( j37 ) more, and therefore thishe will eafily yield to , that would not yield to eonfe'fTion and repentance before the Church that is acquainted with them : Experience proveth all this to be-true : And 'regard not their reafonings which are againfl common experience. Obj. But we fee that many now will rather (land it out, andgo topri- f n, than they will profefs repentance before a B op, or at a chancellours Court. Anf. But who be thofe ? Not drunkards or fornicators or any wick- ed livers : But men that more fear to fin againll God, who can call both foul and body into Hell, than to lie in prifon : perhaps it is Inch Minifters as now are filenced for not Paying, fubfcribing or fwearing as they are bid : or it is fotneChurch-Wardens who fear that they fhould be guilty of Perfcution or Perjury (which in their opinion are neither of them things indifferent) if they fhould take the Oaths with the Articles that fometimes are offered them. Or perhaps it is Come one for not re- ceiving the Sacrament, either when a troubled Confcience maketh them fear left they fhould eat and drink damnation to themfelves, orfrom a Minifter, or with a Church, which they think the Scripture ccmmand- eth them to avoid: whether fuch be in the right or in thewrong, no wonder if they refute to repent, though they fuffer, when they fear a greater fuffering from God. Obj. But the Miníiter of the place, though he excommunicates none, may leek to bring the finner to repentance, atd may fatistle the Churchof thejuftnefr of the excommunication. Anf. t. In the nature of the thing, theygo together, and are thework of the fame perlons: And therefore Tertullian affureth us, that in his time, I7ifcipline was exercifed in theChurch- meeting, when they had been worfhippisngGod. a. Who is either fo lt,or fo obliged to fatisfie the Church ofthe Ad, as he that Both it, and bath examinedall the Caufe? A parifh Minifter cannot bring any" unwilling perfon to come over to fpeak with him, _( not that we would have him have a forcing power: - but hecannot do his own Minillerial part, which is to refufe to be the Pallor of fuch a man as refufeth to fpeak with him at all, or to take him. for his Pallor, nor to forbear himfelf to give him the Sacrament): fo that he that neither heard the examination of the Caufe by the Chan- cellor,norperhapscanhaveany fpeech with the perfon, or at leaÍlwith'' the Accufir, or any of Witneflìs, is veryunfit to juflifieanother mans aFl, and to fatisfie the Church that it is well done ; much lets to exhort theoffender to repent, who to him perhaps (if he vouchfafe to fpeak tó him) will jullifie his own caufe, when he canner call witne fes to con- vince him. And (to fpeak to that which is our common cafe) we have few perlons excommunicated ( that ever I flaw or knewof in for- ty years time) I ve only the Confcientious perlons beforementioíted: And when the parifh Minifter oft taketh them for thegodlieti perfons in his Parifh, and theBifhop or Chancellor excommunicates them as.I.rnpeè T. nitenx
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=