[2,901 Prince did but countenance errour, ( as in the daies of Conftantius and Valens, many great Councils that were for the Arrians, and in Theodofius ?unions time, for the Eutychians &c.) is too fad to think on And is it not far moredangerous for many hundred in a Council tobear down a whole Empire or Kingdom, and ralle perfecution, and there be no appeal from them, than fora poor Prieft to put a man from the Sacrament in his own: Parifh Church ? How many Councils have been againft Images in Churches, and how many for them, condemning one anotersats ? What good will appeals do to fuch, 2. In do&rinal cafes the confent of many tends to concord : But in cafes of perfonal praäice, are they fit judges to appeal to, that dwell many hundred miles off, and know none of the perfons ; fuppoíè a poor man in Eng. land is put from theCommunion by a Parifh-Prieft ( yea, perhaps an hundred or many hundred in forne parifhes ) becaufe he findeth fore to be utterly ignorant fume to be drunkards,fornicators, heretical, &c. If thefe appeal but to a Diocefan which dwelleth 20. miles from fome, 4o, or 6o ,or 100 miles from others, the remedy is worfe than the difeafe : ter if the Priem muft travel fo far, and bring his witnefles and plead the caufe with men that never faw the party before, ( where neighbourhood giveth a furer knowledge than any fuch examination of flrangers can do, and a ftrange Chancelor orDioceian kneweth not whichwitnefles are moll credible ) and ail this while his Paítoral Charge ( perhaps many thoufund fouls) muft be negle ed, while the Mi.jiifer is profecuting thefe appealing {inners ; will not the evil of this be greater than thebenefit ? But how much more i f every
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=