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mation; those Bishops fo doing, were fo far from being Criminals, that nothing could more evidently prove them Imitators and Followers of those bleffed Saints and Martyrs, who in the Primitive Times laid down their Lives in Defence of the Gofpel. And it may be, the now perfecuted and exauctorated Bishops of the Church of Scotland, if they neglect to provide a Succeffion of their own Order to take Care of that Part of Chrift's Flock, to the Government of which they are evangelically entitled, will be as Criminal as their Perfecutors, and be an Occafion of the Eternal Diffolution of that Chriftian Body.

As for thofe of the Roman Communion; they too practise so much upon that Principle we have been maintaining, that they keep up Bi-, fhops and a compleat Hierarchy in Ireland, in Spite of all the Penal Laws there in Force against them, and have their Miffionary Priests continually plying among us here in England with a Bishop too fometimes. Thofe Romanifts taking fuch Measures evidence their Opinion fufficiently_too, viz. That the Bishops and Paftors of the Church, have a certain Spiritual Power juftly vefted in them, which being effential to their Offices, they may and ought to do their Duties, to teach, reprove, correct, notwithstanding all the Difficulties of their outward Circumstances, or the most violent Oppofition of the Secular Powers. Only this must ftill be remembred, as we faid before, that Zeal for the Church must be guided by Prudence; that where there are enough to preach the Gofpel, tho' it be with extreme Toil and inceffant E 3

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Labour, where there are enough fuch fuffer'd or conniv'd at in the Exercise of their Function; it is not lawful to croud in more upon the Church, by which Jealous Princes may be difgufted or provoked, fince many Times the whole Church fuffers by fuch a turbulent and intemperate Frowardness, while a foft and quiet Industry may proceed without Diftafte or Interruption.

CHAP.

CHA P. XI,

An Enquiry into the Nature of Perfecution: What it is? Whether the Chriftian Church by punishing Hereticks and Schifmaticks be guilty of Perfecution? and what Crimes the Church, as fuch, ufually takes Cognizance of? The Methods of her proceeding against Convicted Offenders. A Vindication of the State both Ecclefiaftical and Civil, from the fcandalous Charge of Perfecution, when they join together in punishing Herefy, Schifm, or Immorality.

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Aving prov'd at large, that none ought to take upon themselves the Inftruction and Government of the Church of God, but fuch as are lawfully call'd; and that none are fo lawfully call'd but Bishops, the more immediate Succeffors of the Apoftles, and their Substitutes their Presbyters and Deacons; and having, in Order to prove, that every good Christian ought to fubmit to the Doctrine and Discipline of fuch lawful Inftructors and Governors, prov'd, that Government and Governours are indifpenfably neceffary to the Being or Continuance of the Church, as much as for the Perpetuation of the State; that Governors who can't reward the Obedient, and Punifh the Difobedient, are ufelefs and infignificant; that the lawful Teachers and Governors of the Chriftian Church, hav

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fuch a Power originally vested in them by Chrift, as by which they may and ought to teach, to reprove, and to correct in a Spiritual Manner all fuch Believers as are under their Care, fo as in Cafe of Irregularity and Unfoundness either in Faith or Manners to cenfure them either more lightly or more feverely, according to their Demerits; and having in the laft Place, in Evidence of the fame Truth, prov'd that 'the lawful Bishops and Paftors of the Christian Church are obliged, tho' with all Prudence and Modefty, to Preach the Gofpel, to confute Error, to cenfure and cut off from the Body of that Church all Disorderly and immoral or rotten Members, tho' the Civil Powers fhould frown upon,forbid, or perfecute thofe Church Governors for fo performing their Duties; but that the Bifhops and SpiritualPaftors of theChurch are equally obliged to fubmit to all thofe Penalties, which Pagan, Heretical,or Atheistical Powers fhall think fit to inflict upon them for the Faithful Discharge of their Truft, with the utmoft Patience and Refignation :

Having proceeded thus far already, and knowing very well, how apt Men of Schifmatical, Heretical and Immoral Principles are to cry out of Church Severities, and to run down the Difcipline of the Church under the odious Name of Perfecution; we fhall now prove, that a juft and exact Profecution and Punishment of Offenders against the Conftituent Laws of a Chriftian Church as fuch, cannot be Perfecution. Now the Doctrine, the Government and Difcipline of the Chriftian Body are all fettled by thofe conflitutive Laws: Whofoever therefore is convicted of a Trespass upon all or any of these; that Per

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fon falls juftly under the Cenfure of the Paftors and Governors of the Church; and those who are so cenfur'd on Account of any fuch Trefpaffes, (tho' the Civil Chriftian Magiftrate, add the San&ion of Provincial or National Temporal Conftitutions to the Church's Spiritual Determinations, and fo the Trangreffor, fallen already under a juft Ecclefiaftical Cenfure, falls yet farther under Temporal Penalties; yet I fay those Perfons fo punifh'd both in the Temporal and Spiritual Court,) are not perfecuted, how much Noise foever they may think fit to make with their extraordinary Sufferings. But that we may the better understand the Truth of this, at present unfashionable, Doctrine, we fhall enquire,

1. What the right Notion and Nature of Perfecution is.

2. What Crimes the Inftru&tors and Governors of the Christian Church have a just Cognizance of.

3. The Method according to which the Spiritual Governors of the Church proceed against Offenders. And in the

4th Place, We shall in fome Measure vindicate both the Church and State of our own Nation from the fcandalous Imputation of being Perfecutors, when they punish Schifmaticks, Hereticks, Atheists, and Men of vitiated Morals, both by the Weight of Spiritual and Civil Laws, according to their just Deserts.

1. Then

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