A Petition for Peace with the Reformation of the Liturgy, Part 14
Of Paſtoral Diſcipline, Publick Confeſſion, Abſolution, and Excluſion from the Holy Communion of the Church.
THe Recital of the Curſes are ſaid in the Book of Common Prayer, to bee inſtead of the godly diſcipline of the primitive Church, till it can bee reſtored again, which is much to bee wiſhed, which is the putting of notorious ſinners to open Penitence; His Majeſties Declaration concerning Eccleſiaſtical affairs, determineth that all publick diligence bee uſed for the inſtruction, and reformation of Scandalous offenders, whom the Miniſter ſhall not ſuffer to partake of the Lords Table, until they have openly declared themſelves to have truly repented and amended their former naughty lives, provided there bee place for due appeals to Superiour Powers.
And the law of Chriſt commandeth, if thy Brother treſpaſs againſt thee, go and tell him his faults between him and thee alone, if hee ſhall hear thee, thou haſt gained thy Brother, but if hee will not hear thee, then take to thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witneſſes; every word may bee Eſtabliſhed, and if hee ſhall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the Church, but if hee ſhall neglect to hear the Church; let him bee unto thee as a Heathen man, or as a publican. Mat. 18. 15, 16, 17. And it is the office of the Paſtors of the ſeveral Congregations, not only to teach the people in General, and guide them in the Celebration of the publick Worſhip, but alſo to over-ſee them, and watch over each member of their flock particularly, to preſerve them from Errours, Hereſies, Diviſions, and other ſins, defending the truth, confuting gain-ſayers, and ſeducers, inſtructing the Ignorant, exciting the Negligent, incourageing the Deſpondent, comforting the Afflicted, confirming the weak, rebuking and admoniſhing the diſorderly and ſcandalous, and directing all according to their needs in the matters of their Salvation, and the people in ſuch needs ſhould have ordinary recourſe to them, as the officers of Chriſt, for guidance, and reſolution of their doubts, and for aſſiſtance in making their ſalvation ſure; and in proving, maintaining, or reſtoring the peace of their conſciences, and ſpiritual comfort.
If therefore any member of the Church bee a ſcandalous ſinner, and the Crime bee either notorious or fully proved, let the Paſtor admoniſh him, and ſet before him the particular command of God which hee tranſgreſſeth, the ſupream Authority of God which hee deſpiſeth, the promiſes and mercies, which hee treadeth under foot, and the curſe and dreadful condemnation, which hee draweth upon himſelf, let this bee done with great compaſſion and tender love to the offenders ſoul, and with gravity, reverent, and ſerious importunity, as beſeemeth men imployed on the behalf of God, for the ſaving of a ſoul, and yet with judgement, and cautelous prudence, not taking that for ſin which is no ſin, nor that for a groſs and ſcandalous ſin, which is but an ordinary humane frailty, not dealing as unreverently with a Superiour as with an inferiour, nor making that publick, which ſhould bee concealed, nor reproving before others, when it ſhould bee done more ſecretly, nor ſpeaking unſeaſonably, to thoſe who through drink or paſſion are incapable of the benefit, nor yet offending by baſhfulneſs or the fear of man, or lukewarmneſs, negligence, or ſlighting over great offences, on the other extream.
Prudence alſo requireth them to bee cautelous of over-medling, where the Magiſtrates honour, or concernment, or the Churches unity, or peace, or the reputation of others, or the intereſt of their Miniſtry requireth them to forbear.
Theſe Cautions obſerved, If the ſcandalous offenders continue impe…itent, or unreformed, after due admonitions and patience, let the Paſtor in the Congregation when hee is preſent rebuke him before all, that the Church may ſufficiently diſown the Crime, and others may ſee the odiouſneſs & danger of the ſin. But let this alſo bee with the love, and ſeriouſneſs, and prudence, before mentioned.
If the offender in obſtinacy will not bee there, the Paſtor may open the crime before the Congregation; And preſent or abſent (in caſe hee remain impenitent) if the caſe will bear ſo long delay, it is convenient, that the Paſtor publickly pray for his conviction, and repentance, that hee may bee Saved.
And this hee may do one, or two, or three, or more daies, as the nature of the caſe, and prudence ſhall direct him.
If during theſe means for his Recovery (after the proof of the Crime) there bee a Communion of the Church in the Lords Supper, Let the Paſtor require him to forbear and not ſuffer him to partake of the Lords Table.
If yet the offender remain impenitent, let the Paſtor openly declare him …meet for the Communion of the Church, and require him to abſtain from it, and require the Church to avoid Communion with him. And let him binde him by the denounciations of the threatings of God, againſt the impenitent.
But before this is done, let no neceſſary conſultation, with other Paſtors, or concurrence, of the Church bee neglected, And after let there bee place for due appeals, and let Miniſters conſent to give account when they are accuſed of Mal-adminiſtration.
But if after private Admonition (while the offence is ſuch, as requireth not publick confeſſion) the Sinner bee penitent, let the Miniſter privately apply to his Conſolation the promiſes of the Goſpel, with ſuch cautelous prudence as is moſt ſuitable to his condition.
And if hee repent not till after publick admonition, or that the ſcandall bee ſo great and notorious, as that a publick confeſſion is neceſſary, let him at a ſeaſonable time appointed by the Paſtor, with remorſe of conſcience, and true contrition, confels his ſin before the Congregation, and heartily lament it, and clear the honour of his Chriſtian profeſſion, which hee had ſtayned, and crave the prayers of the Church to God for pardon, and reconciliation through Chriſt, and alſo crave the Miniſterial Abſolution and reſtauration, to the Communion of the Church, and profeſs his reſolution to do ſo no more; but to live in new obedience to God, deſiring alſo their prayers for Corroborating and preſerving grace.
It is only a credible profeſſion of repentance, that is to bee accepted by the Church.
The foregoing Cautious muſt bee carefully obſerved in ſuch confeſſions, that they bee not made to the injuring of the Magiſtrate, or of the Church, or of the reputation of others, or of the Life, Eſtate, or Liberty of the offender, or to any other ſhame than is neceſſary to the manifeſting of his repentance, and the clearing of his Profeſſion, and the Righting of any that hee hath wronged, and the honour, and preſervation of the Church.
When hee hath made a credible profeſſion of repentance, It is the Paſtors duty, Miniſterially to declare him pardoned by Chriſt, but in conditional terms [If his repentance be ſincere] And to abſolve him from the cenſureof non Communion with the Church, if he was under ſuch a cenſure before his penitence, and to declare him meet for their Communion, and to encourage him to come, and require the Church to entertain him into their Communion with gladneſs, and not upbraid him with his fall, but rejoyce in his recovery, and endeavour his confirmation and preſervation for the time to come: And it is his duty accordingly to admit him to Communion, and theirs to have loving Communion with him: All which the penitent perſon, muſt beleevingly, lovingly, & joyfully receive. But if any, by Notorious perfidiouſneſs, or frequent Covenant breaking have forfeited the Credit of their words, or have long continued in the ſin which they do confeſs, ſo that their forſaking it hath no proof; The Church then muſt have teſtimony of the Actual Reformation of ſuch as theſe, before they may take their Profeſſions and promiſes as credible; Yet here the difference of perſons and offences is ſo great; that this is to bee much left to the Prudence of Paſtors, that are preſent, and acquainted with the perſons, & Circumſtances of the Caſe. In the tranſacting of all this, theſe following Forms, to bee varied as the variety of Caſes do require, may bee made uſe of.