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Καλείσθωσαν μὲν τῆς

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Perf. Armeniæ.

fuch was that Excommunication, which according to the Opinion of Theodoret, was to be laid upon those who thro' Fear, fell from their Holy Profeffion in a Time sev, &c. Epift. of Perfecution, "Let them be put away 77. ad Eulalium" from Participation of the facred Myfteries, but not forbidden Communion "in Prayers with the Catechumens, nor from hearing the Holy Scriptures read, nor from "the Admonitions of their Teachers; but let "them not be forbidden that holy Communion "for their whole Life's Time, but for a deter"minate Space, till they come to be fenfible of "their Disease, and to feek out for a Remedy. And fuch was the Sentence, which, in St. Bafil's Opinion, ought to have been pafs'd upon Can.4. ad thofe who had marry'd the third Time. As for Amphilo- those then, who were guilty of Crimes of a lefs chium. fcandalous Nature, fuch as these now mention'd,

ορισμός.

it was reasonably judged that a moderate Pe nalty was fufficient.

But greater Sins call'd for greater Punishments: Therefore in cafes of greater Scandal,Sinners were fo caft out from the Communion of the FaithTT - ful, that they were not only forbidden the Lord's Supper, but all other Chriftians were forbidden any kind of Communication with them upon Pain of being caft out themselves. This, as the Fathers of the Church themselves exprefs'd it, παντάπασιν Was, "To be abfolutely or entirely cut off from the Body of the Church of Chrift." Such was his. that Punishment inflicted by St. Paul's Order Phot. Ep. on thofe, who were call'd Brethren, and yet walk'd 1 Cor. 5. diforderly, and wère Fornicators, Covetous, Idolaters, Railers, Drunkards, Extortioners and the like, with whom he forbad the Corinthians fo much as

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to eat; to be fure,therefore, not to communicate in any Divine Ordinance whatsoever: And this Sentence of Excommunication might not be taken off, but upon a very long and a very fevere Repentance, and upon their moft earnest Request to be re-admitted to the Peace of the Church: And that too was not granted usually till the Delinquent was fuppos'd to lie upon his DeathBed; the Relaxation of which Severities in extraordinary Cafes, lay wholly in the Breast of the Bishop, with the Advice of his Presbyters.

Befides thefe,they had in the Primitive Church. another, and that a perpetual Anathema, which was denounced against incorrigible Sinners only; a Curfe, which as it never was remitted in this World, fo they juftly concluded it never could be remitted in the World to come. But the Denunciation of all thefe was only in the Power of the Bishops, and of their Presbyters as authoriz'd by them: And these Cenfures were look'd upon as Correction enough, and the Authority, by which they were pafs'd, fufficient Power to keep the whole Chriftian Church in Awe in those better times; and however they may be contemn'd in thefe Days, fuch Cenfures denounced on juft and weighty Reasons, and in a regular manner against Schifmaticks, Hereticks, and Men of immoral Lives and Converfations will be found to have their terrible Confequences ftill. Nor will thofe Perfons, who under the Weight of thofe Cenfures, go out of this World with fmiling Countenances and extraordinary Expreffions of Affurance, find it so easy a Matter as they fancy to elude the Effects of them.

All human Paffions ought, indeed, to be fhut out from thefe Cenfures: The Chriftian Bishop

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his Subftitutes_ought, when they pass them, to have no other End in View but only the Glory of God, the Security of Religion, the Extermination of Sin and the Amendment and Salvation of the Sinner. And thus he who inftru&s the Ignorant, who reproves the Wicked, who corrects the Obftinate; he who preaches plain practical Truths to plain and flow Capacities, not nice Doctrines and inextricable Mysteries in a Style as obfcure and unintelligible; he who fears not the Faces of Men, but with an Evangelical Boldness and Freedom reproves Sin and Sinners, not paffing over their Sins in Silence, or extenuating their Guilt, or speaking fine things of thofe ungodly Wretches whom God abhors; he who paffes just Cenfures upon Offenders, not for trivial or only imaginary Crimes, but for fuch as are notorioufly prejudicial to the Interefts of Religion, and those of his own Soul, with Serioufnefs and true Sorrow for the Occafion; That Bishop does the Duty of a Paftor indeed; he exceeds not the Bounds of his Heavenly Commiffion: And tho' by doing his Duty, he may incur Envy, Reproach and Hatred from a Crew of lewd and vicious Wretches; yet his Glory fhall be great in the Churches of Chrift, and his Praife and his Reward for his Fidelity, not of Men but of God.

CHAP.

CHAP. X.

The lawful Bishops, or Paftors and Gover nours of the Church are obliged to perform their Duties in inftructing, reproving and correcting the Members of the Church; and in propagating Religion, tho' they should be oppos'd or perfecuted by the Civil Powers for fo doing. The Supremacy of Kings yet afferted. Their Power to appoint who shall be ordain'd to fuch or fuch Offices, and the Felicity of any Chriftian Church under their Favour and Protection. Ecclefiaftical Power in it felf independent, and to be exercis'd, tho' the Civil Magiftrate should either difcountenance or forbid it, or perfecute Bishops or their Affiftants on that Account.

ACTS iv. 19.

Whether it be right in the Sight of God, to hearken unto you, more than unto God, judge ye.

WE

E are now come to the next Particular formerly propos'd to be difcours'd on under our Second General Affertion from the Text, and the Particular is, that it having been

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fufficiently prov'd before, that the Pastors and Governours of the Church, having a Power vefted originally in them by Jefus Chrift the Supreme Head and Governour of the Chriftian Church as fuch, to inftruct, reprove and correct the Members of the Church, independently on all Civil Authority as fuch, as juft Occafion fhall require; They may, and ought to do their Duties, how difficult foever their outward Circumftances may be, or how contrary foever those fecular Princes or Powers, under whofe Government they live, may be to that weighty and important Work. But here, that we may fhew how agreeable the Principles of Christianity are to all Civil Government, and how far a found Christian will always be from Resistance or Difobedience to his lawful Prince in Things not finful; we muft premife,

Artic. 37.

1. That we affert, with the lawfully establish'd Church of England, in her Articles, that "The King's Majefty in these his Realms, and all "other his Dominions, hath the chief Power; <c unto Him the chief Government of all the "Eftates of this Realm, whether they be Ec-"clefiaftical or Civil, in all Caufes doth ap"pertain. We acknowledge all thofe Preroga"tives to be vested in our Princes, and in all "others, which we fee to have been always Сс given to all Princes in holy Scripture by "God Himself, viz. that they fhould rule all E"ftates and Degrees committed to their Charge "by God, whether they be Ecclefiaftical or "Temporal, and to reftrain with the Civil "Sword the ftubborn and Evil Doers." We

affert

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