Catholic communion defended against both extremes, and unnecessary division confuted in five parts ...…Catholick communion defended against both extreams, and unnecessary division confuted in five parts ...…

2. And yet this may be run into Extremes; and these are not easily avoided. 1. Infants (that is, all short of an Understanding, choosing Age) and Idiots and Mad-men, are half Brutes in act, and to be governed accordingly by force, so far as they are uncapable of Reason. But these are not capable of the Church-Communion of the Adult. Yea, not only Children, but all Subjects who are not Communicants, may be forced to ⟨p. 5⟩hear and learn as Catechumens, as is said: And they must not pretend a power to choose their Teachers, to excuse them from all Learning: But if they say, that they can learn better of another than the Parish-Minister; if they are able, they may remove to another Parish: If not, they must give proof that they live as Learners under some Teacher who is capable to instruct them, approved or tolerated by Authority, where Rulers own the Truth.

2. And yet this may be run into Extreams; and these are not easily avoided. 1. Infants (that is, all short of an Understanding, chusing Age) and Ideots and Mad-men, are half Brutes in act, and to be governed accordingly by force, so far as they are uncapable of Reason. But these are not capable of the Church-Communion of the Adult. Yea, not only Children, but all Subjects who are not Communicants, may be forced to ⟨p. 5⟩hear and learn as Catechumens, as is said: And they must not pretend a power to chuse their Teachers, to excuse them from all Learning: But if they say, that they can learn better of another than the Parish-Minister; if they are able, they may remove to another Parish: If not, they must give proof that they live as Learners under some Teacher who is capable to instruct them, approved or tolerated by Authority, where Rulers own the Truth.

3. And if Communicants will be at the charge of maintaining a Pastor whom they can better trust their Souls with, than him whom the Patron chooseth for them, the Orthodox or tolerating Magistrate must see that he be not an Heretic, that doth more hurt than good; and must keep them under the Laws of Loyalty and Peace, and see that they sow not Sedition, and revile not others under pretence of worshipping God.