whole Duty of Man If one that holds all necessary Christian Truths happen yet to be in some Error we are not for this to despise his Person or forsake his Communion Bishop Reynold 's Brotherly Agreement In the case of unavoidable Differences amongst good Men there ought to be mutual Charity c. not to judge despise reject insult over one another not to deal with the weaker as Aliens but as Brethren not to proceed presently unto Separation Rejection Anathematization but to restore those that are overtaken with an Error in the spirit of Meekness Dr. Alestry Serm. 9. pag. 170. Censuring the abuse of Excommunication If they be not so happy as to be Orthodox sending them down to Hell directly Dr. Barrow In his Vnity of the Church Speaking of the Roman Churches If Churches do maintain impious Errors if they do prescribe naughty practices if they do reject communion and peace upon reasonable Tearms if they vent unjust and uncharitable censures c. If they damn and persecute all that refuse to be their Subjects in such cases we may Reject such Churches as Heretical or Schismatical or wickedly uncharitable and unjust in their proceedings Dr. More in his Pref. to the Mistery of Godliness pag. 19. The Object of Church discipline ought to contain nothing but the indisputable Truths of our Religion namely the generally acknowledged Articles of the Christian Faith and plain indispensable Duties of Life for these are such as deserve to be held up with all possible care and strictness Other things so gently recommended that no conscientious man may be pinched by them Dr. Stillingfleet 's Preface to Irenicum What possible Reason can be assigned why such things should not be sufficient for communion with a Church which are sufficient for Eternal Salvatition And certainly those things are sufficient for that which are laid down as necessary Duty 's of Christianity by our Lord and Saviour in his Word Dr. Cave 's Gospel preached to the Romans Serm. 4. pag. 89. God be thanked such is the present Moderation of our Churches Ecclesiastical constitutions our penalties are not for Destruction but for correction and amendment we punish none for their bare opinions and readily embrace every Returning Penitent Item pag. 87. We must above all things put on Charity and when we come to reprove rebuke and to inflict Spiritual Censures and Punishments we must distinguish as tenderly as we can between the wilful and the weak the obstinate and the Ignorant the obstinate we must endeavour to save with Fear plucking them out of the Fire with them we must be more sharp and severe in our Admonitions and Threatnings But on the weak we must have Compassion who may be supposed to Err through simplicity or the fervors of Devotion and ought to be treated with a fatherly Tenderness for to be restored if possible conformable unto the Doctrine of St. Paul to Timothy with the Spirit of meekness Stop to the Course of Separation The just Reasons of Excommunication are the same all over the World which is obstinate persisting in great Transgressions of the general Precepts of the Gospel At the end of the Book Vnion of the Catholick Church pag. 10. Every difference in Judgment when no violence is offered to the Catholick Faith and Unity must not break this Communion according to that profession of St. Cyprian judging no man nor excluding him from the Right of Communion if he think otherwise where the dispute was thought of no mean concernment Which St. Augustine often alledgeth against the Donatists and condemns Victor pag. 11 th who was hastening to Excommunicate the Asian Churches for their difference in Celebration of Easter True State of the Primitive Church Be charitable to the weak proceed not so severely against them in your Courts of Judicature but Remember what St. Paul says Col. 2. in respect of Ceremonies Let no man judge you c. Will you in respect of such shadows judge Excommunicate Sentence to Everlasting Flames the Soul that holds of the Body of Christ believes all his Holy Gospel accords with you in one Faith one Baptisme c. Will you condemn such an one to Eternal Death God Forbid Conformists Plea for the Nonconformists Part 4. pag. 101. We can represent and inveigh against Schism as the sin against the Holy Ghost A Sin unto Death indeed in some sence because it is so contrary to Charity and Peace and destructive of the Life of Saints which doth much consist in their Communion But were we impartial we should as warmly admonish our own hearts to take heed of Schismatical Passions and excommunicate them from within us as admonish and cast out others that differ from us Idem pag. 20. We are forward to blame the more rigid sort of Separatists for not coming to our Worship and why are we so rigid as to forbear all Christian Communion with them as if Christianity were all lost among them I do declare that I hold Mental Communion with all the Holy Brethren and am prepared for Local and External Communion with them in all Christian Duties and Ordinances Dr. Hammond 's Annotations on the New Testament Rom. 14.17,18 Christianity consists not in such External Matters as Meats but in the practice of Christian Vertues such are Mercifulness and Peaceableness c. not dividing and hating and Excommunicating one another and 14. chap. ver 13. And therefore let this Fault be mended do not any longer Censure and seperate from one anothers Communion for such things as these Doctor Hammond of Schism p. 16. Because the Governours being men may possibly Err and consequently censure and Excommunicate the innocent its possible the person excluded may be innocent he that is Excommunicate unjustly cannot be rendred criminous by that misfortune p. 17. he cites Photius Patriarch of Constantinople the Excommunication of the Jewish Sanhedrim sent out against Christs Disciples brought them so much nearer to their Lord and Master and Alien'd the Jews themselves removed them so much the farther from the Kingdom of Heaven and so doth all unjust Excommunication unite us to the Apostles by this Conformity with and participation of their sufferings Bishop Jewels defence of the Apol. p. 583. Brings in St. Augustine saying Quid obest homini What is a man the worse if the ignorance of a man strike him out of the Book of the Church if ill conscience strike him not out of the Book of Life In this case St. Augustine saith it cometh sometime to pass Vt plurimae sint foris oves intus Lupi That there be many Sheep without the Church and many Wolves within And in your own Law Mr Harding it is written thus Qui illicite alium Excom c. He that unlawfully Excommunicates another condemneth himself and not another That our Love must be Catholick HOmily of Christian Love and Charity p. 36. Charity is to love every man good and evil friend and foe and whatsoever Cause be given to the Contrary yet