86o . (afes abottt Excommunication. ' together in Communion if one yield not to the other: Ufu:dly or ofrtirnes it will be hettcr to leave fuclt anobd~rate fe~f-willccl people, lcfi they be ha~dened by yielding to them in their fin, and others cnc:ouraged m the hkc by thc~r example~ And thc:1r own (XpCtlcnce may at lafi convince them and make them yield to better thmgs, as 9cneva did when they revoked Calvin. Bur fomctimcs tJ 1 c' pub– lick good rcquireth that the Pollor g•ve place to the peoples folly, and fiay among rhem, and rather yield to that which is Ha' btjl: ( fo h be mherwife lawful ) (as a worfe trar.fl,Hion, a worfe vedion Li.:. curg.ie, order, ~ime, pl~cc., &c.) than ~uitc ~orfakc the~. And he that is in the right, may in 'rhat ,afc yield to hun that ts m the wrong, m pomt of puC\:1Gc:• .Qllell:. 91. What if the Paftor excormllUrlicate amar1, and the people will not forbear buCommunion, M thinking him unjuftb Excommunicated ~ · Anfw. I· Either t.he Paftor or the people aR in the Errour. z, Either the pcrfon is a dangerous Hercuck or grofly w1cked, or not. ;~ Etthcr the people do own the ErroHr or fin · for which he is excornrnunicarcd, o~ only judge the pcrfon not guilty. 4· The P•ftors, and rh~ peoples part in the execution mufi be difiinguifbedAnd fo I conclude, ,.That ifthe Pafior err and wrong the people he mufi repent, and give them fatisfaaion: But ifit be thtir '"''"and obftin•c-y, then 2.lf the Pafiorforcknow that rhe people will dilfent, in fomc frnal\ difpen– fibte cafes he may forbear to excommunicate one that defciVeth it : or if he know it afier, that rhey will not forbear Communion with the perfon, he may go on in his office, and be fatisfied that he hath dif– 'harged his own duty, and leave them under the guilt of their own faults. 3· But if it be an intole– rablt wic~tdnefl or Herifit (as Arrianifm, Socinianifm, &c. ) and the peGple own the trrour or fin as well as the perfon; the Pafior is then to admoniih them alfo,and by all means to endeavour to bring them to Repentance; And if they rema~n impenitent to renounce Communion with them and defcu them. 4• But if theXow~ not ~he crimt:, b~t only think. the p~r~on injured, the Pallor mull: give them the prooffor thm fattsfacbon ; And tf they remam unfatufied, he may proceed in his office as before. Q£ell:. 91- May awiJole ClmrciJ, or thegreater part be Bxcommunicated ~ Anfrv. I· TO excommunicate iS by Miniilcrial Authority to pronoum:e the perfon unmect for Chrifiian Communion, as being under the guilt of impenitence in hcynous fin ; and eo c:harge the Church to forbear Communion with him, and avoid him, and to bind him over to the bar of God2· The Pafior of a pmicular ChurcltJnay pronounce all the Church uncapable of Chrifiian Com– munion and falvation till they repent, e.g. If they fhould all be impenitent Arrians, Socinians Blafpheamcrs, &c- For he hath aurhority and they dcferve it. But he hath no Church that he is Pafto; of, whom he can 'ommand to avoid them. 3. The neighbour Pafiors of the Churches abour them may upon full proof, declare to their own Ch~rdtes, that fuch a neighbour Church rhat is fain ro Ar: rianifm &c. is unmeet for Chrifiian Commumon and to be owned as a Church of Chrifi ; und chcre... fore ch~rge their flocks not to own them, nor to have·occaGonal Communion with rh\. it members when they comeamqng rhem. For there is Autbority, and a mtct objtll, and nectffity for fo doing; And therefore it may be done. 4- But a finglc Pafior of another Church may nor ufurp authority h 11 - over any .neighbour Church, to judge them and excommunicate them, where he: bath neirher eaU nor ;JJ~h· ~~'1o.' full proof, as not having'bad opportunitytoadmonifb them all, and try theirrepentance. Therefore the Rev. 1. ~, u~. Popes,Excommuni~ations arc rather to be:.contemned, than regarded. 5• Yet if many Churches turn "J· 3, •s, 6. H£rttick.J notorioufly, one fing1e neighbour Pafior, may renounce their Communion, and require his flock for ro avoid 1hem all. 6- And a Pafior may as lawfully excommunicate the Major part of his Church, by charging rhe Minor part to avoid them, as he may do the Minor pal[ ; Except that acci– dentally the inconveniences of a divifion may be fo great, as to make it better to forbear : And fo it may oft fall out alfo, if it were the minor part.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=