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Chap. VI.
L CORINTHIANS will judge them, the Church hath nothing to Jo with them, they |vils, whom the Saints ſhall judgeat the lat g, never gave up themſelves to them, and are only under the Juſtice Y, 2
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the Judge of the whole Earth in the Sentence, wi71* "8 Vich
of God in the adminiſtrations of his Providence. 4 Do you there-| give againſt the evil Angels, confining them to the Wow Ul then
fore what belongs to you todo. Thisinceſtuous perſons beſides his| who while this World laſteth, have a greater liberr ſubj<&ion to God's Judgment, who is the Judge of all, whether Air, to rove abroad in the Air, and to work wigha Ws Prince of thy wichin or without the Church, is ſubje&ed alſo ro your Judica- |dren of diſobedience. Others underſtand the judgi ture. Therefore uſe that power which God hath given you, and mentioned, of the ſpoiling of the Devils of the Ky put away from amongſt you that evil perſon. The concluſion | exerciſe in the World, (in the places where the Go ofthis diſcourſe helps us clearly to underſtand thoſe former pre- | prevailed) by lying Oracles, wt
cepts, v. 7. Purge out the old leaven, and wv. 8. Let us keep the Feaſt | the worſhipping of Devils ; in which ſenſe Chriſt faid
not with the old leawven, that they are not ſo properly to be interpre-| Prince of chzs world be caſt out, Joh. 12.31. e From hen at ted of particular Chriſtians purging out their luſts and corrup- ſtle argues the competency of their Brethren to judge = tne Apo. tions, (theugh- that be every good Chriſtians duty) as of every |rermine thoſe little matters which were in difference het and toge. Chriſtian Churches duty to purge themſelves of flagirious and | being bur things concerning this life, and of far lef ;
{ſcandalous perſons.
=
CHAP. VI.
More Sins of the Corinthians : going to Love with Brethren : before this life f, ſetthem to judge who are leaſt elteemeg ; unbelievers : Saints ſhall judge Angels and Men, how much more the Church g. & in wordly Matters : 1—— 6. Being defeFive in Love, Forbearance, and F That is, if you have any cauſe of ſuing, or Fuſtice ; and yet the Unrighteous, &Cc. ſhall not inherit the Kingdom | nother for things thar pertain to his life, be ; th of Heaven. Such they had been, but were mot ſo now. 7J—11. Am-|they will, g rather commit the umpirage and determ: ther of their Sins, Scandal. 12. alſo Fornication : che Body i for | ſuch little differences to the meaneſt Members of "_ the Lord : ſhall be raiſed, is a Member of Chr ift . muſt ror there- go to contend before Pagans and Infidels : or do 61 imp! fore be joined to an Hark. 13——17. Fornication 1s a Sin. againſt | Teachers about them, who have higher work to be _ o Your the Body : whith #s the Temyl## of the Holy Ghoſt : not our own : | hyt amploy thoſe who are of a lower order in the G mM kus bought with a Price: with our Bodies and Spirits we muſt glo-| whoſe buſineſs and concerns lie in ſecular Affairs. utch,
2 afre God 18 ——20.
I Are any of you having a matter againſt another, |a wiſe man among you? not one that ſhall be D go to law before the unjuſt, and not before judge between his brethren. Wl
the Saints ? 4.
2 The Apoſtle having already ſharply refle&ted upon this Church meaneſt perſons among you to arbitrate and determine al! matter
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4 If then ye have judgment of things
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our Church. |
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5 Iipeak to your ſhame. 41s ic fo, that there; rot
þ I do nor ſpeak this, as if I would have you make choice gr the
for their Pride, and Contentions, and Diviſiens (which were branches wy" be in difference betwixt you ; but ic would be a kane u.
from that root) and for their vilifying him who was their ſpiri- eual Father, and magnifying their Inſtrutors above him, as alſo for their looſeneſs in their Church-diſcipline ; he cometh inthis Chap- | ter toanother thing, viz. their going to Law before Pagan Judges ; for ſuch was the miſery of thoſe times, that they had no other ; (though ſome think that they might have had, the pagan perſecu- tions being as yet not begun.) The Apoſtle ſpeaks of this as a thing which he wondered that they durſt be guilty of, that they ſhould bs no more tender of the glory of God in the reputation of the Chriſtian Religion, and ſhould nor rather chuſe Arbitrators amongſt the Members of their Church, to hear and determine ſuch diffe- rences as aroſe amongſt them, than give Pagans an occaſion to re- proach the Chriſtian Religion for the contentions and feuds of Chriſtians, The reputation of the Goſpel and the Profeſſors of ir, being the thing for which Pau! was here concerned, and upon the account of which he thus ſpeaketh , it becometh Chriſtians yer to conſider, whether what he faith concerneth not them, where ej. ther the Judges or the generality of the Auditors in ſuch Judg. ments, may probably reproach Religion, or that way of God which
before che unbelievers 7.
you can judge wiſe enough to determine differences berwixe you
about things of this life, without bringing one another intoPy
Courts, to the reproach and ſcandal of che Religion which you
profeſs, make uſe of any , yea , the meaneſt Chriſtians in fyh
Judgments, rather than Infidels and Unbelievers, who will mu
_ your differences, to the reproaching of che holy Name od.
becauſe ye go to law one with another & : * why do je not rather take wrong / ? why do ye not rather ſift you ſelves to be defrauded ? m7.
Laws,and Courts, and Methods of Judicature.; for even the Lin of men are good, if they be lawfully uſed : and the word hereuſs
6s But brother goeth to law with brother, and thy
7 If amongſt you all there could not be found one man whon
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7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you,
& Not thart it is ſimply unlawful for men to make uſe of humane
they own, for their trivial and uncharitable contentions.
2 Do ye not know that the Saints ſhall judge the world þ? And if the world ſhall be judged by you, are
ye unworthy to judgethe ſmalleſt matters ? c.