11. The sinfulness of unchurching Persons or Parishes, without Christs way of regular process, consisteth in all these following parts. 1. It is a casting off the Laws of the great Law-giver of the Church, and so a contempt of his authority, wisdom and goodness; and a making of our selves greater, or wiser, or hol•er than he. 2. It is gross injustice, to deprive men of so great Privileges without any sufficient proof of their forfeiture▪ It is worse than to turn whole Parishes out of their Houses and Possessions, without any lawful process or proof; upon rumours or private affirmations that they are Delinquents. It is not doing as we would be done by, what if any should say of you, that you are Heretical and deny Fundamental Truths? Or what if they should say of a separated Church, that they are generally Heretics or of wicked lives (as the Heathens did of the ancient Christians) and therefore that they are no Church, nor to be communicated with; would you not think that they should every one personally be accused, and proof brought against them, and that they should speak for themselves, before they were thus condemned? 3. And it is an aggravated Crime in them, that so much cry down Church-tyranny in others, to be thus notoriously guilty of it themselves? what greater injustice and tyranny can there be, than that all mens Christianity and Church-rights, shall be judged N•ll, upon the censures and rumours of suspicious men, without any just proof or lawful trial? That it shall be in the power of every one, ⟨p. 91⟩who hath but uncharitableness enough to think evil of his neighbours, or to believe reports against their innocency to cast them out of the Family of God, and to unchristen and unchurch men arbitrarily at their pleasure? That any man that is but unconscionable enough to say [They are all ignorant and profane] shall expect to have his neighbours excommunicated. 4. It maketh all Churches to be lubricous and uncertain shadows: when a censorious person may unchurch them at his pleasure. What you say of others, another may say of you; and as justly expect to be believed. 5. It unavoidably bringeth in uncurable divisions: For there is no certain rule of justice with such persons: and therefore they know not who are to be received to their Communion, and who not:
11. The sinfulness of unchurching Persons or Parishes, without Christs way of regular process, consisteth in all these following parts. 1. It is a casting off the Laws of the great Law-giver of the Church, and so a contempt of his authority, wisdome and goodness; and a making of our selves greater, or wiser, or hol•er than he. 2. It is gross injustice, to deprive men of so great Priviledges without any sufficient proof of their forfeiture▪ It is worse than to turn whole Parishes out of their Houses and Possessions, without any lawful process or proof; upon rumours or private affirmations that they are Delinquents. It is not doing as we would be done by, what if any should say of you, that you are Heretical and deny Fundamental Truths? Or what if they should say of a separated Church, that they are generally Hereticks or of wicked lives (as the Heathens did of the ancient Christians) and therefore that they are no Church, nor to be communicated with; would you not think that they should every one personally be accused, and proof brought against them, and that they should speak for themselves, before they were thus condemned? 3. And it is an aggravated Crime in them, that so much cry down Church-tyranny in others, to be thus notoriously guilty of it themselves? what greater injustice and tyranny can there be, than that all mens Christi•nity and Church-rights, shall be judged N•ll, upon the censures and rumours of suspitious men, without any just proof or lawful tryal? That it shall be in the power of every one, ⟨p. 91⟩who hath but uncharitableness enough to think evil of his neighbours, or to believe reports against their innocency to cast them out of the Family of God, and to unchristen and unchurch men arbitrarily at their pleasure? That any man that is but unconscionable enough to say [They are all ignorant and prophane] shall expect to have his neighbours excommunicated. 4. It maketh all Churches to be lubricous and uncertain shadows: when a censorious person may unchurch them at his pleasure. What you say of others, another may say of you; and as justly expect to be believed. 5. It unavoidably bringeth in uncurable divisions: For there is no certain rule of justice with such persons: and therefore they know not who are to be received to their Communion, and who not:
