Baxter - BV669 B3 1681

(13S) 6. It is the Bifhops work to air up the people that are dull and back- ward to their feveral duties, in publick and in private, and to provoke them to love and to good works whichis the work efpecially of pre,lent and notofablent men. 7. And it ishis duty to have a fpecial care of thepoor, and to feetî;at they be relieved ; whichhe will never do well in abfence and to the un- known. S. And it is confefed to be the Bifhops work to adtnonifh the un- ruly, to reprove and exhort ungodly perlons , to convince gain - layers, to hear the accufed (peak for themfelves, to hear what accufers and witneffcs fay againll them s which requireth pretence, as (hall be further (hewn anon; Obj. Other men may examinewitnejfes and reprove offenders ; therefore this may be committed to another. Anf.. Other men;may doit on another obligation, in another manner, to another end :. Boat to do it from the Paftoral obligation , in a Pa- floral manner; to Fallon' ends, is proper to the Pal-tors of the Church.. Obj.. A Biuloop may-receive accufations by prefentmentr, or by information; andmay fummon offenders, examine witnefes, and judge at adíffance of per. fans that are to him unknown. AnJ.. He may do what he can that way, when neceffity hindereth him from doing better, but not with any true fatisfaóion to God, the Church or Confcience to difcharge the office of a particular Church Eifhop. In cafe 9f title to lands-or goods a civil Judicature may judge of perlons that are unknown :.Bccaufe the title dependeth not on the moral qualities of the perfons:. And in criminal cafes where the quetli on- to be judged or refolved is, whether the perfon (hall live or die, or.' lhall be fined, imprifoned,. banifhed or not, the cafe may be judged of unknown perlons f cundum allepraea &probata : For outward punishments mull go uponoutward proved crimes, and the Judges canpoffibly do no more, becaufeabout twelvemull judge a whole Kingdome. And yet e- ven there they greatly regard qua mente, with what mind and intent the deed was done, and they greatly regard the moral qualifications of a Witnefs as to his credibility, as far as they can find it out.. But in Church cafes, it is mens confciences thatare to be wrought up- on. The deft intentionof the Pallor is tobring the finnerto repentance;, yea though he continued impenitent never fo long before, he is not to be excommunicated till at the prefent alto hefhew impenitency. There. fore itis more neceffaíy to beacquainted with the perfon, and many an admonition or exhortation (ordinarily)fltould go before. And when it cometh to excommunication ,the principal past of that Ad is to acquaint the Congregation that the impenitent perfon is unfit for Chereh commu- nion, and to charge and exhort them to avoid him. And to do this it is neceffarythat the Churchbe taught to abhor the fin, and.todo. it in ab horrence.

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