The English nonconformity as under King Charles II and King James II truly stated and argued by Richard Baxter ; who earnestly beseecheth rulers and clergy not to divide and destroy the land and cast their own souls on the dreadful guilt and punishment of national perjury ...

Chap. XXIII. Point XX. Of Publishing Excommunicati∣ons according to the 4th Canon.

M.

THE Fourth Canon saith,

[Whosoever shall hereafter af∣firm that the Form of Gods Worship in the Church of England Established by Law, and contained in the Book of Common Prayer and Administration of Sacraments,—con∣taineth ANY THING in it that is repugnant to the Scrip∣tures, let him be Excommunicated ipso facto, and not restored but by the Bishop of the place, or Arch-bishop, after his Re∣pentance, and publick Revocation of such his wicked Error.

] And when this Excommunication is sent from the Ordinary to the Minister, you heard he must publish it twice a year.

L.

And what have you against this?

M.

Do I need to tell you? 1. Judge by this with what Face the Prelates call us Puritanes or Catharists, as if we pretended to perfection, and to be without sin. And whether it be not they that are far liker to the Catharists. We confess that the best of our Prayers, Preaching or Works hath somewhat in them re∣pugnant to the Word of God: For Gods Law is perfect, and e∣very sin in matter, or manner, or end, or degree, is repugnant to it. Far be it from us Pharisaically to justifie any Book that ever we write as if we had no sin in it. But these men that call them∣selves the Church of England, do not only justify a large Volume of Forms, Orders, Rubricks and Kalenders, &c. but also force

all other men to justifie it all as sinless; and he shall be no Mini∣ster that will not do it, nor a Christian Member of the Church that denieth it: As if the perfection of their works were an Ar∣ticle of the Creed, and necessary to Salvation to be believed. Is not this Puritanism, Pharisaical, and Justification of Works?

2. Judge by all that I have in this Book cited, whether there be nothing at all in their Books that is repugnant to the Word of God. If I have made it past all modest denial, then what a dreadful thing is this Renunciation of Repentance? when Repen∣tance is the condition of the pardon of all our sin, even that which cleaveth to our Worship of God. But they that tell the World that their Works have no sin, yea and force all the King∣dom to stand to that justification, do in a very high degree re∣nounce Repentance: Yea they not only forbid all men to call them to repent, or to amend any sin that is in their Book, but Ex∣communicate them as wicked that do it.

3. I told you before, that this Excommunicating ipso facto, is in it self, a prophane subversion of the very nature of true Excom∣munication, which supposeth due means to convince the Person that his words or deeds are sin, and that of an intollerable degree, and that he be heard speak for himself, and be admonished and earnestly perswaded to repent; and not Excommunicated till af∣ter all this he continue impenitent. But here men are Excom∣municated for saying that there is somewhat faulty in mens works, and that before ever they are heard speak for themselves, or ever told of their sin, or called to repent: I before referr'd you to what Spalatensis de Rep. Eccles. hath written to prove the great sinfulness of such Excommunicating. Bishop Ier. Taylor writing against it, yet feigneth this excuse, that it must be understood but of the Minor Excommunication. But Excommunication it is; and I do not think that they can make any good sense of their distinction of Major & Minor Excommunication; unless it be that the Major declareth men to be no Christians, and the Minor on∣ly to be scandalous Christians, not cut off from the Catholick Church, but only for the present suspended from being owned, while they are under patient tryal whether they will prove impe∣nitent or not, that shame may drive them to Repentance. But this Suspension is properly called Excommunication. But both of them require a just tryal.

4. It is a heinous injury and injustice to Excommunicate and

Ruin men for Truth and Duty. He that robbeth them by the High-way, doth but take their Money, and doth not also accuse them falsly, and make their duty to be their sin. Doubtless he that will take all that I have because I do my duty to God in Praying or Preaching, doth me more wrong than he that will take all without accusing me.

5. It is a publick turning Christs Ordinance against himself, and serving Satan by it, to make faithful Christians odious in the World, as unworthy to live in humane Society, out of Jayls, if they do but exhort others to repent. If a man but know and de∣tect the least sin in their Books of Service, he must be condemned of wicked Error, and Drunkards, and Whore-mongers; and Perjured Rogues, do seem to be no worse than he.

6. If it were an Error to say that their Book is not faultless, yet it can never be proved an Error of that magnitude and wick∣edness as to deserve Excommunication ipso facto: For all men on Earth have Errors worse than that; and so by proportion they virutally or consequentially Excommunicate all men.

L.

But all this is their fault, and not yours.

M.

It's mine if I publish their Excommunication.

L.

If an Innocent Man be hang'd, the Hang-man is Innocent: He doth but his Office.

M.

Whatever he may be in Cases unknown to him, and which he was not bound to know, I will not believe you in a known or knowable Case. If I had been commanded to Crucifie Christ, to Stone Stephen, to burn the Martyrs; I do not believe that I could have done it without the guilt of Murder. Else you may make a Man's command to Justifie the Execution of any Murder or Injustice in the World.

L.

But you may shift off such wicked Excommunications, and leave the Publishing them to your Curate.

M.

1. I may not draw another into such heinous Guilt, nor connive at his doing it in my Charge.

2. There are but few Country Ministers that have Curates.

3. If I do it not, I am guilty of it if I declare my Consent to Accuse all such within fourteen days, that the Ordinary may do it; and to Covenant and Swear Canonical Obedience to him.

4. What can be more pernicious to the Church of God, than to cast good Men out of it, and dismember Christ's Body, and lay those in Jayls as unsufferable wicked Men, whom Christ

takes for his Members whom he will save; and all this for tel∣ling Prelates that their Book is faulty, and desiring any amend∣ment of their work: while Swarms of flagitious Men are en∣dured, and by this encouraged to scorn at Conscience and fear of Sinning, and to take their wicked lives to be better than the Godly Conversation of those that are used far worse than they. Thus Christ foretold his Apostles, that they should be cast out of the Synagogues. But as he found and saved the healed Man, Ioh. 9. whom the Pharisees had cast out; so he will own and ga∣ther his Flock, and take their wrong as done to him.