A little more as to our Communion with your Church: Sir, some of us have lived in Gods House, where we saw the Government hath been carried on by Officers of his own appointment, according to his own Rule, and what a majesty have we beheld in it! Admonitions, first privately, then publicly by the Elders, continuing in this course of admonishing, to try if they could bring to repentance, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter, as the sin hath been, and they in prudence saw reasons. (I have known them waste half a year in this course) When nothing would do, but they must come to Excommunication, how wisely did they govern the Brethren to bring them to declare their consent *obedientially to their Elders, (for they deny the Government to be Democratical; nor will I own the Fraternity to be the first subject of the Keys. In the beginning it was not so, as our Lord said in another case, Mat. 19.8. and to the beginning we must go) and your *Thorndike speaks excellently to this, why the Congregation ought to be concerned in this. Now when all were agreed, how dreadful was the sentence! what pale faces! how many tears did it cause in the Congregation! a solemn sight to behold the Church putting the person out of the Congregation, Terrible as an army of banners, Cant. 6.1•. I have often thought of the Text since. After this, how excellently did the Church walk towards an Excommunicate person, to bring to Repentance? And what rare effects have I known of this Ordinance, without any Writs de Excommunicato capiendo; alas these ⟨image 7⟩could never effect what I have known, to the humbling of such a person. And now, Sir, do you think that we who have seen these things, can join with your Church, where this Ordinance so majestical, so terrible, is so horribly profaned? I pray, Sir, pardon me though I stand off from it. But I pray, Sir, why do your Bishops excommunicate those who were never of your Church? why do they not Excommunicate the French, or Dutch? True, they live under your Laws, but your Law is, they must be admitted by the Cross, and being Infants, could not help it.
A little more as to our Communion with your Church: Sir, some of us have lived in Gods House, where we saw the Government hath been carried on by Officers of his own appointment, according to his own Rule, and what a majesty have we beheld in it! Admonitions, first privately, then publickly by the Elders, continuing in this course of admonishing, to try if they could bring to repentance, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter, as the sin hath been, and they in prudence saw reasons. (I have known them waste half a year in this course) When nothing would do, but they must come to Excommunication, how wisely did they govern the Brethren to bring them to declare their consent *obedientially to their Elders, (for they deny the Government to be Democratical; nor will I own the Fraternity to be the first subject of the Keys. In the beginning it was not so, as our Lord said in another case, Mat. 19.8. and to the beginning we must go) and your *Thorndike speaks excellently to this, why the Congregation ought to be concern'd in this. Now when all were agreed, how dreadful was the sentence! what pale faces! how many tears did it cause in the Congregation! a solemn sight to behold the Church putting the person out of the Congregation, Terrible as an army of banners, Cant. 6.1•. I have often thought of the Text since. After this, how excellently did the Church walk towards an Excommunicate person, to bring to Repentance? And what rare effects have I known of this Ordinance, without any Writs de Excommunicato capiendo; alas these ⟨image 7⟩could never effect what I have known, to the humbling of such a person. And now, Sir, do you think that we who have seen these things, can join with your Church, where this Ordinance so majestical, so terrible, is so horribly profaned? I pray, Sir, pardon me though I stand off from it. But I pray, Sir, why do your Bishops excommunicate those who were never of your Church? why do they not Excommunicate the French, or Dutch? True, they live under your Laws, but your Law is, they must be admitted by the Cross, and being Infants, could not help it.
- *2 Cor. 10.6.
- *Primit. Government of Church. p. 147.
