their own the Princes thought it high time when they had unmasq'd their hypocrisie to lay aside their own compassion and kindness and to deal with them according to their deserts at the rate of head-strong and sturdy Rebels But from the Persons he pleads for under the feigned notion of weak Brethren whose pulse and temper we may be called upon to feel and examine a little more precisely hereafter let us pass on to consider the things he pleads against as things indifferent whihc he thinks to be no less imprudently than uncharitably imposed And here I must premise that this Reconciler is as like to be an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a busie-body in matters which he has no concern to intermeddle in as any of those whom the Apostle tells us do deservedly suffer as 1 Pet. 3. 17. chap. 4. 1◠it is sit they should amongst evil doers For has he any order from his Superiours to undertake the part of a Reconciler did they furnish him with instructions and give him his Rules and Measures to guide him in a matter of this importance to Church and State or has he any Commission from the Dissenters to act and play the Advocate on their behalf have they made their last Will and Testament about things indifferent Does he know what they are content to bequeath to the Church or what they are resolved to take from it Can he tell what will fully satisfie their scrupulosity and bring them into so hearty a compliance with us as may settle a happy and a seasonable conformity amongst us if he can produce no delegation to this effect the design he goes upon running Counter to the Laws and Customs establisht his attempt will be ridiculous and appear to consist of as many and as impertinent fooleries as those he has so civilly charged the Learned Meisner with But let us proceed When Moses the great Law-giver was about to make the Tabernacle a Type of the Church he was admonished thus of God see that thou make Heb. 8. ◠all things according to the Pattern shewed to thee on the Mount But I do not find that ever he called the people to consult whether they approved of this or that part of the pattern nor do I find any attempt of theirs to question or dispute the decency of any particular piece of that pattern Now parallel to the Pattern on the Mount the Apostles had the mind of Christ after his frequent Sermons and private discourses And Acts 1. Gal. 1. S. Paul had it also by a special revelation And a prospect of this Pattern we have in those General Rules of the Apostles let all things be done decently and in order to publick edification and the Glory of God These were the Pattern on the Mount under the New Testament the Ritual Law of the Holy Gospel by which alone the Authority of Governors is limitted and directed And when matters of Ecclesiastical Discipline are established by their Prudence according to this Rule the subjects Duty is to submit and follow their steps and practice And if this were well observed it would presently free them from all their doubts and scruples as well as from their Schism which can never be excused unless they can prove that their Governors do act contrary to the divine Canon in which case only they may plead with S. Peter whether it be right c. But Acts 4. 19. the Reconciler can never make use of that Plea against our Governors in favour of the Dissenters if he reckons them amongst S. Pauls weak ones because he confesses p. 73. the Apostle has made as perfect and full a determination against them as words can make And 't is a little strange to observe the want of Ingenuity in this Reconciler according to the wonted practice of the Party he repeats their Cavils and Objections but never takes notice of the Answers that have been returned it seems they have been refuted with so much strength of reason that he thought himself not able enough to grapple with it But this is not all he makes a great cry against the imposition of unnecessary Ceremonies as if the Constitution of this Church were over-burthened and the good Seed of the Gospel choaked with the multitude of them when in truth upon a strict examination they will not amount unto a number For we may observe That he reckons some observances among things indifferent which really are not so He does instance in bowing and kneeling which are parts of Gods external Worship suggested by the light of nature and enjoyned by the second precept of the Moral Law which command binds always semper non ad semper but because this external Worship may be exhibited in several gestures of the Body which cannot be all performed at once therefore it is left to the wisdom of the Church to determine it pro hic nunc for place and season for which notwithstanding She wants not Her sufficient directions in holy Scripture 2. We may observe that all things are not alike indifferent As in those Heavenly bodies there is one Glory of the Sun another of the Moon another of the Stars and one Star differeth from another Star in Glory So a great disparity there was betwixt the State and Magnificence of the first and second Temple for even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory that excelleth And to bring the discourse 2 Cor. 3. 10. more close to our concern a Surplice is generally a thing indifferent and yet when we come to specialties who sees not that there is a great difference betwixt one of Cambrick and one of Canvas and the richer it is in value according to common estimation the greater respect it shews to the person to whom we do therein administer And this is God's own account as well as mine when the people made the Table of the Lord contemptible by their lame and blind Sacrifices God upbraids them for their profane ingratitude Offer it now unto thy Governor will he be pleased with Mal. 1. 7. 8. thee or accept thy person saith the Lord of Hosts And we must remember that it was the Poverty of the Offerer which God condescended to when he accepted of a pair of Turtle-doves or two young Pigeons for an Oblation and this was only in case of a private person who was able to present no more and so must not be brought into example when we are concerned for publick Administrations And we may consider further that The estimate of Veneration and Reverence is taken from the customs of several Places and Countrys to put off our shooes in holy places among us would be undecent and so it would be thought to kiss the Kings hand upon our tails Whatever they do in other places our Governors have adjudged the Gestures and Observances in use among us to be the most Reverent and 't is left to their
his Resolution Potest esse Scandalum passivum vel acceptum sine peccato agentis ut cum factum unius est alteri occasio peccandi praeter intentionem facientis conditionem facti There may be a Passive Scandal or Scandal taken without any sin or offence of the Agent As for example when the Fact of one man is the occasion of sinning to another contrary to the nature of the Fact and the intention of him that does it Some capricious person may take offence at my very best performances when I aim at nothing but the Glory of God and my own Salvation The Superstitious Pharisees were offended at the Disciples for plucking and rubbing out the ears of Corn and some were offended at the anointing of our Saviours feet These Instances were neither necessary nor commanded but actions indifferenâ— Let no man say that was Judas for others can kiss their Masters hand and cry Hail to their Mother the Church and yet take offence and betray them both But did Christ check Mary Magdalen or his Disciples and tell them they walk'd uncharitably in so doing no he justified the practice as innocent and laudable Peter likewise was offended that Christ should condescend to wash his feet Was not that an indifferent action and had it not a Religious and Spiritual signification Does Christ desist from the performance because a weak Disciple took offence at it no tho it was a symbolical Ceremony our blessed Lord sticks not to assert it and goes on with his own practice 'T is my duty to give no offence but having avoided the occasion on my part 't is not my duty that a weak or froward Brother takes none If the woe belongs to him by whom the offence comes in this sense let the Reconciler look to himself For if he thinks he has not given offence to his Superiors and the Church of God by his incoherent Book yet I am sure there is offence and great offence taken at it and many think it was no less unnecessary than unseasonable and I dare be bold to say 't was uncommanded unless the perswasion of some Atheistical Physician has the force of a Command with him But he presses S. Paul upon us in these words Does S. Paul say If meats Pag. 79. make my Brother to offend I will not so eat as to design his ruine no but I will never eat whilst the World stands lest I make my Brother to offend Here I cannot but take notice of this Reconcilers want of Ingenuity among the grounds laid in the Verdict for securing the Authority and Peace of the Church and for the Conviction of Gain-sayers he found such as he could neither answer nor digest hereupon his Zeal for the Cause boyled up his passion into such an intemperate heat as makes him forget the holy Text as well as Humanity and the right way of Reasoning Because he was transported himself he will needs have S. Paul so too for he representeth him thus saying If meat make my brother to offend I will never eat whilst the World stands If this were it then he resolved to starve himself and that is against the Law of Nature and that must needs be against Charity We see by this what a great Casuist he is A negative precept does always bind and we cannot quit the obligation though the whole World were in danger to be subverted Thou shalt not commit Adultery thou shalt not worship an Idol thou shalt not kill thy self to avoid Scandal 'T is a Common Rule from S. Bernard Melius est ut scandalum oriatur quam ut veritas relinquatur 'T is better that Scandal should arise than the truth be forsaken or a divine precept broken And 't is one of the three exceptions which S. Hierom makes in the Case of Scandal Dimittendum est propter Scandalum omne quod potest praetermitti salva triplici veritate sc vitae justitiae Disciplinae A man is not bound to quit his Life nor the course of Justice and good Discipline to avoid Scandal unless it be in a Relaxation of Penalty when need requires St. Paul says only that he would not eat flesh and perhaps he means such flesh as had been offered to Idols or perhaps his meaning might be that tho Christ had ordained that they who Preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel and at the Charge of See v. 8. to the end of the ninth Chapter those to whom they did Administer yet that he resolved not to use this Liberty amongst them but to abstain from it the more to oblige and endear them to him so St. Chrysostom and Oecumenius who does connect the Verse to the ninth Chapter 2. I say he writes here as a Rhetorician 'T is Hyperius his observation that the Apostle uses great Civility and Artifice in his Epistles to oblige them And Grotius says his expression is Hyperbolical and Beza upon the place refers us to Mat. 5. 29. and his Note upon that Text is this Hyperbolice haec dicuntur vide Chrysost Hom. 3. de laudibus Pauli 3. And whether the expression may not be restrained to the Dispensation of Moses and the duration of their Laws and Oeconomy ought to be considered for that the word signifies that state and the observances there in use is very manifest * Per Elementa mâ—ndi intelligunt rudimenta illa paedagogica quibus Deus erudivit Ecclesiam Judaicam In hanc eò lubentius descendo sententiam quod ipse Paulus ad Gal. 4. 3. per elementa mundi designat illum cultum ceremonialem qui viguit sub Vet. Test Daven ad Col. 2. 8. Gal. 4. 3. Col. 2. 8 20. for which see the Learned and Pious Dr. Hammond on the Text and note 6. on Col. 2. 8. That St. Paul did never do what he there intimated to be his inclination is the affirmation of St. Chrysostome and that he did otherwise when the Church was come to a point of settlement and the obstinacy of the Jews made him despair of their coming into her Communion is clear from his own Determination and Practice Ye observe dayes I am afraid of you Gal. 4. 10 11. Ch. 5. 1 2 4. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free if ye adhere to the Law for your Justification Christ is become of none effect to you He shall profit Daven ad Col. 2. 8. p. 186. you nothing ye are fallen from Grace He saith as much to the Colossians Ch. 2. 8. Beware lest any man spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the World This is that which the Apostle saith they are to be avoided as Impostors who obtrude upon Christians the Ceremonies which God commanded under the old Testament being abrogated in Christ by the exhibition of the Gospel saith Davenant 4. The sense of the Apostle as Dr. Hammond sums up in his Paraphrase upon 1 Cor. 8.
Brother be he Jew or Gentile to offend For Kneeling and bowing whatever Mat. 4. 1. mean Conceit the Reconciler has of it The Divel was not so much an Ass as to offer all the Glory of the World for a trifle He knew it to be God's due and a part of his External Worship and so he valued it and was desirous to purchase it upon that account And I am of Opinion it cannot be totally taken away from God's Service without Sacriledge And if we can take the Confidence to abolish this let us never blame the Church of Rome for taking away the Cup from the Laity in the Lord's Supper for the Sacrament in ' its integrity is but a part of External Worship and the Cup but a part of that part And the taking away of Kneeling utterly out of God's Worship seems to be a greater Offence than taking away the Cup because that is a Part of the Law of Nature whereas the Sacrament is but of positive Institution and consequently not so strictly binding And being an undoubted part of God's External Worship and a piece of Natural Religion we certainly do well to use it at the Sacrament as an Acknowledgement of Christ's Divinity which now a-dayes is so professedly impugned by the Socinians And We shall allow our Governours very little to do about matters of Religion if they may neither Ordain a Ceremony nor so much as appoint a special time for the performance of an undoubted Part of God's External Worship That some of the Dissenters act out of Pride Malice Obstinacy the Reconciler fears is too true That all of them Pag. 108. are of that Temper Dr. womock is so far from affirming that he thinks 't is very false He does not pretend to set up a Tribunal in any Man's Heart to Judge the secret Operations of his Mind But he is very well assured That good meanings can never Sanctify wicked Actions and we need no Window in some Men's Breasts to read their inward Dispositions Fides Incredulitas cordium sunt fateor ea nemo hominum judicare potest saith Bullinger Faith Ad Titum 3. 10. and Unbelief I confess are the Secrets of the Heart which no Man can judge Ex Dictis vero Factis ijsque manifestis debent fieri hominum judicia We must Judge of Men therefore by their Words and Actions which are manifest and apparent Our Saviours Rule cannot fail Us if we take it aright and he tells Us more than once By their Mat. 7. 16. Deut. 32. 32 33. fruits ye shall know them What Harvest have we had of these Thorns What Figs have we reapt from these Thistles Have not their Grapes been Grapes of Gall and their Clusters bitter Has not their wine been the poison of Dragons and the Crud venome of Aspes 'T is Gualters Observation and I desire Ad Rom. Homil 87. cap. 15. 5 6. the Reader to take Notice that in this Discourse I make no use of Jesuits to offend the Reconciler or his weak Brethren but such Protestants as are the most likely to favour the Cause of the Dissenters if there were any Reason or Colour for it Hi ut Ecclesiam turbant it a dei cultores esse non possunt cum Unitatem scindant quâ ille imprimis delectatur He speaks of the Sowers of Dissentions and Authors of Sects and Factions who as they disturb the Peace of the Church so they cannot be the Servants of God seeing they rent that Unity which he is chiefly delighted with We are told by the Apostle That Schism it self is a Work of the Flesh and excludes the Schismatick from the Kingdom of God But when the tender Conscience Gal. 5. 20. sets up for Reformation we cannot easily forget the great Train of Mischiefs which follows it For upon this Pretence Did not that Party make an Insurrection against Moses and against Aaron and conspire to destroy both Church and State and we know they kept their Wicked Covenant in nothing else How malicious and eager were they to Root out the Royal Family and to anoint the Bramble to Reign over them Did not they affront the late KING of ever blessed Memory by Clamours and Seditious Tumults Did they not Persecute him by Votes and Propositions against all the Rules of Honour and Conscience Did they not Blaspheme his Person slander and defame his Actions Did they not usurp his Power and seize upon his Militia the only guard of it Did they not make themselves Masters of his Revenue his Ships his Forts his Castles Did they not pursue and fight him Drive him from house and home and at last Arraign and Murder him If we can pass these Crimes upon the Accompt of Humane frailty let us no longer blame the Church of Rome for her Doctrine of Venial Sins He that can impute them as the Reconciler is supposed to do to the Prejudices of Pag. 113. Education Mis-conception or Mis-interpretation of the sence of Scripture to the Want of better Information or to unreasonable Fears and Scrupulosities and excuse those execrable practices upon that score may easily be tempted to make an Invective against Moses and Aaron and a Panegyrick upon Corah and to turn the 30th of January as too many of the Party does into a Festival for the honour of our Unrelenting Regicides But the truth is All those gay Pretences viz. the Prejudices of Education the Want of better Information which cannot reasonably be alledged among us Misconception and the like we know are inconsistent with the state of Grace in Jewes and Turks and why not in Sectaries in whom after the contempt of sufficient instruction they do certainly degenerate into Pride Malice and Stubbornness and if they be not finally Corrected and subdued by Repentance they are damning But were their Clergy wanting in point of Education Were they ignorant of the sence of Scripture They would take it in great disdain to be thought so And yet were not they the most Vociferous Trumpeters of our late Rebellion Did not they study invent and publish the most desperate Principles of Sedition Who made the People the highest seat of Soveraignty and placed a Coordinate Power with that of the King in the House of Commons Who intituled them at least to an equal Authority with His Majesty in making Laws and in the command of the Militia And who animated all the Souldiers they could arm and Levy against the King and absolved them from their Oath of Allegiance to Act and Practise those Principles after their Doctrine and Example These are some of the Reconcilers Weak Brethren And for the Common sort were they not consenting to the Deeds of their Seditious Leaders Did they not abett and encourage them by their Addresses and Petitions Did they not approve and applaud them in all their Villanies And assoon as they had destroyed the Church and Government did they not swarm into Sects and Factions and hiv'd themselves
a-part in several Conventicles as their Fancy led them without any regard to Gospel Rule or Government Tantum Religio potuit suadere malorum Such horrid mischiefs never can Commence But when Religion 's made the grand Pretence He that is but of yesterday and knows nothing of these things let him read the History of Independency The Mystery of the two Junctoes The short view of the late troubles with Evangelium Armatum and the Dissenters sayings And here I must put in my Apoligy in the Words of St. Austin upon a like Occasion Non praeterita Vendicando Epist 202. ante finem pascere Iram nostram studemus sed misericorditer in futurum consulendo satagimus We do not study to challenge things past to feed and gratifie our Anger but we endeavour out of great compassion to consult the common Benefit for the future And we have need enough to look forward God knows For Republicans Hobbists Atheists All Factions conspire in the Plea of tender Conscience and shelter themselves in the combination of Weak Brethren to undermine the Government and I am sorry they have gotten such an Engineer as this Reconciler into their service Have we not still amongst the Party such as will take upon them to make not only their own Prayers but their own Creed and their own Commandments And when we soberly consider how obstinate they are in their Schism and Sedition against the best of Kings and Churches we have but too much reason to fear least they should be given up as it hath often hapned in the like case of disobedience to their own delusions For do they not attempt to strengthen themselves in their Perversities by Solemn Leagues and Associations without and against the leave and likeing of their Soveraign Have they not taken all advantages to stuff the Pillow of the Crown with Thornes and to make the Throne to totter and become uneasy to his Majesty These things and the Particulars of them are so fresh in memory it would be but loss of time to repeat them In short these are a Race of men of such strange Machiavilian Principles that when they do most solemnly Protest and Vow to make their Princes Glorious they have a Jesuitical Reservation in it Their meaning and projected Method is to bring them as they did our late most Dear and Sacred Soveraign to the Block of Martyrdom 'T is high time therefore for us to shew our selves men and as Rational Isa 46. 8. Creatures and Loyal Subjects not to suffer our selves to be cheated any longer with the false Pretence of Tender Conscience and the title of Weak Brethren Whatever Men's Designs and Pretences be we are sure our Saviour's Rule is Infallible by their fruits ye shall know them By this I hope we may judge concerning Men's Opinions Whether they are like to be taken up and maintained out of Pride Malice Perversness But the Reconciler does sincerely profess That He knows not any such as can be certainly applied to the Case of the Dissenters And therefore 3ly He intreats Dr. Womock to Pag. 114. consider the falseness and absurdity of that Rule of Judging so severely of his Brethren which he hath borrowed from our Roman Adversaries for if this be a true and certain Rule which Soto has delivered That he must be supposed to err through malice who has been so far admonished that he cannot justly pretend Ignorance or who may easily be convinced of his ignorance And we who are Parties are left to judge of both these things What shall we say to all the Papists in this Nation or all the Learned Papists in the World To all the Reformed Churches who retain Presbitery and all their Pastors who receive Ordination only from their Hands To all those Calvinists who hold the Prelapsarian Doctrines and absolute Decrees of Reprobation To all the Lutherans who hold the foolish Doctrine of Con-substantiation Will Dr. Womock say That there has not been said Sufficient to convince them of their Errors so that they cannot justly pretend Ignorance May he not put them all in the same Form with our Dissenters and judge as Charitably of the Dissenter as of an erring Papist And if so all these Persons must be a pack of Damned Villains that err out of pure Malice Pride Affection and Animosity Stubborness and Frowardness or our Dissenters must escape that heavy Doom In Answer to this third Intreaty I have many things to offer towards a Satisfaction But this I learn from the Reconciler in general That such as err out of pure Malice Pride Affection Animosity Stubborness and Frowardness are a Pack of Damned Villains This the Reconciler makes a Major Proposition And for a Minor or Assumption he declares thus We have cause to Pag. 107. 108. fear the thing is too true that among the Body of Dissenters there be Men of this malicious proud stubborn Temper The Conclusion then from thence should be this Therefore We have cause to fear that amongst the Body of Dissenters there is a pack of Damned Villains Whether Dr. Womock ever let fall any Expression against the Generality of the Dissenters so rudely Censorious he appeals to every Man that has read the Verdict But the Reconciler to take off the Odium of such an Inference from himself has the Confidence to deny the Conclusion But knowing this as I suppose to be most grosly absurd in the Schools of Learning He affixes an Universal upon Pag. 108. Dr. Womock as if he had affirm'd That all the Dissenters to a Man without exception are Proud Froward Stubborn and Malicious that they all Sin out of pure Willfulness and Obstinacy or prepensed Malice and Design Thus he plays with Dr. Womock's Reputation to spring his own Game For upon that false Principle he Argues for six Leaves together But Dr. Womock challenges it as a piece of Justice from him either to make good his Universal Proposition against him or else to wear the Brand of a Notorious Slanderer Till the Reconciler has acquitted himself of this Dr. Womock has reason enough to neglect his Harangues upon such false Suppositions as impertinent but as well to entertain the Reader as to take occasion to assert the Truth I shall make some other Remarks upon what he has here suggested 1. Whereas he sayes We who are 2 Chron. 19. 6. 1 Cor. 5. 4. cap. 14. 37. 2 Cor. 2. 10. Parties are left to judge He is in a great Mistake The Governours of the Church are in Christ's stead in the Execution of their Ministerial Office of Legislation and Discipline In this their Political Capacity they judge not for Man but for the Lord they act as Christ's Stewards and not as Parties in opposition to Sectaries And for that Reason they are to be obeyed for the Lord's sake though in their Personal capacity they are subject to the Laws of the Church as well as other Men. 2. The Reconciler jumbles Things together of
so distant a Nature and Consideration that it is very reasonable to believe his Design was to amuse and not to instruct and edify his Reader 3. He seems to have a greater Kindness for the Papists than the Lutherans He can afford them the Title of Learned Papists But contemns the Lutherans all along as miserable and foolish Triflers Nay he has brought in St. Paul among the Jesuites formerly and here we shall find him again rankt among the Roman Adversaries so that in time he may possibly set up for a Papist Reconciler and I believe his common place Book is furnished with Materials for such a Work as well as for this which he has put out under another Title 4. In Reference to the several Parties he mentions Dr. Womock would say there has not been sufficient said to convince them of their Errours if others had not said more to the purpose to confute them than this Reconciler 5. If Con-substantiation be a foolish Doctrine yet 't is but a Metaphysical Speculation and so innocent of its own Nature it never brake the Peace in that Communion wherein 't is entertained 6. Tho this Reconciler would fain get into the Chair and pass his Sentence we pretend not to judge such as are not within our own Jurisdiction Let them Stand or Fall to their own respective Masters 't is enough when we have occasion to consider their Tenents to evince their Falsehood if we can and to discover their dangerous Consequence if they have any 7. Our Discourse relates to such as attempt to Subvert that Order and Government under which they have been bred and to which they owe Subjection 'T is true Contenders are ever stiff Judg. 8. 1. cap. 12. 1. 1 Sam. 19. 43. and confident and many times they are most fierce who have the worst Title But we know the Truth cannot lie on both sides nor can the Light of Evidence be equal to their Advantage Yet the Parties will not yield unless they be determin'd by Authority which is a clear Demonstration of the Necessity of Governours without whom now a dayes especially instead of being a Law unto himself every Man wou'd be a Gospel to himself and take what Liberty he list To prevent the Mischief of such Licentiousness we have these Commands upon us Obey them that Heb. 13. 17. Mat. 18. 17. have the Rule over you and he that will not hear the Church let him be unto thee as a Heathen Man and as a Publican And 't is Calvins own Doctrine That Men who are Contentious against the Custom and Practice of the Church in the Ad 1 Cor. 11. 16. use of Decent Rites are not to be treated with Disputations to gratify their itch of contending but to be bridled by Authority otherwise there could be no end of Strife and consequently no bounds set to the Exorbâ—tances of wicked Men For Jam. 3. ver 16. where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work But Authority should have some Rule to proceed by and Who shall give it Dr. Womock he sayes has borrowed a Rule from our Roman Adversaries Why Did Soto ever write against the Church of England He presented his Book de Naturâ and Gratiâ to the Council of Trent whereof he was a Member and it 's like he writes something therein against the Lutherans whose Doctrines this Reconciler contemns as foolish and trifling and so as for as we can see he is as much an Advocate for the Roman Party as their Adversary But What is his Quarrel to the Rule Will no Rule serve his turn but such a one as is without Exception Where shall we find it But let us give Soto's Rule fair Play and let it speak for it self He is supposed to Err through Malice who has been so far admonished that he cannot justly pretend Ignorance or may easily be convinced of it Can there be any thing said more rational If he cannot pretend ignorance or may easily be convinced of it and yet will persist in his errour Then his Fault proceeds not from the weakness of his Understanding but from the Pravity or corrupt Inclination of his Will which the School-Men call Malice For Passion and Surprize can have no place or pretence here where things are done with so much Deliberation and continued in against a Known Law and a just Authority as well as against frequent and publick Admonitions and when stubborness is added to the Opinion and Practice then of a matter of Choice and Knowledge it becomes Heresy But Why did the Reconciler single out Soto to the Combate when Perkins and St. Paul were in the same File on the Front and on the Rear of him and Verdict 100 101. no less concern'd in the Dispute than he Such Transgressions as our Reconciler undertakes to Excuse or Vindicate are hardly consistent with Mr. Perkins definition of weak Ones For these he saith are such as have turned to God and carry in their Hearts a Purpose in all things to please God and if they do amiss 't is out of simple Ignorance or bad Custom and 't will last no longer than till they be better inform'd but if after a sufficient Information they hold and practice bad things 't is then of willful Ignorance and of Malice and in that case He calls them Obstinate And for St. Paul his decretory Sentence is this A man that is an Heretick after Tit. 3. 10 11. the first and second admonition reject Knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himself This is a General Rule laid down by Apostolical Authority and prescribed to the Governours of the Church who are to take their measures from the Epistles to Timothy and Titus which were wrote on purpose for their Directions and not from the Epistles to the Romans where it does not appear that Church-Governours are concern'd at all much less directed in their Office And because that Rule of St. Paul is of so great importance I shall be the more large in giving the sence of it according to the exposition of the most learned Protestants By a Heretick the Apostle meanes Sectarium Hominem saith Aretius Sectarum Authorem the Author of Sects or a Sectary as Bullinger and Hyperius and others have it Calvin makes no distinction betwixt the Heretick and Schismatick in this place for he saith Ambitiosos omnes praefractos contentiosos qui Libidine impulsi turbant Ecclesiae pacem ac dissidia concitant hoc nomine comprehendit He comprehends under this Title all Ambitious Stubborn and Contentious Men who upon the impulse of their own lust stir up Discord and disturb the Peace of the Church In summa quisquis suâ proterviâ unitatem ecclesiae abrumpit is Haereticus vocatura Paulo Whosoever breaks the Peace of the Church by his frowardness St. Paul calls him an Heretick And yet further to reach such as set up Conventicles among us Quoties eo