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

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The Exposition.

I N C E the Church is a Society of Holy Perfbns in Subjedion to Chrifl, what can be more equitable than that such an one as hath rebelled against Christ, and by reaion of his notorious Crimes is become a Scandal to the Christian Name, should be driven out from the Communion of the Church, and that he Tnould be looked upon as a Heathen who lives a heathenifh Life ? ‘Tis the Bufmels of all good Chriilians to note that Jlhn^ and have no Socieiy ijoith him^ that he may he afiamed^ 2 Thejf. iii. 14. Thus our EleiTcd U u 4 Saviour

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^80 Jn Exposition on the

”.Fl’ saviour tells us. Mat. xviii. 17. That such a§ ’ negleSi to hear the Church. Jhould he unto us as Heathen Men and Publicans. And i Cor. v. we have a large Account of St. Paul’s Excommuni- cating the inceftuous Cormhian., at the End of which Chapter the Apostle faith, Wherefore put away from yourselves that wicked Person. I caution you, faith S. Ignatius against Beasts in the Shape of Men, which you are not only not to receive, but also not to meet, t

Whosoever holds not the Unity of the Church, faith S. Cyprian^ how much fbever he may boast of himself, and notwithflanding his very great Claims, is a profene Person, an Alien, and without the Pale of the Churchy. And * I befeech you depart from such Persons, and acquiefce in such Advice as ye have had from

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If an excommunicated Person repents, he is to be restored to Communion with the Church again, but regularly, and by a Judge that hcith A^uthority thereunto. For though the Power of Excom.munication hath been by fbme ex- plained away into a Right which all Christians have to avoid open and scandalous Sinners , yet jt muil be remcmbred, that there is such a Place of Scripture as i Cor. v. 12, 13. For what have -I to do to j.udge them also that are without ? Do 7wt ye judge them that are within ? But them that are without^ God judgeth. And then im« mediately follow the Words before-mentioneda

f Epift. ad Smyrc

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Thirty-Nine Articles. 6%i

therefore put away from yourselves that wicked Art. xxxill. Person. From hence it follows, that there is a -/VN Power veiled in the Governors of the Church over its Members, which extends not to such as are not Members whereas, if Excommupir cation were only a Right to avoid ftandalou Sinners, Heathens as well as Christians would be within the Reach of it.

‘T 1 s neceffary to observe, that no Excom- munication difTolvesthe Ties of Nature 5 fb that notwithstanding any Sentence of Excommuni- cation, Subje^s are to perform their Duties to their Princes, Wives to their Husbands, Chil- dren to their Parents ; and fo are Princes to their Subjeds, Husbands to their Wives, and Parents to their Children. For these are Du- ties which have no Dependence on the Reli- gion of the Perfbns they are to be perforn^ed to.t

f See V otter of Church Government, c. 5-. §. 8. Whitgiff& pefenccy Tradt. 18. Field of the Church, Book I. c. i j-.

Article

68 z An Exposition on the

Notes

• Ibid. 43,