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
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
contending with them for Punctilio's of that Nature Rom. 12. 10. Especially if they be good Men it much becoming the meek Soul with St. Paul to look on himself as less then the least of Saints Eph. 3. 8. and if they be bad to lessen their Crimes in ballance with our own and by his Example reflecting on our selves as chief of Sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. 4 Kindly and Mildly and Prudently taking notice of their Faults and taking it kindly from them when they in like manner take notice of ours and reprove us for them 5 not rejoycing though they be our Enemies in any Ill they do or suffer 1 Cor. 13. 6 6 not hastily quarelling them for little Injuries and being ready to receive and give moderate Satisfaction for such on either side 7. And lastly towards Inferiours shewing our selves Accessible and Treatable to the Meanest of them and being ready on just Occasions to do them all Offices of Humanity or Christianity never oppressing them by our Power or Purse nor in any Case Tyrannically using the Advantages we have over them or with a contemptuous Imperiousness provoking them to Wrath Eph. 6. 4. and moderating Threatnings and Corrections by What is Just and Equal v. 9. and Col. 4. 1. yea if Children or even Slaves to us as most Servants were when the Apostle gave these Directions but now mentioned And by these and the like Measures in the Case of an offending Brothers Restitution are all to shew this Vertue 1. Even Ecclesiastical Officers that have the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or rod are not to use it always nor indeed ever when Lenity will prevail but rather as the Apostle intimates he desired 1 Cor. 4. 21. to reclaim Offenders with the spirit of Meekness and when their Obstinacy calls for it to lay on that Rod most Jer. 31. 30. severaly and withal to shew with how much unwillingness they are forced to it and that their fatherly Bowels as Gods towards Ephraim are troubled for them and pronounce Sentence as the Apostle doth against the irregular Walkers among the Philippians ch 3. 18 19. when he daclareth them Enemies to the Cross of Christ and denounceth the Destruction from God impendent over them with compassionate Tears or equivalent Indications of Condolency 2. And with a Spirit much of the same Temper should all other Christians carry themselves in the several Circumstances wherein their Brethren's falls come under their notice If their Crimes be only Private their Admonitions and Reproofs are to be so too and those managed with all Modest Kind and discreet Deportment and Language proportionable and patiently reiterated again and again with such a Long-suffering as God uses towards us to bring us to Repentance 2 Pet. 3. 9. And if at last we are enforced by our Duty to make the Crimes more known by calling in the Assistance of others not to do it Rashly and in a Passion but Deliberately and with that Gradation which our Saviour commands us to observe Mat. 18. 17. and when it comes in the Issue to the Censure of the Church and the Offenders are by just Penance exposed to publick Shame we are not to entertain them in so doing before us and the Congregation with Countenances and Carriages importing Lightness and Frothiness of Spirit much less with Jeers Flouts or Reproaches in Word or Gesture but with a Serious and composed Gravity of Spirit and Demeanour through the whole Action such as may speak uâ—pitiful and compassionate Spectator of so sad a Scene anâ— withal devout Assistants of them and the Congregation in ouâ— conjoyned Prayers for them and lastly when the Action â—â— over and they Authoritatively Restored to the Peace of thâ— Church and Re-admitted to the Communion of that holy Socâ—ety we ought to be ready to Re-admit them also into ouâ— particular Affections and with all brotherly Kindness to Embrace them to give them the right Hand of Fellowship to weâ—come them again into Christs Fold from whence they strayed and thence forward no more to remember their former Failings and much less to Reproach them with and cast in their Teeth those Crimes which they have by their Penitence washed away For such a Carriage in such Cases is both Unmanly and Unchristian Unmanly as that which is inconsistent with good Breeding in the Judgment of all civil Societies and much more Unchristian as that which directly breaks one of Christ's great Commands of mutual Forgiveness Eph. 4. 32. Col. 3. 12 13. and upon the Non-performance whereof our very Pardon from God himself is Suspended Matt. 6. 14. Mark 11. 25 26. Nay more our very Prayers are denied Access to him for Pardon to our selves we not being warranted to ask it but on that Condition Matt. 6. 12. And lastly such a Command as does not only enjoyn the Duty of Forgiveness but also sets us the just Measure of Performance even the Example of our Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ Eph. 4. 32. before quoted Wherein we are enjoyned to forgive as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us And how that is the Scripture in many emphatical Forms of Speech tells us To wit by blotting out our Transgressions and not remembring our Sins Is 43. 25. Forgiving our Iniquity and remembring our sin no more Jer. 31. 34. And casting all our sins into the depths of the sea Mic. 7. 19. And behind his back so as never to look on them any more Is 38. 17. Yea so as supposing they should be sought for thenceforward never to be found Jer. 50. 20. c. So that in effect he that Reproacheth his Brother in this Case does indeed curse himself when he prays God to forgive him as he forgives III. And thus I have dispatched the main Thing I intended on this Occasion to Prosecute to wit the Duty of Restoring our fallen Brethren with the Spirit of Meekness I have only remaining to touch in a few Words the two Motives which the Apostle here urgeth to induce us to perform it in the manner Prescribed after which with a few Words relating to the Occasion I shall conclude Which Motives as I told you before are two 1. The consideration of our selves as liable to the same Tenptations by which others are overtaken And this as we are Men ought to prevail with us to consider our fallen Brethren as those betwixt whom and us only the Grace of God not any Prerogative or peculiar Power or Vertue of our own hath put a Difference 1. Which Motive it concerns 〈◊〉 even the most Spiritual such as are most eminently so by Office in the Church and though as I before intimated it ought not to induce them to lay aside the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Rod of Correction altogether where the Case requires it yet ought to prevail even with them not to use it where it may without hazard of Souls and Scandal to the Church be forborn and when Necessity inforceth them to use it to shew as I