OF EXCOMMUNICATION. 161
judgment in the case, — that he ought to be so taken away or re- moved ; which yet was not actually effected by that judgment and sentence of his, verse 8. Hhly. He declares the causes of this ex- cision:— (\st) The supreme efficient cause of it is the power or authority of the Lord Jesus Christ instituting this ordinance in his church, giving right and power unto it for its administration in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with his power; i^dly) The declarative cause of the equity of this sentence, which was the spirit of the apostle, or the authoritative declaration of his judgment in the case, "With my spirit;" (odly.) The instrumental, ministerial cause of it, which is the church, " Do it ' in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together,'" verse 4; " and thereby ' purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump,' " verse 7; whence the punishment of this sentence is said to be " inflicted by many," 2 Cor. ii. 6 ; that is, all those who, on his repentance, were obliged to forgive and comfort him, — that is, the whole church, verse 7. bthly. The nature of the sentence is, the "delivering of such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus," 1 Cor. v. 5 ; not the destruction of his body by death, but through the " mortification of the flesh," whereby he was shortly afterward recovered and restored unto hisformer condition.
The whole of what we plead for is here exemplified ; as, — [].] The cause of excommunication, which is a scandalous sin unrepented of [2.] The preparation for its execution, Avhich is the church's sense of the sin and scandal, with humiliation for it. [8.] The ivarranty of it, which is the institution of Christ, wherein his authority is en- gaged. [4.] The manner and form of it, by an act of authority, with the consent of the whole church. [5.] The effect of it, in a total separation from the privileges of the church. [6.] The end of it, — 1st. With respect unto the church, its purging and vindication; 2dly. With respect unto the person, excommunicated, his repent- ance, reformation, and salvation.
It is usually replied hereunto, "That this was an extraordinary act of apostolical power, and so not to be drawn l)y us into example; for he himself both determines the case and asserteth his presence in spirit, — that is, by his authority, — to be necessary unto what was done. Besides, it was a delivery of the man to Satan, — that is, into his power, — to be afflicted and cruciated by him, to l)e terrified in his mind and punished in his body to the destruction of the flesh, that is, unto death. Such was the delivery of a man to Satan by the apostle, mentioned here and 1 Tim, i. 19, 20, in the judgment of many of the ancients. But there is no such power in any church at pre- sent to deliver an offender unto Satan, nor any appearing effects of such a pretence. Wherefore this is a matter which belongs not unto churches at present."
VOL. XYI. 1 1
162 TEUE NATURE OF A GOSPEL CHURCH.
I answer, — 1. What the apostles did in any church, whether present or absent, by their own authority, did not prejudice the right of the churches themselves, nor their power, acted in subordination unto them and their guidance. So it is evident in this place, that, notwith- standing the exerting of any apostolical power intimated, the church itself is charged with its duty, and directed to exercise its authority in the rejection of the offender, 2. There is nothing extraordinary in the case: — (1.) It is not so that a member of a church should fall into a scandalous sin, unto the dishonour of Christ and the church, giving offence unto persons of all sorts. (2.) It is an ordinary rule, founded in the light of nature, confirmed here and elsewhere by ex- press divine commands, that such an one be rejected from the society and communion of the church, until he give satisfaction by repent- ance and reformation. (3.) It is that without which the church cannot be preserved in its purity, nor its being be continued, as both reason and experience do manifest. (4.) The judgment both of the fact and right was left unto the church itself; whence it was after- ward highly commended by the apostle for the diligent discharge of its duty herein, 2 Cor. ii. 6-8. In brief, it is such a divine order that is here prescribed as without the observance whereof no church can long subsist. (5.) There is no difficulty in the other part of the objection, about the delivery unto Satan; for, — [1.] It cannot be proved that hereon the offender was delivered so into the power of Sa,tan, to be cruciated, agitated, and at length killed, as some imagine ; nor can any instance of any such thing be given in the Scripture or anti- quity, though there be many of them who, upon their rejection out of the church, were enraged unto an opposition against it, as it was with Simon Magus, Marcion, and others. [2.] Yea, it is evident that there was no such thing included in their delivery unto Satan as is pretended : for the design and end of it was the man's humi- liation, recovery, and salvation, as is expressly affirmed in the text; and this effect it actually had, for the man was healed and restored. Wherefore this delivery unto Satan is an ordinance of Christ for the exciting of saving grace in the souls of men, adapted unto the case of falling by scandalous sins, peculiarly effectual, above any other gospel ordinance. Now, this cannot be such a delivery unto Satan as that pretended, which can have no other end but destruction and death. [3] This delivery unto Satan is no more but the casting of a man out of the visible kingdom of Christ, so giving him up, as unto his outward condition, into the state of heathens and publicans, which belonged unto the kingdom of Satan ; for he who, by the authority of Christ himself, according unto his law and institution, is not only debarred from a participation of all the privileges of the gospel, but also visibly and regularly divested of all present right to them and interest in them, he belongs unto the visible kingdom of Satan.