It is therefore evident that this censure, judgment, spiritual punish- ment, is an institution of Christ, for whose administration he hath
OF EXCOAIMUNICATIOl^. 165
given authority unto his church, as that which is necessary unto its edification, with its preservation in honour, purity, and order.
There have been many disputes about it, as unto its order and kinds. Some suppose that there are two sorts of excommunication, — the one they call the "lesser," and the other the "greater;" some, three sorts, as it is supposed there were among the Jews. There is no mention in the Scripture of any more sorts but one, or of any de- grees herein. A segregation from all jparticipatlon in church-order, worship, and privileges, is the only excommunication spoken of in the Scripture. But whereas an offending person may cause great disorder in a church, and give great scandal unto the members of it, before he can be regularly cut off or expelled the society, some do judge that there should a siisj^ensioii of him from the Lord's table at least precede total or complete excommunication in case of im- penitency; and it ought in some cases so to be. But this suspension is not properly an especial institution, but only an act of prudence in church-rule, to avoid offence and scandal. And no men question but that this is lawful unto, yea, the duty of the rulers of the church, to require any one to forbear_for a season from the use of liis pri- vilege in the participation of the supper of the Lord, in case of scan- dal and offence which would be taken at it and ensue thereon. And if any person shall refuse a submission unto them in this act of rule, the church hath no way for its relief but to proceed unto the total removal of such a person from their whole communion ; for the edi- fication of the whole church must not be obstructed by the refrac- toriness of any one among them.
This excommunication, as we have proved before, is an act of church-authority exerted in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; and if so, then it is an act of the officers of the church, — namely, so far as it is authoritative, — for there is no authority in the church, properly so called, but what resides in the officers of it. There is an office in the church which is merely ministerial, without any formal authority, — that is, of the deacons ; but there is no authority in ex- ercise but what is in the elders and rulers of the church. And there are two reasons which prove that the power of excommunication, as to the authoritative exercise of it, is in the elders of the church: — 1. Because the apostles, by virtue of their office-power in every church, did join in the authoritative excommunication, as is plain in the case insisted on, 1 Cor. v. ; and there is no office-power now remaining but what is in the elders of the church. 2. It is an act of rule; but all rale, properly so called, is in the hands of rulers only. We may add hereunto, that the care of the preservation of the church in its purity, of the vindication of its honoui', of the edi- fication of all its members, of the correction and salvation of offen- ders, is principally incumbent on them, or committed unto them, as
166 TRUE NATURE OF A GOSPEL CHURCH.
we have declared; as also, that they are best able to judge when and for what the sentence ought to be denounced against any, which re- quires their best skill in the wisdom of spiritual rule. And there- fore the omission of the exercise of it, when it was necessary, is charged as a neglect on the angels or rulers of the churches, as the due execution of it is commended in them; and therefore unto them it doth belong, with respect unto their office, and is thereon an office-act or an act of authority.
Howbeit, it cannot be denied but that the interest, yea, the power of the whole church, in the fraternity of it, is greatly to be considered herein ; for indeed wherever the apostle treats of it, he doth not any- where recommend it unto the qfficer^s of the church in a peculiar manner, but unto the whole church or the brethren therein. This is evident in the places before quoted. Wherefore the whole church is concerned herein, both in point of duty, interest, and power: — 1. In point of duty; for by virtue of the mutual watch of all the members of the church over each other, and of the care incumbent on every one of them, for the good, the honour, the reputation, and edification of the whole, it is their duty, jointly and severally, to en- deavour the purging out from among them of every thing that is contrary unto these ends. And they who are not concerned in these things are dead and useless members of the church. 2. In interest they have also a concernment therein. They are to look that no root of bitterness spring up amongst them, lest themselves be at length defiled thereby. It is usually said that the good are not de- filed by holding communion with them that are wicked in a partici- pation of holy ordinances; and there is some truth in what is said, with reference unto wicked, undiscovered hypocrites, or such as are not scandalously flagitious: but to promote this persuasion, so as to beget an opinion in church-members that they are no way con- cerned in the scandalous sins and lives of those with whom they walk in all duties of spiritual communion, openly avowing them- selves members of the same body with them, is a diabolical engine, invented to countenance churches in horrible security, unto their ruin. But yet, besides that defilement which may be contracted in a joint participation of the same ordinances Avith such persons, there are other ways, almost innumerable, whereby their example, if passed by without animadversion, may be pernicious unto their faith, love, and obedience. Wherefore they are obliged in point of spiritual interest, as they take care of their own souls, to concur in the ejec- tion out of the church of obstinate offenders. 3. In point of poiuer; for the execution of this sentence is committed unto and rests in the body of the church. According as they concur and practise, so it is put in execution or suspended; for it is they who must withdraw communion from them, or the sentence is of no use or validity. This