VVHat is the Eighth Canon and its Excommunication?

What have you against the Execution of this?

A great deal. In sum, it is unrighteous, oppressing and divi∣ding, to cast out all Persons from the Church of Christ, who think that nothing is faulty in the Book of Ordination, or in their Prin∣ciples or Practice there expressed: And we dare not curse those that Christ doth bless; should we do this for a Benefice, in what should we differ from the sin of Balaam, who loved the wages of unrighteousness? whose iniquity and madness his Ass rebuked, saith St. Peter, 2 Pet. 2. 15. Yea, shall we not be far worse than he, that for an House full of Silver and Gold could not go be∣yond the Word of the Lord, and did not curse but bless Gods people? And it is not proud malignant Tongues reviling Gods Servants, and calling their Opinions wicked Errors that will make Christ disown his Members, or will warrant Balaam or us to curse them. O how unlike is this to the Spirit and Ministry Page  115 of Christ! for Prelates and Priests to curse, and cast out the Children of God, for saying that they go against his Law.

But what is amiss in the Book of Ordination?

I am anon to tell you that. But if there were nothing a∣miss in it, yet the belief of its innocency is not necessary to Sal∣vation.

But if every man have leave to accuse the Orders of the Church, what Order can be maintained?

1. Leave modestly, to express dissent in a doubtful case may stand with Order. 2. If men do it disorderly, there be o∣ther Penalties besides ipso facto Excommunication: Every breach of the peace is not Rebellion, nor punisht with Death.

But I'll tell you briefly what may occasion good men to say that their Ordinations are sinful.

1. In that they thereby obtrude Pastors on the Churches upon the bare choice of a Patron, without or against the peoples wills.

2. In that they professedly ordain such as their Canon forbids to Preach or Expound any Doctrine.

3. In that they determine that Bishops, Priests and Deacons are three distinct Orders, which yet is an undetermined Contro∣versie among even the Learnedst Papists. And must we damn, and cut off men for that which the very Papists leave at li∣berty?

4. In that they ordain men to an Office which Scripture mak∣eth no mention of. Dr. Hammond saith, that it cannot be proved that there were any Presbyters subject to Bishops in Scripture times, nor any but Bishops: None that had not power of Ordi∣nation and the Keys; nor any Bishops of a multitude of Churches and Presbyters, both which are here ordained.

5. In that they Swear Obedience to Arch-bishops and their Sees; and make Priests Covenant Obedience to their Ordinaries, as aforesaid.

If a godly man do as Bucer did to King Edward the Sixth, as you may see in his Scripta Anglic. and desire some of these faults to be amended, doth he deserve to be cast out as an impenitent wicked man for this? when they that will say, all's well that the Bishops do, may live quietly in open vice or ungodliness. As Dr. Sloughton saith, If you strike a Schismatick, and Christ find a Saint lye bleeding, and you be to answer for it, I would not be in your Page  116 case for all your wealth. If you must kill a Fly on the Forehead of a Child of God with a Beetle, or a Butchers Axe, you shall not use my hand to give the blow. If Chrysostom would rather have his hand cut off than give the Sacrament to a wicked man, tho' a Prince; I will rather have mine cut off than reject a Saint, or my Tongue cut out than curse Christs Members, lest he say I cursed him in them.