and it would certainly be fo, and it would be the most powerful means of restraining vice and impiety, if Chriftians would but confider, that although it be a fentence paffed by men, yet it is a sentence paffed by men commiffioned by God, and who are answerable to God, if their fentence be not worthy of him, and agreeable to his word;

Even as the civil magiftrate has, by God's word, a right to do, in civil matters, whatever he judges neceffary and lawful for the good of the fociety over which he is fet.

And if either the civil or ecclefiaftical magistrate mistake in their duty, or wilfully follow their own humour, they are answerable to God. And all that we have to do, if there be no fuperior to appeal to for redress, is to fubmit with patience, always remembering, that this is not the world we were made for; which will help to render the troubles of this fhort life more easy to be borne.

In fhort; church difcipline is neceffary, as it is appointed by Jefus Chrift. The ends proposed by it are, to reform wicked men, to remove scandals, and to prevent the judgments of God:-and to obftruct, or to discountenance it, is to oppose an order of God for the good of the world, and for the falvation of particular men; a fin which will draw after it great judgments.

And fad experience may convince us, that where church cenfures are fet at nought, or

ridiculed,

ridiculed, the most damnable fins become the fubject of mirth and laughter, rather than of horror, forrow, and fhame. A fure fymptom of approaching judgments, when men are not content to neglect their own falvation; but take pains to pervert and ruin others!

And this brings me to confider the duty of private Chriftians, with refpect to the difcipline of the church, as it regards the fuppreffion of vice and impiety, the fubject we are upon. And for this we have express rules in the word of God: We command you, (faith St. Paul, 2 Theff. iii. 6.) We command you, by the Lord Jefus Chrift, that withdraw yourfelves from every brother, that is, every Chriftian, that walketh diforderly. And in cafe of obftinacy, he gives this farther order; Note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.

ye

So that as fure as this is God's word, there is nothing which Chriftians ought more carefully to avoid, than the giving of countenance to diforderly livers.

But this is not all: Them that fin, (faith the fame apoftle) rebuke before all, for this reason, that others alfo may fear. And furely Chriftians, who are not afraid for themfelves when they fee others called to an account for their fins, are not far from falling into the fame, or into greater fins themselves.

To conclude, therefore, this head of our difcourfe:-When discipline is administered

and

and obeyed, according to thefe rules of the gofpel, it must be one of the most effectual means of bringing finners out of the fnare of the devil, of reftraining vice, and averting impending judgments; and therefore, being an inftitution of the gospel, is not to be set afide by any human law.

This will not depreciate the use of human laws, or the authority of the civil magiftrate; which being another appointment of God, for the punishment of vice and impiety, is now to be confidered.

It is very fure, that men will not always be governed by motives of reason, religion, and confcience; if they would, there would be no need of any other authority than that of church discipline, and the laws of the gospel, to keep the world in order. But the good of the commonwealth requires, that such as will not be governed by religion and conscience, fhall be restrained by outward force.

God has therefore given authority to the civil magiftrate over the perfons, estates, and even over the lives of men, to keep them from doing mischief to the publick, and from ruining themselves.

But then this does not fuperfede, or make unneceffary, the use of church discipline; for no Chriftian fure can be so abfurd as to imagine, that because a man has been punished by the civil magiftrate, for ftealing, or for drunkenness, or for perjury, or any other crime, that

therefore

therefore he is qualified to receive the holy communion, or that he ought to be admitted to it, without giving marks of his repentance. This would be (with a witnefs) to give that which is holy unto dogs, contrary to our Lord's command; and to prostitute religion, and its myfteries, to the utmoft contempt, and fcorn of infidels.

And therefore my Lord CoкE very juftly reasons, when he faith, "that the ecclefiafti"cal and temporal laws have feveral ends, the "one to inflict punishment upon the body, "to punish the outward man; and the other "to reform the inward; that both may be "reformed."

130

For nobody ever queftioned, but that the civil magiftrates have their authority from God for this end, "That knowing whofe mi"nisters they are, they may above all things "feek God's honour and glory; that they may truly and indifferently minifter justice to the punishment of wickedness and vice, and to "the maintenance of true religion and virtue.” And their power will go a great way towards the doing of this.-For instance:

*

They can encourage fuch only as are good and virtuous, and take care that profaneness and impiety fhall never be thought any qualification for favour or preferment.

They can put marks of disesteem, and of infamy, if it be neceffary, upon fuch as difho¬ nour God and religion by their wicked lives.

• See Codex Eccl. Angl. p. 1077.

They

They can take care, that fins against God shall always be punished, at least with as great severity as those against men; or else God has given them a fhare of his own power to very little purpofe.

They can take care, that the laws which are made for the punishment of vice, and før the fupport of religion, be duly executed: and they will find it their intereft, as well as duty, to do so, left the example prove fatal to their own authority.

If they fee wickedness increafe, they can fearch into the cause of it; and if it be in their power (as generally it is) they can put a stop to growing vices; or elfe they do, in fome fort, commend what is in their power to prevent.

If drunkenness, for instance, or whoredom, or profaning the Lord's day, become reigning vices, they who are clothed with the authority of God, and zealous for his honour, will not find it difficult to discover the causes of such corruption, if they have a mind to remove them.

If profaneness, and making a jeft of religion and of every thing that has relation to Gad, if thefe vices prevail, a magiftrate will eafily fee, that the fureft foundation of his own autho rity is undermined, and will take timely care to prevent the mischiefs that may follow..!

They can take care, that fuch as are in the way of their duty, and doing all in their power to fupprefs impiety, fhall have proper affiftance, countenance, and encourage

VOL. II.

F F

ment,