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Show OfExeom- Chap.4z. 01' ACHRISTIAN P013: of Co. Chriitians the of Aifembly as in Corinth , in the rinth. _ This part ofthe Power of the Keyes, by which men were thruft munimim- out from the Kingdom of God,is that which 15 called Excommzfnzoe. firm, and to cxcommunimte, is in the Originall, Wit/meant we", to on]! out of'the Symgoguc, that is, out of the place ofDivme ferVice; a word drawn from the cufiome of the Jews, to call: out or their Synagogues, fuch as they thought in manners, or doctrine, contagious, as Lepers were by the Law ofh/lofes feparated from the congregation of Ifrael,till fuch time as they fliould be by the Priefi: pro- . . _ ' nounced clean. The Ufe and Effeét of Excommunrcation , whileft it was not yet {17:9 u]; of Ex- Pm 3. COMMON-WEALTH. of them they caft out , 050.4,. to a freer execution of their ma- lice. Excommumcation therefore had its efi‘eétonely upon thofe, that 5", moose beleeved that Jefus Chrii't was to come agamin Glory, to reign faithftrtll only. over,and to judge both the quick,an.d the dead, and [hould therefore refute entrance into his Kingdom,to thoie whofe Sins were Retainedthat is, to thofe that were Excommunicated by the ChurchAnd thence it is that St. Paul calleth Excommunication, a delivery oi'the Excomunicate perfon to Satan. For without the Kingdom ofChrift all other Kingdomes after judgment , are comprehended in the, Kingdome ofSatan. Thisis it that the faithfull floodinfear of, as long as they flood Excomm‘unicate, that is to fay,in an efiate where; communication ftrengthened with the Civrll Power,was no more,than that they, who in their fins were not Forgiven. without Cit!" were not Excommunicate,were to avord the company of them that that Excommunicarion in the time that Chrifiian Religion was no; authorized by the Civill Power, was ufed onely for 'a correction of manners, not oferrours in opinion: for it is a punifhment, whereof Power, were. It was not enough to rep‘ute them as Heathen, that never had been Chriflians, for with fuc they might eate, and drink, which with Excommunicate perfons they might not do,as appeareth by the none could be feniible but fuch as beleeved, and expected the com- words of St. Paul , (I Cor.5.ver. 9, to, (9%.) where hetelleth t em, he had formerly forbidden them to company with Formmtor.r-,but(be- ing again of our Saviour to judge the world, and they who {0 be« leeved, needed no other opinion, but onely uprightnefle of life, to be caufe that could not bee Without going out ofthe world,)he remain: eth it to fuch Fornicators, and otherwife vicious perfons , as were or the brethren, withfuch a one (he faith) they ought not to keep corn pany, m not to eat. And this is no more than our 8 avrour faith faved. There lyeth Excommunication for Injuiticev, as (Mat. 18.)If thy Brother offend thee,tell it him privately; then with Witnelles; laftly {fcrniffib tell the Church-7 and then it‘he obey not, Let him he to the: at: a; 152mg", Publicans (which fignifieth Farmers,and Receivers of the revenue ot the Common-wealth) were fo hated, and detefled by the Jews that wereto pay it, as that Publican and Sinner were taken amongfl them for the flame thing : Infomuch, as when our Savrour accepted the mvitation of Zauhem a Publican; thoughit were to Convert him , yet Huthm man, had .i Puhlmn. And there lieth Excommunication for Citron. a Scandalous Life, as ( I Cor.5.t I. )If any man that tron/led rz Brother, he .2 1-"amicat or, or Camelot", or an Ida/Mfr, or a Drunkard or an Extortion", with filth} a one yee are flat to em. But to Excommunictrte a man that held this foundation, that Iefw was the Chm/f , for diflerence of opinion in other points, by which that Foundation was it was objected to him as a Crime. And therefore, when our Saviour, not deltro ted, there appeareth no authority in the Scripture, not ex - to Heathen, added Puhlinm, he did forbid them to eat with a man ample 1n the Apoitles. Excommunicate. test that ieeitieth to be to the contrary. (Mat.18. 17.) Let him he to that as a H(ether), and 4; a Puhlzrm. For ~ . As for keeping them out of their Synagogues, or places of Allentbl , they had no Powerto do it,gbut that ofthe OWner of the place, whether he were Chriflian,or Heathen. And becaufe all places are A3194. Whereby wee may underfland There is indeedin St. Paul (Tin 3.10.) a A mm that :2; an Hxxmque, afar the firfl and {brand admomnon,ra;cc'l.For an ll.¢rer/qne,is he,thal being a member otthe Church, teacheth nevei‘tlielefle tome private opinion, which the Church has forbidden : and {rich :1 one, 5. Paul by right,in the Dominion of the Common-wealth, as well hee that was Excommunicated, as hee that never was Baptized , might enter adviieth Tum, after the hrfl, and {econd admonition, to Keyec'i‘. But inter into them by Commiiiion from the Civill Magiftratea as Paul greet aver Mariam/burg him, to let him alum, to [et by dzfp/rtmg with him, as one that isto be convinced onely by himfelfe. The fame before his converfion entred into their Synagogues at Damafcus, to apprehend Chrifiians , men and women , and to Carry them to Rt}€éf( in this place ) is not to Excommum'eilte the Man; But to A file iaitht : Tim. 2. z 3.) Foul/fl) and tin/earned quefiiom avoid: bound to Jerufalem,by Commiflion from the High Prieit. of no «you By which it appears, that upon a Chriftiany; that ihould become an T ie word Award in this place, and lime? in the former, is the flame "F0" "'14P" A Without Excommunication. And again, (th.3.9.) A'Uaid Foo/4i: (jut/ham, where the Originall medal", (fat thmhy ) is equivalent to the‘ former word Its/eff. There is no other place that can [0 much as corolltably be drawn, to countenance the Calling out of the Church 19"?" men, fueh as beleeved the foundation, onely for a fingular upti Itruéture of their own,proceeding perhaps from a good & pious 1"" flare, in a lace where the Civill Power did perfecute, or not iii the Churc i, the effect of Excommunication had nothiug in it, neither of dammage in this world, nor of terrour : Not of terrour,bc- caufe oftheir unbeleeflnorofdammage , became they are returncd thereby into the favour of the worldgand in the world to come, were to be in no worfe efiate , then they which never had belcertd' The dammagc redounded rather to the Church, by provocation ' or inthe Originall, we"? : but Poolifh queftions may bee fet b (UnlclcllCC.Bll[ on the contrary, all fuch places as command avoiding" Nn uC it |