it consisted wholly of them for they undertook to cast out of the Synagogue Joh. 9. 12. And when Saul breathed out threatnings against the Saints in zeal of reducing them to the Church from which they were departed and seduced as he thought he went to the chief Priests and all the estate of the Elders for his commission and he received anthority from them to bring both men and women unto Jerusalem to be punished Act. 22.15 And that estate of Elders in the originall is called a Presbytery which also shewes that it was made up of chief Officers of the Church called Presbyters some of which were chief Priests the other Pharisees and some subordinate Presbyters were joyned with them to make up that assembly having authority to judge of manners according to the Lawes of God however upon mistake they punished the true professors of the Christian Religion yet not under the notion of professors of the true Religion but out of zeal to reduce the beleeving Jewes to conformity to the old administration as judging it still in force as it was delivered by Moses If any make question whether this Presbytery according to the Text were the Church to whom complaint was to be made concerning stubborn offenders I answer that Councell or Presbytery was made up of the chief Officers of the whole Church and so the Church representative on whom alone all the authority of the Church was involved for the punishing of sin and preserving the peace of the whole And for the word Church they that are acquainted with the Original language know it is used for any assembly or congregation called together whether to civill or sacred ends and so these Elders and Rulers of the Jewes assembled together for the ends aforesaid are not unproperly called a Church And for the latter thing propounded before namely that the Christian Churches in after ages are to proceed by the same rule and in the same order the Church of the Jewes then did that is to say by a Presbytery seems to me very probable For first of all there were in use in the Christian Church in reference to the rule and government thereof the same names that were in the Church of the Jewes which is a sign that there was the same thing Saint Paul who was well acquainted with the nature of the Presbytery at Jerusalem from whom he received authority to trouble the beleeving Jewes cals an assembly of Elders or Church officers a Presbytery of which what better reason may be conceived then this the resemblance that was between this Eldership and the great Councel in the Church of the Jewes It is clear the Apostles themselves did order all things in the Church ordained Elders and authorized them in the Name of Christ to ordain others c. And they were as much Rulers and Officers over the Catholick Church as the chief Priests and Elders were to the Jewes And hence in the Apostolical Churches Ordination of Ministers was derived from them that were Officers to the whole Church and in a most immediate manner by Jesus Christ were constituted so to be which makes me inclinable to beleeve that those still that are ordained Officers for the good and benefit of the whole should be ordained by such a Presbytery that are intrusted with that power by the Officers of the whole as much as may be So farre am I from consenting to these men that take it for granted that the common members of a particular society may chuse and install their own officers Now what is there in all this for that pretended way of discipline which these Gentlemen commend to their reader here is not the least warrant for any to separate from the Church or withdraw for all is one nor for the people to rule and chuse their own Officers nor for imposing a Church Covenant explicitly to be professed in the congregation and those that will not come up to this and such like termes must not be admitted unto Sacramentall communion Nor is here any warrant for sentencing Church members before a regular triall nay here is no warrant for any single Minister to set up discipline over his people without the consent and conjunction of the reverent brethren of the Ministry with them The key of discipline is not at all in one alone but rather in the whole together A word more on that Scripture as it is directed to the Apostles vers 18 19 20. and so in them to the officers of the Church in succeeding ages to the end of the world Verily saith our Saviour there if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall aske it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven for where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them These words seem to have reference unto what was spoken before concerning the authority of the Jewes Church Officers and our Saviour would have his Apostles to know that though their authority may seem to the world yea and to themselves to be weak and contemptible in respect of that great bench of Elders generally submitted unto by the Jewes yet they should have as great authority to binde and loose as the other nay two of them by the authority given them by the Lord of the Church should be equivalent to their great authority And we know it came so to passe They had power to work miracles and were inspired with an extraordinary spirit and had some speciall promises peculiar to them alone as well as gifts They had power to give the holy Ghost by imposition of hands and an extraordinary power in prayer and power to punish and kill the bodies of men for sacriledge and hypocrisie And we know the very Church it self is said to be built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone Now what is this to these Ministers in Glocester-shire Dare two or three of them assume this power for I suppose all the Ministers of the County are not of their minde and way to do as the Apostles did Suppose they be Ministers of the Gospell is the Church built upon them or their Doctrine Where have they any such promise that they shall not erre and whatsoever they shall agree to aske shall be done for them of the Father of Jesus Christ They plead their serious and solemn seeking of God and commend unto us their model of Discipline as the result of their serious debates and returns of their prayers but that authority will not satisfie judicious Christians when the thing it self is so inconsistent with the generall rules of the Word as hath been shewed Besides it is well known that in many places the Ministers of the Gospell have used the like means in behalf of themselves and their people yet but few have run into their waies but either fall into some association of Churches and Presbyteries
Churcher All the Churches of the Gentiles were not only converted to the faith by the Apostles but also put into an holy order and way by ordaining them officers to rule and feed them in the Lord. And as it was in the Jewes Church under Moses and the Prophets there was a receiving of Proselytes aliens converted and they became Jewes by religion so it was in the times of the Apâ—stles they made nations and cities and countreys proselytes and they became Christians with the Jewes and there was but one law rule and way for all that wâ—â—e imbodied into the Church And there was graâ—â—ing int◠〈…〉 off from the same Church still all along to this day I have been too long in this but I will be shorter in the next Fifthly that the Church of Christ since the coming of Christ in the flesh is under the same and in some respects greater â—riviledges then under Mâ—ses and the Prophets This will appear to be a truth if we conâ—â—der thâ—â— Jesus Christ is and ever was the mâ—â—â—ting â—â—ule of all blessings and privilâ—dges unto the Church in all times and ages of the world that the Church hath ever been in possession or expectation of On the account of his transaction with the Father all the promises of covenant blessings of grace and glory made to Abraham and his seed are founded and thereby confirmed and so consequently to all that are of his faith for so saith the Apostle They that are of the faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham even all the Gentiles that receive the Doctrine of faith so as to initiate them into that Church of which Abraham was the father it being first formed up in his family and the Govenant freely made with him and sealed to him by the Sacrament of Circumcision I say all that are of Abrahams faith are blessed with him Hence it is that the Apostle to the Ephesians hath many expressions to the same purpose Chap. 1.3 Blessed be God who hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in Christ And in the second chapter it is clearly intimated that there was a time while they were in their state of Paganisme that they were Aliens from the Common wealth of Israel strangers from the Covenants of promise without hope and without God in the world But now saith he you that were afar off are made nigh by the bloud of Christ Ephes 2.11 12 13. But now in Christ Jesus you are of the Commonwealth of Israel children of the Covenants and Promises and have as much interest hope of good from God through Christ as the Jewes who by descent were the naturall seed of Abraham And therefore were now no more strangers and foreiners but fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God vers 19. The reason of all is Christ is the same yesterday and to day and for ever in spirituall things as to the Church and their seed And therefore he is said to be the Minister of circumcision for the truth of God to confirme the promises made to the fathers and that the Gentiles might glorifie God for his mercies Rom. 15.8 9. as being made sharers in all those promises of free grace made to the fathers and their naturall seed Nay we may observe how the Apostles do usually apply the severall promises in the Prophets to particular cases in the Churches of Christ in their times But it may be asked Quest what were the priviledges of the Jewes Church under Moses and the Prophets The Law of the Passeover did oblige all the congregation of Israel upon their lives to observe it in the season Our Supper of the Lord is the same to us that the Passeover was to them for the substance as hath been proved having the same meaning and end The people of the Jewes as mixt as ours are if not worse in respect of good and bad regenerate and unregenerate and so as uncapable to make a spirituall use thereof The Church under the Law and the Prophets before the coming of Christ in the flesh and since the same which Jesus Christ and his Apostles only reformed in point of externall administration first owned by the Jewes unto which Church so reformed all beleeving Gentiles are added and graffed into it as the stock and so partake of the same spirituall and externall priviledges with them they and their seed so long as they continue to adhere and cleave to the outward means of salvation in order to that end and from these premises will follow these conclusions First that the same obligation lies now upon all Christians to observe the Ordinance of the holy Supper that did lie upon the whole congregation of Israel to observe the Ordinance of the Passeover and the Law of the Passeover may teach us so much and in some respect is still in force For so long as the equity and reason of a command or law remains the command and law it self remains for the substance of it but the equity and reason of that command concerning the Passeover still remains in respect of the Lords Supper succeeding in the room of the Passeover and therefore should guide and direct us in the administration thereof as touching the subjects or persons that ought to receive And then secondly if all that were in the Church of the Jewes came under the obligation of all the commands of God to that Church respecting the members in common and that both good and bad then all that are grassed into the same Church come under the obligation of all the Lawes given to the same Church and respecting the members in common now as well as then even all good and bad Thirdly the same exceptions that which all as he hath stated the thing are bound to observe I need not stand upon this Answ because I have already been somewhat large upon that Scripture where they say the Apostle requires such qualifications in my former discourse to which I reserre the reader Yet because these men have something which the Doctor hath not I shall hint a little at something of theirs I must confesse I judge the main stresse of the controversie to lie in that eleventh chapter of the first to the Corinthians And there need be no question but the Corinthians were injoyned by the Apostle to observe this ordinance of the holy Supper in remembrance of Christ for vers 2. he commends them for remembring him in all things and keeping the ordinances as he delivered them to them So that their keeping and observing of this ordinance as well as the other as to the thing it self was well done by them but then when he speaks to their miscarriages about the manner of performance he praises them not but reproves them for their wofull abuse of the ordinance in their excesse disorderly and unreverent behaviour in the very act of receiving or while they were together for that end They made a breach upon the very externals of that service using the
of true discipline is practised in the Church of England and in what an incapacity we are for the present of any true reformation whatever some pretend But the sixt and last I intend more especially to clear up in vindication of Mr. H. And take it thus Excommunication is a delivering to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. It 's a great thunder-bolt punishment inflicted by the Church as the last remedy to reduce the obstinate from the way of perishing Calvin saith As Christ is in the Church so Satan is out of the Church to which condition the excommunicated are sentenced but with a mercifull end to reduce them to Christian obedience where God gives the blessing Otherwise it is the very beginning of hell and eternall wrath when the sentence is just it being confirmed in heaven Put out from among you that wicked person 1 Cor. 5.13 He must be put out from among themselves and so out of all communion The same word seems to be Joh. 9.22 and 12.42 where it is said of some that they durst not confesse Christ for fear of the Jews for they had a greed that if any did confesse him they should be put out of the Synagogue So that if the Apostle Paul in the censure of the incestuous person have any reference to the practise of the Jewes as the Doctor seems to hint why then doubtlesse he was put out of the Churches assemblies For it is most certain the Synagogues were places of case where the Jewes publiquely assembled for divine worship of prayer reading preaching c. Act. 13 14 15 16. So that I say if Paul followed the practise of the Jewes or meant that the Corinthians should proceed according to their practise in this then his meaning was that they should put out that wicked person from their assemblies for communion and worship I professe I cannot but wonder the Doctor should be so tart with Mr. Humphrey in this thing he having the very letter of the Text and the practise of the Jewes Church to warrant what he hath asserted in this point For let me aske the reverend Doctor how he or any other of his opinion will reconcile that delivering to Satan out of the Church and allowing their presence in the congregation in all acts of worship and spirituall communion except actuall receiving of the Sacrament of the Supper To put out that wicked person from among themselves and at the same time to allow him presence among themselves and to have communion with them in all acts of worship except the Supper are altogether inconsistent Neither doth that any thing at all help which the Doctor so often urges in his book Let him be as a Heathen or publican But Heathens and publicans may be present at all the ordinances 1 Cor. 14.24 And therefore the excommunicate may because they are not to be unto the Church worse then a Heathen c. For to this I have many words to say which I think will answer the argument 1. It will appear that scandalous brethren are in some respect worse then infidels If any provide not for his own specially for those of his own house he hath denyed the faith and is worse then an infidell 1 Tim. 5.8 And it had been better for revolting Christians never to have known the way of righteousnesse 2 Pet. 2.21 And there was not such a thing so much as named among the Gentiles that one should have his fathers wife 1 Cor. 5.1 And when scandalous brethren are worse then Heathens in sinning under such means of better obedience that Heathens have not there is reason they should be denied something of priviledge that Heathens may have 2. It 's clear that scandalous brethren are to be denied that priviledge in civill commerce and familiarity that Heathens are allowed to have with Christians and Christians with them 1 Cor. 5.9 10 11. 2 Thess 3.14 1 Cor. 10.27 compared Liberty is given to Christians to have civill and friendly familiarity with infidels and fornicators of the world which yet is absolutely to be denyed to scandalous and disorderly brethren as a means to bring them to shame And if scandalous brethren under triall or actuall censure are to be debarred of some priviledge that heathens are allowed it will somewhat weaken the strength of the Doctors argument 3. The Apostles had direct and expresse commission after Christs ascension to preach unto the Heathen and therefore had warrant to admit of their voluntary presence to hear in any place where opportunity might give the advantage of converting them But yet upon their rejecting the Gospel when it was faithfully tendred to them the Apostles might shake off the dust of their feet against them and leave them deeper under wrath The unbeleeving Jewes were within the commission too but when they rejected the words of eternall life and abused the messengers of Christ that preached this to them it 's said they judged themselves unworthy of eternall life and upon that account the Apostles forsake them Most terrible things are written against the disobedient to the Gospell And I am sure Christians that reject the Lawes of Christ as the excommunicated are supposed to do are worse then Infidels that never had the means of knowing and doing what Christ commands As in respect of sin and eternall punishment those that live under the Gospell but refuse to submit to it may be said to be worse then Heathens so why not in point of externall Church priviledge likewise they having forfeited all those priviledges of word prayer Sacraments ingaging all powerfull means of their reformation which heathens never had the advantage of And it is supposed that Christ is rejected in all the ordinary means appointed to reclaim the scandalous and obstinate in the Church before this sentence of excommunication is pronounced and put in execution against them And just it is that they that obstinately reject all should be banished from all that they may either return to their duty by repentance and thereby give satisfaction to the Church and be again received into communion or else adde to obstinacy apostasie also be rejected for ever that the Name of God be not evill spoken of because of such scandalous members 4. Let him be to thee as a Heathen or Publican that is let the excommunicated be as odious and as abominable to thee as a Publican or Roman officer sitting at the receit of custome was to the Jewes or as a Heathen was to the Jewes during the present state of the Jewish Church with respect to which Christ speaks when the uncircumcised were an abomination to the Jewes they being forbidden to let any stranger or uncircūcised in the flesh come into Gods Sanctuary or partake of any priviledge of worship but upon being a Proselyte And let the excommunicated be as such a one and then what hath the Doctor and his party gotten Touching the
and live unto him according to the grace they have received from him 3. That the scandalous in the Church are to be dealt with under the notion of offending brethren whom they that are spirituall ought by private admonitions and Christian counsell and wise and seasonable reproofs to restore in the spirit of meeknesse Gal. 6.1 And the person or sin of any member not to be nominated in publick while there is any reasonable hope in charity of amendment by the private means provided the offence be not already publick and infamous to all in that case I think though the offender be penitent and ashamed yet he ought to be rebuked before all that the rest may fear and the congregation be satisfied And that it is only in case of obstinacy and hating to be reformed notwithstanding all possible means used by the Church for their reformation that the authoritative act of excommunication is to be issued out against any member The Apostle did more often threaten and shake the rod then make use of it The administration of publick censures should be carried on with that solemnness and mourning over the offender that might shew a reall unwillingnesse to put the same in execution if any other means would humble and break the heart of an obstinate transgressor And though there may be in the Church a readinesse to revenge all wilfull disobedience yet a readinesse to forgive also as they shall see cause 4. That none ought to usurpe the power of the keyes of Christs visible Kingdome or take upon them the power of stewards and to be Judges of Christs subjects that have not a clear warrant in the Word for the same lest they be judged For my part I must confesse I utterly reject as impious and against all rule and order for the common members to claim an interest in the exercise of the keys either of Doctrine Sacraments or Discipline save only to be obedient in declining familiarity with those that are justly excommunicated and all communion with them in worship and to be witnesses to attest what they know against an offending brother when it is necessary to prove the fact and conviction of his obstinacy I professe I wonder that any acquainted with the holy Scriptures should plead for any other power to be allowed to any of the common members I cannot see how this should be but that some men drive on designes of their own factious framing rather to hinder the setting up of discipline then any way to advance it What dismall divisions separations and confusions what prejudices heart-burnings and bitternesse do such practises every where necessarily occasion between Pastours and their people while the better part must withdraw from the rest and set up Discipline among themselves chuse their own officers and use a language beyond the ordinary and think they are in a fine posture when alasse they are out of their station and all they do is but erecting waies of their own chusing and setting up altars to sin some of Jeroboams craft to keep the people from worshipping at Jerusalem And the truth is members that separate from the body are not like to live long What strange exorbitances very often are the consequences of such uncharitable zealous waies And how can it be avoided if the power of the keys reside in the common brotherhood but the major part of a parochiall congregation may chuse their own officers set up Discipline and judge in the Church and what reformation is then like to follow may easily be imagined Doubtlesse all Church members as such stand upon a levell in point of externall priviledges for we do not finde different priviledges of those that are members of the same Church planted together into the same visible body by baptism and so by consequence women and children ignorant and scandalous persons shall have power to judge the rest nay they may create and ordain their own officers and consequently take upon them all Gospell administrations for if the keys reside in them originally so that they may make Ministers c. then they themselves are much more such and may do the works they are to do The effect cannot be greater then the cause But they will say Object the power of the keys resides not in all but in worthy and compleat Church-members or beleevers that have the spirit of sanctification c. I know no such distinction in the Word of God Answ Look upon the Church of the Jewes they were a holy nation a kingdome of Priests a peculiar and royall people in generall without distinction of worthy and unworthy compleat and incompleat And doth not the Apostle Peter use the same words and apply them to the scattered strangers embracing Christianity 1 Pet. 2.9 And doth not the Apostle give equall titles to all those to whom he writes and to all in every place that call upon the name of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 1.1 2 3. If we never read of any such distinction in Moses and the Prophets nor finde any such used by Christ or his Apostles why should any plead for it in our congregations but that they would see more then all that ever were before them But the keyes were given to the twelve as beleevers Object and that which is given to them as such is given to the whole kinde of beleevers in the world Solut. That the twelve were impowered with the keyes of Christs Kingdom is beyond all dispute and that they were beleevers when they received that power is as certain but that the Lord Jesus gave the keyes to them as such is denyed And they might as well say they were given to them as men for they were men when they received them But the truth is that though there were many Disciples and beleevers beside the twelve yet of his meer good pleasure he gave the keyes of his Kingdome to the twelve only not to the rest that beleeved as well as they He hath set some in the Church Apostles Pastours and Teachers not all And we know the twelve by vertue of that authority received preached and baptized and ordered all the affairs of Christs Kingdome during their age they planted severall Churches and ordained them Elders and Deacons they were the instruments for the propagation of the Gospell in almost all places Doubtlesse after Jesus Christ had received all power in heaven and earth he put the twelve only in commission to build his Church and they ordained Elders and Deacons and gave order to some others as Timothy and Titus to ordain and directed them also to commit the same power to able and sit men in after ages to teach others c. And in the seven Churches of Asia the Angell of every Church is writ unto and blamed or commended according as they demeaned themselves in their places in opposing errour or cleaving to the truth But we never finde that the common brotherhood or membership were impowered with the keys either by
Christ or by his Apostles or any that drived authority immediately from them and therefore they have it not at all and to intrude themselves and assume unto themselves things of such an high nature is a most insolent boldnesse and they may fear to perish in the gainsaying of Corah and his company 5. I cannot conceive how there should be any true discipline practised in our Churches without the speciall assistance countenance and power of the civill Magistrate as the state of things are in England For almost all of all sorts are either carelesse or impatient or erroneous and not willing to come under discipline And although these Gentlemen say it is our own fault and why do we not set upon it beginning with the minor part yet this is very ill nay absurdly advised For as I said before I beleeve I shall never see true discipline exercised in the Church of England untill the Lord so move upon the hearts of our Rulers as to make them instrumentall to put the Church into that capacity which ordinarily cannot be without a nationall assembly of learned grave moderate and godly Divines chosen if possible by the whole and carryed on without tumult And that a profession of faith if not already done may be so clearly drawn up in respect of fundamentals in doctrine and worship according to evident rules of holy Scripture as may be established to be the publique profession of the Nation which all whatsoever should with peaceable spirits submit unto And also that the subjects of the keyes in a nationall Church may be more clearly determined and liberty of conscience better stated and bounded that the reformation of the whole may grow up together at least in all the externals of Christian obedience Otherwise how shall discipline be practised if carnall and loose Christians shall be left at liberty whether they will come under it or no Now I say while they are within the visible Church and Kingdome of our Lord Jesus and professe his Name in hope of eternall life why should they not submit to all his Lawes as the way and means appointed of that blessed end And the same grounds that do warrant the restraining offenders from evill and the forcing of them to do their duty in reference to some of the Lawes of Christ do warrant the doing of the like in reference to all the rest of his royall Lawes What is more sutable then that they that reign and rule only by Jesus Christ should put forth their power and improve all their interest for the advancing of Christs Scepter over all I confesse these Gentlemen have some unhappy expressions questioning our Church members because as they say the main instruments of bringing them to the true Religion in England were such as carryed it on by a civill power when the outward calling ought to be by the word only which the most of our common people never had they say Answ 1. I wish our Governours had that holy and grounded zeal for the reformation of what is amisse now in the Church that our first reformers expressed in point of reformation in their generation 2. We must distinguish of a twofold state of Church membership or the way of bringing people to be Church members 1. Aliens of years are to be discipled and called by the Word before they may be baptized and received into the Church and so it was in the Apostles first planting of Churches But 2. The seed of persons so called are by vertue of the Gospell Covenant members borne and upon that account are baptized and when they come to years are as much under the obligation of all holy observances as those that are called by the word So it was in the Church of the Jewes in respect of all that were circumcised so that Church membership is and may be pleaded from birth priviledge Gal. 2.15 We who are Jewes by nature c. 3. Our first reformers did not force Heathens to receive and professe the Protestant Religion but reduced baptized erring Christians unto that obedience and reformation which their Baptisme and profession did oblige and ingage them unto according to the examples of godly Kings and Prophets amongst the Jewes in case of defection and irregularity I might produce divers instances of this holy and religious care and zeal in reforming but those that are acquainted with the Scripture can remember the histories of them And orthodox Divines do generally hold that the Baptisme of a Papist is valid and need not be repeated And it need not be doubted but upon that ground the King of Spain or the French King if the Lord should give them a heart throughly convinced of and affected with the truth might reduce their subjects if they were able to that conformity to the Lawes of Jesus Christ which their Baptisme doth oblige them to Rome it self upon such a reformation might become a true visible Church without any repeating either of the ordination of their Ministers or their Baptisme Were all that superfluity of naughtinesse from time to time contracted in Doctrine worship and discipline purged out and all administrations made conformable to the Lawes of Jesus Christ as it was with them for some hundreds of years from the Apostles times we could not tell what to object against them but might have communion with them Say that we heretofore were a member of Rome received all sacred ordinances from them having now repented of the evils and abominations which the holy things of Christ were polluted with and reformed them according to the institution what can be objected against us though we were put in possession of the ordinances of Christ by means of the civill power 4. If an argument drawn from successe be of any force in any case surely in supernaturall and spirituall events above any other and we are not left without innumerable evidences of the divine operations upon the souls of many in our Nation through the blessing of the Lord upon the use of those holy administrations of the Covenant which our first reformers with zeal care and power brought our fathers under blessed be God for this unspeakable gift This for the fifth thing proposed concerning discipline 6. The sixth and last is this That holy discipline is so to be ordered that the edification of all may be best furthered and preserved and the objects of Church censures may be healed rather then hurt by them Sometimes the Church must rebuke some that the rest may fear and sentence some few most notorious offenders when many deserve the same punishment rather then indanger the peace union and edification of the Church punish and chastise what they can with the health and safety of the whole and with patience bear and forbear when the remedy is like to prove worse then the disease Lawfull things are not alwaies expedient nor consist with charity It is a good saying of Cyprian mentioned by Calvin Let the Church mercifully correct what they
can and what they cannot let them patiently suffer and with love groan and lament it And to the same purpose he brings in the advice of Augustine touching the abounding of drunkennesse in Africa this and the like evils according to his judgement are to be taken away not roughly nor after an imperious manner but more by teaching then commanding more by admonishing then by threatning and that is the way to deal with a multitude of sinners severity must be exercised on the sin of a few c. And he concludeth thus The command of the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.7 to cast out the wicked is in no case to be neglected when it may be done without perill of breaking the peace of the Church Institut lib. 4. cap. 12. Sect. 11.13 And we may take notice that where there is mention made of the Apostles exercising of Discipline it is only upon particular persons and not upon a multitude when he findes many guilty of evill practises he reproves admonishes and threatens to come with the rod 2 Cor. 12.20 13.21 1 Cor. 4.21 And truly as the state of things now stands I think it will be found a very difficult thing to get into possession of the true way of discipline and to make that use of it that the Churches peace and edification may be promoted and not prejudiced by it For either the supposed unregenerate in the Church shall on the one hand be cast off and separated from as in the Independent way and some others or else on the other hand the dissenting brethren will be judged schismatical for causing divisions and separations in the Church contrary to the Doctrine of Jesus Christ And therefore our condition is the more sad in that Discipline which tends so much to the wel-being of the Church can so hardly be attained amongst us Thus I have given you my judgement and apprehensions in this point Now in the next place Because these Gentlemen have commended a way of Discipline to the godly I shall crave leave a little to examine it whether it be such a one as godly men may safely receive and use as the discipline of Jesus Christ and not rather reject it as having nothing of Christ in the rise and root of it according to holy Scripture and this I shall do very briefly because I have said so much to the point already 1. It 's well they acknowledge our parochiall congregations to be true Churches though it be but in a large sense for being such they come under the same lawes and priviledges externally which belong to true Churches in the strictest sense that is unlesse they can finde a different rule in Scripture for true Churches though not in the same degree of purity which I believe they cannot because I do not finde but Laodicea and Philadelphia as they were both true Churches so they were both under the same rule c. 2. They confesse that none but such as are already excommunicated and such as ought to be excommunicated are to be kept from the Sacrament and in this Mr. H. and they seem to be agreed pag. 27. provided say they that Mr. H. mean such as of right ought to be excommunicated by the Church For his meaning they may be sure he doth not mean that Church members should be censured without regular triall and that by a Church that is in a fit capacity to hear and judge and sentence according to divine rule But how will these gentlemen prove that the greater part in a parish are such as of right ought to be excommunicated and never put it to the triall whether their sinfulnesse be of that nature for which excommunication may and ought to be inflicted It is obstinacy and wilfull persisting in grosse sins after private and publick admonition that is to be punished with excommunication and how can they know that the greater part of a parish do so sin when they never admonish them either privately or publickly Sure there must be a clear conviction of their sins and all fair and amicable Christian means used to reclaim them before they can judge any in their parish excommunicable were they in a capacity thus authoritatively to deal with them which I think they are not 3. But they say This is a most generally received truth that every particular congregation hath power in it self to reforme it self according to what shall be practicable to them pag. 158. To which I shall oppose their own words pag. 7.10 Where first they say That the ignorant and profane must be withdrawn from because it is clear they cannot be regularly cast out by discipline neither is there any way how they should be rightly excommunicated for that the major part of the Church is corrupt and the same may be well supposed of most of the mixt parochiall congregations in England and will not excommunicate nor are fit to do so nor to chuse officers to do it pag. 9 10. Now is not this a strange thing they condemn Mr. Humfrey for not setting up Discipline in his Church and strongly assert That every Congregation hath power to reform it self and yet they say it is clear that the ignorant and profane cannot be regularly cast out by Discipline nor is there any way how they should be rightly excommunicated Reader Canst thou desire a better justification of Mr. Humfreys present practise in the matter of the Sacrament then these mens own words If he cannot reform in a right way must he and others undergoe reproach because they dare not exercise discipline in a wrong way as these gentlemen do There are many sober and godly Ministers that judge it better not to pretend to discipline at all then to take up that way to which some give the name when there is nothing of the nature of true discipline If we cannot exercise it aright why should any be censured for not exercising it wrong To doe evill that good may come the Apostle judges damnable so rarely it is that good ends and evill means stand together But they say Object If they cannot regularly excommunicate the ignorant and scandalous that are excommunicable then the Minister and those that are convinced of their duty to come up to a more close communion and fellowship in the Gospell must withdraw from the corrupt majority and wait for their coming in upon the same termes agreed upon by the minor part and for this they commend to us Mat. 18. 1. Answ It is very harsh to say that the ignorant in the Church are for that excommunicable they may expresse their desires to learn and use the means appointed to that end and so not be excommunicable nor to be separated from And for the scandalous they are to be tryed as was hinted before and then excommunicated if there be just cause else they shall be deprived of a speciall ordinance of the Church intended as the last remedy to convert the obstinate sinner from his evill waies And as
it is a means of conversion as these Gentlemen do confess the Magistrate may constrain all in the Church to come under it and submit to it They say Iesus Christ should rule by the Word of his mouth and not by the Magistrates compelling edicts and yet they say That in bringing all to converting ordinances they humbly conceive the Magistrate is to put forth his power pag. 176. And then will it not hence follow that as discipline is a means of conversion the Magistrate is to put forth his power for the bringing of all under it Yea doubtlesse and to assist the Church in the setling exercise and execution of it And to withdraw without a judiciall proceeding neither doth nor can attain the true end but doth harden and prejudice sinners a great deal more and so makes them worse in stead of making them better The end of withdrawing according to the Scripture is to bring the persons withdrawn from to shame and repentance and is this a likely way to attain that end for a Minister and some ten or twenty of his people to withdraw from three or four hundred as in some places would be the case they all professing the true Religion Do these men think the Apostle meant such a withdrawing to bring sinners in the Church to shame The rule is in reference to a disorderly brother to bring him to shame but in our times applyed to hundreds at once by the minor part in a Church and that very unfitly too there being many in some such places that as truly fear God and live in Christian obedience beyond some of them that withdraw from them who yet had rather be reckoned among sinners then to joine with them that by schisme break the peace of the Church Besides grant that many of them should be excommunicable doth that warrant a separation when it is not in our power to do it regularly It is ten to one that those that are so zealous for separating did never deal with their offending brethren so far as they lawfully may and ought to amend them If we should deal thus in the Kingdome of this world as they do in the Kingdome of Christ there would be but a sad accompt given of many subjects therein If it were enough to say such are fellons and hangable by the Law and thereupon never bring them to triall but knock them on the head and there 's an end of them How long think you would this Common-wealth stand were such a confusion and barbarisme tolerated Suppose these Gentlemen in Glocestershire are run into a dangerous way of schisme in the Church through error and mistake would they be content without any ordinary means used to convince them of their error or warning and admonishing them to retract to be forthwith sentenced by a Bench of Elders as schismaticall persons and upon that accompt suspended from their Ministry I think they would not And yet by what they appear by their Book to be I think they are scarce qualified as Bishops ought to be that undertake the rule of Christs Flock and my prayer is that their uncharitable practises may not be an occasion of destroying many weak brethren for whom Christ died As for Mat. 18. it comes now to be examined that we may see how it is appliable to these new found models of Discipline hinted at by these men in the preamble of their Book And it is most clear and certain that the main scope of our Saviour is to teach us these two things in generall First That the meanest person coming to Christ and professing faith in him is not to be despised Secondly That not to deal with offending brethren in the way and order by him there prescribed is to despise them And then for the way prescribed by our Saviour it ought to begin with private admonition in case of a brother offending and if that prevail for his amendment he is not to be put to publick shame but if that will not work upon him then upon sufficient proof of the fact he may and ought to be complained of to the Church and the Church may convent him before them admonish to confesse and reform his sin But if out of obstinacy he stubbornly refuse to hear the Church after first and second admonition then to be cast out not otherwise Now what is there in all this to favour or warrant these Gentlemens practise do they proceed after this manner with every offending brother in their severall parishes before they deny them Christian communion in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper If not why will they urge a rule from Jesus Christ to others which they themselves will not practise Would they have others do that themselves neither will nor can do as themselves confesse where the greater part is corrupt And this being the case of most Parishes in England how shall we take up an establishment of discipline from this place Why they tell us by withdrawing from the major part of the Church But then it will be demanded whether this Scripture do warrant any such practise and it must needs be granted it doth not Thus you may see how sutable these new models are to those Scriptures alledged by themselves for proof thereof But to proceed a little further concerning this Scripture Mat. 18. The greatest difficulty as I conceive lies in the word Church when our Saviour bids tell the Church I shall give my thoughts concerning that also and leave them to the intelligent reader to consider 1. I conceive our Saviours rules here given in this case respected the present state of the Jewes Church as well as the Christian Churches in after times and was practicable in that present state of the Jewes Church 2. According to the same rules and order his Disciples and their followers should act in after ages as vers 18. doth plainly shew Concerning the former of these as the rule given by our Saviour respected the present state of the Jewes and was practicable in that Church we are to inquire whether the complaint were to be made to the whole Church consisting of rulers and ruled assembled together in holy worship or to the Rulers and Officers of the Church only assembled in a Court of Judicature for the hearing of complaints and trying of offenders and punishing evill manners To this I answer That to one it seems very probable that Church here is to be taken in the latter sense because the common people among the Jewes never had any such authority in that Church as to judge of manners and censure according to the rule given by our Saviour in this Scripture But it is clear that they had a Councell of Elders called the Sanhedrin Mat. 5.22 that judged of manners and punished such as reviled their brother intimated in these words He that shall say to his Brother Racha shall be in danger of the Councell or Sanhedrin The Pharisees and chief Priests were chief in that Councell or