A26911:262
The defence of the nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of the matter…
The defence of the nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of the matter of their nonconformity against Mr. J. Cheney's answer called The conforming nonconformist, and The nonconforming conformist : to which is added the second part in answer to Mr. Cheney's Five undertakings / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for Benjamin Alsop, 1680
A DEFENCE OF THE NON-CONFORMIST'S Plea for Peace, AGAINST Mr. J. CH… › Chapter 21
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
12. I confess more manners of Church-censures are in use among us, than we desire. The Canons will tell them to you: Else so many hundred Non-Conformists formerly and lately had not been forbid to Preach, nor all forbid to admit Non-conforming Christians to Communion; nor had they been ipso facto excommunicate (though Ant. de Dom. Spalatensis say so much to make odious all excommunicating ipso facto (who, they say, first devised the name of a Doctrinal Penitence.) And Bishop Jer. Taylor saith so much against it.
12. I confess more manners of Church-censures are in use among us, than we desire. The Canons will tell them to you: Else so many hundred Non-Conformists formerly and lately had not been forbid to Preach, nor all forbid to admit Non-conforming Christians to Communion; nor had they been ipso facto excommunicate (though Ant. de Dom. Spalatensis say so much to make odious all excommunicating ipso facto (who, they say, first devised the name of a Doctrinal Penitence.) And Bishop Ier. Taylor saith so much against it.
And I confess that there is the Magistrate's sword to back all this; by which about two thousand of us were silenced, and you fly out of your Country from the Writ de excommunicato capiendo.
§ 3. My belief of your unfeigned honesty makes one at last pity you, and wonder when you add [What more would you have?] what it was that could tempt you to contract the guilt of defending things of such public and sad an Aspect and prospect, against such light, and after such experience of the effects, and in such a time! 1. Do you believe in your conscience, that the Bishop of York, Norwich, Lincoln, London, or the rest, with a Chancellor, and his Officials and Arch-Deacons, can possibly exercise that Discipline, or the hundredth part of it, which Christ hath appointed, were they never so honest? 2. Do you believe that a Lay-Chancellor, who you confess hath not the power of the Keys, doth or can well execute them? 3. Do you not know how little of the Parish-Government against scandals is exercised by the Bishop; and how almost is done by this Chancellor