811 / 846
Namb.IX. .I T
m
E
ND
I
X
z29
Liturgy, Church Government
and Orders, which after their beft fearch
ray
be
judged finful,
by
fuch godly and peaceable Chriftians,
as
yet content to the Word
of
God,
and
all
that
the Apoltles and their Churches
praetifed:
And
Humanity
and
Chrifiianity abhor Perfecution;
and
Human
Darknefs and
great
Difference
of
Apprehenfions
i(fuch,
as
leaveth
us
in Defpair
of
Varietyand Concord in doubtful
and unneceffary Things
;
Let
filch
Perlons be allowed to affemble for
Communion
and the Worlhip
of
God, under
filch
Pallors and in
filch
Order
as
they
judge
belt;
Provided
r. That
their Paftors
and
Teachers
do
take
all
the
forefaid
Oaths,
Profefíions
and
Subfcriptions, before tome
Court of Judicature, or Juffices at
Seffions,
or the
Diocefan;
as
!hall
be by
Law appointed
;
who thereupon
!hall
give
them
a
Teli-
menial thereof, or a written Licenfeof Toleration.
2.
That
they be
refponfible
for their
Doctrine
and
Miniltration,
and puni(hable
according to the Laws,
if
they preach
or
praâtiee any
thing incontinent with their
forefàid Profeflion
of
Faith, and Obedience, or of Chriffian
Love and.Peace.
;.
That
their
Communicants. pay
all
Dues
to
the Parilh Miniffersand Churches
where they
live.
And
if
filch People
as
live
where the Incumbent
is
judged by them unfit for
the
Trait
and
Conduft of
their
Souls, !hall
hold Communion
with
a
Neighbour
Pa-
rifh
Church;
they
(hall
nor
be
punifhable for
it
;
They
paying their,Parillt
Dues
at
home: Nor
(hall
private Perfons be
forbidden
peaceably
to
pray or
edifie
each
other in their
Houles,
XI.
Chrillian
Priviledges and
Church Communion
being unraluabfe Benefits,
and jufl Excommunication
a
dreadful Punilhment
,
no unwilling Perlen bathright
to the
faid
Benefits; Therefore
none
íhall be
driven
by Penalties
to
fay
that
he
is
e
Chriftian,
or to be Baptized,
or to haveCommunion
in the Lord's
Supper:
Nor
!hall
any be Fined,
Imprifoned,or Corporally and
Pofitively punifhed
by
theSword,
meetly
as a
Non
-
Communicant, or Excommunicate and Reconciled,
but
as
the
Magiltrate
(hall judge
the Crimes
of
themfelves deferve.
But
if
Non
-
Communicants be denied
all
Publick
Trutt
in Churches, Univerfities
or Cicil Government
,
it
is
more properly the Securing
of
the
Kingdom, Church
and
Souls,
then
a
punilb
ngof
them.
But all Parifhioners
at
Age Ihall be
obliged
to
forbear reproaching
Religion,
and
profaning the Lord's Day, and
(hall
hear publick Preaching in
fore
allowed
or to-
lerated
Church
;
and (hill not
refute
to
be
Catechized, or tb
confer for
their
In-
Itrudlion, with the
Puilh
Minilìer;
and
Ihall
pay him
all his
Tythef
and
Church
Dues.
XII.
The
Church Power
above
Parilh Churches, Diocefan
,
Synodical
, Chan-
cellors, Officials, Commiffaries, &c. we prefume not
to
meddle
with
:
But,
were
it reduced to the Primitive State, or
to Archbilhop
Ufher'v
Model
of
the Primitive
Government; yea, or
but to
the
King's Defcription in
his
Declaration
166o.
about
Ecclefiaftical
Affairs,
and
if
alto the
Bishops
were chofen
as
of
old
(
for Six
hun-
dred
years and more) it would be a
Reformation of great
Benefit
to
the Kingdom,
and the Churchesof Chrill therein
:
But
if
we have but Parifia
Reformation, Reli-
gion
will be preferved
without any wrong or
hurt to
either
the
Diocefans
or the
Tolerated
:
And
if
Diocefans be good
Men, promoting
ferious Godlinefs,
and the
Sword
or
Force
ufed
only by the
Magiltrate,
Diffene will
turn to
Love and
Con-
cord.
But
if
they may
Sufpend, Silence,
or Excommunicate, Arbitrarily
,
or accord-
ing to their
prefent Canons
(which Excommunicate
ipfa
faíto,
all
Men,Magiftrates,
Minifters, and
People; who
do
but affirm
that the
Book
of Common Prayer con
-
taineth any thing repugnant to the Scriptures, or that there
is
any thing unlawful
to be
Subfcribed in
the
Thirty nine
Articles;
or
Ceremonies,
or that there
is
any
thing repugnant
co
the Word
of
God
in the
Church
Government
,
by
Arcbbifhops,
Ba(hops,
Deans, Arch-Deacons
and THE REST
THAT BEAR
OFFICE
IN
THE
SAME] without excepting
fo
much
as
Lay-Chancellor's
ufe
of
the Keys) And
if
Men Excommunicate mull,
as
continuing
filch,
be
undone and
laid in
Prifon, we
mutt
be
content with our Peace with God
and
Confcience, and good
Men,
andthat
we didour belt
for more,
and mourn under
the
calamitous Effefts
of the
Publick
E-
nemies
of
Peace, whom the
God
of
Peace will Ihortly
judge.