The Loyal Baptist, Part 2 · Section 3
SECT. III. Concerning Diſcipline.
WHat manner of Diſcipline the Church of Chriſt ought to obſerve, is ſufficiently declared, Matth. 18. 1 Cor 5. 2 Theſſ. 3. Tit. 3. and other places. And it is very well expreſſed by a Miniſter of the Church of England, in his Def…nce of the Thirty Nine Articles of the Church of England, in theſe Words: The manner of proceeding in Excommunication is, firſt by gentle Admonition, and that once or twice, given with the Spirit of Meekneſs, even as a Brother, if the Fault be not notoriouſly known, and next, by open Reprehenſion; afterward by publick Sentence of the Church, to put him from the Company of the Faithful, to deliver him to Satan, to denounce him an Heathen, and a Publican, if no Admonition will ſerve, and the Crimes and Perſons be very offenſive. Thus he.
And to this Diſcipline we can heartily ſubſcribe, it being indeed the very ſame which is religiouſly obſerved by the Baptized Believers in this Age and Nation.
But where now ſhall this Diſcipline be found in the Church of England? Does any one Aſſembly, or Court, of the Church of England obſerve it? Or does ſhe not practiſe that in her Courts, which is too evidently deſtructive of it? For ſo far as we can underſtand, inſtead of this brotherly Admonition, Men are clandeſtinely preſented and accuſed, and often excommunicated for they know not what. What Man is now taught or bound by any Order of the Church of England, that in caſe his Brother treſpaſs againſt him, by defaming his Reputation, offering Injury to his Perſon, or by wronging him in his Subſtance, to take that brotherly Courſe preſcribed to all Chriſtians, Mat. 18.? Or if he would take this Courſe, what Congregation is empowred or allowed to hear or determine the Strife, as Sin is in ſuch caſes committed againſt God? We ſee not how it is poſſible for the Offended, to do his Duty in an orderly way to the Offender; if he go about it, he ſhall probably be derided both by Teacher and People: So far is he from obtaining Juſtice againſt the Offender, in any Congregation of the Church of England, becauſe the ancient Diſcipline is an unknown thing to the People generally. And for want of this Chriſtian Government, are Men continually expoſed to Suits and Troubles in Courts of Law, wherein the Poor can have ſmall Help; as it is written, Eccleſ. 5. 8. (old Tranſlation) If thou ſeeſt the Poor to be oppreſſed,—marvel not,—for one great Man keepeth touch with another, and the mighty Men are in Authority over the Poor.
3. But that which is more grievous: We do not ſee that open Prophaneneſs can be met with, or ſuppreſſed by your Diſcipline: For ſuppoſe a Man be given to Swearing, Lying, Drunkenneſs, and laſcivious Talking, (as God knows, a great Number of the Members of the Church of England are known to be ſuch) your Diſcipline ſeems to have no power in ſuch Caſes: for thus ſaith one of your own Miniſters:
Who minds Canon 109, that prohibits common Swearers, common Drunkards, notorious Whoremaſters, and Whores, &c. from the bleſſed Sacrament of the Lord's Supper? Do not even Biſhops hear Men ſwear a thouſand Oaths, and either do not, or dare not uſe any Diſcipline againſt them?
But now if a good Man do not ſtand up, and bow to the Altar at the Name of Jeſus, when the Creed is read, becauſe he dares not pay greater Reverence (in a religious way) to any Writing, than he pays to the holy Scriptures; If he dares not uſe the Sign of the Croſs in Baptiſm, nor ſprinkle his Child, &c. then ſhall he be proſecuted as a great Sinner, caſt to the Devil, and laid in Priſon; yea, he is ſentenced already: For in Canon 6. thus we read: Whoſoever ſhall affirm, that the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England are—ſuperſtitious, or ſuch—as Men who are zealouſly and godlily affected, may not with any good Conſcience approve them, uſe them, or as Occaſion requireth, ſubſcribe unto them; let him be excommunicated ipſo facto, and not reſtored, until he repent, and publickly revoke ſuch his wicked Errors.
4. Thus (as we conceive) the Diſcipline of Righteouſneſs, Mercy, and Charity, eſtabliſhed by Chriſt, is laid aſide; and a Mercenary Court ſet up, holding the Traditions of Men, inſtead of Chriſt's Inſtitutions, in Eccleſiaſtical Government, who alſo live voluptuouſly upon the Sins of the People. But as for the Reformation of evil Manners, or the making Peace and Concord, alas! it is not ſought for, nor indeed expected from theſe Courts. And as the Reverend Groſthead ſaid at Rome, when he ſaw all things ruled by Money, ſo may I ſay of the Courts under conſideration, O Money, Money, what wilt thou not do there? As for the opprobrious Language prohibited by the Canon, we think it uncomely for any to uſe it, tho we diſſent from the Ceremonies themſelves.