A survey of the summe of church-discipline. Wherein the vvay of the churches of New-England is warranted out of the vvord, and all exceptions of weight, which are made against it, answered : whereby also it will appear to the judicious reader, that something more must be said, then yet hath been, before their principles can be shaken, or they should be unsetled in their practice. / By Tho. Hooker, late pastor of the church at Hartford upon Connecticott in N.E.

3.

Let it yet be further considered, whether this provision made by a Synodicall proceeding, keeping the patterne here pro∣pounded, will heale the wound and reforme the sinner, though there be not an appeale made to an Oecumenicall Councell.

And that this provision according to the proposed grounds, may in a legall way be defeated, I thus shew,

The party that is to be censured in a Classis, he appeales to a Synode for his reliefe, as he hath an allowance by the judgement of our Brethren.

But the Synode of which he will make choice shall be so farre re∣mote, that either it will not be easily gathered, or the Messen∣gers of the Churches cannot readily be fitted to repaire thereun∣to, as instance thus.

The party that broacheth false Doctrine in Scotland, is not convinced, cannot be reclaimed from his errour by the Classis, but makes an appeale from them to an higher Court of juris∣diction, which may right his wrong; but that shall not be a Provinciall nor Nationall Synode in Scotland, but one in Ger∣many or Holland, and from this pattern he pleads his lawfull liberty in such a proceeding.

If they went to have their cause scanned 200. miles from An∣tioch to Jerusalem, why may not I upon the like occasion chal∣lenge the like liberty? and who can oppose, unlesse he will oppose the precedentiall practice of the Gospel.

Now when this Errour will be suppressed, or this Heretick reformed by this way, let the Reader judge; For the Errour it may be is such, that it is not worth the labour, and travell, and trouble that must thus be undertaken; or the cure is like to prove so difficult, that its unlikely ever to be attained, or at leastwise never in season: and thus humane devices prejudice Gods Ordinances, and their own comforts.

The truth is, A particular Congregation is the highest Tri∣bunall, unto which the greived party may appeal in the third place; if private Councell, or the witnesse of two have seemed to proceed too much sharpely and with too much rigour against him, before the Tribunal of the Church, the cause may easi∣ly be scanned and sentence executed according to Christ.

If difficulties arise in the proceeding, the Counsell of other Churches should be sought to clear the truth; but the Power of Censure rests still in the Congregation where Christ plcaed it.

Let us now heare what Mr Rutherford answers in this be∣halfe

pag. 218. when it was said an offended Brother cannot have a Synode of Elders or a Nationall Assembly to complaine unto. 2. That Christ is setting down away, how an obstinate Brother may be cast out of the Church, where he was an offender.