Fides Catholica, or, The doctrine of the Catholick Church in eighteen grand ordinances referring to the Word, sacraments and prayer, in purity, number and nature, catholically maintained, and publickly taught against hereticks of all sorts : with the solutions of many proper and profitable questions sutable to to [sic] the nature of each ordinance treated of / by Wil. Annand ...

SECT. I.

The nature of this greater Excommunication will not be unknown to him that considers this description.

It is a judicial casting out of r•• factory stubborne and obsti∣nate offenders, from the Church of Christ, and delivering the n over un••o Sathan, for the preservation of the Churches peace and honour.

1 It is a judicial casting out] It is not to be done out of rash and furious passion, but according to the Law and Rule of God, and that not by every one, but those to whom the power of binding is given, and he not by his own au∣thority, but by the advice, or at least, the knowledge and consent of the most worthy Members of that Church from which the party is to be cast, 1 Cor. 5.45

2. Of stubborn, &c.] this is to be done after all admoni••ions, counsels and reproofs of the Church are slighted and con∣temned. It ought to be the last Act of the offended Church, and all means are to be tryed to reclaim an offended bro∣ther, before this be put in execution and practise an obsti∣••ate

offender is properly the Subject of Excommunication.

The offence is not necessary alwayes to be in matters of fact, Drunkenness, Swearing, Sabbath-breaking, Perjury, Bl••s∣phemy: but it will and ought to be extended to matters of another kind, as Teachers of false Doctrine, Disturbers of the Churches peace, and Infringers or Contemners of her Laws, 1 Tim. 19.20. Tit. 3.10. 2 Thes. 3.6.

3. From the Church of Christ] Not to speak of those kinds of Excommunication which were used against Offenders in the Church of the Iews, proportionable to these now used in the Church of the Christians. It is affirmed, that the par∣ty so judicially cast out is not a member of the Church of Christ, nor was not before, that is, since his refusal to hear the Church in her admonitions; at that time he began to be a Heathen and a Publican, and these are not of the Church of Christ: then he began to be as a Dog and a Swine, unto whom holy things are not to be given, Mat. 7.6. The Church therefore doth but pronounce, the sinner to be what indeed he is, that is, not a member of the Church; by which sentence the Church looks upon him, as cast out, or cut off from their body.

4. And delivering them over unto Sathan] this is the fear∣full issue of Excommunication, and yet no other then the Lords mind against that Corinthian for his sin of incest, 1 Cor. 5.7. And Pauls practise for the Apostacy of Alexander, 1 Tim. 1.20. Out of the Church, is to be out of Christ, and to be cut off from Christs body is to be thrown among the branches to be burned. As a Judge by his sentence by vertue of that Commission given him from the supream Magistrate, gives the Prisoner over unto execution, being dead before in Law, as soon as his fact was committed: so the Church-Officer by vertue of that Commission given him of Christ, Iohn 20.23. assisted by the Church-Members, as Justices, gives the sinner over unto Satan, whose he was as soon as obstinacy appeared in him.

4. For the preservation of the Churches peace and honour] the end of the Church in this act is not the sinners damna∣tion,

but his salvation, Christs honour, and her own peace: but these things fall more properly under the next Section.