The Glory of a True Church and its Discipline Displayed, Part 9 – Part 10
Of private Offences of one Brother against another.
1. AS touching private Offences,Of private Offences between Brother and Brother. the Rule Mat. 18. is to be observed, only this by the way must be premised, viz. if but one Brother or two have the knowledg of some Members Crime, yet if it be publickly known to the World, and the Name of God be reproached, it being an immoral Act, … private Brother is not to proceed with such an Offender, according to Mat. 18. but forthwith to brin… it to the Church, that the public… Scandal may be taken off.
2. But if it be a private Offenc… or Injury done to a Brother … Sister in particular, and not bei… a notorious scandalous Sin, tha… Brother must not mention it to one Soul, either within, or without the Church, until he hath proceeded according to the Rule.
(1.) He must tell his Brother his Fault.Mat. 18.15. Moreover, if thy Brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault betwixt thee and him alone; if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy Brother.
Thou must labour in Love and all Affections to convince him o… his Fault; but if he will not hea… thee,
(2.) Thou must take one or two more, but be sure see they are discreet Persons, and such that ar… most likely to gain upon him; and they with thee are to labour with all Wisdom to bring him to the sense of his Fault: 'tis not iust to speak to him, as if that were enough; no, no, but to take all due Pains, and to strive to convince him, that so the matter may be issued, and the Church not troubled with it:Mat. 18.16. But if he will not hear thee, take one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three Witnesses every word may be established.
3. But if he will not hear them after all due Means and Admonitions used, then it must be brought to the Church; and if he will not hear the Church, he must be cast out:Dr. Chauncy, p. 345. The Elder is to put the Question, whether the offending Brother be in their Judgments incorrigible, and refuseth to hear the Church; which passing in the Affirmative by the Vote of the Congregation,The Sisters are not to vote in the Church. or the Majority of the Brethren by the lifting up of their Hands, or by their Silence; the Pastor after calling upon God, and opening the nature of the Offence, and the Justness of their Proceedings, in the Name and by the Authority of Christ, pronounces the Sentence of E… communication to this effect.
The Act of Excommunication or Church-Censure.That A. B. being guilty of great Iniquity, and not manifesting … feigned Repentance, but refusing to hear the Church, I do in the Name, and by the Authority of Christ committed unto me as Pastor of this his Church, pronounce and declare that he is to be, and is hereby excommunicated, excluded or cast out of the Congregation, and no longer to be owned a Brother, 1 Cor. 5.or a Member of this Church; and this for the destruction of the Flesh, that his Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
And this we believe is the substance of that which the Apostle calls a delivering up to Satan, he being cast into the World, which is called the Kingdom of Satan, where he rules and reigns.
The delivery unto Satan (saith Dr. Chauncy) signifies only the solemn Exclusion of a Person from the Communion of the Church,Pag. 345. the visible Kingdom of Christ, and disinfranchizing him, or divesting him of all visible Right to Church Privileges, casting him into the Kingdom of the World, where the Prince of Darkness rules in the Children of disobedience. And this being done, he is to be esteemed to be no better than an Heathen Man,Mat. 18.17. or Publican, or as an evil Person, and not to have so much as intimate civil Communion withal.
Of Scandalous Persons guilty of gross Acts of Immorality.
IF any Member fall into any gross Acts of Sin,Of Scandalous Crimes or Evils. as Swearing, Lying, Drunkenness, Fornication, Covetousness, Extortion, or the like, and it is known and publickly spread abroad to the great scandal and reproach of Religion, and of the Holy Name of God, his Church, and People; the said Offender so charged, the Church must send one or two Brethren to him to come before the Congregation: if he will not come, but doth slight and contemn the Authority of the Church, that will bring farther Guilt upon him, for which Offence he incurs the Censure before - mentioned But if he doth appear, his Charge is to be laid before him, and the Witnesses called; and after he ha… made his Defence, and said all he hath to say, and the Congregation finds him Guilty,The Church Censure on notorious Offenders is the same with that in Mat. 18. then the same Censure is to pass upon him, to the end he may be brought to unfeigned Repentance, and the Name of God cleared; and some time must be taken to make it appear that he hath true Repentance, by the Reformation of his Life and holy walking afterwards, before he be received again, and the Censure of the Church in a solemn manner be taken off.
Pag. 343.Dr. Chauncy puts this Question,
Quest. How is a Church to proceed in case of open and notorious Scandals?
The Answer is, 'the matter of Fact, as such, being beyond all question; the Church is to proceed immediately to censure, to vindicate the Honour of Christ and his Church, and to manifest to the World their just Indignation against such Notorious Offenders,1. Tim. 5.24. Act. 5.11. Jud. 23. 1. Cor. 5. and wait for a well-grounded and tryed Evidence of his true Repentance under that Ordinance of Christ which is appointed to that end.2 Cor. 7.11.
Observe, It is the opinion of the Doctor, that tho the Person be penitent, yet because his Sin is open and scandalous, he ought to be cast out to vindicate the Honour of Christ and the Church, as part of his just Punishment (that being one reason of the Ordinance of Excommunication) as well as to bring the Person to thorow Repentance; and we are of his Mind. Paul takes no notice in the case of the Incestuous Person of his immediate Repentance; or if he repent not, then, &c. But says he, deliver such a one to Satan, &c. Saith the Lord,Numb. 12.14. if her Father had but spit in her Face, should she not be ashamed seven Days? Let her be shut out from the Camp seven Day: (speaking of Miriam) and after that let her be received in again.