It is the vsuall practise in our English Church, that no excommunicate person be receiued into the Church again, vntill he haue made publike confession, and asked pardon for his offence. And this notwithstanding, the Bishop a∣lone doth excommunicate, as S. Ambrosius did the Empe∣rour.
You say, that the execution of excommunication, per∣taineth onely to the successours of the Apostles; & so con∣sequently, it must pertaine to all Ministers of Gods holy Word and Sacraments; and not onely to your lordly Bi∣shops.
I answere; first, that no such consequence can be inferred vpon my graunt. For though I graunt, and that truly, that [ 1] none but Ministers of Gods word and Sacraments, can lawfully denounce the sentence of excommunication; yet will it not follow thereupon, that I giue the same power to euery Minister in generall. For it is one thing to say, that none but Ministers can doe it; an other thing to affirme, that euery Minister Promiscuè may doe it. Secondly, that [ 2] all Ministers haue power habituall to excommunicate; but those Ministers onely haue actuall power to doe it, to whō the Church hath committed that iurisdiction. For seeing the Church hath all the power graunted to her dispensati∣on,