Man is to suffer Sin upon his Brother it it lie in his way to remove it Lev. 19. 17. For to do otherwise is in Gods own Interpretation to hate him in his Heart whom he sees dangerously wounded and yet as the Priest and Levite in our Saviours Parable Luke 10. 31 32. goes on the other side of the way and lets him lie and perish for want of help 2. There is yet a more restrained notion of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which will also very well sute the design of the Text and the State of the Galatian Church and that is that which distinguisheth the Members of the Church who are in some respect more Spiritual from others who are in comparison to them elsewhere called Carnal and Babes in Christ 1 Cor. 2. 15. and 3. 1. And so seeing all the Members of the Church are not alike in Knowledge Gifts or Graces they that excell in any of these or think they do in the Phrase of Ch. 14. 37. are more especially obliged to this charitable Office as being or supposed to be furnished with greater store of spiritual Medicaments than their inferiour Brethren For the Apostle tells us that all these Gifts wherein one Christian excells another are bestowed not to capacitate them to vaunt and magnifie themselves and contemn others who in those respects are inferiour to them but they are all given to profit withal 1 Cor. 12. 7. And that the employing of them in a way of Charity is the most excellent way wherein they may be made use of v. 31. of the same Chapter But alas it is a thing to be much lamented that ordinarily from the Gnosticks downwards to these days Persons who most pretend to be extraordinarily gifted though indeed they excel only in a few new Phrases volubility of Language and impudent Boldness c. instead of charitable restoring their disjoynted Brethren most uncharitably reduce them into erroneous Opinions and rend the Body of Christ into divided Factions and separated Societies gathered too many of them out of the most Ignorant and Vicious of the Church they separate from whose spiritual Wounds they heal slightly by perswading them that to become their Proselites will sufficiently attone for all former Crimes 3. But then thirdly because whatever Applications private Persons make in kindness to their wounded Neighbours may possibly be insufficient to effect a Cure without the Assistance of a skilful Chyrurgeon therefore I must tell you that the word Spiritual here does yet admit also of a most restrained Sense to wit as it denotes those whose Calling and Employment is conversant in spiritual things that are the Teachers Guides Pastors and Rulers of the Church Including all from the Apostles downwards who are invested with those Offices in order to the good of their Souls and Spirits of Men committed to their Charge And to these only do some very Learned and Reverend Commentators though I think they are therein too narrow as I intimated before restrain the Sense of this Word in the Text. And yet I concur so far with them as to think these principally meant partly because in the apostolical Times the Charismata or special Gifts of the Spirit were most plentifully poured out upon them and so many of them as are necessary for the Conduct of the Church in all Ages since have accompanied that holy Calling to that degree as has been thought sufficient to denominate them the Spiritualty in distinction from the Temporalty in the esteem of all Christians till the Papacy abusing the Name render'd it less grateful to the ears of those who shook off that Yoke in the Reformation And partly because this very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text or Spirit of Meekness so requisite to the restoring dislocated Members is but once more used in the whole New Test and there joyned with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Rod of Correcttion as attributed to the Apostle in his managery of the Corinthian Church 1 Cor. 4. 21. and lastly because we find the word Spiritual applied to those extraordinary Persons in the Church which were called Prophets and made use of as equivalent in common use thereto as in the Old Testament in Hos 9. 7. and 1 Cor. 14. 37. in the New And this Duty all that are in any Ecclesiastical Station are according to the Trust Reposed in them to mind in reference to all committed to your Inspection and are solemnly engaged thereunto in this Church of England at their Ordination they are to preach the Word to be instant in season and out of season to reprove rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine 1 Tim. 6. 2. and by the Rubrick before the Communion are allowed to exercise some Power of Discipline with due deference to the Bishop in case of scandalous Offenders And indeed hereof we are sure that the chief Power of Church-discipline as it was at first committed to the Apostles and Apostolical Men and by them derived by Ordination to the successive Pastors and Rulers of the Churches Planted by them so it hath always till of late Years been exercised by Bishops the whole Current of Antiquity giving us abundant Proofs hereof as to Matter of Fact who in many Cases acted therein alone but in the most weighty Matters were assisted by and acted with a Presbytery But of a Presbytery acting without and much less against the Bishop especially in inflicting Church censures I think except in Schismatical Churches the greatest Assertors of Presbytery can hardly give us one Instance And to those who are thus intrusted with Ecclesiastical Authority it belongs in the Name of Christ and with his Power in the Apostles Phrase 1 Cor. 5. 5. to determine finally the Cases of scandalous Offenders and by Church-censures to proceed against them either in order to their Recovery in case they be incurable or in order to the Preservation of the Church both in its Health and Reputation in case they be apparently irrecoverable with more or less Severity And there is a stronger Obligation lies upon them than upon all the rest of the Church to lay themselves forth to the utmost extent of their Ability and Power in the pursuance of so good a Work To wit the Trust Reposed in them by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who on the account thereof are concerned to watch for their Peoples Souls as they that must give an account And they are Pastors even such as are of the highest denomination only under him the chief Shepherd and Bishop of Souls 1 Pet. 2. 25. And therefore to them it belongs to use all means they can to seek out and reduce to the Fold all straying Sheep and to heal the wounded of that Flock over which the Holy Ghost has made them Overseers or Bishops that having discharged their Duty herein when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 20. 28. 1 Pet. 2. 4. the chief Shepherd shall appear they may receive a Crown of Glory
THE RESTORING OF Fallen Brethren Containing the Substance of Two SERMONS On Gal. VI. 1 2. Preached at the Performance of PUBLICK PENANCE By certain CRIMINALS On the Lord's-day usually called Mid-Lent Sunday 1696. In the Parish-Church of Old-Swinford in Worcestershire By Simon Ford D. D. and Rector there With a Preface by the Right Reverend Father in God Edward Lord Bishop of Worcester LONDON Printed for Henry Mortlock at the Phoenix in St. Paul's-Church-Yard 1697. PREFACE THE following Sermons is of an extraordinary Nature being Preached by the Reverend Author at the Performance of a publick Penance enjoyned to several Criminals of his Parish If others of the Clergy would follow so good an Example and do what in them lies to uphold the small Remainders of ancient Discipline among us it would bring more Honour to our Church and the Religion Established among us than the warmest Disputes for our Constitution without regard to the Practise of it I am not insensible what scandalous Imputations our Ecclesiastical Courts lie under but I desire those who are Concerned to consider in how much better Reputation they might be if the Management of them were more carefully look'd into and brought to that Order which the Law of the Land Allows and the ancient Canons and common Rules of Justice and Equity require And since those Prosecutions are now taken off by Law which made the loudest Noise and Clamour against them I hope we may let the World see that what Power is left in our Hands is Employed for the best Ends viz. the Punishment of evil Doers and the Encouragement of those that do well But I fear there are some who had rather have Faults continued that they might still have occasion to complain than use any Endeavours to Reform the Abuses Committed in them I know no Courts but are liable to Abuses but there is a difference to be made between such as arise from the Rules and Orders of the Court and such which come only from the personal Faults of those who are employ'd in them As to the former the Methods of Proceeding in these Courts are of as great Antiquity at least as of any other Courts of greatest Esteem among us The Ecclesiastical Laws have the same Advantage of Custom and long Observation which any other Laws of the Land have but as to the particular Proceedings os several Courts the Rules are generally known and certain and agreeable to the Laws and not left to any arbitrary Methods But where the Faults lie only in the Persons I hope that upon any just Complaints effectual Care will be taken to Punish the Transgressors and to prevent the like for the future But the General and most sensible Complaint hath been that Money which Governs the World too much hath so great an Influence on these Courts that any Criminal Offenders may be excused from doing Penance by a pecuniary Commutation Whether there hath been any just Occasion formerly given for any Complaint of that Nature is out of my reach to enquire but I hope there hath not of late been any Cause for it Especially since by His Majesties Injunctions N. 17. No Commutation of Penance is to be made but by express Order and Directions of the Bishop himself which shall be declared in open Court And I hope these Injunctions will not be like new Laws made for Repairs of High-ways which often leave them as bad as they find them If there have been scandalous Offenders which through the Neglect of the Clergy or the proper Officers have not been Presented let the blame lie where it ought to do the Ecclesiastical Courts have no Reason to be charged with other Mens Faults But I must say it for the Honour of the worthy Author of these Sermons that he took care to have the Court duly Informed of the Miscarriages and Crimes Committed in his Parish whereupon the Offenders who performed the Penance submitted to the Sentence of the Court for it Which was accordingly done in the most publick manner and he Preached a very seasonable and useful Discourse now Printed relating to the Occasion And that it may answer the good Ends for which it was designed is my hearty Desire and Prayer Ed. Wigorn. Worcester Apr. 8. 97. GALAT. VI. 1. 2. Brethren if any man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness considering thy self lest thou also be tempted Bear ye one anothers burdens and so fulfil the law of Christ ALthough dearly beloved I have of late been deeply affected with Sorrow and secretly Mourned as the Apostle upon occasion of the Incestuous Corinthians scandalous Sin adviseth that Church to do 1 Cor. 5. 2. for the late Fornications and filthy Uncleannesses that have been committed in this Neighbourhood by so many Persons as are now justly under Censure of the Ecclesiastical Judicatory yet am I at last on the other side not a little comforted that my good Advise to divers of the Criminals who now appear before you has had so good effect as to render them willing notwithstanding all the Discouragements which have I doubt been given them by either their obstinate Fellow-sinners or factious Dissenters from this Church and it's Discipline to present themselves here as Penitents to perform the Penance enjoyned them and thereby to give me occasion to instruct you all in those Points relating to this Exercise of Church-discipline concerning which except upon such an occasion you might not have heard from this Pulpit and so either through Ignorance or prejudicated Opinion have been led into unworthy Apprehensions concerning it And the Text I have chosen I think will afford me Grounds sufficient for the handling all the Heads to which on this Occasion I intend to speak You may therefore herein observe these three Particulars I. A Supposition that Christian Brethren may be overtaken in such Faults as render them like Members out of joynt in the Body of Christ to which they belong and so need to prevent their farther Corruption and danger of becoming Gangrened and in the Issue cut off the charitable Endeavours of their Fellows to set them in Joynt again For so the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render restore does import II. A positive Duty incumbent on the rest of the Christian Brethren upon such a Supposal actually coming to pass in any Christian Society to wit to use all Christian Means they can thus to restore such dislocated or disabled Members to their former Soundness In order to the better performance of which Duty there are two Particulars observable under this Head in the Text. I. The Description of the Persons who are to act in this charitable Work they that are Spiritual which Phrase what it means you shall be informed anon when I come to that Head Secondly The Assignation of the manner how this charitable Duty is to be performed in the Spirit of Meekness and that heightned to such a degree of
Compassion as gives them a kind of fellow-feeling in the pains those dislocated Members undergo called v. 2. bearing one anothers brudens Thirdly and lastly two proper Motives to induce them to the Performance of this Duty in the manner directed I. One taken from a confiderate Sensibleness of common humane Frailty Hazarding the sound Members to fall and bruise themselves at one time or other upon like Tentations as occasioned the Harms the fallen Brethren had reeeived And herein 't is specially remarkable that the Apostle by a kind of Apostrophe applies himself to each Particular of the Spiritualty whom heexhorts to this Charity wishing every of them to consider his own Frailty and Danger thereby in the Words lest thou also be tempted II. The other from the Obedience they owe to Christ and his Law in a special manner requiring this at their Hands So that by thus Meckly and Compassionately taking part of their Brethrens Burdens they fulfil the law of Christ Of all which I intend to discourse in order I. Of the Supposition which is here laid down as the Ground of the Duty which contains in it this Doctrinal Truth That true members of the body of Christ are liable to be overtaken in such faults as may sorely bruise and crush them and render them for the time they lie under the guilt and pain of them like dislocated Members in the natural Body and do need to prevent their farther Corruption and danger of beingg angrened and in the Issue cut off to need the charitable Endeavours of their Fellows to set them in joynt again For to be a Saint whilst here below in this Estate of Imperfection does not divest any one totally of the Frailties of Humanity nor does the Seed of God in us that renews our Nature secure us from a Possibility of sinning altogether but only from Sinning to Death i. e. Sinning at that rate that hardned habitual Sinners do which the same Apostle calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which denotes a professed practise of sin which by indisposition bars the Door as to Recovery by Repentance and so makes a Man incapable of Pardon as appears by comparing 1 John 3. 8 9. with 5. 16 17 18. But as to Acts of Sin committed through Surreption and Surprise by the over-prevalency of a violent Tentation not foreseen and provided against he himself tells us that whoever denies such Sins to be in him or affirms that he is so Priviledged as not to be capable of having so Sinned he is a liar deceiving himself with vain Notions of an unattainable perfection and the Truth is not in him Chap. 1. 8 10. And indeed if this kind of Sinlessness were attainable by any one here the Apostles Motive in the Text to induce the most Spiritual Men to Meekness in restoring fallen Brethren upon the consideration of their own Frailty would be to no purpose as to such a Person as pretends to it who might hence justifie his greatest Insolencies against Offenders as proceeding from one that by his Priviledge is exempt from that Consideration on which the contrary Duty is pressed He supposeth therefore here that the holiest Man may be obnoxious to such Falls as unforeseen Stumbling-blocks laid in his way may occasion as the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Original properly import And the use the Apostle here makes of this Doctrine besides that which he urges from it by way of Motive to the Duty of the Text which in it's proper place will come to be considered is to exercise every one to consider himself as thus liable to Temptation and accordingly to be watchful and look about him as Persons in a Garrison beleaguered by an Enemy are wont to do about all their Line to see where the Fortifications are weak and in such places to set the stronger Guard which is the true notion of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text where he lies open to a Temptation and fortifie the weak part against Satans Stratagems and devices that he get no advantage over him 2 Cor. 2. 11. And upon this supposition the first thing observable in the Text is built the second which we are now to enter upon II. The Duty incumbent upon the Brethren the rest of the Church in the supposed Case when any of them is overtaken in a Fault to wit that they are to restore such an one that is as I before told you to use on their parts all Christian means that the wounded Member may be reduced to soundness again and so capable of performing the Duty incumbent on him and enjoying the Benefits and comfortable Priviledges belonging to him upon the account of his Membership in that holy Society and for which his present wounded Condition disables him For indeed foul falls do both ways disable a Church-member more or less according to the different Circumstances he is under i. e. as his Crime is either secret or publick known only to some one or some few or notorious to the generality of those he converseth with and as if it be notorious it is either before the Ecclesiastical Judicatory or not And lastly as if it be under their Cognizance it either is or is not advanced so far as to Judgment and Sentence And according to these and other Circumstances of the Criminal so are the Endeavours to be made use of for his Restitution to be varied And that both as to the Persons who are employed in that charitable Work in their several Capacities and Stations and the manner how they are to act in order to the Accomplishing it And both these are to be found in the Text also as I before told you 1. The Persons who are thus to endeavour the Offenders Restitution are here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render ye that are spiritual But it is still a Question whom the Apostle means by this Compellation In Answer whereunto I shall not confine my self to any of the particular Notions of differing Interpreters but make use of them all so far as they will admit of a Sense as I apprehend most agreeable to the design of the Apostle 1. First then I suppose the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used may in a general Notion include all the sound Members of the Church who are in their several Stations to bear a part in this charitable Office For the Church being in St. Peter's Phrase 1 Pet. 2. 5. a spiritual House or Temple I know not why every stone or rafter of it may not partake of the Notion of Spirituality especially seeing the same Apostle does there call all Christians not only lively stones but in a sense an holy Priesthood to offer up to God spiritual Sacrifices And indeed there is no Member of the Church but when the Fault of any Fellow-member comes to his notice he is obliged to contribute as he lawfully may in his Station his Endeavours to restore him for no