ARTICLE XXXIII.-" Of Excommunicate Persons, how they are to be avoided."

"If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone; if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother; but if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church; but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican."

Whatever may be said of the propriety and wisdom of the Church as the mixed community it now is, practising excommunication, it cannot be denied that the custom has Divine authority, and therefore if she deem it expedient, the Church is at liberty to revive this long-disused practice.

That it was followed by the Apostolic Church we have abundant evidence.

St. Paul, writing to the church at Thessalonica, commands his brethren "in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us." Also to his converts at Rome, "Now I beseech you brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned: and avoid them." And in the case of the guilty man

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at Corinth, whom the Church would not expel, St. Paul wrote in righteous anger, commanding them "in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" and his own spirit, "to deliver such an one to Satan." "Now I write unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, with such an one, no, not to eat; evidently alluding to the Communion. "For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person." The Church may not pronounce judgment on any without her pale. God will hereafter judge the world in righteousness, but now it is Satan's kingdom, therefore beyond the jurisdiction of the kingdom of Christ, the Church.

But on all who have joined themselves to her communion, and refuse to walk according to God's holy Word and commandment, she has authority given her by the Divine Head to pronounce sentence of excommunication; that is declaring that as they chose to obey the laws of Satan rather than those of God, the kingdom of the former is the place to which they belong; therefore they may not be partakers of the spiritual privileges of Churchmembership, being outside her communion.

But it is not till by their own choice they have first placed themselves beyond the Church of Christ,

that she may ratify that their deed, and refuse to receive them back, until repenting of their sins, they publicly confess their desire to be once more in a state of salvation.

As the Body of Christ, the Church must be kept as far as possible on earth, holy as He is holy. As a "congregation of faithful men” she must let her light so shine before the world, that the difference between God's kingdom and Satan's empire be unmistakably visible. Our Church claims no more than the right given her by Christ Himself, and practised by the Primitive Church.

In the Rubrics before the Communion Service, it is directed that any one known to be "an open and notorious evil liver, or has done any wrong to his neighbours, by word or deed, so that the congregation be offended thereby," the minister shall refuse him admission to the Holy Table until he repent, and confess openly his sins. Also in the case of those between whom deadly hatred and malice is known to exist, the minister is to take the same course until they from the bottom of their heart forgive each his brother his trespasses.

The xxvi. and xxvii. Canons of 1603, also direct "defamers of the Prayer-Book and of the Royal Supremacy, and Churchwardens negligent of the duty of presentment of offenders," shall be refused. "And the Ordinary shall proceed against the offending person according to the Canon," that is, ecclesiastical law.

The "Judge that hath authority thereunto," is one belonging to the Ecclesiastical Courts, not merely a spiritual authority; which shows that the Church in her union with the State, recognises the claim asserted by the latter to interfere and decide in offences of this class, as in all other cases of violation of statute law.

ARTICLE XXXIV.-" Of the Traditions of the
Church."

This is a protest against two opposite extremes of error.

First, against the despotism of the Papal See which claims for itself as the Divine representative, sole authority to establish and abolish traditions or ceremonies. Secondly, against the extreme individualism of the Puritans, which they carried to the extent of asserting every man to be free to do what is right in his own eyes, owning no spiritual authority or ecclesiastical law, therefore owing no obedience to it whatever. This doctrine would necessarily put an end to all Church organisation and government.

Our Church has here again adhered to the middle way between two extremes," in claiming first, for "every particular or national Church," power and right to establish and ordain what customs or ordinances it judges expedient, without

the interference of Rome. For as the manners and habits of every country are necessarily different, so each Church should be adapted to suit the understanding and need of its members, if it be to gain and retain a hold upon the people; "so long as "—our Church again emphatically repeats, echoing here the expressions of Article XX.-" so long as nothing be ordained against God's Word," but such ordinances and rites be decreed as are best calculated under the circumstances to set forth that Word most freely, and administer its privileges rightly and duly.

Thus, as the last paragraph declares, every such Church should "ordain, change, and abolish," as it deem best to meet the growing needs of its people, but only in those things "ordained by man's authority." No Church may alter a doctrine contained in the Bible, or tamper with the pure administration of its sacraments as there decreed. Neither may it alter, omit, or expound falsely one word of that divinely inspired Book.

Having set forth the duty of Church governors towards their people, our Article proceeds to point out the duty of the latter to their spiritual rulers; the tenor of which exhortation agrees with that addressed by St. Peter to no one Church in particular, but to the universal Church in all lands and times. "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake." "Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder; yea, all of you