Conformity of the ecclesiastical discipline of the Reformed churches of France with that of the primitive Christians written by M. La Rocque ... ; render'd into English by Jos. Walker.

CONFORMITY.

There is nothing more frequent nor better Establish∣ed in the ancient Discipline, than what ours doth here prescribe; so that 'tis not necessary long to insist on a

matter, the truth whereof it were easie to prove by a great number of testimonies, were it not to spare the Reader a trouble. The Primitive Christians did just as we do, they informed Sinners of their Duty, they cha∣ritably represented to them their faults, they applied to them fit censures, they depriv'd them of participa∣ting of the Divine Mysteries, they caused them to pass by certain degrees of Penance proportion'd to the great∣ness of their faults; and when the crimes were heinous, and the obstinacy stout and resolute, they Excommuni∣cated them, in separating them from the Society of the faithful, as persons who had made themselves unworthy of living within the pale of the Church. Tertullian has in few words compris'd all this proceeding which I have now touched, when describing the Assemblies of his times, * 1.1 he observes, That therein was made Exhortations, Reprehensions, and Censures; that therein were inflicted pu∣nishments; that after having maturely weighed all things, Judgment was given, being perswaded God see them; and it is, saith he, a great resemblance of the last Judgment, if any one for his sins is deprived of the Communion of Prayer, from the Assembly, and from all holy intercourse.

Which will also appear yet more clearly, if one consi∣ders that Peter Bishop of Alexandria, and Martyr of Je∣sus Christ under Dioclesian, has expressed the vertue and efficacy of the Communion, * 1.2 by communicating in all things; in Prayers, in participating of the body and blood of the Lord, and in the Preaching of the Word. Origen has already spoke of the Ecclesiastical Synod, and of those which had the care to watch over the conduct of Christians, to encourage the one to do well, and to ex∣clude from the holy Assemblies those which lived ill; * 1.3 upon which it may be noted, there was two sorts of Ex∣communications amongst the Primitive Christians; the

former which was most frequent, consisted in the being debar'd from the Sacraments, to which sinners could not approach until after having done Penance for their sins, as it happened to the Emperour Theodosius, as is related by Zozomen Lib. 3. Cap. 25. for so it was, that all publick sins were punished; the other was a total exclusion from the Society of Believers, which Tertullian expresses by Omni Ecclesia tecto Submovere.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Apolog. cap. 39.
• * 1.2

  Epist. Ca∣non. cap. 8.
• * 1.3

  Chap. 3. Art. 3.