be leavened and that for such publick and scandalous sins by which God is so highly dishonored and the Church so greatly reproached The Church cannot be purged untill the guilty person be punished Christian Reader As touching this matter I will presume to take the place of a Moderator for I have heard the question debated among able men who in the main agree and design the self same thing there 's only a form of words betwixt them both agree the sinner shall be called into question The one admonishes him for his evill in the Name of the Lord The other passeth a sentence against him by the power of the same Lord both rebuke the person for the wickednesse done both bear their testimony against the crime in order to clear the Church of his Transgression both dis-priviledge the Transgressor of Communion untill he appears a truly humbled person and gives the Congregation full satisfaction so that in truth upon the whole matter there is no material substance that 's worthy to bear the name of a difference so that for my own part for peace sake I could consent either wayes provided the best care be taken by all that are concerned That Gods Honour be preserved all scandall be removed the Truths Innocency delivered and the Churches Reputation vindicated 3. What is to be understood and observed in the prrosecution of Discipline FIrst There is steps and Circumstances to be observed in reproving 1. Timely 2. Affectionately 3. A private fault privately 4. To design the restoring the sinner from iniquity Concerning Excommunication let this order be observed 1. Let it be done in Christs Name and Authority 2. See that sinner be convicted legally 3. Let the Counsell and Blessing of God be sought fervently 4. To the end the flesh may be destroyed and the spirit saved in the day of the Lord. Repentance consists of four parts 1. Contrition of the heart 2. Confession of the mouth 3. Reformation of the life 4. Restitution for the wrong done An order in forgiveness 1. It must be groundedly 2. Freely 3. Fully 4. Perpetually There is a method to be observed in Prayer as our Lord hath taught us saying when we pray pray after this manner When Duties want their Order and Circumstance they are oft-times rejected instead of being accepted for 't is evident God requires equal submission to order as he doth to the duty it self The Wise man Solomon saith He would put his Proverbs in order Eccles 12.9 In all Gods former services about the Ark Alter and Sanctuary the Lord precisely required all persons to attend respectively their Offices and places and that all things should exactly be set in order and appointed to their several uses and for the breach in Order 1 Chr. 19.13 the Lord in his anger caused some deeply to suffer The Apostle Paul speaking of Churchassembling and about Prophesying and touching the Lords Supper he sums up all with this charge Let all things be done decently and in order 1 Cor. 14.40 The same Apostle beholds rejoyceth commends and praises the order of the Colossians Doubtless there ought to be some method in Preaching 'T is great pitty that divine and pure matter should want its beauty and ornament of form and order St. Paul commands Timothy to study to shew himself a workman rightly dividing the Word of truth There is a Rule to be observed in hearing 1. Preparation to hear 2. Attention in hearing 3. Meditation after hearing 4. Supplication before and after a blessing There are steps and degrees in believing 1. The faith of credence 2. The faith of adherence 3. The faith of endurance 4. Of stedfast reliance A Rule to be observed in suffering 1. To have a good cause 2. A right call 3. A good conscience 4. A pure end To be short there ought to be an order in all obedience in respect of matter manner end and circumstance for the righteous God as truely-punishes for the breach of order as he doth for neglect of services As order is the ornament of profession so I may call it the master-piece of Religion for both Gods precepts for it and punishments upon the neglect of it witness the same There ought to be a strict order in the commemoration of the Lords Supper even to hold and keep it with such observation 1 Cor. 11.28 as may answer to the first institution and in presuming to come to such holy Mysteries there ought to be great heart-preparations and self examinations 1. In unity of heart judgement and affection 2. In purity of life and conversation 3. Reverently as being at the Table and in the presence of the God of Heaven Psal 86.11 4 Having an eye to the end which is the victory Christ hath obtained for every Christian 5. To act in charity and freely because love was the first cause of our felicity 6. Rejoycingly as men having interest in the spirituall conquest over our souls adversary and as men purchased from everlasting misery 7. Thankfully humbly accepting reverently and chearfully embracing and with thankfulness partaking of those soul-benefits conveyed and received in that Administration SABBATH SOme brief Rules for the better order and observation of the Lords Day or First Day Sabbath Or if I may not call it a Sabbath I know no reason Deut. 5.15 Col. 1.12 13. But if the Jews were obliged to keep a Sabbath in remembrance of a temporall deliverance from temporall bondage Christians should be much more bound to observe a day as strict as a Sabbath in memoriall and remembrance of their spirituall and eternall deliverance from spirituall and eternall bondage For doubtless Christians are at great losses because of so much remisness and want of strictness in the First Dayes service First Then let the Lords People be stirring betimes upon the Lords Day called so by way of Eminency having a greater work to do than on other days a work attended either with greater blessings if religiously performed or with greater damages if neglected or misimproved Secondly Let them make serious preparation remembring whose service it is and into whose presence they come considering well what they go about and how nearly it respects their eternall Estate Eccles 5.1 Thirdly When they come into the Church Assembly let them attend diligently and behave themselves reverently and that before the Lord with due and humble respect to the administration and Majesty of the Word Fourthly Let them with all watchfulness and holy indignation strive to avoid those unseemly and uncomely behaviours tempers and gestures of lukewarmness coldness drowsie heavy and dull and sleepy carriages in Gods Divine services which is dishonourable to their persons and also unprofitable to their souls Fifthly Let them Meditate upon what they have heard For although the Lords People of the Congregationall way are necessitated to take the most pains to hear the Word in respect of distance of place yet they have one priviledge being improved may yeeld
satisfied and Mercy towards man admirably advanced He that thought it no Robbery to be equal with God hath freely humbled himself to death to drink of a bitter Cup and to bear the Creatures burdens Even he shall have the Government upon his shoulders The Glory that attends him further appears by those Excellent Appellations attributed to him His Name shall be called the wonderfull Counsellor the Mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace by whom Princes Reign and Judges decree fustice who upholds all things by the word of his Power and is able to destroy all things in his wrath and anger He is the great Judge of quick and dead both of this New and the Old World and shall pronounce the last and eternal Sentence of the everlasting Absolution and eternal Condemnation and that Consonant to every mans known and secret action who hath overcome the World and the power of the Devill having the victory keeps the Keys of Death and Hell who is all-sufficient to protect and secure such as worship him and to restrain and destroy such as fight against him from Sea to Sea is his Dominion the utmost parts of the Earth is his possession The absolute Soveraign of all Nations the Universal Governour over all Persons and Countries he is the Alpha and Omega all people are commanded and bound to honour him every knee shall bow and every tongue confesse him his Laws are Spiritual Righteous and Mercifull all his requirements are perfect and pure and all his promises are security certain and sure This is the Immortal King of Saints who in his times will shew who is the blessed and only Potentate King of Kings and Lord of Lords I say he is the chiefest among Ten Thousands First In respect of Personal Beauty for he is altogether lovely Secondly In respect of Purity without either blemish or spot of Iniquity Thirdly In respect of Charity casting his love upon a lost World found in Impurity Fourthly In respect of Policy who knows the most secret Conspiracy and catcheth the wise in their own subtilty Fifthly In respect of Propriety who makes many Poor Rich out of his full Treasury Sixthly In respect of Soveraignty who in the most eminent dangers can hide and keep securely Seventhly In respect of Perpetuity who can bestow Rewards of never ending Glory The same is head over all things to his Church and Lord over all to the Conscience We must all appear before him be judged by him and every one must give an account of himself to him he only can prescribe Rules for the Soul and Conscience who gives life and grace and none but he can take it away who keeps the keys of these privities and opens and no man shuts and shuts and no man opens He only knows the inward affections the omissions and submissions of the heart to his Requirements Heart-Iniquity is out of mans view to take notice and out of the reach of mortal man to punish The Lord only can reward with everlasting Preferment and none but he can inflict eternal punishment This is the Saints great Prophet High Priest and Eternal King who hath of his own free will and donation bequeathed a subordinate power to his People and Congregation committing to them a great trust and conferring upon them a great honour saying Whatsoever ye bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever ye loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven Whose sins ye remit shall be remitted and whose sins ye retain shall be retained and as a further Demonstration of dignifying them he hath been pleased to impart some of his Communicable Titles to them and that they of his Eldership in his absence should serve under him and act for him in the Offices of Prophet Priest and King in a far inferiour and subordinate sence and low degree acting by his Authority and yet with an humble respect and great humility in his service who ought to be honourably attended with all holy obedience in all humbleness and with all due Reverence and Thankfulnesse Representing his Person Acting all in his Name by vertue of the Power and Commission committed to them Thus he lends them his Names sets them in his Room gives them the keys of the Kingdome puts his Image upon them and hath committed the charge of his People the care of his Laws and the exercise of Government to them and when the last day Judgement shall be called the Saints shall be returned as Jurors upon Life and Death to judge the World And as Prayer and Preaching holds forth his Prophetical and Priestly Office so right Government holds forth his Princely Office and Dignity of his Place 2. True Church Government defined and the several Parts and particular Acts distinguished NOw right Church Government under the Power of Christ according to the Rules of the New Testament inflicts no bodily punishment but is a just exercising and due executing of all his Righteous and Spirituall Laws in being consonant to his Council and direction given without knowing Interest delay of Justice respect to persons wresting Causes either for favor or prejudice to any degree of persons for we have but one Law for the same Offence which knows no face nor regards no Circumstance 2. Church Government consists of these several parts viz. Governours Inferiours Laws and Execution Or thus A People truly called and rightly gathered Officers fitly qualifi'd and orderly Ordained Christ's Laws exactly minded and carefully preserved every man's Cause timely heard and Justice duly executed The true constitution and right governing of Christ's Congregation may be further inlarged and demonstrated thus 1. Where the People are really converted 2. Where they are legally and wholly separated 3. Who for Truths sake suffer if persecuted 4. Where the Word is truly preached 5. Where the People are truly formed and Duties orderly observed 6. Where the Ordinances and Sacraments are purely administred 7. And true Discipline duly ordered 3. The more particular Acts of Ecclesiastical Government according to the Primitive pattern and Christ's appointment is That the Minister or Governour is ingaged and stands obliged to watch over each Member in love duely instructing them going before them praying for them to be an example to them in Word in Conversation in Charity in Spirit in Faith Purity To teach the Ignorant to strengthen the Weak to comfort the Feeble minded succour the Tempted incourage the Faint-hearted restore the Fallen admonish the Negligent visit the Sick defend them from Deceivers seek up the Wanderers and Strayers reprove idle and busie bodies warn the Unruly correct Tale-bearers and Back-biters sharply reprove Disturbers and Division-makers openly rebuke publick Offenders imbrace penitent Persons reject Hereticks exclude Contemners and obstinate Persons absolve the truly humbled Trespassors hear the Causes of Complainers examine Witnesses hear the defence of the Defendants respecting the Poor mans Cause as well as the Rich admonishing with compassion re-admonishing and reproving with Long-suffering
be freely and generally voted that no members may complain of being dispriviledged and good reason for it because they are to be as Fathers to educate and feed them and to provide their souls food in order to their spirituall interest and everlasting good Fourthly 'T is doubtless the Brethrens Priviledge to have the knowledge of recieving or excluding any member or members into or out of communion with them especially in doubtfull or difficult Cases because they are to be or not to be members of the same body 1 Cor. 5.4 5. and to have fellowship with them in the same holy mystery and if there be any sin contracted either in denying recieving detaining or excluding any person the evil may reflect upon the whole Congregation Fifthly Another Priviledge is If any Brother hath any injury offered him or wrong done him he ought to bring it legally to the Church and there claim his Priviledge to be heard and relieved and to call for justice to be executed Then 't is the Churches duty to proceed and do them equity consonant to that good ancient Rule of doing as a man would be done by Mat. 8.7 and that without delay and partiallity that while we are complaining for want of justice from others we may not neglect to do justice in the Churches Sixthly Such among the Lords People as are justly poor being of the body have a right to be relieved in their outward necessity for as there is a right of propriety Heb. 13.3 so there is a right of charity 't is the Lords Rent-charge the Poors due and the Churches duty There are some unjustly poor who are either idle persons or led through their lusts into poverty others by mans oppression are brought into penury there are some impotent poor so naturally and there are the Lords poor who become so through the consequences of Christianity Seventhly There is another Priviledge that belongs to Christians That if any Person or Party in a Congregation should verily judge and absolutely believe they were oppressed and over-ruled by the rest of the Congregation in any case or controversie that it amounts to high contention and disputation Deut. 17.8 9 10. after all christian and serious means used he or they may make their humble appeal to some other Church in the same Faith and if the case be very weighty then to have recourse to some generall Assembly Acts 15.2 that by all means schisme may be prevented and peace and concord preserved To conclude these things There are other Rights Immunities and Priviledges that of right appertain to Church-Members that if any have a gift in Prayer 1 Pet. 4.10 or by way of Exhortation to have his seasonable time of liberty for the exercise of his gift and to have encouragement in so good a work Moreover if any are under temptation as wounding of spirit sickness of body or any other afflictions he may and ought to have recourse to the Ministers and to ask counsell and assistance of the Elders Jam. 5.14 or to call for them to be their visitants and the Elders ought to attend them in waiting upon their duties by Prayers Instruction or any other services wherein Christs Ministers are obliged and become concerned as they are spirituall guides and Gospel-Physitians Thus we may both learn and discern the great Priviledges that pertain to such as belong to Gospel-Churches to have interest in such provisions and advantages and all within themselves under Christs government and dominion and within their own limits and jurisdiction where all rights and proprieties are equally to be distributed their souls duely nourished their temptations considered burdens removed their bodies healed their poverty supplied their injuries redressed and their priviledges maintained and their causes heard and contentions determined Thus ought Christians to have things common in the spirituall Commonwealth and holy Nation and to maintain a free fellowship and communion both in priviledges and sufferings The truth is the charge of these things chiefly respects Officers to whom the Church hath committed her power and upon whom they have cast the burden of their care who ought as instruments in the name of Christ with the Churches consent to exercise the severall parts and offices of Government and as they are intrusted by God so they ought to act faithfull according to his Word and as they ought not to exercise lordship to usurp authority so they ought not to deface and diminish ought of Christs or his Churches power and dignity For if our Lord died to enter the government and our liberties and priviledges were purchased at so dear a rate and now committed to the care of the Churches there is a great obligation lyes upon the Congregation to see that these things be carefully maintained and constantly preserved and especially such as are in publick trust to improve their places and discharge good consciences to be a just defence to all persons in their spirituall rights and immunities that there may be no just cause of complaints in all our streets or borders Fifthly What Disorders are to be prevented corrected and removed AS when duties are put into the best form they appear with the most beauty so when the branches of impiety are set in order they appear in their ugly shape of deformity I will set some before you which I believe are sometimes found amongst you which are a dishonour to Christians and are great disturbances to the peace of the Churches and these evils are both of omission and commission First 'T is found too much neglected by teachers and leaders that the People are not taught but are very ignorant in the orders and principles of true discipline and right government Secondly When a man doth not prize and tender the unity and Peace of the Church as he ought but shall inconsiderately and indiscreetly publish and possibly endeavour to enforce a Principle upon the People or a Practice upon a Person before they themselves have sufficiently tried and proved it or the People or Person are prepared to bear it Ioh. 16.12 or made fit and capale to receive it and so oft-times a disturbance attends it Thirdly Another Disorder which doth mostly respect the Elders That is when disorderly walkers who are known to live and continue in sin and the Church neglects her Duty in Discipline not remembring all the time this sin is unpunished 1 Cor. 5.2 God is dishonoured their Duty neglected the Truth reproached the most religious grieved and scorners at Religion rejoyced Gods appointed Ordinance to destroy the flesh omitted and the proper means neglected by which the sinner should be restored Fourthly Another Disorder is when the members of one Congregation shall receive a member or members from another Congregation without their knowledge or consent or a letter of Recommendation from them to whom he or they did belong except in any case extraordinary by which disorders follow bad consequences Rom. 16.1 2.