Now if the Church following the general warrant and rules of the Word, command to fast such a day, to give thanks such a day, to renew the covenant of God such a day; these things are divine ordinances mixedly, though not merely; and he who disobeyeth, disobeyeth the commandment of God. The like may be said of catechising, and of celebrating the Lords Supper, (which are not things occasional, as the former, but ordinary in the Church:) they are commended by the warrants of Scripture, but the particular times and seasons not determined. The like we say of the order to be kept in baptism, and in excommunication, which is not determined in the Word, though the things themselves be. The removing of scandals, by putting wicked persons to public shame, and open confession of their faults in the Church, hath certain warrant from Scripture, yet the degrees of that public shame and punishment, are left to be determined by the Church, according to the quality ⟨p. 162⟩of the scandal, and the rules of the Word. Now the Church appointeth some scandalous persons to be put to a greater shame, some to a lesser, some to •ee o•e Sabbath in the place of public repentance, some three, some nine, some twenty five, &c. And if the offender refuse that degree of public shame which the Church, following the rules foresaid appointeth for him, he may be truly said, to refuse the removing and taking away of the scandal, which the Word of God enjoineth him, and so to disobey not the Church only, but God also. Just so the Scripture having commended unto us the governing of the Church, the making of Laws, the exercise of Jurisdiction, the deciding of controversies, by Consistories and Assemblies Ecclesiastical, having also showed the necessity of the same, their power, their rule of proceeding and judging, who should sit and voice in the same, &c. But leaving the particular kinds, degrees, times, bounds, and places of the same to be resolved upon by the Church, according to the light of natural reason, and general rules of the Word: The Church for her part, following the general warrant and rules foresaid, together with the light of nature, hath determined and appointed Assemblies, ⟨p. 163⟩Provincial and National, and to exercise respectively that power which the Word giveth to Assemblies in general.
Now if the Church following the generall warrant and rules of the Word, command to fast such a day, to give thankes such a day, to renew the covenant of God such a day; these things are divine ordinances mixedly, though not meerely; and he who disobeyeth, disobeyeth the commandement of God. The like may be said of catechising, and of celebrating the Lords Supper, (which are not things occasionall, as the former, but ordinary in the Church:) they are commended by the warrants of Scripture, but the particular times and seasons not determined. The like wee say of the order to be kept in baptisme, and in excommunication, which is not determined in the Word, though the things themselves be. The removing of scandals, by putting wicked persons to publike shame, and open confession of their faults in the Church, hath certaine warrant from Scripture, yet the degrees of that publike shame and punishment, are left to be determined by the Church, according to the quality ⟨p. 162⟩of the scandall, and the rules of the Word. Now the Church appointeth some scandalous persons to be put to a greater shame, some to a lesser, some to •ee o•e Sabbath in the place of publike repentance, some three, some nine, some twenty five, &c. And if the offender refuse that degree of publike shame which the Church, following the rules foresaid appointeth for him, hee may be truely said, to refuse the removing and taking away of the scandall, which the Word of God injoyneth him, and so to disobey not the Church only, but God also. Just so the Scripture having commended unto us the governing of the Church, the making of Lawes, the exercise of Jurisdiction, the deciding of controversies, by Consistories and Assemblies Ecclesiasticall, having also shewed the necessity of the same, their power, their rule of proceeding and judging, who should sit and voice in the same, &c. But leaving the particular kindes, degrees, times, bounds, and places of the same to be resolved upon by the Church, according to the light of naturall reason, and generall rules of the Word: The Church for her part, following the generall warrant and rules foresaid, together with the light of nature, hath determined and appointed Assemblies, ⟨p. 163⟩Provinciall and Nationall, and to exercise respectively that power which the Word giveth to Assemblies in generall.
