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Show - ' ., j . ~ f" ' ~~· ,... ~ - ~ ' Chap. 5· -....:..-------:---:-:::::---:-. --;:--;---::-:-;:[c h 11er to direl1 and per• But though the Elder!ln fuch a ca e ave pm o 'ud, e and determin< fn>ade wbM ,_.~ bej! to be done, yet notpowch~ 1 nl~ffe the Brother pr•blick__CtJfel, w~tbout.~hc co?fent of the Cburc ' u offended be faosfied m thetr advi!C· . {fc bl d . body any .A;Jjw -~ When a wliole mtuucude IS a ern e In a b ' offence~~~ be orderly and ordinarily told unto them, y a corn-lainant ; efpecially in oafe -any Officer arno~gft them !hall ca!l P. r h ll his complaint . As the Ltn~tte orderly told h1s chommt p,olaritn t to te • f h C · f .lfrael af. ~o the who/~ multitude o t e ongregaoon o - fembledat.Mi(pdh~ Judg. 20. 3> 4> &c. Ob ·ea. 2. The Church Chrill: directeth ?n.to~ he prefuppo!i:th to b e'} t he ·o rd m' a ry Executioners of all D!IC1p.l ine· andh C eCnef urfie s, which. •the mu'ltitude is not: And the reafon ranfymg t e n ure of.theOhurob, doth !hew the number of them. •to be fmall, Mar, ,.g, 2o.whcre two onhree, &c. . ril ' Anfw. The multitude of the Church doth ordina Y execute all Difcipline and 'Cenfures by the Prubytm, and the Pmbytm by tbeir·Confent. The promife made to two orrthree ( ver .• zo.) refpe· &:th rnorthe Jt~dgp of the caufe when it is brought-to the Church;· but the two or tbrce Brctbrcn w/10 dealt in the Caufe before it came to the Churcb: As in like fort, the promifeof b~ndingin bea11en, ."'?Jt tbe CbtiY'cb bindetb in e~rtb,( ver. I 9·) pertameth to the ranfymg of the Cenfure of the wh.,lc C/mrcb,rnentioned in the verfe before, to1Wit,invtrf.I7· ' · · . · iA fecond Reafon why wee alloW fuch power to the people Ill Qhurch-cenfUI'es, is taken from the practice of the'Chu~ch of Go· ~intb in the cafe of the incejluour per jon, and that accordmg to the Apoales direaion; FoiYin the I Cor. S·4>'i· hedire~th the whole ChHreh.ofGorintb, (to whom he writeth) That.tbey w the name o/ 1fx lm-d Jefur., 'when (faith he )yee<are gathmd together, and my Sp1· rit,•witb the power of the Lord Jefur.Cbrij!, to deliver fnch "one ~to Satan. Where P au/ faying in the verli: foregoing, that be bad JHtloged alffltrly.than fo it !hould be done; doth n!!lt argue that now the -£1uirohrwaslat-handihe·took the prmte~·of..jUilgilfg. t~e ~ufc who!· -~ rmtirbimfelfe,r!mdrthe:publicati6n and.declaradorrof It ~nely m 'tlie Church, bu~ that be·htid:foe~ ,already(tvident.cau~, I~ 1uJge the ,.,.,:U,-thy>to be aafhut: but directed .them to doextwtth all the .poWer that ill llelJ.Uifite •tol Ulat, aaion ~ . ' A J, ., I p$ "pallAs J, In the ntJme of tl.1t Lord Jef~~< Cbrijl , in whom the prin~ CJ power of all Church-cenfures reftcth. . h 2. When thry (that is, the whole Church) are gathered toge•· t er: not the BiJbofJJ.' nor the Pmbyters alone. . 3· ~? P ~ JPmt with them, to wit, fo muah of ApoftoliaaU Authontte ~mg contmitted to the Church, and prefentwith itin ' fuch cafes. , ~· He fpeaketh of the power of the Lord Jefur with them in thi~ a&ion, whtch holdeth forth their Authoritie. 5 • When the Excommunicate perf on was humbled under this Cenfure' Paul befeecheth them to forgive him to romfort him to confirme t~d~ love unto him, 2 Cor.2.7, 8. N~w they who hav~ power offorgw!ng an offend:r, have power alfo of binding him ~mder ~rath : E;ufdem potejlal>!, &c. ligare, &c. & folvere. Ob;el1.I.A!l thisargueth nomore,but that fome in the Church had this power, to wit, the Prubytery of the Church, but not the whok body oft he people. Anfw. 1. There is no word in the Text that attributeth any power to the ~m~ytery apart, or fingularly above th~ rell: : :But as the reproofe IS directed to them all, for not mourning and takin!'j the offence to heart, that the offender might be taken away from among!l: thern,(ver.I. z.) Co is Commandement directed to them aUj ~hen they a~e gather~d together, to proceed unto the c.zjling of . him ott~: In like fort, m the end of the Chapter 1 he exhorteth them all agame, Pt~t away therefore (faith he) fi·nm tJmongfl you tb~t wicb.!_ d~erfon, ver.13. ~nd that by a judiciaU power, (to wit, as· under C!uifr,)doe not yee Judge them thtJt are within, ver. 12. And left this Judgerne_nt !hould be re!l:rained to the Pre1~tmonely ;he magnifieth the Ju?gem~nts of the Saintr, taking occafion from hence to ftretch their Judicature, in fome cafes, even to CiviU matters alfo · Kwsw yu not (faith he) that tfx Saint! Jbt<ll judge the world? ye; the Angels, I _C~r. 6. 2, 3· And thereupon he incourageth them to bttrHJf th<1tctdmg of any Civil/ Caufo depending between Bretbren, to tlie Judicature of the meaneft B~otfxr in the Chf:1rcb,_ ( ver. 4J tatber then to fly fuddenly unto Civil! Magiftra'tes, ~fpecially a~ mongft the Heathen. . hObjelJ. z. But if the power of Judicature be committed to the w ok Church, together with the Pmbyterie, then all the multitude 0 2 !hall |