2dly. With respect to the obligation of such a vow when made, it may be observed, that the individual must consider whether he is able to fulfil it without breaking the commandments of God. If he can, then his vow ought certainly to be adhered to. But if, after serious endeavours to perform it, he still finds that he cannot at the same time keep it and the commandments of God, then the former, being the lesser obligation, must give place to the latter. This is evident from many reasons: 1. The obligation to keep the law of God is antecedent to, and cannot therefore be annulled by any vow we may make. Thus, though Herod's oath was rashly made, yet it was still more rashly and wickedly kept, when, in order to fulfil it, he ordered John the Baptist's head to be cut off. (Matt. xiv. 9.) 2. It also appears from Scripture, where we find our Saviour condemns the Jewish practice of vowing to the treasury that which they ought to have given to their parents, and refutes the idea that such a vow released those who made it, from the duty of supporting them. (Matt. xv. 5.)

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ARTICLE XXXIII.

OF EXCOMMUNICATE PERSONS, HOW THEY OUGHT TO BE AVOIDED.

THAT PERSON WHICH BY OPEN DENUNCIATION OF THE CHURCH IS RIGHTLY CUT OFF FROM THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH, AND EXCOMMUNICATE, OUGHT TO BE TAKEN OF THE WHOLE MULTITUDE OF THE FAITHFUL AS A HEATHEN AND A PUBLICAN, UNTIL HE BE OPENLY RECONCILED BY PENANCE, AND BE RECEIVED INTO THE CHURCH BY A JUDGE THAT HATH AUTHORITY

THEREUNTO.

THIS Article asserts that the Church is rightly possessed of the power of excommunication.a

The truth of this assertion appears from the following considerations: 1. From analogy. All Christians are bound to observe a strict purity and holiness of life, and every individual ought to avoid all unnecessary familiarity with profligate men, both because he may insensibly be corrupted by them, and because the world will therefore be inclined to think that he derives pleasure from such characters and from their vices. Now the same rule which any individual

18.

a See Potter on Ch. Gov. c. 3. sec. 8. and Whitgift's Def. tract.

Christian ought to propose to himself, should likewise be made the rule of all Christians, as they are constituted in a body, under guides and pastors.

2. From the nature of societies. The formation of a society implies that it has a power to maintain itself according to its objects and its, rules, and therefore to exclude from its number such as may be a reproach to it, or whose conduct tends to destroy it. Thus likewise it is the duty of the pastors of the Church to separate the good from the bad, and expel from among them wicked persons. But further, the necessity of such a practice, in order to the preservation of society, will appear more particularly from considering the effects of its exercise. (1.) It prevents the contagion of bad example. "Evil communications corrupt good manners." (1 Cor. xv. 33.) And therefore, in order to preserve the purity of those who are not yet corrupted, it is necessary to note the disobedient and "have no company with them." (2 Thess. iii. 14.) (2.) It is the occasion of benefit to the individuals, since they may thus be "pulled out of the fire," (Jude, 23,) by the terror of such a proceeding. For this purpose we find the Apostles made use of the powers they possessed. Thus St. Paul" delivered Hymeneus and Alex"ander unto Satan, that they might learn not to blaspheme;" (1 Tim. i. 20.); and likewise the

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incestuous person

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"for the destruction of the

flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” (1 Cor. v. 2—5. and 2 Cor. ii. 3.) (3.) It secures the peace and honour of society. St. Paul wished that "they were cut off that troubled the Churches." Great care should be taken that we give no occasion to the enemies of our faith to blaspheme, as if we designed to turn religion into a faction, excusing those that adhere to us in other things, though they break out into the most scandalous violations of God's commandments. Further, such a conduct towards excommunicate persons, as the Article prescribes, would give great authority to the sentence, and impress men's minds with respect for it, which must be lessened when it is observed that Christians converse familiarly with those on whom it has passed.

In order to give a clear idea of the question, it will be necessary to consider, 1st. The degree in which the power should be exercised; and, 2. The effects of that exercise upon individuals.

1. With respect to the degree in which the power should be exercised, there have been two opinions 1st. Some persons conceive, because the Apostles have, in general, declared those persons accursed, "who preach another Gospel," (Gal. i. 9,) and "those who love not the Lord Jesus to be Anathema, Maranatha ;" (1 Cor. xvi.

a See Bellar. de Eccl. Mil. 1. 3. c. 6.

22;) that therefore the Church may still put men under an anathema for holding such unsound doctrines as they think contradict the Gospel, and may deliver them over unto Satan, casting them out of the protection of Christ, and abandoning them to the devil; supposing that the cutting them off from the body of Christ is really exposing them to the devil, who "goes "about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may "devour." But this opinion is liable to many objections: (1.) There can be no ground for following the example of the Apostles on this subject, or applying a power which they used so seldom and so cautiously, to every opinion upon which a decision has been made, unless it be certain that the Church which has so decreed cannot err; and if this be not the case, it is an unwarrantable assumption of an authority to which no fallible body of men can have a right. (2.) The actual exercise of this power has produced the most fatal effects; having laid the foundation for much uncharitableness and many animosities, and widening breaches, which have thereby been rendered incurable. (3.) "The delivery unto Satan" was plainly an act of a miraculous power lodged with the Apostles. For, as they struck some blind or dead, so they had an authority of letting loose evil spirits on others, to terrify and punish them, that a desperate evil might be cured by an extreme re