82 OF THE PACIFICATION OF THE CHURCH. 



of absolution ; both supposing an obligation prece 

 dent ; the one upon an excommunication, which is 

 religious and primitive ; the other upon confession 

 and penance, which is superstitious, or at least po 

 sitive ; and both particular, and neither general. 

 Therefore since the one is taken away, and the 

 other hath its proper case, what doth a general 

 absolution, wherein there is neither penance nor 

 excommunication precedent ? for the Church never 

 looseth, but where the Church hath bound. And 

 surely I may think this at the first was allowed in a 

 kind of spiritual discretion, because the Church 

 thought the people could not be suddenly weaned 

 from their conceit of assoiling, to which they had 

 been so long accustomed. 



For confirmation, to my understanding, the 

 state of the question is, whether it be not a matter 

 mistaken and altered by time ; and whether that 

 be not now made a subsequent to baptism, which 

 was indeed an inducement to the communion. For 

 whereas in the primitive Church children were exa 

 mined of their faith before they were admitted to 

 the communion, time may seem to have turned it 

 to refer as if it had been to receive a confirmation 

 of their baptism. 



For private baptism by women, or lay persons, 

 the best divines do utterly condemn it ; and I hear 

 it not generally defended ; and I have often mar 

 velled, that where the book in the preface to public 

 baptism doth acknowledge that baptism in the prac 

 tice of the primitive Church was anniversary, and 



