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Show (hurcb-cenfures ho1P dijpenfed. Chap. 5• of his wontedfellowihip in the Lords Ta_ble, and wit hall be!ng fo· Jicited,:md urged by his brethren and fnend:, to confid_er ~~~ g:eat difl:emper of fpirit, in !landing outfo long Ill that.whi~h IS evil!; If hereupon (by the grace of Chii!l:) he come to lnmfeJfe, a_nd fee his fin and defire to reconcile himfelf to t-he Lord, and hiS brethren: he then acquainting one of the Elders wit~ his defire,is callc~ forth in the £1ce of the Church, to make publikeconfeffion of his tin, and to judge himfelf for it; wherein, if t_he Lord _help him to hold forth an ingenuous and humble loathe1g of Ins fin and of himfelffor it; they ble!fe God for his bleffing upon his ordinance, -and re~dily receive him into wonted f.wonr, and brotherly fellowihip with them,iJI all the liberties of Gods houfe;but if on the con· trary the fpirit of the brother grow more & more hardened in his fm, and !land out againll all means (publike and private) of his reformation, the Church having waited a convenient time,and yet finding their brother wax worfe and worfe~ (as is commonly feen in fuch cafes, wherein men ate not humbled under fi1ch means) then, according to the rule of Chrill, Matt h. 18. 17. one of the Elders propounding the cafe, fir!l: to the whole Church, and they -giving their confems (as before for his admiffion, fo now for his expul!ion) hee fetteth his fin in order again before him, with all the circum fiances and aggravations ofit, efpecially how h~e hath taken in vain, and made unprofitable all other means for his reco· wry; and therefore now,in the name, and with the power of the LordJefus,and with the-conf~nt of the whole Chu~ch,he pronoun· ceth him rut off from the communion·o'f the Church, and delivereth him unto Satan, as an Heathen or a Publican, for the dellrultion of theflelh,that his fotd•may be Cwed in the day of the Lord Jefi1s; and all this according to the direCtion of thfijoly Ghofl, Matt h. 18. 17. 2 Cor. 5· 4, 5· · , s E c T. I I. .• ?' ANd thus the Church pltJceedeth, in cafe the offence be prl· - vate at firfr) and at'f<HefTe fcandalous ; but if the offence be be publike, and hainous and grofly fcandalous, fi1ch as is con&mned e.ven among!l: the Heathens, by the light of nature ; as thofe menuoned by-the t\poftle~ 1 Cor.)· 1 I. Fornklltion~ A&ktlte>y,Inceft, · Murt!!lr, Sea:. :z. Murther, Ray ling, Extortion, and the llke; or fuch as aJX generally aoco~~te~ dal1Ulablc and detdlable among!l: Chri!l:ians, as Idola· _ try, afP emy, Prophanenef?, &c. Wee take our felves bound to proceed mo~e roundly again!l: fitch ; for in fi1ch cafes the Apofile doth n~t direct us to fuc~ gradua/1 proceeding! by private admonition!' but if any ~rather cfa ith he) be a fornicator, or covetotM' or an Idolater, or a railer, or a drunk,f!rd, or an extortioner with ji1ch a one no not to e~t : For it doth not lland with the g!01y' of God, or ho· nour ofh1s Church to accept an acknowledgement of fi1ch gro!fe and fcandalous _crimes without fiuther ccufure ; but it becometh the Church, (bem_g a communion of Saints) rather to free them· felves fi·om the gmlt and fellowlhip of fuch notorious wickcdnefs by ~xpreffion of their ~eal and ju!l: indignation again!l: fi1ch fins b; ca!l:mg out the commuters thereof from fellowfhip among!l: them. for though the blood of Chri!l:, and the repentance of an offcndc~ do ren1ove any offence, ti:ou!]h never fo hainous in the fight of God and ma~, yet God. being Jealous of his own glory, and of the honour ofh1s Church, IS not wont ordinarily to grant repentance unto fi1ch notorious finners, untill the cenfi1rc of the Church have paffed upon them. . , Whilell the offender lyeth under the cenfurc of excommunication, though he be excluded fi·om the communion of the Church, and fo from the Lords Table, and from all other liberties of Church-fellowihip (as voting in eleEtions, admiffion of members~ cenfures, &c.) yet wee do not debar him from entrance imo the af fombly of the Church in time of preacbing the Word,or Prayer, or fuch otherworfiupofGod, asisnotpeculiarto the Ch11tcb • forthisli· berty we_do not forbid to Heathen.s and Indians ; anci' perfons ex· commull!cate are but as Heathen!, In refpetl: of worihip, although worfothen Hea:bem'(~ven as Pubficans) in rcf,P-ect of familiar private commuruon; tor though· wee might cat with an Heat bm (1 CBr.Io. 27.)yct with a Publican the Jews wonld not eat, Mat .9: II. no more may we with excommunicate perfons-, z Cor. 5· 11. But we do not read that an Heathen was for.biddcn to .hear vhe Word in the Synal!,ogU;s~ .though they were notpcf'nlitted to enter into the Temple { ~hich was' to thcm,J)f a Sacralimzta/.1 nature) ACi. 21. ~ 8,29. nor m1ght they_ enter as members into-Vhe Co,~;g>·egat.ion,Deut. 3· 3• to 8. :But fuppofe H~atheut we1'e forbidden to heare the Word, |