.the Epijlle of1ude., ·--~ ... ,., ~o· ' ' -----, ---------- 1- --· nbied. An(,..CI'o (is apo\\'er giucn ofGod eo the Church,..vhcrc– by it vfech correB:ion vpon open fiuncrs for theil' f:~luation, and icihndeth in excommuni– cation alld :JbiO!ution: Excommunicalion is :1 femcnce exclud1ng open and obilinate finner.S our of the kingdo1_pcofGod, and confequcmly from the locictic of the ChLlrch: for this fol- ' }owes the former, if be rvilnot h~-iY(th~ Church, 1 /~t him hea heathen. Paul callcth this (Cntcncc a giuing vp of mal~ 9l nto Sathatl, Ob. But no man can exclude ano~hcr fi-om thekingdomof God. Anf.TheChurch eglud<th >Jot•properly, but ~y declaring that God hath ex·ehtded ruch. Ob. Bnt the true child of God maybee excom– m~nicatcd, and yet is not'Oult ou.t of hcauen; .An f. In fame fort and for a time hemaybee [aid to be fhut out of.hcaue.n, but conditionally and_ymiil rcpcnt:mcc. Thc 1 conrrarje hcr'cofis I pubhk$.afofo!uric.'JJWhcn opc.n llnneu repenting, arc by the Church ortnly declared to bemem1bers ofthdting:do!riofhe•ucn,and fo admitted I and rccciucdagaine·into the chtJrch.Thispow– cr ofrhe Churcb diffreth from the power ofthe Ciuill M,agiA:ratc: in fourc things: Fidl,thepo· wer of the Church is ordrcd only by the word, but Ciu.i)l power by other Ciuilllawcsalfo. Se. condly, the f<)rmer correeteth onely by voice, inad.moni.ti.on, fu(pcli·fion, and excommunica.:. tion; the latter byreal and bodily punifhmcnts. Thirdly, all fpirituall correClion, as excommu– nicatio:l it fclfc, {bndc:th at the rcpem:mcc: ofa finnc:r, andproceedech no further; but the pu... nilhmems of Ciuill power £lay not ·at repen– tance, bUt proccede-oncucn to the death of the malcfa6\or( notw!thllandin~;~ his repentace) if he be 3 man of death. Fourthly, in the Ciuill power be three degreesofprocceding:firll,thc knowledge pfthe caufe. Secondly, the giuing of the fentence. Thirdly, the execution ofthe punilhmem. In EccldiaHicallare rhe two for. mer, but the l>fi belongeth to God alone. The: fecond thing in theme:ming is,to know what the ratification of this power is: namely, A pollution and proph:m:aion, the foules oftnen l pulled Oll~ of the Jil:trts ofthe Deuil, ~nd Gods I 1kingdoinc tCt open vmo them t which beci!1g._ 1taken away rhcrt.~ '-'\'ill be no dtffcrcnc;c k f[ be:'- \ 1 twccnc the kingdomof G od.an.d the kingdon1 1 I of the Deuil. Which power of; hekeyes in oz I pcmng and ~butting hcaucn by t?c. min11lcry of 1 the: word, k.cing we hauc c.ibo!dl)ed byiitht! . 1 Jawcsofrhe Land,·we hauc the fiatcof·a true / 1 Churc.h;and'thcrforc no m:ln .can in good '"'il.Jt, fi:icncc f"cparate from vs-as nO Church :lnd pefil.; plc: ef God: indccdc if It had tl.Ot the po\\'Cr'ro , I ~pen hcaucn vmo men, it 'rVCic rinic eo iCparatO ~ from it. · . · · ·;· . ';) ..:: . 3•.Thcadvcrfarics ofrhis·ground , 3rc fir(l l . tht (gnorant.pe.9pi<-, who Popifl1!y thinke_fhi< B thispov\'er IS on.cl)' giucn to P~f'er, whoicoflicc . is_to opeo and~UH hcauc.n. Bmthit.powcpwaS! !: 1 gtuen ro all the Apoflles as well,as!Prrer ,- and_ I iD them to :11l Niliniftcis , Chur.chcs , and Gpft..· ' greg:uions: yea; and it is not 1 cx,:rcifcd in hea,. t· uen, but in earth, Se'condly, all A.th<i·fls and :E.<. pi cures chat conFcmne a~d !come the \ Vos:d;;! Sacraments, and all holy things~,~yca elicn tftc:. \ power of the Church it felfe.Third)y,allPapi£1; and the Romilh religion, who-aboli01 all bin~ diu'g;1nd loafing in the pnblikc;Minifieric, an·d j 1 tnrte~d o( haue brought all to a priuatc ilirifc,.and abfolit~ ~~P~.r~eycs~ tion,.w~ich in truth is no~hing c!fCbuca raC:ke I ~h:11 P~ckJ~~~ and agibbet to the con(CICnce : fot: firfi , tnefi ofShrifc. mull fcek for it at the badsofthe priell:fccond•· 1 Iy, they mull confdfe all their fins to the Priell: C . thirdly, they mufimake fati•facbon to th.c iu. fii<e of God r; cueo fuch·as.thc Pr-ielllhall in• ioync rhcm. But all rhisiSdir,!!CtJy contra~:y to the word.: for firfi, Mini!krs mull.offer pardon of linne before itbe fought for. Sc~ondly ,-·il; Chrill pardon.is offered freely; w.e neede no·ii.• tisfa6Hon ofour owne. Thirdly, they impofe 3 heauier yoke, than cuet Chrill or'hisApotllc• did vpon men, when 'they cnioync them to an enumeration ofall their finnes, before they can tobeho11nd and loafed iniJeaucn;chat is,when the Churches inclgcment following the iudgemc:nt of God , doth acquit, or condemnc a linner, God in heaucnbath done it alreadie ::md ratifi– eth it. Fot inabfolution (as alfo in the other) pardonof ftnnc is fir!t giucn in heauen:fecond- D ly, the Church pronounccth this according to Gods will : and thirdly, God ratifietb it .there– upon in hcauen , and confirmcth it as furcas if onearth he had pronounced the pardon. The fecond point. The weight ofthis'groiid may appcare, Matth. t 6.t8. whcrcthc u~aine pto!llife of the Gofpell tor the llablilhment of the Church iscontained: Vpon thU rock.!-/will be pardoned : thedepth of which pollicie hath 1 'f1,,._t. , 0 • bcenc founded. Secondly , chat Religion hath: thin,i the: ' turned this power Ecddiailicall'to a Ciuill po- 1 ~:~~1?k~uld wer, \Vl~crcby. they take vpon them to ex.., ;~i~~~~~\~:~~,lu: commumcarc Kmgs and Empcrours, not oncJy. him~~~ thde out of the C~urc.h, but :1tfo our of their kiJ1g- r;i:~·~h~~ domes and Empucs , whomc (they fay) they to whom 1 may fer: vp and dcpofe at their plc:;!furc , as: ha- w•ll. uing pov\·cr to wrdlthe [ceprer our of theh3.ds of whocfoeuer Monorch·lhall not Hoopevndcr their Popes authoritic. Thcfe bee: the mainc e-:. nemics of this ground, againA: whomwe: mutt for eucr eomend. I huildn-.y Church,andthegaw of h.tljhallnotpr<– uail~agttinft it: and the ground ofour affur::mce thereof, is added vc:rfc 1 9. I will giue thee ilu I k$; uof thei,Jngdome. Thismaketh the Church prcuaile ag:~.inft the gatesof hell,.bccaufc ic 0'· { pencth 3nd 01Uttcth hcaucn. Sc:condly, hctcby the word and Sacraments ~re prcferue~from The 19.ground offaith is,Ther~ iJ,hathh~m, rIg, Ground. and mer (ball bee a Churtbom of which is nofalHation. This is an Article of our faith, and a maine ground of religion : for ·if therebeenot I cuera ChurchofGod, Chrifi is fomr-timc no I RedCC\liCf , no King' becaufe there nlould be i no peopleredeemed, nor fi1bieC1s to the rule I ·of his' word and fpirit. Ofv,·hich confider two·;, I things: fidt , what this Church is: ftcondly, 1· wll'O r
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