The Samaritan showing that many and unnecessary impositions are not the oil that must…The Samaritan shewing that many and unnecessary impositions are not the oyl that must…

14. If Heretics in Fundamentals, and Persons of pernicious and dangerous Opinions, creep into the Church, let them after due Admonition, by their Superiors and Colleagues, be rejected. This is the Method that the Apostle prescribes, and I know not where to find a better. Impositions to obviate Heretics, have kept many sober and useful men out of the Church, but in my apprehension very few Heretics. They are usually men of a lubricous and slippery ingeny, and 'tis a very hard matter to set any traps or gins, which they will not escape, or to make any nooses, out of which they will not slip their necks; and I am abundantly convinced, that where One Heretic, or dangerously Erroneous person, Many excellently Learned and Pious Persons that might have been very useful Instruments in the Church of God, have been excluded by this means. There is care ought to be taken to prevent Ignorant and Scandalous Persons, from entering into the Church ⟨p. 72⟩or Ministry; yet that hinders not but that some such Varlets do intrude into it. I think now that the same Methods of proceeding, which are used against wicked and immoral men, are to be used against men of unsound and dangerous Opinions. The Governors of our Church do not think fit to Impose Laws and Rules of severest Temperance, Sobriety, Justice upon all such as are admitted into the Sacred Office, and I know no reason why they should prescribe stricter Rules to their Judgments than they do to their Lives; and that as a wicked Conversation becomes penal and liable to censure, when it discovers it self; so 'tis time enough to punish Erroneous Persons when their Errors do appear; for these entangling Impositions (which are a sort or kind of preventing Medicines,) do, as I must say still, rather choke honest men, than bar the Heretics, or persons of dangerous and mischievous Judgments. No particular Church ought with rigour to require Subscriptions to Articles that are evidently true and necessary to be professed; because in the Division of hearts that is in the World, it is certain that some good men may dissent, and then either they shall be afflicted, or tempted to Hypocrisy: Of either of which if Ecclesiastical Laws be guilty, they are not for Edification; they are neither just, nor pious, and therefore oblige not. Bishop Taylor, Duc. dubitantium, lib. 3. pag. 358.

14. If Hereticks in Fundamentals, and Persons of pernicious and dangerous Opinions, creep into the Church, let them after due Admonition, by their Superiours and Collegues, be rejected. This is the Method that the Apostle prescribes, and I know not where to find a better. Impositions to obviate Hereticks, have kept many sober and useful men out of the Church, but in my apprehension very few Hereticks. They are usually men of a lubricous and slippery ingeny, and 'tis a very hard matter to set any traps or gins, which they will not escape, or to make any nooses, out of which they will not slip their necks; and I am abundantly convinced, that where One Heretick, or dangerously Erroneous person, Many excellently Learned and Pious Persons that might have been very useful Instruments in the Church of God, have been excluded by this means. There is care ought to be taken to prevent Ignorant and Scandalous Persons, from entring into the Church