Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A77758
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The ordinance of excommunication rightly stated and vindicated from severall false opinions concerning it. By a lover of truth and peace. Feb. 17. 1645. Imprimatur. John Downame.
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Bakewell, Thomas, b. 1618 or 19.
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1646
(1646)
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Wing B535; Thomason E325_9; ESTC R200624
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8,442
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without any exception Acts 2.46 and 20.7 If they were baptized they were not debarred the other Sacrament and they baptized multitudes together Matth. 3. and some of them knew not that there was any Holy Ghost neither did they know Jesus Christ till Paul had taught them Acts 19.1 2 3 4. Yet here is no encouragement for ignorant persons to rush upon the holy things of God for they sin fearfully unlesse they know God in his names and Attributes his works of Creation works of Grace and Providence and Jesus Christ as Mediatour in his two Natures and his Offices and himselfe in the state of innocencie and in the state of corruption and restored by Christ to grace here and to glorie in the soule after death and in the body after the day of judgement for the sinle without knowledge is not good Prov. 19.2 See the danger of it Isa 5.13 Hos 4.1 2 Thess 1 8. not discerning the Lords body they drink judgement Mark not the Minister but to himselfe 1 Cor. 11.29 Then if a faithfull Minister hath shewed them the danger in coming without knowledge and laboured to teach them and still they are willingly ignorant he may say Though Israel be not ga thered yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord for my work is with my God Isa 49.4 5. Here is a sweet savour to Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish 2 Cor. 2.15 This I say may comfort him when they will neither learne knowledge nor yet abstaine from the Sacrament and the Church hath no power to keep them back nor cast them out unlesse they oppose the Truth by prophanenesse or errour The next thing in the Definition is the extent of it from what must they be excommunicated I answer From all the publike Ordinances of Christ in the Church Miriam for sedition against Moses was smitten with leprosie and the Lord commanded to shut her out from the camp seven days Num. 12.8.14 And Vzza for burning incense was smitten with leprosie and dwelt in a severall house till the day of his death he was cut off from the house of the Lord 2 Chron. 26.19 21. And saith Paul Put away from among your selves that wicked person and saith he I would they were even cut off which trouble you Gal. 5.12 By this it is plaine that they were cut off from all publike Ordinances which is contrarie to those that would have them debarred from the Lords Supper only and yet freely enjoy all other Ordinances which is no excommunication at all neither can any sound reason be given why they should be kept from one ordinance when as they may freely enjoy all the rest The last thing in the Definition is the time how long they are to stand excommunicated I answer Till they be ashamed and by repentance and reformation give satisfaction to the Church and then they may againe be re-admitted the Lord said that she may be ashamed shut her out of the camp seven dayes and after that receive her in again Numb 12 14. And saith Paul Have no company with him that he may be ashamed 2 Thess 3.14 But although Miriam being a good woman was ashamed and repented yet Vzziah was cut off from the house of the Lord all the dayes of his life because hee repented not to give the Church satisfaction they are cast out of the Churches protection into Satans hands to correct them with shame and sorrow using the verie Devill for the health of the the soule as Physitians use poyson for the health of the body but when they through griefe and sorrow are ashamed and repent and promise reformation they ought to be againe admitted lest Satan get advantage and lest they be swallowed up of overmuch sorrow 2 Cor. 2.6.7.11 for their end must be when they deliver them to Satan to be corrected that their spirits may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 5.5 Neither doth excommunication cut off their right to the Ordinances altogether only for the present their soules are desperately sick and no easie physick will cure them saith Paul Himineus and Alexander I have delivered to Satan that they may learne not to blaspheme 1 Tim. 1.20 I suppose there was more with Paul when hee did this although they are not expressed but they were not given into Satans to dispose of them at his pleasure but as the Lord delivered Job into his hands to correct him to humble him for his good so doth the Church deliver them to Satan for shame and sorrow to make them leave blaspheming that their spirits may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus but they have not cast them out of their prayers admonitions exhortations 2 Thess 3.14 And it was to keep the Ordinances from pollution both for theirs and the Churches good but then if after all this he shall upon selfe malice oppose Christ and the Gospell as Julian the Emperour did and the Church discerne him to commit that unpardonable fin they may declare this and so leave him to his finall estate and cease to pray for him being a sin unto death and not to be prayed for 1 Joh. 5.16 and rather pray for justice upon him than for any mercie to him as Paul did for Alexander the Copper-smith when he did him much evill 2 Tim. 4.14 If they beare malicious hatred to the Lord Jesus Christ let him be anathema maranatha 1 Cor. 16.22 And if in malice to Christ they teach any other Gospell let them be accursed yea I say let them be accursed Gal. 1.7.8 9. If they blaspheme against the Holy Ghost they shall never be forgiven because they say he hath an uncleane spirit Mark 3.29 30. Such as tread under foot the bloud of the Covenant whereby they should be sanctified and do despite unto the Spirit of Grace Heb. 10.29 Such as these indeed the Church is to rid their hands of and leave them to their finall estate but such a case as this wee heare of none but Julian since the Apostles dayes but yet the Ordinance of Excommunication may be inflicted in much mercie to the soule of him that is cast out and in love to the Ordinances of Christ when they seek to keep them from pollution And this was the cause why this Ordinance was given to the Church to keep the Ordinances from pollution by heretikes and prophane persons the Church having no humane power to defend it from pollution by the enemies of it in Doctrine and Discipline But now whole Kingdomes have received the Christian Faith and Kings and Magistrates do assist it and they make such positive Lawes as may suppresse both error and prophanenesse and they are as a Guard about the Church although they may not rule as Kings in it yet they are to see their owne Lawes observed for the good of the Church as nursing fathers to it and to punish the disturbers of it Ezra 7.25 26. And when Church-Officers declare to them how errour eats out the Truth and prophanenesse makes it to be despised and the Magistrates will not punish it according to their positive Law then the Church hath this power to cast them out from the Ordinances of Christ and not suffer them to be undermined by heretikes nor trampled upon by prophane persons But in case the Magistrates be faithfull in their places to punish errour and prophanenesse when it is discovered and complained of according to their positive Lawes then the Church-Officers need not to excommunicate any for many yeares together for this remedy was given to the Church when they had neither humane Lawes nor Magistrates in it to keep the Ordinances of Christ from pollution and it is still to be used in case the Magistrates be negligent in their places As the greater Presbyterie is in little use in the Church it the lesser Eldership be well governed but in case that be negligent the greater Presbyt … hath the more trouble For if Magistrates be faithfull they will much ease them both But in case they be nor then I say God hath provided this help for the Church to keep his Ordinances from pollution Now that Church-Officers may be able to discover errour and prophanenesse the Officers must all be proved before they be put into ani◠office 1 Tim. 3.10 If Deacons must be so proved much more should ruling and teaching Elders they must be knowne to have discerning eyes to fore-see the first rise of errour and of a holy life to contradict prophanenesse when as the chiefe Magistrate comes to his place by inheritance and sometimes is a woman a child or weak in wits if not prophane and carelesse and subordinate Magistrates sometimes are ignorant or carelesse and must have Lawyers to make knowne who offend against the Lawes of the Land So the Church had need to have those that are well skilled in Gods Law to make knowne who offends against it and to judge of those offences and will labour to have them redressed or their persons punished that undermine Gods Law by errour or heresie or that trample upon it by prophanenesse Now if prophane or erroneous persons shall excommunicate themselves from the publike Ordinances of Christ either by negligence or going a whoring after any Sects or Schismes and say their conscience must be free to do so then the Magistrate by his positive Lawes must fetch them in and command obedience to those publike Ordinances in the Church as the Kings of Judah did 2 Chro. 17.6 19 10 11 31 4 35 16. and if they will not obey the Law of God and the Law of the King let judgement be speedily executed upon them either to death or banishment confiscation of goods or imprisonment Ezra 7.26 and for their conscience it may be as free as they will to the publike Ordinances of Christ and the command of man cannot hinder it unlesse they despise obedience to God for the very hatred they bear to the Magistrate for commanding it but by this it appears that they labour onlie to have their consciences free to evill for they may be free to as much good as they will and none will hinder them THOMAS BAKEVVELL Printed for Henry Shepheard at the Bible in Tower Street and William Ley at Pauls Chaine near Doctors Commons 1646.