Answ. Those godly learned Divines, who do thus argue, we do so highly esteem, and so deeply reverence in the Lord, that were the cause our own, and not the Lords, we should rather let it fall, then defend it, by opposition to the grave judgements of such holy Saints. But because we may not accept persons in the things of Christ, we are forced to excuse our selves from submitting to their judgements in this cause, which yet generally in others we yield unto them; Our answer therefore is, that howsoever such excommunicate persons as are truly faithful (notwithstanding the censure of excommunication) because the seed of faith remaineth in them; yet to the society of the faithful, joined in a particular visible Church, they are not knit, but wholly cut off from their Communion: for it is not the seed of faith, nor faith it self, that knitteth a man to this or that particular visible Church, ⟨p. 85⟩but an holy profession of the faith, and professed subjection to the Gospel of Christ in their Communion. Which profession, when a faithful man hath violated by some notorious scandalous crime, or by wilful obstinacy, in standing out in any offence against the rule of the Gospel, he is now delivered unto Satan, and therefore wholly cut off from the Communion of the Church, and consequently from the seals thereof: himself from the Lords table, his seed (which are his members) from Baptism: he is not now as a dead palsy member, cut off from the body; Ne pars sincera trahatur; the Lord Jesus may still lay hold upon him by his Spirit, when yet he cannot in any lively manner for the time lay hold upon Christ; and so he may still remain a member of the invisible Church of the first-borne, when yet he hath neither part, nor portion, nor fellowship in the particular flock and visible Church of Christ Jesus, but is as an Heathen, or a Publican.
Answ. Those godly learned Divines, who doe thus argue, wee doe so highly esteeme, and so deeply reverence in the Lord, that were the cause our owne, and not the Lords, wee should rather let it fall, then defend it, by opposition to the grave judgements of such holy Saints. But because wee may not accept persons in the things of Christ, wee are forced to excuse our selves from submitting to their judgements in this cause, which yet generally in others wee yeeld unto them; Our answer therefore is, that howsoever such excommunicate persons as are truly faithfull (notwithstanding the censure of excommunication) because the seed of faith remaineth in them; yet to the societie of the faithfull, joyned in a particular visible Church, they are not knit, but wholly cut off from their Communion: for it is not the seed of faith, nor faith it selfe, that knitteth a man to this or that particular visible Church, ⟨p. 85⟩but an holy profession of the faith, and professed subjection to the Gospel of Christ in their Communion. Which profession, when a faithfull man hath violated by some notorious scandalous crime, or by wilfull obstinacy, in standing out in any offence against the rule of the Gospel, he is now delivered unto Satan, and therefore wholly cut off from the Communion of the Church, and consequently from the seales thereof: himselfe from the Lords table, his seed (which are his members) from Baptisme: he is not now as a dead palsey member, cut off from the body; Ne pars sincera trahatur; the Lord Jesus may still lay hold upon him by his Spirit, when yet he cannot in any lively manner for the time lay hold upon Christ; and so he may still remaine a member of the invisible Church of the first-borne, when yet he hath neither part, nor portion, nor fellowship in the particular flock and visible Church of Christ Jesus, but is as an Heathen, or a Publican.
