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Show C H A 1.>. ·IS• vf 'R_!ply to hif fifteenbh Cha;ter touchf~,f the &elmli-nition and rejeElion of an Heretick. · - "THe firfl and focond A dmnnitiom in the pl~ce of Titus ..,~,. not 1 Civil/ or corfJnrallprnifhment 1 on men! P"(onJ, 0' pur(l1: But they were tbe reprrhcnjioru, convif1ion1; exbortations, and per("a'aftonJ oft be rt~ord oft be Em nail God, cb.rrged homi to tiJe Con[cience, in the Name and Prejince of the Lord Jefiu in the midfl of hu Church. Whicb being d<jpifld, and not hrarkened unto, in the lajl place followeth rejef1ion, which i1 not a cutting off by heading, hanging, burning, nD' an expelling out of t!J< Countrey, and coajl1: but the dreadfo/1 cutfing offfrom the vijib/e be.d and body, Cbrij!Jejiu, and hi1 Chu~cb-Spiritua/J cu~ting q{by ExcommuniCation. · Defend<r. All t,hi!, & the proofes of this, in this Chapter,! willingly con· fent and fubfcribe unto : nor doth this touch any conclufion of mine at all, much le!fe Difcu!fe,-or lliake ir. For thougli I faid in· deed, that for an erroneous and blinde Confcience (even in Fundamemal/ and weighty Point!) It if notlamfollto per(ecwe al!],till a fie~ Admoniti.n once or tcvice, according to :rit• 3· Jo. 1 I, Yet in alledging that place, to prdve that Conclufion, I in ten· ded no other perfecmion, but th.!-'CIIurches ·prpf<c.ution ag&itJ!l fuch an Heretick by excommm~catlon :' no fyllable ih my ton· ·clufion looketh a-t more. ' If it be faid, but Excommuniciuion or any other C~urch-profecmion, cannot fitly be called perfetmion :· Yes verily,excommu· nitation is a perfecutidn, and a-lawful! perfecution, if•the caufe' be jufi offence, (as tbe Angell 'of the Lord is faid to pe'rfecute the wicked Pfalm. 35· 6.) But the Excommunication is a cruell and bitter perfecution, Ifir be without jufi caufe and due order: yea and cbe moregreivous perfecmion, by how much the more grei· vous itis to a Chrifliari man, to be excluded from the C-ommuni· dn of the Saints, then tobebani!hed from a civill Society,fure it i1, the Lord Jefus accounteth it a perfecution to his Ditciple!, to be delivered up unto the Synagogues, and to becafiforth oucofthe SynagoguetU.h.,21. 12.with ]ob.r6.2. Chap. 16. Cn A p.x6. fA 'R.fply too his fixteenth Chapter touching Toleratior. in Points of lej{e mome»t. _ Difcuffc:r. For a third Po filion, or Conclufion, the Anfwerer gavnhi<, tbal in thing1 of leffi moment(whether Poinl! ofDolJrine or Worfbip) If a m~n hold them forth in a jpiritofChrijlian meekpeffi and love, (though w•tb zeale andconjlancy) be" nollo be perjicuted, but tolerated, till God may be pleafod to manifefl bi1 truth lu him. Thu conclujion I ackz!owledg• to be the Truth of God ; Jel 3· thing! are very obferveab!e in 1 he manner of laying it downe. I, That fuch a Per [on may be tolerated, tiU God m•y be pleaftd to re· veak hu truth 10 him: upon the fome groHnd the Apoflle caUeth for meek.;, neffi and Gentlmejfo toward! all men, and towardr fi<eh a! oppofe them· felvu ; 2. Tim. 2, bec;ufo it may be, Gud m~ give them repentance. Hence a foule that iJ/ively andftnfibleofGodJ mercy, c.nnot but be pa• tient, and gentle lowardJthe Jewes-towardJtheTurkes--Jea to all the fever all [or11 of Aflli-Chrifliam,yea to tbe Pagans, and to the wildefl fort of the Sonner of men, who have not beard of the Fath<r and of the Sonne, &c. Yea rzat one!J be p•tienlto fuch, but alfo to pray f ur fuch, Jea and lo endeavour their participation of the [am' grace and merry. Defender. This nothing flHketh, no nor fa much as toucheth our caufe, or defence; we chinke it unlawfull for the Church,to cenfure fuch, as are out of the Church. And for the Civill State, we know no ground they have to perfecute JeweJ, or Tur~J,or other P agan1 for caufe of Religion, thoo?;h they all erre in Fundamentall~. No nor would I exempt Ami-Chriflians neither, from Toleration, not~ with !landing their Fm•damentall Errors, unldfo after convifrion they flill continue to feduce iimple foules into their damnable , and pernicious Herefies :as into the Worfhip offalfe Gods, into confidence of theiro\\'ne merits for Jullification, into feditiom confpiracyes againfl the Jives and States of fiteh Princes, as will HOI !ubmit their Confciences to the Bifhop of Rome. Which if the F Difcrr_Eir |