Whole Works, Tracts 1 · Tract 5 · Body of tract · Part 2
¶ How the Goſpell puniſheth treſpaſſers, and how by the Goſpell we ought to go to law with our aduerſaries.
THough that they of Chriſtes cō gregation be all willyng: yet becauſe that the moſt pa…t is alway weake, & becauſe alſo that the occaſions of the world be euer many and great, in ſo much that Chriſte which wiſt all thyng before hand ſayth Math. xviij. Wo be vntounto the world by Math. 18.reaſon of occaſions of euill, and ſayth alſo, that it cā not be auoyded, but that occaſions ſhall come, therfore it cā not be choſen but that many ſhall ouer fall when a weake brother hath treſpaſſed, by what law ſhall he be puniſhed? verely by the law of louelove, whoſe properties thou readeſt in the 1. Cor. xiij. If O… brethren … they … muſt b… reformed by louelove▪ a … …y …the louelove of God whiche is my profeſſiō be written in myne hart, it will not let me hate my weake brother when hee hath offended me, no more then natural louelove wil let a mother hate her child when it treſpaſſeth agaynſt her. My weake brother hath offended me, he is fallē, his weakeneſſe hath ouerthrowē him: it is not right by the law of louelove that I ſhould now fall vponupon hym and treade him downe in the myre and deſtroy him vtterly: But it is right by the law of louelove that I runne to him & helpe him vp agayne.
By what proceſſe we ſhould go to how we may go to the lawe wythout treſpaſſers.law with our treſpaſſers, Chriſt teacheth vsus Math. xviij. Tell him his faulte betwene him and thee with all mekeneſſe remembring thou art a man and mayſt fall alſo: If he repent and thou louelove him, ye ſhal ſoone agree, and then forgeue him. And when thou forgeueſt thy neighbour, thē thou art ſure that God forgeueth thee thy treſpaſſes by his holy promiſe Math. vj. If hee Math. 6.heare thee not, then take a neighbour or two. If he heare them not, then tell the congregation where thou art: and let the preacher pronounce Gods law againſt him and …et the ſad and diſcrete men rebuke him and exhorte him vntounto repentaunce. If he repent and thou alſo louelove him accordyng to thy profeſſiō, ye ſhall ſoone agree. If he heare not the congregation, then let him be taken as an heathen. If he that is offended be weake alſo, thē let them that be ſtrōg go betwene and helpe them. And Open and … offē d…urs are to be r…buked openly.in lyke maner if any ſinne agaynſt the doctrine of Chriſt and the profeſſion of a Chriſten man, ſo that he be a dronckard and an whore keper or what ſoeuer open ſinne he do, or if he teach falſe learnyng: then let ſuch be rebuked opē ly before the congregation and by the authoritie of Scripture. And if they repent not, let them be put out of the congregation as heathen people. If they thē be not aſhamed, we hauehave no remedy but paciētly to abide what God wil do and to pray in the meane tyme that God will open their hartes and geue thē repentaunce. Other law then this, Chriſtes Goſpel knoweth not, nor the officers therof.
It is manifeſt therfore that the kingdome The kingdome of Chriſt is ſpirituall.of Chriſt is a ſpirituall kingdom which no man can miniſter well and a tēporall kingdome to, as it is ſufficiētly proued: becauſe that no man whiche putteth his hand to the plow, and looketh backe is apt for the kyngdome of heauen, as Chriſt aunſwered Luke. ix. vntounto him yt would hauehave folowed hym, but would firſt hauehave take leaue of his houſhold. If a man put his hād to the plow of Gods worde to preach it and looke alſo vntounto worldly buſineſſe, his plow will ſurely go awry. And therefore ſayth Chriſte vntounto an other that Luk…would likewiſe folow him but deſired firſt to go and bury his father, Let the dead bury the dead: but come thou and ſhew or preach the kyngdome of God. As who ſhould ſay, he that will preach the kingdome of god (which is Chriſts Goſpell) truly, muſt hauehave his hart no where els.