The nullity of church-censures: or A dispute written by that illustrious philosopher, expert physician, and pious divine Dr Thomas Erastus, publick professor in the University of Heidelbertge, and Basil. Wherein is proved by the holy Scriptures, and sound reason; that excommunication, and church-senates or members, exercising the same, are not of divine institution; but a meere humane invention.

XIV.

That forerunner of Christ John the Baptist ob∣served the same constantly: when he Baptized all the Pharisees, and Sadduces, whose manners he fully knew; and thence openly called them a generation of Vipers,) together with the Pub∣licans, and all others that came unto him, Matth. and Luke 3. that they might repent and a∣mend their former life, and flye from the wrath of God which was to come. It is not likely, that this eminent man would have admitted men co∣vered with so many wickednesses, yea impiously and publickly denying the Resurrection of the dead, except he had well known, that the Law excluded no such persons. For the Law exclud∣eth no Circumcis'd Person, except the unclean and leprous, as was said before.