more clear, evangelical, powerful, fpiritual, rich, and compre henfive in the deep things of GOD; that thereby their fouls are built up in CHRIST; are edified by an enlargement of knowledge and communion with God, which appears not in words only, but to discover itself in humility, zeal, and life for God; then upon thefe confiderations, a member may desire a difmiffion; but as there is often more fancy than faith, in fuch requests, it makes it difficult for a church to know how to act; yet, for peace fake, I think their requeft ought to be granted; for retaining fuch members afterwards, will but increase their difcontent, and tempt them to withdraw diforderly.

Friendly. But fuppofing a perfon through prejudice, or declenfion in the ways of GOD, fecludes himself from any communion with the church to which he stood related as member, how muft they then proceed?

Truth. All prudent means must be used by the Elders of the church to remove his prejudice, and they must invite him to his duty with much earnestnefs; yet, if he continues to feparate, he cuts himself off, not only from communion with that church, but with every other; and by fuch an act he beomes felf-excommunicated; and such a separation is finful and fchifmatical, fude 19. These be they that separate themselves, fenfual, not having the fpirit.

Friendly. In fuch a cafe what muft the church do?

Truth. The judgment of the church must be publicly declared against him, by an Elder of the congregation, in fome fuch form as follows: That fuch an one (mentioning his name) has for a confiderable time (mentioning the time) finfully and irregularly cut off, and withdrawn himfelf from communion with this congregation, notwithstanding there have been all means ufed for his reftoration; yet he ftill continues diforderly in his walk and behaviour; we therefore, for the fame, adjudge him a non-member, and one that is not fit to communicate with the church in the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, till reftoring grace appears manifeftly in his foul, by his acknowledging his fault. Rom. xvi. 17. I beseech you, brethren, mark them which caufe divifions, and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them. 2 Thef. iii. 6, 14, 15Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jefus, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh diforderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. And if any man obey not our word by this epiftle, note that man, and bave no company with him, that he may be ashamed; yet count him not an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

Friendly. But fuppofing a member guilty of fome heinous crime, how is the church then to proceed?

Truth. If the crime charged upon the offender, be felf evi dent, and beyond all doubt, then the church muft proceed to vindicate the honour of CHRIST, and fhew their juft indig nation against fuch offences, by excommunicating the offender, and openly rejecting him, declaring publicly that he is no longer a member with them in any of the ordinances and privileges of GOD's houfe; and this is to be done in the most folemn and awful manner, in the name of the LORD JESUS, 1 Cor. v. 4, 5, 13. In the name of the Lord Jefus Chrift, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jefus Chrift, to deliver fuch a one unto Satan for the deftruction of the fresh, that the Spirit may be faved in the day of our Lord Jesus. But them that are without, God judgeth; therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked perfon; and our LORD faith, Matt. xvii. 17. Let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Here let it be obferved, that the church, in pronouncing fuch a fentence, is not to proceed with hafte and anger, but with the greatest folemnity and humility. The Elder is first to call upon GOD for direction, and beg this awful procedure may be made a means to the offending brother, or fifter, to bring them to an acknowledgement, repentance, and humiliation before God and man, and that it might be an awful warning to them all, Phil. iv. 6. In every thing by prayer and fupplication let your request be made known to God. And after folemn prayer and humiliation for him that hath done the finful deed, 1 Cor. v. 2. the Elder is to lay open the offence in its nature and aggravation, before the whole congregation, that the world may know they do not connive at fuch offenders of GOD's holy word, but publicly exclude fuch an one from holding any communion with them, as a member in any ap pointed inftitution of GoD's word, except the benefit of hearing it preached, which under God's bleffing may be the means of preffing the offence home to the heart of the guilty perfon, and he be humbled before GoD, upon the confideration of bringing fuch a difhonour to his ways. If fuch an one fincerely repents, and fhews the reality thereof by an upright walk for the future, he may be restored in love to his former privileges.

Friendly. What may I apprehend by delivering fuch an one to Satan?

Truth. You know that Satan is called the God of this world, the Prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now

worketh in the children of difobedience now from among thefe, the gofpel being bleffed with divine power, converts are taken; fo then by delivering over to Satan, we are to apprehend, only their being turned back by the church into the world where Satan rules; being excluded the vifible kingdom of CHRIST, divefted of all the ordinances of GOD's houfe, and all spiritual intimacy with them, I Cor. v. 11. But now I bave written unto you, not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother, be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, with fuch a one no not to

cat.

Friendly. What may I understand by the deftruction of the flesh?

Truth. The deftruction of the body of fin, or the acts of the carnal mind; for by the deftruction of the flesh we are not to understand the human frame, but a finful ftate, it is faid they which are in the flesh cannot please God; which cannot be understood of their being in the body, but in a state of unregeneracy, in which state they can perform no fpiritual action agreeably to the will of God: for without faith, fays the Apoftle, it is impoffible to please God: So then by the deftruction of the flesh, we are to understand the viciofity and corruption of our nature being deftroyed by the power of divine grace. Note, by the fpirit being faved in the day of the Lord Jefus, I apprehend it may be a word of comfort for thofe, who through temptation and the ftrength of corruption, have fallen to the dishonour of GoD and the church, for which they have been excluded the happiness of the Saints here below, which has fo wounded them, that they have no more been able to hold up their heads with any comfort, caft out of the favour of the church, and it may be, out of the manifestative favour of GOD, by which fuch a foul is weak in grace, and afily overtaken in frailties, which heaps on him diftrefs upon diftrefs, that he has hardly any hope or expectation of mercy; but even many fuch (unexpected to themfelves and many others) I believe will be faved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Herein, Friendly, you may think my charity is very extenfive, yet I cannot help thinking that many of these poor broken, backfliding believers, who have been, for fome crimson crime, excluded church communion, and perhaps never had faith, or comfort fufficient to re-enter, I believe, that many of them will fhine with Sampfon, Solomon, David, and Peter, their backfliding forefathers, in the kingdom of Gop for ever; they

VOL. II.

SPIRITUAL MAGAZINE; OR, may have the truth of grace in them, and for their backflig ings, the comfort of grace hid from them; and GoD permits all this for the more glorification of the riches of his grace in their unexpected falvation. This I know, that if Omnipotence had not granted me his continual aid, my foul must long ago have been fettered in thefe mournful bonds.

Friendly. But dear Truth, in cafes which are not of fo aggravating a nature, the church is not fo strict in her difcipline?

Truth. No, there are cafes, fuch as private offences, and trifling quarrels between members, or a member's being under powerful temptation to neglect his duty; thefe are cafes of admonition, wherein the ruling Elder ought to attend upon the offending parties, with all poffible meekness and love; to exprefs his anxious concern for their fpiritual welfare, fhew them their fault, and ufe all means to bring about a reconciliation. But if the offending parties, will not hear the faithful admoni tion, or neceflary inftruction of the ruling Elder, which ought to be given according to the Apostle's direction, Gal. vi, 1. Brethren, if any man be overtaken in a fault, ye that are fpiritual, reflore fuch a one in the spirit of meekness, confidering thyTelf, left thou be alfo tempted, as one of the Father's faid, My brother, fell to day, and I may fall to morrow." But as I faid, if they will not hearken, nor regard, then the cafe must be brought before the church. If it be a quarrel between two members, they are, when the cafe is ftated plainly, to judge which is the aggreffor; fhew the nature of the offence, and the bad confequence that would attend it; then ufe every means to bring about an immediate reconciliation, and if poffible, perfuade the chief aggreffor to acknowledge the fault, or other wife they must proceed to a public admonition, which they have a power to do, and every member ought to pay a due fubjection to the ruling of the church, Thef. v. 12, And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, &c.

But if it be a fingle perfon, who through temptation or prejudice, is negligent in his duty as a church member, the ruling Elder muft ufe all the perfuafive methods poffible to remove His prejudice, and excite him to his duty and place in the church; but if he ftill continues incorrigible, thon he mult be admonished by the church publicly, after he has been privately admonished before one, or more witnesses.

Friendly. How often may a church admonish a brother before they diveft him of all church privileges?

Truth. Twice, Tit. iii. 10. which if he regard not, he is afterwards rejected in an awful manner, the fame as in the cafe of the notorious offender, 1 Tim. iv. 20. Them that fin rebuke. before all, that others alfo might fear.

Friendly. But may not an excluded brother be admitted into the church again upon repentance and humiliation?

Truth. Yes; but the church fhould not rafhly receive fuch an one, but wait and fee that his repentance is really fincere, his conduct fuch as becomes the gofpel of CHRIST; and this the offending perfon, for the church's fatisfaction, is to declare with humility before them, who are then to receive him with joy, the doors of the church must be opened to him with the fame freedom, and unfeigned affection, as at his firft entering therein, 2 Cor. ii. 6, 7, 8. Sufficient for fuch a man is this punishment, or cenfure, which was inflicted of many. So that contrariwife, ye ought rather to forgive him, left perhaps fuch a one fhould be fwallowed up with overmuch forrow. Wherefore befeech you that you would confirm your love towards him. This, in Matt, xviii. 18. is called, the church's binding and loofing.

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Friendly. Can any affembly of members execute a church

act?

Truth. No; all the members fhould have timely notice, and as many as poffible be there prefent; fuch meetings are for conveniency commonly on the LORD's day, and though all the members be not there, yet if the majority are prefent, with regular officers, they may proceed to fettle any thing which is neceflary to be done in the church.

Friendly. If there fhould be, as there fometimes are, divifions in the church, fome for Paul, and fome Apollos, &'c. and they cannot agree to meet together?

Truth. In fuch cases they ought to advise with some wife, able, and judicious minifters, in order to re-unite them in the bonds of love; they fhould willingly fubmit themselves to, their directions, and use such means as may have a tendency to promote love and union among themfelves. And if after all means have been used, they do not end in the defired effect, yet they are not to proceed in anger to excommunicate each other, for their divifion destroys their power; besides, mutual excommunications are notorious, and what should never be thought of, as they are reproachful to GOD and his ways; ra ther than the fire of contention fhould burn amongst them, it is best to agree in love to part by confent, whereby they may become two diftinct churches; which is the moft likely means,

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