Jones on Article XXXIII: Of Excommunicate Persons, how they are to be avoided

” Excommunication by the law was never used, nor could be used as a punishment of any crime, saving of notorious heresy, usury, symony, piracy, conspiracy against the person of the prince, and of his estate, dignity, and crown, perturbers of the common peace and quietness of the church, or realm, wilful murderers, sacrilegers, perjurers, and incorrigible and notorious committers of incest and adultery, false witnesses and suborners thereof, violent layers of hands upon ecclesiastical persons, demanders of more cured benefices than one without authority ; and such other great and horrible crimes which are called sententioe canonum. Wherein, besides the particular penances that bishops and their officers did impose it was for more terror promised by ancient canons, that there should be a general open denunciation of this excommunication in every cathedral and parish church twice in the year. For other light faults there was no excommunication permitted or used as a punishment, other than for manifest and wilful contumacy, or disobedience in not appearing when persons were called and summoned for a cause ecclesiastical, or when any sentence or decree of the bishop or his officer being deliberately made, was wilfully disobeyed or not performed The means that were

thought fit to be used instead of excommunication by Arch- bishop Cranmer, Peter Martyr, Bucer, Mr. Haddon, and others that did assemble for that purpose at that time, were imprison- ment or mulct pecuniary ; and besides in persons ecclesiastical, sequestrations of their livings, and suspensions from the execu- tion of their offices. But these means will be as commonly

offensive in some respects as the excommunication is now

And, therefore, if the course that hath so long continued can- not hold, but must needs be altered, I would wish it to be done by some other means.” — Opinions on Ecclesiastical Discipline.

” Indeed excommunication rightly executed is a fearful bond to all good consciences ; for it locketh up heaven gates, and

throweth into the pit of hell How many papists at this day

do contemn the church and all the discipline in it, because it is

so soft If ye did but excommunicate them they would

heartily thank you and laugh you to scorn ; for they willingly

excommunicate themselves, and will come at no congregation

This overmuch softness that is used, and an opinion of some that be zealous in religion, whereby they think they may not punish an ill man for his conscience and religion, doth much harm, and emboldeneth them in their ill doings Excommu- nication is the common remedy for such disobedient persons, which God for his mercy sake, grant that it may be restored to his true use, that every one may willingly submit himself to

godly correction ! If any due correction be offered, we laugh

it to scorn, despise the ministers of it, and by this means shall cause the Lord to take the whip into his own hands ; and then 1 who shall be able to stand […] Exposition upon Nehemiah.

” Because the Gospel teacheth that we are only saved by the mercy of God for the merits of Christ, our gospellers hath set all at liberty, and careth not at all of such life as should and ought to follow every justified man and disciple of Christ.

And it is no marvel ; for there is no discipline and punishment for sin ; and wheresoever the gospel is preached, and this cor- rection not used as well against the highest as the lowest, there

shall be never a godly church For by this means the sinner

is taught by the scripture to know himself. 1 Cor. v. God would not only the fideles,” (faithful) ” but also the infideles,” (unfaithful) “to be kept in an order by the discipline of the law, as Paul saith, ’ The law is ordained for the unjust.’ ” — Declaration of Christ and His Office.

” The third net to take these foxes in, is discipline : it held that incestuous Corinthian, whom no other way could have

taken ‘Doth it not appertain unto pastoral diligence,’ saith

St. Augustine, ’ with fear, yea, if they resist, with feeling of stripes, to recall to the fold of the Lord those sheep, when we find them, which have not been violently carried away, but by fair and soft usage, being seduced, have gone astray, and began to be held in possession of strangers ?’ Those wilful cubs, which neither by teaching nor by example will be reformed, must feel the smart of the rod. ’ “We have,’ saith Taul, ’ in a

readiness punishment against all disobedience.’ Now if they

cannot be so recalled that themselves perish not, they are to be cut off or tied up, that they destroy not others.” — Ser. on Can- tides ii. 15.

” A bishop or a priest by the scripture is neither commanded nor forbidden to excommunicate, but where the laws of any region giveth him authority to excommunicate, there they ought to use the same in such crimes as the laws have such authority in ; and where the laws of the region forbiddeth them, there they have none authority at all ; and they that be no priests may also excommunicate, if the law allow them thereunto.” — Ques- tions and Answers.

” If any man despise or will not follow our doctrine, forsake him and let him have no fellowship with you, that so he may he ashamed and repent, and turn again to the obedience of Christ. But lay apart all bitterness and anger, and wrath. Reprove him, but hate him not. Kill the sin that is in him by all the means that you can, for it is the work of the devil ; but

recover again the man that did offend, and restore him

Here I have good occasion to speak of excommunication, a principal part of the discipline of the church, a matter which many know not, which some do foully abuse, and over-lightly give forth, and which many regard not as they ought. It cutteth us off from the body of Christ, and removeth us from the fellowship of the gospel. Let no man despise it. It is the sword of God, the power of the Holy Ghost, the discipline of Christ ; it is an ordinance which the church hath received from above.” — On the Tlmsalonians.