Baxter - BX5202 B29 1689

F!141 not Prelatical Ordination and Government; and fhall all be con demned that think as ill ofCivilians Excommunicatings ? 5. I have told you what it is for every Lord, Knight and Gen- tleman that doth but fay, that any of thefe Church Governing, Offices areagainft the Word ofGod, to be ipfo fado an Excom- municate man. And for the people to be put to tqueftion whe- ther they may chufe them for Parliament men ? and whether they may fit in Parliament while Excommunicate ? L. This Canon with the three orfour adjoining make me begin to think,hardlier of the Canoneers than I thought Ifhould ever have done, As to their honefty. M. I would not have you think too hardly of them but onl y- to think truly ofNonconformity. Chap. XXVII. Point XXIV. -Of Publifhingthe gthCanons- Excommunications. L. -.I rit ]'Hat is the Eighth Canon and.its Excommunication V V M. " Whoever fhall hereafter affirm or teach that the Form and Manner of Making and Confecrating "Bifhops, Priefts or Deacons c_,ontáineth ANY THING in it " that isrepugnant to the Word ofGod, Let them be Ex- " communicated ipfofacto, and not to be reftored until he re. &` pent, and publickly revoke fuck his wicked Errors. L. What haveyou againft the Execution of this M. A great deal.In fum, it is unrighteous, oppreffingand divi- ding, to caft out all Perlons from the Church ofGhriff,who think that nothing is faulty in the Book, ofOrdination, or in their Prin- ciples or Pra&ice there expreffed : And we dare not curie thofe that Chill doth biefs fhould we do this for aBenefice, in what fhould we differ from the fin of Balaam, who loved the wages of unrighteoufiiefs ? whofe iniquity and madnefs his Als rebuked, faithSt. Peter,. 2 Pet. 2.. 15. Yea,, (hall we not be far worfe than he, that for anHoufe full ofSilver and Gold, could not go be yond theWord of the Lord, and did not curie but blefs Gods people ? And it is not proud malignant Tongues reviling Gods Servants, and calling their Opinions wicked Errors that will make Chrift difownhis Members, or will warrant Balaam or us to curie theme O how unlike is this to the Spirit and Miniftry of

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=