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We have proven, by strong arguments, that the authority of excommunication pertaineth to the whole church; which, though he contradicteth, yet, in one place, forgetting himself, he acknowledges that the authority of the church of Corinth was to intervene in the excommunication of the incestuous man.
But he speaketh it of the ministers’ admonishing, who are but a part of the elderships, as himself there granteth. Now, where did I ever say or write, that admonition, by a minister, is a spiritual censure? Again, p. 4, he so judgeth me, that he not only forsaketh, but contradicteth my words, “How can you say you were unwilling?” He saith, p. 16, “Now the Commissioner speaks out, &c. What!
'Let them return unto thee, but return not thou unto them. Jer. xv. 19. 'Believe nothing that contradicteth the end of all religion. If its tendency be against a holy life, it cannot be truth. 'Plead not the darker texts of Scripture against those that are more plain and clear, nor a few texts against many that are as plain.
And here I mark how the Bishop contradicteth himself; for in one place where his antagonist maintaineth truly, that the craftsman cannot be lawfully commanded nor compelled to leave his work and to go to public divine service, except on the day that the Lord hath sanctified, he replieth, “If he may be lawfully commanded to cease from his labour during the time of divine service, he may be as lawfully compelled to obey the command.” Who can give these words any sense, or see anything in them said against his antagonist’s position, except he be taken to say, that the craftsman may be both commanded and compelled to leave his work and go to divine service on the week-days appointed for the same?
This way is worship placed in the keeping of holidays, when for conscience of an human ordinance, they are both kept as holy and thought necessary to be so kept. 3. The Bishop contradicteth himself; for elsewhere he defendeth, that the church hath power to change the Lord’s day.
In the meantime, the foresaid rule still crosseth Mr Sprint’s tenet; for he holdeth that even whilst certain ceremonies remain evil in their use, and cease not to be scandalous and inconvenient, yet we are not ever bound to abstain from them, but may in the case of deprivation practice them, which directly contradicteth the rule. Sect. 6. For further confirmation whereof, we say, 1.
For to propound life eternal to us, through the observation of laws, is to set before us that which contradicteth grace and mercy, let the work be what it will; nor will it help at all to say, that they that do the law of Christ, or that take him for their law and example, shall be sure of mercy to pass by their shortness of attaining to the perfection of what is set before them.
If I be fond of the sea, and all that is sealike, and fondest of it when it angrily contradicteth me: If the exploring delight be in me, which impelleth sails to the undiscovered, if the seafarer's delight be in my delight: If ever my rejoicing hath called out: "The shore hath vanished, now hath fallen from me the last chain
Though one place of scripture be enough to confirm any point of truth, and ground sufficient for us to believe what is there said, there being nothing in scripture but what is truth; yet, in such a time of abounding errors, and when many are going abroad speaking perverse things to lead the simple away, it were spiritual wisdom to be comparing scripture with scripture, and not be lightly embracing whatever may seem probable, and fairly deducible from some one passage or other of scripture, but to be comparing that with other passages and see what concord there is; for this is certain, whatever point contradicteth other clear and manifest testimonies of scripture cannot be true; however a cunning sophister may make it seem very probably to flow out of such or such a passage of scripture.
The same answer doth Dr Forbesse also return us. Ans. 1. Here is a manifest contradiction; for the Bishop saith that every man did, by this oath, oblige himself only to obey and defend that discipline which is unchangeable and commanded in the word. The Bishop doth, therefore, apparently contradict himself; or, at the best, he contradicteth his fellow-pleader for the ceremonies.
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