William Roye's Dialogue between a Christian Father and his stuhhorn Son. 453 
I well perceave. for Christ and his body is one thynge wherin 
yf one once be grafted, in tyme requyred he bringeth forthe 
tlie frute there of. wlieare none hypocrysy, nor outwarde 
dissimulacion can healpe. So. What is the power and ma. xxiij. 
authorite of this churche? Fa. Paul declareth saynge. The 
lorde hath geven me power to edyfy, and not to ij. co. xiij. 
destroye. which thynge perteyneth to eache one of the mein- 
[fol. 29 b .] bers of this boddy, seynge that all thynges ought to 
be done for the edificacion of the congr[eg]acion, and not to 
the destruccion. vnto the which entent all spretuall gyftes 
lykwyse sliulde be vsed and ministred amonge theym. j. co. xij. 
Son. Have they whom menne call lordes of the spretualte non 
wotlier power? Fa. Judge in thyne herte whether they be 
members of this body or not. Yf they were, they shulde also 
be ministers of the congregacion, and fulfill the office of a 
trewe shephearde. and nether soffre theym selves to be called 
lordes or masters. nor yet their shepe to be devowered of 
wolves, but rather after Ohristis example put their owne j. cor. üj. 
bodies in ieoperdy for theym. Son. They make men sore astunuyed 
with theyr coursse and excommunicacion. Fa. The excom- 
municacion of Christis congregacion, is an acte of gret. charite, 
and brotherly love. Wherby wotlier shulde refrayne Joau. x. 
theym silves from the life and learnynge of hym which is 
acoursed or excommunicate. ordened to the entent that therby 
the wicked myght the better come to the knowledge of hym 
sylfe. and at the last confounded and ashamed of his owne 
offence and misdede before his brethren, confesse hym silfe 
to be as an infecte and rotten mem- [fol. 30“.] bre, worthy to 
be reiecte from the whole body. and so with amendment desire 
helpe and foryevenes of Christ and his holy Company. So. Is 
this excommunicacion nedfull vnto the churche of Christ? 
Fa. Ye surely, that Christen men cannot be without it. For 
herby prove they all thynges, and kepe that gode is, and 
beleve not every sprete, but prove theym whether they are off 
god or nott. And herby syngulerly beware of faulce j. Cor. v . 
learnynges. and so exchewe all faulce and disceatfull delusions 
of the wicked. So. The right coursse or excommunicacion as 
they saye cannot be, except it be declared in the polpet. 
Fa. Loke howe moche the more a manne perceaveth j. tcsa. v. 
Sitzungsber. d. phil.-hist. CI. LXXV1. Bd. III. Eft. 30