The true nature of a Gospel church and its government

IT is therefore evident, as was intimated, that nothing in Christian Practice hath been, or is more abused, corrupted or perverted, than this of Excommunication hath been and is. The Residence of the Supreme Power of it to be exercised towards and over all Christians, Rulers and Subjects, in the Pope of Rome, or in other single Persons absolutely, over less or greater Distributions of them; the Administration of it by Citations, Processes, Pleadings and Contentions in wrangling Law Courts according unto Arbitrary Canons and Constitutions, whose Original is either known, or unknown; the Application of it unto the Hurt, Damage, Evil or Loss of Men in their Temporal Concerns, are utterly and openly foreign unto the Gospel, and expressly contrary unto what the Lord Christ hath appointed therein. It would require a whole Volume to declare the horrible abuses that both in point of Right, and in matter of Fact, with the pernicious consequences that have ensued thereon, which the corruption of this Divine Institution hath produced: But to make a Declaration hereof, doth not belong to my present design; besides, it hath in some good measure been done by others. In brief, it is so come to pass that it is made a mere Political Engine, of an external forcible Government, of the Persons of Men, unto the ends of the Interests of some, who have got ⟨p. 193⟩a pretence of its Power, administered by such ways and means, as wherein the Consciences of Men, neither of those by whom it is Administered, nor of those unto whom it is Applied, are any way concerned, with respect unto the Authority, or any Institution of Jesus Christ.

IT is therefore evident, as was intimated, that nothing in Christian Practice hath been, or is more abused, corrupted or perverted, than this of Excommunication hath been and is. The Residence of the Supream Power of it to be exercised towards and over all Christians, Rulers and Subjects, in the Pope of Rome, or in other single Persons absolutely, over less or greater Distributions of them; the Administration of it by Citations, Processes, Pleadings and Contentions in wrangling Law Courts according unto Arbitrary Canons and Constitutions, whose Original is either known, or unknown; the Application of it unto the Hurt, Damage, Evil or Loss of Men in their Temporal Concerns, are utterly and openly foreign unto the Gospel, and expresly contrary unto what the Lord Christ hath appointed therein. It would require a whole Volume to declare the horrible abuses that both in point of Right, and in matter of Fact, with the pernicious consequences that have ensued thereon, which the corruption of this Divine Institution hath produced: But to make a Declaration hereof, doth not belong to my present design; besides, it hath in some good measure been done by others. In brief, it is so come to pass that it is made a meer Political Engine, of an external forcible Government, of the Persons of Men, unto the ends of the Interests of some, who have got