404 The L I of the Door, beforethey were re-admitted And now if Ten thoufand Men 'Corn the Churches Communion, and will stand out bare Excomunieation, you-will drive them into the Church, and to a feigned Repentance by the fear of a Jail And fo all Men (hall be Membersof your Churches, that do but fò far love their Skins, as rather to endurethe Church than the Prifon: ( of this alto the Scots Pres*>ytery hath been guilty in part ): And what Churches. thefe are, it is eafie to judge. And you cannot fry that this is only Male-adminiftration ; for it is the very Coniiimti- on of your Government. "§ 337. S And your Difcipline is exercifèd by Strangers upon Strangers, at many Miles diltance, where the Church that the Sinner is ro hold Communion with, heareth not the Procefs, nor knoweth of the Matter, nor perhaps the Minifier that Mould be his Govetnour, but only they receive a Paper from the Court, con- taining the Sentence ; which the Parfon mutt read, and then in defpight of him mull admit thevileft to the Churches Communion, and read his Abòlution if the Court require it, let him never fo well know the Sinner to be impenitent. § 335. 6. LaPly, Let any Man of Charity, free from Faétion, judge bythe Ca- nons,Whether theDifcipline ofExcommunication be not exercifèd upon many god. ly upright Perfons (for fafling,and praying together,and fuch like) who Are unfit for fuch Severity. And let him that readeth both Liturgy and Canons,judge,Whether the Communionof the Sacrament be not denied to holy rPertons, if they do but fear Idolatryin kneeling before the Bread ; whoare not worthyof fo great a Pe- nalty. So that in a word, a kindof Secular Courts are fèt up intêead of the Dif- cipline of Chrift, and the edge of their Severity is turned againft chofe confcien- tious People, that be not oftheir Opinions in Ceremonies; or fuch things. If itbe faid that the Magiftrate may fet upCivil Courts who may judge Circa Sacra : I anlwer, but r. There judge de Same, and Excommunicate and Abfolve. z. They do it under the Name of Church- Difcipline, and the Power of the Keys. 3. And inftead of Christ's depofed Difcipline. § 3 39. 9. The ninth Chargeegainft our Prelacy is confequential, That it bring- eth on us a multitude of grievousCalamities, and ill Confequences, by this aboli- tion of true Difcipline, and the aforelàid Corruptions. As for inftance -- a. That it giveth up our Caufè to the Brownifft, gaantnm in fe, who fäythat our Gfurches are no true Churches and our Miniftry is no true Miniftry : Fòr if we hate true Churches and Minifters, it is either the Parochial, the Diocefan, or the National. But a.for the Parochial, they fay that they are no true Churches or Miniflerr: fora true Church, in fenfu politico is conflituted of the Governing part and the Governed part : But a Parilh Church hath no Governing part ( as fuch ): For.the Diocefan is not the Headof it as a.Parilla Church, but as a part of his DiocefanChurch. (Otherwife oneMan Mould be a Thoufand Heads and Politi- cal perfous). And the Parfon or Vicar, though perhaps called Redtor, is only the Teacher ándPrielt, and denied all Government : Ergo he is no Pallor, as want- ing an ellrntiâl part of thatOffice, nor the Church a true Church. And for my part, I knolv9iot how to confute thefe Men, but by telling them, that the Pallor of that Parillr-Churchmull he judged of by God's defcription, and not by the Bilhop's : which I doubt not is a true and fatisfadlory Anfwer. And for a Dioce-an Church, the Browniiffs fay that it is not only no Church of Chril'r'sinflitotien," but contrary toit: and therefore not to be acknowledged. And for 'die National Church, unlefs you (peak equivocally, they know nofilch thing: for'tt!iàtis it that is the ConftitutrveHead of it? The King is the Civil Head But 'the Con,eituriveHead of a Church mull be an Ecclefiaftical Head, or a Clergy- man,, or Society of Men : It cannot be an Archbilhop, for neither of the Archhil cii`spretendeth to it, having but a priorityof place, and not any Govern- ment oraixïtré another (Ca»terbnry over York) or in each others Provinces. And die Convodatien it cannot be, becaufe theCanon Anathematizeeh them that take itnot for tint l iprefentativeChurchof England : And if it be but the Reprfentative,it cannot be thè Cànlfrrritive i-lead: For either it reprefenteth the Governing part of the Church ;'kvü rh isindeed the Head, orthe Governedpart, which is the Body: If it reprefdrittlie latter only, then asJ:mhit can have no Governing power at all For as Reorel'entiatíve it can have no more power than thofe that are reprefented: But the Goves-nM patty as fach have no Governing power: Ergo neither have their Reprefenters as fuch. `If they reprefene any higher power, What is it? It Mutt be either'in a TinglePerfän, or a Colledive Body, which is one Political Perfon : But the foriner is not at all pretended, nor can be: If it be faid that they repre. feat aft the Pafuvr ofEngland, f anwer, -no doubt that is the cleaningof the Ca- non: L
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