A Treatise of Christian Religion, Chapter 39
CHAP. 39.
Of Eccleſiaſticall Diſcipline.
Cenſures, wherein note their
Kindes, they are either
Medicinall,
Priuate.
Publike.
Of puniſhment.
Power and authoritie.
MAT. ch. 18. verſ. 15. to the 20. and 1. COR. 16. 22.
15. Moreouer, if thy brother ſhall treſpaſſe againſt thee, goe and tell him his fault betweene thee and him alone: if hee ſhall heare thee, thou haſt gained thy brother.
16. But if he will not heare thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witneſſes, eueryevery word may be eſtabliſhed.
17. And if hee ſhall neglect to heare them, tell it vntounto the Church: but if he neglect to heare the Church, let him bee vntounto thee as an heathen man, and a Publican.
18. Verily I ſay vntounto you, whatſoeuer ye ſhall binde on earth, ſhall be bound in heauen: and whatſoeuer ye ſhall looſe on earth, ſhall be looſed in heauen.
19. Againe I ſay vntounto you, that if two of you ſhall agree on earth as touching any thing that they ſhall aske: it ſhall be done for them of my Father which is in heauen.
20. For where two or three are gathered together in my Name, there am I in the middeſt of them.
1. COR. 16. 22.
22. If any man louelove not the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, let him bee Anathema Maranatha.
Q. HItherto of the Sacraments; now followeth the Diſcipline of the Church: what is it?
A. The ſpirituall Cenſures of the Church, executed againſt ſuch members of the Church, as hauehave fallen into any ſcandalous ſinne.
Q. What need is there of them?
A. Very much, both to helpe the godly, and to reſtraine and root out the wicked out of the Church; euen as much as of the ſword of the Magiſtrate in the Common-wealth, or the rod in the houſe; yea, ſo much more, as theſe are for the body, and this life, the other for the ſoule, and the life to come.
Q. What is to bee conſidered in this text, concerning theſe Cenſures?
A. Firſt, the kindes: ſecondly, the power and authoritie.
Q. What are the kindes?
A. They are either of ſoueraigne medicine, or of fearfull reuenge.
Q. What are medicinall Cenſures?
A. They are ſuch as ſerue to bring men to repentance, and are either priuate or publike.
Q. Speake firſt of priuate Cenſures.
A. They conſiſt in ſuch admonitions, as are to bee giuen to brethren that hauehave offended, whereof there are ſundry degrees.
Q. Which is the firſt degree of admonition?
A. If thy brother offend againſt thee, or in thy knowledge, firſt tell him thereof, and that onelyonly betweene thee and him.
Q. Are wee bound to reproue all men, of what profeſſion ſoeuer?
A. No, but him that is of the ſame profeſſion of Chriſtianity that we be, whom the Scripture tearmeth a brother; thereby ſhutting forth Turkes, Iewes, Papiſts, and Atheiſts.
Q. What learne you thereby?
A. That we are not to contemne or make light of the admonitions of our brethren, but to account of them as of precious balme.
Q. How muſt we reproue our brothers fault?
A. Wee muſt conuince him by the word of God, of that fault we reproue, ſo as hee ſhall not bee able to gaine-ſay the ſame without ſhew of obſtinacie and contempt.
Q. What may be gathered hereof?
A. That vnleſſe we reproue him, wee are partakers of his ſinne.
Q. What further?
A. That it muſt be done in louelove, not of hatred; or to reproch him, as one that is glad of ſomthing to hurt his good name.
Q. What is meant by tell him betweene thee and him?
A. That wee ſhould hauehave a ſpeciall regard to the good name and report of another man; if his fault be priuate, wee are not to ſpread it abroad: as ſome that thinke they be burthened, vnleſſe they tell it to others; which is not according to the rule of charity.
Q. Why is this added, If thy brother heare thee, thou haſt gained thy brother?
A. As a notable meanes of encouraging vsus in this dutie, whereby we may be a meanes of ſauing a ſoule.
Q. What if I gaine not my brother?
A. Notwithſtanding thou looſeſt not thy labour; for God will recompence it plentifully, and lay it vp amongſt the reſt of thy good deeds: alſo it ſhal ſerue to further his iudgement, for refuſing ſuch profitable meanes.
Q. Which is the ſecond degree of admonition?
A. It is priuate, although leſſe priuate then the former: for if thy brother heare thee not, thou muſt yet take with thee one or two: for although he heare not the firſt admonition, yet louelove will not giuegive him ouer, but as the caſe requireth, and as the nature and condition of the offender may be diſcerned to bee eaſie, or hard to relent, thou muſt take one, or (if need be) two at the moſt to ioyne with thee in this dutie.
Q. What choyce is to be made for the ſecond admonition?
A. Not this enemie, or one that is not able to conuince; but one or two ſuch are to bee choſen, as are likeſt to take effect, and fitteſt both for their gifts and authority to recouer him.
Q. May the firſt admoniſher ſubſtitute another in his place the ſecond time?
A. No: for our Sauiour Chriſt doth not leaue it free ſo to doe, but will hauehave him that did firſt admoniſh, to bee one; as it may ſeeme, both for the better confirming of the former dealing with the latter, as alſo for the keeping of the fault of the offender in as much ſecrecie as may be.
Q. What is gathered hereby?
A. The great louelove and care of our Sauiour Chriſt, towards poore ſinners: as alſo what diligence wee muſt vſe, and what care for our brother.
Q. Why may not one alone deale with him, the ſecond time?
A. Becauſe by the teſtimonie of two or three, hee might be brought to reuerence that counſell, that hee would not regard at the firſt admonition; and further, that, way may bee made to the publike iudgement of the Church: for otherwiſe there would bee but the one mans yea, and the others nay, before the Church, which vnderunder two teſtimonies (at leaſt) cannot proceed further againſt him.
Q. And thus far of priuate Cenſures, the publike follow: what is that?
A. Excommunication.
Q. What is Excommunication?
A. The caſting of an obſtinate offender out of the Church, accounting of him, as the Iewes did of an Heathen, excluding him from the prayers and Sacraments of the Church, & as of a Publican, with whom they would neither eate nor drinke.
Q. How are they to proceed in this cenſure?
A. If he will not harken to the priuate admonitions aforeſaid, the Church is to be told.
Q. What is here meant by the Church principally?
A. The Gouernours of the Church, who are as the mouth of the Church. Where againe appeares the ſingular louelove and mercy of God towards his children; for as when the Kings ſonne is very ſicke, there vſeth to be aſſembled the whole Colledge of Phyſitians, for his recouerie: ſo alſo for the healing of the ſonnes & daughters of the great King, he gathereth (as it were) a colledge of wiſe and diſcreet men to heale them.
Q. What if he heare not the Church, muſt hee preſently be caſt out?
A. No: for as a good Phyſitian, or Chirurgion, before he cut, burne, or ſeare, will vſe all other meanes; ſo, good and wiſe Gouernours of the Church, will pauſe ſome conuenient time, vſing prayer and faſting, to finde (if it may be) fauour with God, that hee may repent, before the fearfull Cenſure of excommunicating and cutting off, bee executed againſt the offender.
Q. But if he hauehave been admoniſhed, and admoniſhed againe; if hee hauehave been ſuſpended from the Sacrament, and the Church hauehave been long patient, if no remedie bee left vndone, what are the Gouernours of the Church to doe then?
A. They are to proceed to the excommunication aforeſaid.
Q. Ought he not to be dealt with afterward for his conuerſion, and may we not buy and ſell with him?
A. Yes; the Miniſters of the Word muſt endeauour to conuert him; neither can the Church forbid him to occupie his trade, for it is a ciuill thing: and therefore the Pope, by diſcharging ſubiects from their alleageance to their Princes being excommunicated, doth wickedly and leaudly; ſhewing himſelfe therby to be that man of ſinne.
Q. Hitherto we hauehave heard of the dealing of the Church, both priuate and publike, with a ſtubborne ſinner, euen to the excommunicating of him from all the publike exerciſes of the Church: Now what are the cauſes, that the Lord vſeth theſe medicinall meanes, for the recouerie of ſuch a ſinner?
A. The cauſe is double: firſt, in regard of God himſelfe: ſecondly, in regard of men.
Q. How in regard of God?
A. Becauſe that his holy name and religion ſhould not be euil ſpoken of, by ſuffering wicked and vnclean perſons in the Church; as blaſphemers, adulterers, &c. Pſal. 101. 7.For if in houſes of good report, a proud perſon, detractor, or liar (much leſſe a drunkard, or filthie perſon) is not ſuffered: then ſurely ought not ſuch an one to bee in the Church, which is the houſe of the liuing God, leſt the Goſpell come by reproch through ſuch; ſeeing godleſſe perſons would thereby take occaſion to open their mouthes againſt the truth.
Q. How in regard of men?
A. That is of two ſorts: firſt, in regard of other men: for if ſuch remaine in the Church and bee not baniſhed, other men would bee in danger to bee infected with thoſe ſinnes, and not feare to offend: whether the Apoſtle compareth a ſcandalous perſon to leauen, for as a little leauen will ſowre the whole batch; ſo one wicked man will infect the whole Church. Likewiſe the weake would thereby take occaſion of falling away from the truth; and others (yet without) would hereby be holden from comming into it.
Q. Which is the other regard?
A. It is in regard of the perſon excommunicated, for the bringing of him to repentance; as the Apoſtle ſaith of the inceſtuous perſon, that he ſhould bee cut off, for the deſtruction of the fleſh. 1. For the ſubduing of his naturall corruption, and for ſauing the ſpirit, that is, The inward man and regenerate. 1. Cor. 5. 5. 1. Tim. 1. 20.
Q. Thus farre of medicinall Cenſures: Which is the Cenſure of reuenge and puniſhment?
A. It is the moſt fearfull thunder-clap of Gods iudgement, pronounced by the Church againſt one, which (after knowledge of the truth) is a blaſphemer of Gods word, a railor, a deſpiſer, a perſecutor of Chriſt in his Church; euen ſuch a one as our Sauiour affirmeth to hauehave ſinned againſt the holy Ghoſt. Gal. 1. 8. 1. Cor. 14. 22. Gal. 5. 12.
Q. What is this curſe called?
A. Saint Paul ſets it forth in theſe words, Anathema, 1. Cor. 16. 22.Maran▪atha, that is, curſed vntill the comming of our Lord, or euerlaſtingly.
Q. Hitherto of the kinds of the Churches Cenſure: what is their authority?
A. That is confirmed by our Sauiour Chriſt in this text, when he ſaith, Whatſoeuer ye binde on earth, (meaning according to his rule) ſhall be bound in heauen: and whatſoeuer ye looſe on earth, ſhall bee looſed in heauen: and it is as much as if a Prince ſhould giuegive authority to one of ſmall reputation, and ſay vntounto him, Execute Iuſtice, and I will beare you out.
Q. VVhat is gathered hereof?
A. That all ſorts and degrees of men are to ſubiect themſelues to the iudgement of God in his Church.
Q. How is the authority of the Church further confirmed?
A. By that which our Sauiour Chriſt ſaith, If two or three ſhall agree vponupon any thing, and ſhall aske it in my name, it ſhall be granted: how much more ſhall he ratifie that, which the Church ſhall doe in this kind, according to his owne will.
Q. VVhy is it ſaid, And ſhall aske it in my name?
A. To declare, that (by prayer to God in the name of our Sauiour Chriſt) al the cenſures of the Church, but eſpecially Excommunication ſhould bee vndertaken.