The Divine Institution of Congregational Churches, Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. Of Church-Members Departure from Communion.
A diſtinct Ʋſe of the Keys belongs to every Church: A Member may not depart at his own pleaſure: A Members Tranſlation from Church to Church, by Recommendation and Diſmiſſion: A Church may deny Diſmiſſion in ſome Caſes: What is to be done when unreaſonably denied: The Keys in tendency to Excluſion: Excommunication direct or indirect: Direct what: Reaſons for Direct ought to be great: When matter of Fact is notorious and ſcandalous how: When …ffences a… private, how: Admonition what: What degrees of it: Of Abſolution: Excommunication indirect: Of Suſpenſion.
§. 1. AS the Keys are uſed in admitting Perſons to Communion, ſo in their departure from the Communion of a particular Church. And it is either in matters relating to the tranſlating a Member from one Church to another, or in ſuch matters as tend to his Excluſion from all Church-Communion. This and the former uſe of the Keys neceſſarily depend on the Nature of a particular Congregation: For if there be but one Catholick Viſible Church, and all other Congregations but ſo many parts; it cannot ly in the power of any part to make one a Member or no Member of the whole; the whole of any Corporation being not at the diſpoſition of any minor part: But here every particular Church being a whole Houſe aActs 15.22. 1 Cor. 14, 23. Ro. 16.23., a diſtinct Body Politick; there can be no regular Admiſſion of Members, or departure of any from Communion, no not from one Church to another, without a Church act both of the one and the other, in the uſe of the Keys.
§. 2. A Member therefore of a Viſible Church may not at his own pleaſure depart from the Communion of the Church to which he is joined, to non-Communion with any Church, nor to the Communion of another Church, without the leave of that Church whereof he is a Member aGal. 5.13 1 Pet. 2.16: For 1. A Church is a Corporation Priviledged with Rules of Admittance and Demittance, which are to be obſerved bRom. 12.4, 5.. 2. Such Departure is rude and diſhonourable to any ſtated Society c1 Cor. 15 33. & 14.40. Phi. 2.3. 3. If Members have this liberty, Why not Miniſterial Officers alſo dJohn 10 10, 17.? 4. Such Departure is fatal and deſtructive to a Church; for the ſame liberty one may take, all may take eib. 6.67.. 5. It's Covenant breaking; for every Church Member Covenants to the contrary fIſa. 44.5.. 6. It tends to deſtroy totally the Relation between the Elders and the People gMat. 9.36. 7. It's a Member's Uſurpation of, and ſtealing the Keys hAmos 6.13. 2 Sa. 19.3. 8. It's Schiſm in the higheſt degree. 9. There is as much reaſon for coming in at pleaſure, as going out at pleaſure kRev. 3.7. Mat. 7.12., 10. i1 Cor. 11 18. 1 Cor. 12.25.It's a High Contempt of Chriſt and his Government lJude 19.. 11. It's a grieving-offence to ſome, and a ſinning-Offence unto others mRom. 16 17.. 12. It breaks the ſtaff of Beauty, and the ſtaff of Bonds nZach. 11.10, 14.. 13. It tends to Anarchy: And what Communion hath Chriſt with Belial oMal. 1.6 1 Theſ. 4.8. Luk. 10.16 2 Cor. 6.16? 14. It deſtroys what a Man hath formerly built pGa. 2.18. 15 It expoſeth the Churches and ways of Chriſt to the higheſt Scorn and Contempt q2 Pet. 2.2. 16. Such a Deſerter is a felo de ſe, and doth Disfranchiſe and Excommunicate himſelf rHoſ. 13.9.
§. 3. The Tranſlation of a Member of a Church is, when he goes from the Communion of one Church to the Communion of another occaſionally, or in order to abide. He goes Occaſionally only, when he obtains a Recommendation, being a Teſtimonial under the hand of the Paſtor or other Elders, that he is a Member of ſuch a Church, walks as becomes the Goſpel, and is not under any Cenſure or Dealing for any Offence. This falls ſhort of a diſmiſſion; for 1. It needs not any Vote of the Church, it being a Teſtimonial. 2. It needs not be directed to any particular Church, but to all it may concern. 3. There's no transferring of Church Memberſhip. 4. Such takes place only when a Church-Member is called for a Seaſon only by Providence to communicate with another Church. 5. In Caſe there be no Elders in the Church, a Teſtimonial under the Hands of ſome of the Brethren may be ſufficient aActs 18.27. 2 Cor. 3.1.
§. 4. A Diſmiſſion, or Letter of Diſmiſſion is that which is wrote from one Church to another, by the hand of the Elders (or in caſe ther's none, by ſome Brethren) by the conſent, and in the Name of the Church; wherein the Member asking the ſaid Diſmiſſion and obtaining it, is diſcharged from his original Relation to that Church, and is transferred to the conſtant Communion, Watch and Care of the other Church to which he is diſmiſſed aRom. 16.1, 2.. And in ſuch a Diſmiſſion theſe things are to be obſerved from the Nature of the thing it ſelf. 1. That the ſaid Brother diſmiſſed be not under the Cenſure or Dealing of the Church diſmiſſing him. 2. That the Letter of Diſmiſſion may be either with or without Commendation, as the Caſe may require, or the carriage of the ſaid Member hath bin, tho he hath not bin under the Dealing of the Church for any cenſurable action: Many a good Man proving an ill Church-Member (as ſuch an one may be an ill Husband) not carrying himſelf orderly and duely in his Relation. 3. That a Diſmiſſion be granted, either upon good Reaſon alledged by him, or upon his peremptory inſiſting upon it, for the Peace of the Church. 4. A Church-Member is not to be diſmiſſed at large, to join to what Church he pleaſes; for 1. This is to diſmiſs him to himſelf, and not to a Church, the Church to which he is diſmiſſed being not ſpecified. 2. To diſcharge him from the Watch and Care of one Church, and not to transfer him to the Communion of another, is the putting him out of all Church Communion, and therefore an interpretative Excommunication a1 Cor. 5.13.. 3. A Church may not diſmiſs a Member to them that it hath no Church Communion with, and therefore not to the wide World bJoh. 15.19. & 17.21. 2 Cor. 6.14, 15.. 4. As a Church is to watch over a Brother while he walks with it, ſo their Watch and Care ought to be extended to him when he departs, to ſee him lodg'd in ſafe hands cHe. 13.17. 5. To diſmiſs a Brother to his own pleaſure, or to the wide World, is to expoſe him to Temptation; and accordingly many ſo diſmiſſed have caſt off all Church-Watch, and joined to none at all dRo. 14.13. 6. No other Church can duely receive a Brother ſo diſmiſſed, but as a Non-Member to any Church e1 Cor. 5.12, 13.. 7. It argues no ſmall diſregard to the Order of the Goſpel, to grant ſuch a Diſmiſſion, and likewiſe it becomes a great Reproach to the Church and Elders fHeb. 8.5, 6. & 3.3..
§. 5. A Church may in ſome Caſes deny a Diſmiſſion asked. As 1. When the ſaid Brother is under Church Dealing. 2. When he deſires only a Diſmiſſion at large to the World. 3. When he asks a Diſmiſſion to a Falſe or Heretical Church: But if he ask a Diſmiſſion to a Church of the ſame Order, and give no ſatisfactory reaſon for it, and yet remains Peremptory in ſuch Demand, the Church ought not to refuſe the granting of it; for ſo to do, is 1. To keep a Man forcibly, and to make the Church a Priſon a2 Cor. 1.24.. 2. It is to Lord it over God's Heritage b1 Pet. 5.3. 3. It is to lay a ſtumbling-Block in his way, and to tempt him to rend himſelf off ſchiſmatically from the Church cRo. 14.13. 4. It's to deſtroy his Edification, for he cannot edifie by Means he is forceably kept under dEph. 4.16 Rom. 15.2.. 5. It's contrary to Chriſt's Golden Rule eMat. 7.12. 6. It may prove dangerous to the whole Church, proving a Root of bitterneſs that may infect many fHeb. 12.15..
§. 6. Some Churches, or pretended at leaſt, that walk by their own Wills rather than by any of Chriſt's Rules, will never grant a Diſmiſſion regularly to any. In ſuch Caſes a Regular Church is neceſſitated to take ſuch Diſcharges of Members as an Irregular Church will give. And if upon the uſe of all due means they will grant none, the Church-Member ſo refuſed may join himſelf upon the terms of a non-Member, and ſo be admitted by the more Regular Church.
§. 7. The management of the Keys in ſuch Caſes as have a tendency to excluſion from all Church Communion, are ſuch as look that way by reaſon of the falls and offences of Church-Members; and ſo comprehend all due means that are to be uſed for the Recovery of ſuch as are fallen aGal. 6.1., and that are to be taken in caſe of incorrigibleneſs.
§. 8. Excommunication is by the uſe of the Keys in a Judicial Proceeding of the Church in the Name of Chriſt, whereby a Perſon is excluded and caſt out of Communion in all the Special Ordinances thereof aJohn 9. 22, 34. & 12.42. 1 Cor. 5.1..
§. 9. Excommunication may be conſidered as direct, or more indirect. Direct is the ſentence of the Church in the Name of Chriſt, for the caſting out of an impenitent or notorious Sinner from Communion of the Church aMat. 18.17. 1 Cor. 5.4.; which is always to be underſtood of the Special Ordinances, for Publicans and Sinners are not excluded from the Ordinances of general Communion, ſuch as Preaching and Praying; and Excommunication puts a Perſon but into the condition of Publicans and Sinners in reſpect of Ordinances.
§. 10. A Church ought not upon every ſlight occaſion to proceed unto Excommunication of a Brother, but upon the account of Matters of great weight, wherein the Honour of Chriſt, the Purity of Ordinances, and the Soul of the Offender are concerned; and ſuch offences do either call for immediate proceeding to this Sentence, or for a more gradual and mediate proceeding thereto aJude 22, 23..
§. 11. When the matter of fact is moſt notorious and ſcandalous, paſt all Diſpute and publickly known a1 Tim. 1.20. & 5.24. 1 Cor. 5.4., then the Church is called immediately to proceed unto Cenſure (notwithſtanding any preſent ſigns of Conviction and Remorſe) for the neceſſary Vindication of the Glory of God, the Church, and their Holy Profeſſion, and to manifeſt their juſt indignation againſt ſuch wickedneſs b2 Cor. 7.11.. So as it were to ſnatch the Sinner as a firebrand out of the fire, waiting for a wellgrounded and tried evidence of his unfeigned Repentance under the Cenſure; the firſt and great End whereof is the Sinners Salvation, not his Deſtruction c2 Cor. 2.6 7, 8. 2 Cor. 10.8. 1 Cor. 5.5.
§. 12. In caſe of Sins not ſo notorious, and more privately committed, the Churches proceeding muſt be more gradual, by all endeavours in the ſpirit of meekneſs, to reſtore ſuch an one to Repentance aMatt. 18 15, 16, 17, which being obtained, there's no occaſion for further proceeding as to Cenſure.
§. 13. And here Admonition is of great uſe, which is an holy, tender and wiſe Endeavour to convince the offending Party of matter of fact, and of the ſin of it, with the aggravating circumſtances attending, as alſo to lead him to his Duty thereupon, charging it upon his Conſcience in the ſight of God, with due application of the Word of God which concerns his condition. And this belongs not to the Elders, in the firſt and ſecond degrees of proceeding in this Caſe; but to all private Members in their places, as matters may concern them, and are known unto them more or leſs a1 Theſ. 5.12. Rom. 15.14 2 Theſ. 5.14. Gal. 6.1. 2 Tim. 9.25 Heb. 12.15.
§. 14. There are three degrees of Admonition aMatt. 18, firſt by a ſingle Brother or Siſter that is firſt acquainted with the Sin committed. The ſecond is upon the non-Repentance of the offending Party; whereupon the firſt Admoniſher takes to him one or two more, and admoniſheth the offender the ſecond time, which Admonition taking no effect, the Church is to be acquainted with the offence: And the Church by the Elders gives a third Admonition, which if the Sinner receives not, but continues impenitent, the Church proceeds to Cenſure bIbid. v. 15, 16, 17., unleſs the Church ſee reaſon to wait longer. And it follows from hence.
1. That every Church Member tho of private capacity only, has ſomewhat to do in his place, as well as the Elders cHeb. 12.15..
2. That in caſe of private offences, it is prepoſterous to publiſh them, or acquaint the Elders therewith, before the two lower degrees of Admonition are duely proceeded in, and not heard by the Offender.
3. That when Matters come to the Elders Ears, all private proceedings ceaſe, and all things are to be laid before the Church.
4. When matters come before the Church, the Offendor rejecting the firſt and ſecond Publick Admonition at moſt, is to be judged incorrigible dTitus 3.10, 11..
§. 15. This great Cenſure is to be proceeded to in this manner; the Queſtion is put by an Elder, Whether the Church adjudge the perſon offending (all due means having bin uſed according to the Rules of Chriſt) to be guilty of matter of fact as charged, and remain incorrigible? Which being anſwered in the Affirmative, the Judgment is fallen into the Paſtor's or Elder's hand, as after the Verdict of a Jury, into the hands of the Judge; and accordingly he goes on to paſs Sentence, as the Duty of his place requires. And firſt with much Solemnity, after he hath laid open the Sin, with ſeveral aggravations, he ſhews likewiſe the Awful Nature of this great Cenſure, and the main End thereof, for the Salvation, and not the Deſtruction of the Sinner, and accordingly calls upon God for his gracious Preſence and Bleſſing upon this Sacred Ordinance, that the great end thereof may be obtained, ſtill expreſſing the deep ſence the Church hath of the Fall of this Brother, with great Humiliation of the Church, with remorſe for the Sin thus committed and perſiſted in.
Laſtly, In the Name of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt before the Congregation (whether the offending Brother be preſent or withdrawn) the Elder cuts off and ſecludes ſuch an one (by Name) from the Union and Communion of the Church, declaring the ſaid Excluſion carries in it the ſenſe of our Saviour, See Mat. 18.17, &c. 1 Cor. 5.4, 5, 6. 2 Theſ. 3.14. 1 Tim. 1.10.in ſaying He ſhall be as an Heathen Man and a Publican, and the full ſenſe of the Apoſtle's Charge to the Corinthians, to deliver up ſuch an one to Satan, &c. Which is no more than the putting him out of Communion of the Church the Kingdom of Heaven, into the World the Kingdom of Satan, for the humbling and breaking of him in the ſight and ſenſe of his ſins, which is all that's meant by the deſtruction of the fleſh.
§. 16 A Member thus judicially caſt out, may through the Grace of God bleſſing this Ordinance, be brought to a great ſight of his Sin and remorſe for it, with great longing deſires to return to the Communion of the Church again. In this Caſe, Chriſt's Keys are to be uſed to open the Door, and receive the excluded Party into the Church again: For after a full proof of the truth of the Sinner's Repentance, he is brought by the Elders to make his Publick and Solemn Manifeſtation of his deep Remorſe, &c. Which acknowledgment being received by the Church, with ſatisfaction and tender compaſſion towards him, he is by an Elder abſolved from the aforeſaid Cenſure, See Mat. 16.19. & 18.18.and re-admitted into full Communion, with the great joy of the Congregation, and Expreſſions of thankfulneſs unto God, Thus he that was bound is now looſed.
§. 17. Beſides this direct way of proceeding againſt an offending Member, there is another much of the like nature, which we call indirect, becauſe the Church puts not the Party out of its Communion before the Party hath ſecluded himſelf, and not by any regular way; but indirectly and contrary to all Rules of Order: For it is when a Church-Member, by reaſon of ſome offence taken at the Church, or ſome Member thereof not diſcharging his own Duty, withdraws himſelf, and ſeparates from the Communion of the Church. A Perſon having thus Excommunicated himſelf, as it were, the Church ought to conſider what is their Duty, and though a particular Member (or more) hath uſurped to himſelf the power of the Keys, See Rom. 16.17. 2 Theſ. 3.6the Church ought not to acquieſce therein; but maintain that Power which Chriſt hath committed to it; and tho it cannot hinder the inordinateneſs of a Brother's unruly Paſſions, and ungovernable Temper, when God leaves him to it, but that he will run away from the Church, rend himſelf off, breaking all Order and Covenant Obligations, in oppoſition to all fraternal endeavours to ſtay him in the place that Chriſt hath ſet him in; the Church is bound to ſhew and aſſert the power of Chriſt which he hath entruſted it with, and judicially ſhut the Door and turn the Key upon ſo ſinful and diſorderly a Departer from them, declaring that he having ſinfully departed from the Communion of that Congregation, he is no longer under its Care and Watch, and is not to return to the Communion of the Church as before, till he hath given ſatisfaction to the Church.
§. 18. Some ſpeak much of and practice a Cenſure of Suſpenſion, when an offending Brother is forbid by the Church to come to its Communion in the Lord's Supper, till it appear whether he be guilty or no of the Sin charged on him.
Our Lord Jeſus Chriſt hath given no ſuch Rule to Churches to walk by: For till a Brother is fully Convict before the Church, the Church hath no power to deprive him of any Church-Priviledges that belong to him by reaſon of his Memberſhip, and while the Church is in the way of its Duty, it is not guilty of the Sin of a particular Member. Hence Brethren ſin greatly in withdrawing from a Church's Communion, becauſe a Brother (or more) lyeth under the charge of ſome Sin which they have not yet convinced him of before the Church, either for the matter or Nature of the thing; till both which is done in the Judgment of the Church, he is not Convict, nor can be excluded from Ordinances; but being Convict and incorrigible, he is fully ripe for the Cenſure of Excommunication, and there is no room for Suſpenſion; therefore Suſpenſion before Conviction is unjuſt, and Suſpenſion after is needleſs, and comes ſhort of Chriſt's Inſtitution. But if to gratifie ſome (through weakneſs ſtartled at the preſence of a ſuſpected, un-convict Perſon at the Lord's Supper, who is under the Church's dealing in order to Conviction) the ſuſpected Brother will forbear Communion, it is to be lookt on as an act of his own, but no Cenſure of the Church.