Amongst the Primitive Christians, when a Sinner had been Excommunicated in a Church, when he had been cut off from its body, or only debar'd from the Holy Table, another Church was not permitted to re∣ceive him, without the consent of that which had in∣flicted the punishment; It was by this Principle, that the Clergy of the Church of Rome, the See being vacant after the death of its Bishop Hygin, about the year of our Lord 150. would not receive Marcion to the Communion, because he had been Excommunicated by his own Father, who was Bishop, for having debauch'd a young Woman: We cannot, say they, * 1.1 do this without the Order of your venerable Father. In Theodoret, Alex∣ander Bishop of Alexandria, complains to Alexander, Bi∣shop of Constantinople, that some Bishops had received to the Communion, some persons which he had Excom∣municated. The 5th Canon of the great Council of Nice expresly forbids it; as also several others, which 'tis needless to alledge.
But when there was no Sentence given against a Sin∣ner, that he had not appeared before the Guides to ac∣knowledg his Sin, or to be convicted of it, and that by consequence he had not been Excommunicated; it is very probable that if he retired into another Church where the Fault was not committed, he there would be treated according to the Rules of Christian Charity, without paying the satisfaction which he owed to that, which he had scandaliz'd in case he return'd to it: It is just what is prescribed by our Discipline; whereas there