Offences how and when to the third Sunday inLent. Ser.2o. beforgiucn or reproutd. 3 }S if thenhe (hall notamend his fault, to reuealethe fame tohis Bithop or Superi- our. And he lets it downeas a ruledCafe,That it were rather crueltie than cha- ritic, not toopen thewoundof theSouk. And his reatan is, Nedeteri.ssputref- cat in corde, Leftitgrowworfeandworfc,ranckling andfeflring in the heart ; as itis in the hiding of awound in the bodicfrom the eye of theSurgeon. Nor let them thinke thatyoudoe thisout ofmalice orill will, foryou offendmore inHiring your brother topertfl, i byyourflence,than by revealing&s patfar his good. Trais opinion of Saint Augufine madeThomas to confeffe, That after the tuft admonition, I may reueale to the Prelat the deliét of my brother, as to a father : for inverie deed , your Prelates haue in this kind farre greaterauthoritie. So that fuch or fuch a timebeingtobereuealed,fuppoing two precedingwitneffes,maybe re- uealcd to the Prelat,as to a Iudge;but no witneffespreceding, onlyby admoni- tion,as to a father. Againft this Truth there isagreat argumentgrounded out of the Paid Saint AeguHine, Inhis rebus,erc. In thefe things wherein thefacredScripturefits dowse no certaintie,the cafome ofCodspeople,ar thed.'crees ofour Auncilors 'vetobee heldfor Law. And the cuftomeandofeofour Anceftors is, That thefedeliétsMould be reuealed to theSuperiors; onewhile, by denunciation ; another while,by ac- cufation , withoutanypreceding admonition : fo is it ordered in their Ediéls, without exceptionofanykindof faults whatfoeuer. I anfwer, Your Edifts are fo farre forth tobee vnderffood andapprooued , as that they (hall not any way thwart or infringe the Lawofthe Gofpcll,in thatwhich appertaineth to admo- nitions & witneffes : & that rherforeyour f uperiors hauenot putthefe things in their Edids,for that theyare to beprefappofed. . Andifhewilnot vauchrf to heave.thee,teil it vntoshe Church;or make-it known tohis Prelat, forfo clothSaint Chryfojiomeand Saint Hierome expound it. Nor doth our SauiourChrift here treat of the fecular ludge,nor fecular Lawes,but thofe thatare Ecclefialhcall. And therefore he faith, Dic Ecclefia, Tellit to the Church; forthe power ofExcommunication didbelong vnto the Synagogues, asappearethbySaint Markeand Saint lahn. For the callingofthe blind man out of the Synagogue,was thefame as Excommunication is now amongftthe Chri- ftians. But firlt of all,twowitneffes are required, to the end that flame may worke the Delinquentto amendment of hisfault : butif this medicineThal not curethis hismaladie, then {harper corrafiues are tobe appliedto this Sore, r: Mai nenpotuitpedere,faluetur opprobrÿs, That himwhomflame exam reeal,reproch ould; fo faithSaint Hierome. Ifheheartnot the Church, let himbe vnto thee ara HeathenandaPublican . Such Soueraigneauthoritie haththe'Church by the pretenceof Chrift, andfuch is it'sfirmenefl'e, thatit being as an imnicouablePillerofTruth, Thegates ofHell fballnotpresaileagainfiit ; And of fuch continuance Chriftsfauour towardsit, thathe (eales this affurancewithanEcce,&c. Behold,Iam withyou till*endofthe world; And fuch the etpeciall prouidence of thebleffed Spirit towardsir, that hee that flail defpife it, his cafe is tobee accounted defperate. Thefe two Truths the Churchbylong and manyexperiences hath madegood vnto vs. Theone, That heethat honours and ref(eûs the Church, receiueth very greatand fingularfauours from Hcauen He thatfhallglorife me, (and in mee my Spoufeand ílitiiftersofmyWord)! willglorje him. And of there the Hifto- ries arefull,both Diuineand Humane : OfDauid,ofIafiss,ofAlexander Magnat, Theodoftus,and Charlemaigne 5 whotriumphed ouer powerfull enemies, for that theyhad refpeded theauthoritieanddignitieof the Church,preferringftilthe fame Mart. r. codsfluor tcom dr,`, hie uar, rt, li
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