378 The Evil ofEvils, Cr the the Prelates Courts; certainly they were but wooden Daggers in comparifon ofthisdreadful Sword, tocut offfrom the Communion of the Church ), it was when the. Church was Affem- bled, not the , Commilfary and Officers,, but when the Church was gathered tpgether, to cut fuch a one from the Church of Chriti, for fome vile a&; not for not paying of their Fees, o.rthe like, thofe things only feared people; but ifthis Cenfure of Excommunication, were in a right wayexecuted, it were the moft dread-. ful thing in the world : it is that which hath awed and terrified themofi proud and flout fin- ners; thevery fight ofanothers Excommunica- ting, it hath terrified the confcience of thofe that have been by : It is a delivering them to Satan, and putting them fromunder the prote- dion of God, giving them up to the devil, to take power over them, except they come in, and repent : and this is a way to fave the foul, becaufe if there be any way in the world to caufe men to fee their fin, and repent, and be humbled, andcome in, this is it; and when no other way would do it, this many times bath done it. And therefore thofe people that live in fuch a condition, that want thisOrdinance of Excommunication inthe right way, want an e- fpecial means to keep offfin, both to keep them from fnbefore theyare fallen, and of delive- ringof them from fin when they have fallen in- to it. But to be given over to the poweroffin, is a greater evilthan to bedelivered toSatan. C IA P
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