(148") gat believe them and voluntarily receive that word: only. with-this advan tage, that theydo not this as privase men, but as Officers appointed (6 to mannàge this word. And therefore he that difebeyeth the word of God truly ,delivered and- applied by them, committeth a double fin; one as he difobeyeth Gods word as fuch, in_the matter in hand, and the other as he difobeyeth that partiçular wordof God, which corn- mandeth him to hear and obey his Paftors. But if men will fo fin, we have nothing but. that word of God, which they defpife to cure them by. For in(tance, x:Io our admonitions and reproofs, of the greateft fìnrers, we can do no more' but (hew them Gods Law, which they have broken, and which threatneth damnation to them, and to.perfwade them by Scripture arguments to.repent that theymayefcape. 2,1 Ita..eacamnaanication it,felf, we havenothing todo but to Thew them the fame word, and (hew them how God:hath threatned to-punifh them, and to few them and the Church that word which commaredethus to have no Communion with them but to avoid them, and according to, that word .. to declare them (Impenitency openly Charaaerizing them) to be perfons unmeet for Chriftian Communion, and fuch as (till they repent) are .under the wrath.of God, and mutt exped his dreadful jud, rnent ; and to command the Church in Chrifis name to withdraw from the Impenitent perfon, and to' have no Communion vvfth him. And all this, is but the application. of, Gods word..tahis C.onfcience and the Churches. If his feared Confcience deride stall, we can do no more. If he will forcibly intrude into the Com- munion of the Church againft their wills,. it is like ones breakingin- tq.my houle; the Magiftrate mutt refirain him as a violater of the peace as well as of the Churches liberties :. If the Magiftratc will not, the Church mull remove from him. If they cannot, they mutt pronounce him morally abfent, as .a forcible intruder and none of their Communiort... If the Church will not obey the Pallors fentence, he hath no infrument but the fame ward to bring them to it., Now all this being pact denial, let us come more particularly to enquire in all this, what parr there is effential to a Bilhops office as fuch. a.. Is it the.,anaking of Church Lawesor Canons? About what ? L. Either thefe Canons are but the Commanding of that which Gods Law made a dutybfore, or of fomewhat newlymade a duty by them- feives:. 2. Either they are Lawesor Commands to the Laity only,. or, ',to the. Presbyters, or to the particular Bi(hops, or all. a.. If they do but urge, the performing of forne duty alreadymade fuch by.God, in Scripture or-Nature, who ever+ doubted,but PIerbyters may do that even to teach and charge the people from God to obey, his Laws. , And note that God dailymaketh new duties bythe Law.of. nature,, even providentially altering theNature of. things,; And fo he maketh., this:.::;
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