And how did they watch over the sinners lately reformed? Even as a leopard watcheth over his prey. They drove some of them also from the Lord’s table; to which till _now_ they had no desire to approach. They preached all manner of evil concerning them, openly cursing them in the name of the Lord. They turned many out of their work; persuaded others to do so too, and harrassed them all manner of ways.
The event was, that some were wearied out, and so turned back to their vomit again. And then these good pastors gloried over them, and endeavoured to shake others by their example.
15. * When the ministers by whom God had helped them before, came again to those places, great part of their work was to begin again; if it could be begun again; but the relapsers were often so hardened in sin, that no impression could be made upon them.
What could they do in a case of so extreme necessity? Where so many souls lay at stake?
No clergyman would assist at all. The expedient that remained was, to find some one among themselves, who was upright of heart, and of sound judgment in the things of God: and to desire him to meet the rest as often as he could, in order to confirm them, as he was able, in the ways of God, either by reading to them, or by prayer, or by exhortation.
God immediately gave a blessing hereto. In several places, by means of these plain men, not only those who had already begun to run well, were hindered from drawing back to perdition; but other sinners also, from time to time were converted from the error of their ways.
This plain account of the whole proceeding, I take to be the best defence of it. I know no scripture which forbids making use of such help, in a case of such necessity. And I praise God who has given even _this_ help to those poor sheep, when _their own shepherds pitied them not_.
“But does not the scripture say, _no man taketh_ this honour _to himself, but he that is called of God, as was_ Aaron?” Nor do these. The _honour_ here mentioned is the _priesthood_. But they no more take upon them to be priests then to be kings. They take not upon them to administer the sacraments, an honour peculiar to the priests of God. Only according to their power, they exhort their brethren, to continue in the grace of God.
“But for these _laymen_ to exhort at all, is a violation of all _order_.”
What is this _order_ of which you speak? Will it serve instead of the knowledge and love of God? Will this _order_ rescue those from the snare of the devil, who are now taken captive at his will? Will it keep them who are escaped a little way, from turning back into _Egypt_? If not, how should I answer it to God, if rather than violate I know not what _order_, I should _sacrifice_ thousands of souls thereto? I dare not do it. It is at the peril of my own soul.
Indeed if by _order_ were meant, _true Christian discipline_, whereby all the living members of Christ are knit together in one, and all that are putrid and dead, immediately cut off from the body: this _order_ I reverence; for it is of God. But where is it to be found? In what diocese? In what town or parish, within _England_ or _Wales_? Are you rector of a parish? Then let us go no farther. Does this _order_ obtain there? Nothing less. Your parishioners are a rope of sand. As few (if any) of them are alive to God; so they have no connection with each other, unless such as might be among _Turks_ or _Heathens_. Neither have _you_ any power to cut off from that body, were it alive, the dead and putrid members. Perhaps you have no desire: but all are jumbled together without any care or concern of yours.
It is plain then, what _order_ is to be found is not among _you_, who so loudly contend for it, but among that very people whom you continually blame, for their _violation_ and _contempt_ of it. The little flock you condemn is united together in one body, by one spirit: so that _if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it, if one be honoured, all rejoice with it_. Nor does any dead member long remain; but as soon as the hope of recovering it is past, it is cut off.
Now suppose we were willing to relinquish our charge, and to give up this flock into _your_ hands; would _you_ observe the same _order_, as we do now, with them and the other souls under your care? You _dare_ not: because you have respect of persons. You fear the faces of men. You _cannot_: because you have not _overcome the world_. You are not above the desire of earthly things. And it is impossible you should ever have any _true order_, or exercise any _Christian discipline_, till you are wholly _crucified to the ♦world_, till you desire nothing more but God.
♦ “wold” replaced with “world”