CHAPTER XXXVII.

Of Ecclesiasticall Discipline.

An adjunct of the Word and Sacraments is Discipline: which in respect of the summe of the matter hath beene alwayes one, and so may fitly be handled in this one place.

1. HOly Discipline is a personall application of the Will of God by censures, either for the preventing, or taking away of scandals out of the Church of God.

2. For in the preaching of the Word, the Will of God is propounded and really applied to beget and increase Faith and obdience. In the administration of the Sacraments, the Will of God is also personally applied by the seales, to confirme Faith and obdience. In the exercise of Discipline, the Will of God is personally also applied in the censures for the removing of those vices, which are contrary to Faith and Obedience.

3. Hence it is that Discipline is wont to be joyned with the Word and Sacraments by the best Divines, in the notes of the Church, for though it be not a note simply essentiall and reciprocall (as neither the other two) yet it ought necessarily to be present to the complete estate of a Church.

4. This Discipline is ordained and prescribed by Christ himselfe. Mat. 16. 19. & 18. 15, 16, 17. And so is plainly of Divine right: neither may it be taken away, diminished, or changed by men at their pleasure.

5. Nay the sins against Christs, the author, and ordainer, whosoever doth not so much as in him is to establish and promote this Discipline in the Churches of God.

6. The persons about whom it ought to be exercised, are the members of visible instituted Churches, without any exception. Mat. 18. 15. 1 Cor. 11. And not others: There Vers. 12. For it pertaines to them, and only them that have right to partake of the Sacrament.

7. Unto those persons it applies the Will of God, that is, those meanes of spirituall reformation, such as Christ onely hath given to his Churches. 2 Cor. 10, 4. Therefore punishments and vexations to be endured by the body or purse, have no place at all in Ecclesiasticall Discipline.

8. It respects sins and scandalls in those persons: for it is an wholesome healing plaister of those wounds and diseases to which the sheepe of Christ are subject. 1 Cor. 5. 5.

9. It forbids and takes away those offences: because it doth effectually and personally apply the Will of Christ, the impugning and abolishing of them.

10. But because it doth so effectually urge obedience toward Christ, therefore not without singular reason a great part of the Kingdome of Christ, as hee doth visibly governe the Church, is placed by the best Divines in this Disciplines.

11. And this is the true reason why the Discipline of Christ is solidly constituted and exercised together with doctrine in so few Churches, because most even of those who would seeme to knew Christ, and to hope in him, doe refuse to receive the whole Kingdome of Christ, and to yeeld themselves wholly to him.

12. But as it is a part of the Kingdome of Christ, so also it is by the same reason a part of the Gospell: for

it is an holy manner of promoting the Gospell ordained in the Gospell: They therefore who reject Discipline, doe neither receive the whole Kingdome of Christ, nor the whole Gospell.

13. But because both every part of the Kingdome of Christ is necessary in its measure, and that chiefly which doth represse sin, effectually, therefore men doe not safely enough content themselves, in Churches wanting Discipline, unlesse that publick defect be made up by a private care, and watching one over another.

14. The parts of this Discipline are brotherly correction, and excommunication.

15. For it doth not either only or chiefly consist in the thunderclaps of Excommunications and Anathem[gap]is, but chiefly in Christian correction.

16. Neither is the proper end of reproofe that there might be then an entance made to Excommunication (although by accident that sometimes doe follow) but that the necessity of Excommunicating if it can be, might be prevented, and the sinner may bee by timely repentance retained in the Church.

17. Correction, increpation or admonition, ought to be used in every sinne unto which the midicine of Discipline agreeth, yet in a divers manner according to be difference of the sin secret, and knowen. For in hidden sins, those three degrees are to be observed which Christ hath in order prescribed. Mat. 18. 15. 16. 17. But in publick sins such a gradation is not necessary, 1 Tim. 5. 20.

18. These admonitions ought alwayes to be taken out of the word of God, not out of mens decrees: otherwise they will not pierce to the conscience.

19. A plenary excommunication is not to be used, unlesse contumacy be added to the sin. Mat. 18. 17. For the sinner rightly admonished, of necessity must appeare penitent, or obstinate, but the penitent is not

to be excommunicated, therefore only he that is obstinate.

20. Yet in the more hainous offences so much patience and delay is neither necessary nor profitable, to expect repentance, and to the discerning of contumacy, as in more usuall faults.

21. When the thing it selfe may suffer delay, it is agreeable to Scripture and reason, that excommunication be first begun by suspension or abstension from the Supper, and such like priviledges of the Church, which is wont to be called the lesser excommunication.

22. Yet wee must not stay in this degree, but by this meanes and in this space repentance is to be urged, and there being no hope of it, we must proceede at length to a compleat severing from the Communion of the faithfull, which is wont to be called the greater Excommunication.

23. But because an obstinate sinner cannot be separated from the faithfull, unlesse the faithfull be separated from him, and this also maketh for their wholesom shame. 2. Thess. 3. 14. Therfore they who are lawfully excommunicated are to be avoyded of all Communicants, not in respect of duties simply morall, or otherwise necessary, but in respect of those parts of conversation which are wont to accompany approbation and inward familiarity.

Os, orare, vale, conviva, mensa, negat[gap].

With the secluded, neither confer, nor pray,

Salute, nor feast, nor eath with day by day.

24. From the bond Excommunication none that is not penitent ought to be loosed, neither ought it to be denied to any that is penitent. But it is not a sufficient repentance, if one say it repent me, I will doe so no more, and doe not otherwise shew true Repentance: but such judgements, of serious repentance ought to appeare as the Church is bound to bee, satisfied in

them: otherwise hyprocrisie is nourished, and the Church is mocked, and Christ himselfe.

25. Yet in some sins a weake repentance (so it appeare true) may be admitted them in other sins.

26. The power of this Discipline in respect of the right it selfe pertaines to that Church in common, whereof the offendor is a member, for it pertaines to her to cast out to whom it belongs to admit at first: and the conservation or cutting off of members concernes the whole body equally: it is therefore to be committed to execution with the consent of the Church (and that not onely the Church permitting, but also approving and appointing.)

27. Yet the Elders have the chiefe parts, in the acting and exercise of it. And that not onely in directing the publick action, and pronouncing sentence, but also in admonitions foregoing, in which they must make up that which they see was neglected by private persons.

28. The usuall censures of the Popes, of pontificall Bishops and their officers, doe themselves deserve a grievous censure: for they are prophanations of the Name of God, props of an injust government, and snares to catch other mens money, not spirituall remedies of such sins.

29. Indulgences, Commutations, and humane transactions, in those things unto which Christ hath ordained the Discipline of the Church, are wages of the great Whore.