co|pali Audientia Capit Caroli &amp; Ludovici Jmp. l. 6. c. 301 313.314, 322.323, 326, 330. lib. 1. through|out. Leges Wi&s;igoth, l. 2. c. 29, 30.</NOTE> indulging of over|much power, honour and Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Authority in point of Juri&s;diction Church <HI>cen&s;ures.</HI> and excommunication in former ages to the Clergie, un|der this apprehention per&s;wa&s;ion, that they were mo&s;t pious, con&s;cienti|ous, holy, moderat, ju&s;t and humble per&s;ons, who would exerci&s;e it for <HI>Gods</HI> glory only, and the Churches good; hath not bin the true Originall cau&s;e of all that <HI>Antichri&s;tian Tyranny, per&s;ecution, exorbitances</HI> of Popi&s;h Pre|lates, and Clergiemen, which have over-&s;pred, corrupted, infe&s;ted the Church and people of God? And whether former examples of this kinde may not ju&s;tly le&s;&s;on us to beware of the like error for the pre&s;ent though our Mini&s;ters who claim this Eccle&s;iatiicall Juri&s;diction now conte&s;ted for by a Divine Right be never &s;o godly, upright, di&s;creet, humble, con&s;ci|entious, &s;ince we know not wha<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter"> many of our Mini&s;ters, Elders who mu&s;t exerci&s;e it in the Country are for the pre&s;ent; or what the be&s;t of them all or their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors at lea&s;t may prove for the<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Acts 20.29, 31 2 King 8.12. Eccle&s;. 2.19, 18.</NOTE> <HI>future,</HI> (<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Gen 3.5, 6.3. John 9.10.</NOTE>) <HI>(ambition be|ing mans fir&s;t &s;in, and mo&s;t plea&s;ing to our corrupt natures, as we &s;ee by</HI> the ex|ample of <HI>[m] Chri&s;ts own Apostles,</HI><NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">Mat. 20.20. to 29. Luk. 22.24. to 31:</NOTE> and daily experiences every where e&s;|pecially when they have engro&s;&s;ed more Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall power into their hands by pretext of a Divine Right, then ever the expre&s;&s;e Law of God or Chri&s;t him&s;elfe in his Go&s;pell hath delegated to them. It is very ob&s;ervable, that while the [<NOTE N="(o)" PLACE="marg"><HI>See</HI> Philip de Morney <HI>his My&s;tery of ini|quity,</HI> Carolus Molinaeus, Commentar in Edict: Henrici &s;ecundi, &amp;c. c ntra parvas datas, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Ab|bas u&s;pergen&s;is Platina &amp; Bulaeus de vitis Pontificum Romanorum: <HI>Grim&s;tons</HI> Im|periall Hi&s;tory.</NOTE> Popes claimed their Papacy and &s;uperiority over other Churches by grants and donations from the Chri&s;tian Emperors of <HI>Rome,</HI> they were very humble, loyall, and ob&s;equious to them. But after the long enjo ment of their tran&s;cendent juri&s;diction by imperiall donations had &s;o far puffed them up with pride as by degrees to de&s;ert their true an|cient claime, and challenge both their Papacy and Supremacy by a Divine Right from Chri&s;t him&s;elfe by wre&s;ting divers Scriptures to their purpo&s;e [and &s;ome of tho&s;e among others which our Divines now principally in&s;i&s;t upon.] they pre&s;ently ca&s;t off both their &s;ubjection and Loyalty to the Em|perors at once; and &s;o pro&s;ecuted them with excommunications, Inter|dicts, &s;u&s;pentions, rebellions, force of Armes, and parties rai&s;ed again&s;t them in their owne Empires; that at la&s;t they quite trampled them under their f ete, di&s;po&s;ing of their Crownes at plea&s;ure, making them &s;weare &s;o emne homage to them as their Va&s;&s;alls, and to hold their Imperiall Crownes from them alone, who formerly did homage to and held their Bi&s;hopricks, with all the Papall juri&s;diction they enjoyed only from them: Yea if our Presbyteries. Cla&s;&s;es or Independent Congregations &s;hall bee admitted to hold and enjoy all the Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall juri&s;diction they now pretend to, by a Divine Right; and the Parliament their power, authori|tie,
<PB N="16" REF="9">onely by a meere humane in&s;titution and not by as cleare a Divine Right as theirs; the next con&s;equence I feare wil be (and we &s;ee it already maintained in &s;ome [<NOTE N="(x)" PLACE="marg"><HI>Mr.</HI> Ru|therford.</NOTE> <HI>Pre&s;byterians</HI> and more [<NOTE N="(y)" PLACE="marg">Mr. <HI>John Goodw<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">n.</HI> Ma&s;ter <HI>Henry Burton.</HI> Ma&s;ter <HI>Saltmar&s;h.</HI> Mr. <HI>Robin&s;on</HI> and others.</NOTE>] <HI>Independents</HI> printed Bookes;) That our Parliaments Kings and temporall Maje&s;trates mu&s;t have not ing at all to do with Church Officers, or Church government by way of direction, correction, or app<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1+ letters">a<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">e, but meerly as t<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">eir &s;ubordinate Mini&s;ters, to ratifie their determination<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter"> and enforce obedience to their cen&s;ures; which if they neglect or refu&s;e to doe or &s;top their proceedings by any <HI>Prohibitions</HI> or <HI>legall cour&s;e,</HI> for ought I know, when their Divine pretended authority is &s;etled to their minds, the next thing they &s;hal heare of will bee; that which <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">ur Kings, Judges, and Officers, did heretofore from our Clergy in Archbi&s;hop<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Eindwode, Provinc. <HI>lib. 5.</HI> Tit. de Paenis f. <HI>226. &amp;c.</HI> Jo. de Aton. Con&s;t. f. <HI>138. to 142.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Boniface</HI> his time, when they oppo&s;ed their extravagances even a &s;erious admonition to obey their dictates and after that an <HI>I<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">te<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">diction of all their Lands, Ca&s;tles. Townes</HI> with a &s;u&s;pen|tion of them from the <HI>Sacrament,</HI> or excommunication from or Non-communion with their <HI>Congregations</HI> for this Contumacy: <HI>And then Lord have mercy upon us mi&s;erable &s;inners</HI> we may &s;ooner bewayle then remove that &s;pirituall Yoak of bondage which we thus &s;uffer voluntarily to be im|po&s;ed both in our own and others neck<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">. It being a very difficult task and work of many ages to moderate abat<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 span">late or &s;uppre&s;&s;e any Eccle&s;ia|&s;ticall juri&s;diction, though never &s;o exo<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1+ letters">ant e&s;pecially if once legally &s;etled, or but incroached by coulor of a Divine Right, as wee &s;ee by the <HI>Papacy</HI> and our late exploded <HI>Prelacy.</HI></P>
<P>I &s;hal therfore clo&s;e up a l with the Apo&s;tles &s;ea&s;onable advice, <HI>Gal</HI> 5.1. <HI>Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Chri&s;t hath made us free and be not again intangled with any Yoak of bondage,</HI> which Chri&s;t him&s;elfe hath not impo&s;ed on us by a cleare and evident in&s;titution in his word: <HI>Christs</HI><NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Matth. 11.30</NOTE> <HI>Yoake is ea&s;ie, and his burthen light,</HI> to which all people mu&s;t with cheer|fulne&s;&s;e &s;ubmit: if the <HI>Pre&s;byterians</HI> yoke, in &s;u&s;pending men from the Sa|crament for all kinde of &s;uppo&s;ed &s;candalls, though they profe&s;&s;e unfained penitence for all their &s;ins, and eaene&s;tly de&s;ire to receive it; or the <HI>Inde|pendents</HI> Yoak, in <HI>non-admitting</HI> or <HI>&s;ecluding</HI> tho&s;e from their Congregati|ons whom they judg not <HI>reall Saints,</HI> or will not &s;ub&s;cribe to their private Church Covenants, and denying all benefit of <HI>Appeales</HI> to any <HI>&s;uperiour judicatories</HI> paramount their own <HI>private Congregations,</HI> (without any ex|pre&s;&s;e precept or pre&s;ident in Scripture, to warrant the&s;e their practi&s;es, proceedings) bee not &s;uch, wee may ju&s;tly &s;u&s;pect and reject them too, as none of Chri&s;ts.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
