The barren tree a sermon preached at Pauls cross October 26. 1623 /The barren tree a sermon preached at Pauls crosse October 26. 1623 /

Cut it down. But how? How can the Minister be said to cut down a barren soul? Some may conceive here a reference to Excommunication: Whether the Greater, which deprives a man of all benefit by the Churches public Prayers, and the Society of Christians. ¹Which St. Paul calls, Trader Satana, to deliver unto Satan: so himself Excommunicated Hymencus and Alexander, ²delivering them unto Satan: a miserable condition, to be subjected to a slave, to a dog, a drudge; but then especially fearful, when God grants unto Satan a Writ or faculty, Pro excommunicato cap•endo. The ignominy of ignominy; besides the peril: For as Christ protecteth all the Trees in his Vineyard; so if any be transplanted to the wild desert, they are under the god of this world. Or the Less; which is indeed, no other properly, then an Act of the Churches Discipline, whereby she corrects her unruly children: that smarting with the absence of wonted comforts, they may be humbled by repentance, and so recover their pristine state. This censure may be either too cruel, ⟨p. 43⟩or to trivial. ³The Church of Rome grants Excommunications for things lost: a man hath lost his horse, he may have an Excommunication against him that detains him: so the Father may hap to Excommunicate his own Son, and for the body of a Jade, hazard the soul of his Child. Yea, which is worse, they publish Excommunications for sins not yet committed: The Lord of a Manor hath set a row of young Elms, he may have an Excommunication against all those that shall do them any harm. This is to hang a man, before he hath done the fact that deserves it. These in rite, forceless, bugbear Excommunications, the ridiculous affordments of a mercenary Power, are not unlike those old night spells, which blind people had from mongrel Witches, to set about their Orchards and Houses, antidotes and charms against thieving; wherein distrusting the providence of God, they made themselves beholding to the Devil for safety. Creditors, that would be paid in their moneys, may procure an Excommunication against their Debtors, if they pay not by such a day. This were an excellent project for you Citizens, a rounder course then arrests and tedious trials at Law. But it is to be doubted, that your Debtors would fear the Popes Parchment less then the Scriveners, and an