The Dying Mans Testament to the Church of Scotland, Part 3 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Admonition is necessary, and how to be performed.
THe third step, is Admonition, that is, when convictions have no successe, then ought Ministers to proceed to judiciall and authoritative admonitions, as the word is in the direction, Tit. 3. 10. A man that is an Heretick reject, after the first and second admonition. This admonition hath no new reason to inform the judgment, which is already presupposed to be done, but it addeth these two, 1. It hath a concurring weight to affect the conscience which hath withstood or smothered the light; and so it is, with Gods bl…ssing, usefull to make former despised light more seriously and impartially to be weighed and considered, when in His Name the admonition is particularly upon that account directed to them. 2. It is a warning, giving advertisement of some sadder thing coming, if they shall continue to reject the Truth, and so it is a shoring of them for that particular fault, before the stroak be laid on, that either, by Gods blessing, it may humble and soften them, and so put them to endeavour the preventing of the coming stroak; or, if they continue stubborn, it may make them more inexcusable; and thus there is the clearer accesse to proceed to rejection. This admonitionThe several steps of admonition. may be considered in these three steps, 1. It may be in privat, after the Minister's conferring with the persons and his finding them guilty, he may not only instruct them, but afterward, if they continue, admonish them, and that as a Minister, in the Name and Authority of Jesus Christ, which is more than the admonition of a privat person. 2. There is a step of this admonition to be past judicially by a Church-judicatory when the person is brought before them, whereby they judicially interpose their authority to admonish such a person of the evil of his way, and of the necessity of the present duty of repentance for the same, like that which sinfully and most abominably was misapplied by the Priests and Pharisees, Act. 4. 5. yet, that in the general there is such an admonition, is apparent. The 3. step is publickly before the people, wherein (after the former hath failed in reaching the desired end) the party infected is solemnly and publickly admonished before the Congregation. In which step, 1. The parties good is to be respected, that now it may be tried if the admonition both of officers and people (who are supposed to joyn in this publick admonition) may have weight. 2. It is usefull for the people to guard them against such an evil, and such a person. 3. If it succeed not, it leaveth the person more inexcusable, and convinces all of the justice and necessity of proceeding further, and so tendeth to make the Sentence to be the more respected by all. This, we conceive, is the admonition intended, Tit. 3. 10. and answereth to that publick rebuke, spoken of, 1 Tim. 5. 20.
In carrying-on these admonitions, these thingsSome things observable in the way of admonishing would be observed, 1. That there be no great hasting, except the persons readinesse and diligence to infect others require the same, in which case there is no delay to be admitted. 2. All these steps of admonition would be so carried-on as becometh an Ordinance of Christ, and that the weight of them may lie there. 3. There is difference to be put betwixt giving of an admonition, and entering of a debate for conference; Therefore there is no necessity of suspending an admonition, because the person is absent, more than there is of suspending of a warning or citation: And, on the other side, If the persons were present, and should contradict and oppose themselves, there is no necessity nor conveniency of entering in debate again, because that is not the present work, but authoritatively to admonish those who have resisted sufficient conviction, and so they are to be left under the weight of the admonition, from which the renewing of debate would diminish.
The fourth thing and that which followeth fruitlesseThat rejecting of an obstinat Heretick, is to Church-officers a necessary duty, & a mean to be made use of for the Churches edification. admonition, is rejection, Tit. 3. 10. A man that is an heretick, reject. This rejection is the same with Excommunication or delivering to Satan, 1 Tim. 1. 20. Concerning which these things are clear,
1. That a man, continuing an Heretick, may and ought to be rejected and excommunicated as well as for any other grosse Scandal: For, 1. the precept is plain in the place cited, A man that is an Heretick, reject; which must be a casting of him out from Church-communion, and a giving of him over in respect of the use of any further means for his edification, which is in effect, to account him as an Heathen man and a Publican, which is called, 1 Cor. 5. 13. a putting away from amongst our selves a wicked person. 2. The example and precedent is clear, 1 Tim. 1. 20. 3. Where this is followed, it is commanded, as in Ephesus, Rev. 2. and where it is forborn, and corrupt teachers suffered to be in the Church, it is very sharply reproved, as in the Epistles to Pergamos and Thyatira. 4. The general grounds of Scandal and of Discipline against the same, and the reasons which inforce the exercise thereof in any case, have weight here. For, 1. It is scandalous exceedingly. 2. It is hurtfull to the Church. 3. Discipline▪ and particularly that Sentence, is appointed for remedying the hurts of the Church, and the removing of offences from the same; which grounds have been formerly cleared, Therefore it palpably followeth, that this Sentence is to proceed against such: But for further clearing of this, there are some Questions to be answered here, As,
1. It may be questioned, What if the person beWhat if the person seduced be judged to be truly gracious. godly, or accounted so? Answ. I shall not say how unlike it is that a really gracious man will be a minister of Satan, we have spoken of that already; but, supposing it to be so, 1. If it be scandalous in a gracious man, is not the same remedy to be used for the Churches good? 2. That supposition of Paul's Gal. 1. 8, 9. doth put it above all question, Though we (saith he) or an Angel from Heaven, preach another Gospel, let him be accursed. And▪ again, he saith it, to put this out of controversie, If any man shall preach another Gospel, let him be accursed. And, if Paul will except no man, no, not himself, nay▪ nor an Angel from Heaven, who can be excepted? The mistake is in this, that Excommunication is not looked upon as an Ordinance of Christ, usefull through His blessing for humbling and reclaiming of a sinner more than if it were not applied; whereas, if it were looked upon as medicinal in its own kind, it would not be …o constructed of; For, by comparing 1 Cor. 5. with 2 Cor. 2. we will find that it was more profitable to the excommunicated person himself that this Sentence was past, than if it had been for born.
2. It may be asked, What if the person be no fixedWhat if he be no fixed member of any particular Congregation. member of any particular Congregation, who yet doth infect others? Answ. This cannot be sufficient to exempt from Censure, Because, 1. he is a member of the Catholick Church, Therefore Censures must some way reach him: otherwayes, supposing a man to disclaim all particular Congregations, he might be a member of the Church, who yet could be reached by no Censure. 2. He might claim the priviledges in any particular Congregation, if he should carry fairly as he is a member of the Church-catholick: Therfore it would seem by proportion and rule of contraries, that Presbyteries may reach him with their Censures, if by his miscarriages he become offensive to the people. 3. We see that the Church of Ephesus, Revel. 2. did judicially try and censure those who called themselves Apostles, who, it's like, being strangers, obtruded themselves, under that title, upon them, and so could not be accounted members of that Church; And indeed, there is no lesse needfull for the edification of the people of such particular Congregations, and for guarding them from the hurt that may come by vageing persons, than that either they be censured somewhere by one Congregation, or many, in associated Church-judicatories; or, at least that some publick note and mark be put upon such, that others may have warning to eschew them, as the word may be taken, Rom. 16. 17, 18. and 2 Thess. 3. 14. which is there spoken of, busie bodies and wanderers without any certain calling or station.
3. It may be questioned, What if Magistrates inWhat if Civill Magistrats concur not for the backing of the sentence. their place concur not, or, if the case so fall out, that they be displeased with the drawing▪forth of such a Sentence? Answ. This may require the more prudence, zeal and circumspectnesse, but ought not to mar the progresse: Because, 1. Excommunication is an Ordinance instituted by Jesus Christ for the edification of His Church, as Preaching and giving of the Sacraments are. 2. That same might have been asked in the primitive times when Paul did excommunicate, and when the Lord did reprove the want thereof. Revel. 2. There was then no concurrence of Civil Power. Yea, 3. in this case it seemeth most necessary; and the greatest enemies of Church-discipline do allow the Church to Sentence her members in such a case. 4. The weight of this Sentence doth not depend upon Civil Power, but upon Christ's Institution, Therefore the weight of it is to be laid here, whatever Civil Powers do. 5. We will find the primitive Fathers hazarding upon Martyrdom even in this very thing, So that when corrupt Emperours have inhibited them to excommunicate Arians and other Hereticks, they have done it notwithstanding; and by designing whom they desired to have succeeding them in their places before they past the Sentence, did declare themselves ready to suffer, upon this account, any thing that might follow, and accordingly some of them have been immediatly put to suffering.
2. We say, That although an Heretick be to be rejected,Two limitations to be adverted in the rejecting of Hereticks. yet is there a twofold limitation to be adverted to in that place, Tit. 3. 9. first, That it is not every erroneous person that is so to be dealt with, but he must be an Heretick: Which doth imply these three, 1. A perniciousnesse and destructivenesse in the errour maintained. 2. An actual venting thereof, to the destruction of the Church, either by corrupting the doctrine, marring the order, or breaking the unity of the same, or some other way spoiling the vines that have tender grapes. 3. It implieth a pertinacy in such evils.
It is true, that sometimes lesser errours, in respect of their effects, and other aggravating circumstances, may become intolerable and to be proceeded against by this Sentence, as was said of lesser Scandals in practice. Yet, we conceive, that properly it is some grosser errour than what may be accounted to be of infirmity (such as many godly, sober, unprejudged men may have) that is to be the ground of such a Sentence. Therefore we refer the decision of this to be gathered from the Distinctions formerly laid down.
2. We find it qualified by this, That this rejection is not to proceed hastily, but to follow upon rejected and sleighted admonitions: Therefore, if an admonition be received before, and the Church therein be heard, there is no further proceeding to be in in reference to this Sentence: Because, 1. the limitation is expresse. 2. The reason is clear; for if the lesser do the turn, and prevail to the recovery of the person, and removing of the offence from the Church, What needeth more?