P A ß T II. Reverend Mr. Ilithard Baxter. di § 3z;. 2. And as to the fecondOt eftion, [What thra Difcspline n ?l It is confide- rable, r. Asto theMatter ; z. As to the Perron; 3. As to the. Place ; 4. As to the Manner ; and 5. As to the Endt 1. As to the Matter ; We are agreed that it conffteth in receiving ° Per- foes into the Church ; in preferving and healing thofe that are in the Church , and in calling out thofè from the Communion of the Church which are unfit for it , and in Abfolving and Reftoring the Excommunicate when they are penitent. And therefore it is called, The Power and Exercife of the Keys: By thefe Keys, the Door is. first opened to Believers and their Seed, and the Bi. Ihops-judge who are fit to-be let in by Baptifpr. When anyare lapfed into fcan- dalous fin, they are to be proceeded with'as Chrift hathdire&ed, Matth. 18.15,16, 17 We muft firft tell men privatelyof their private Faults,and if they hear us not, we muff take with us two or three ; if they hear not them, we mutt tell the Church ; -and finally, if they hear not the'Church, they mull be to us as Heathens and Publicans. And whatfoever is thus bou rdon Earth !hall be bound in Hea- ven, and whatfoever is looted on Earth hull be looled 'in Heaven 'verf.- t8.: The Church is the Body of thrift, his Spou(è, his Family, his Gat den ; It is a 'Com- munion of Saints which is to be held in it t It is commanded to put away wicked Perfons from among th'etn; and not to keep company, If any that is called a Bro- ther bea fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater¡or 4t railer,-or ,a drunkards or an extorri aner, with fisch a one no not to eat, t Cor. 5. t 1, s3. And,we are to withdraw our felves-from every Brother that walketh dsfor rly"and.ta note them, and to have noeoln- pan, with them, that they Mal be afhamed, z Theft- 3. 6, 14. If-any" comae to us;and bring not fiend Do&rine-,"`we muff noreceave him into our ho,ofei, nor bid 'him good feed,-lefb we be partakers of.hie eehihdeeds, a John rd. a r AMan that is an Here-' tick, mutt, after the fitll and fecond Admonition ,'he avoided,= asPSelf condemned,' 7sr. 3. sour. And the penitent mull be'reftored and re-admitted. All this is a greed on. 3z4. z. And as to-the Perfons who are Parties ip- this Tranfaétion,we are Agreed' s. 'Thar it is filch Perlons as defire Communion with us, that ire to be admitted, ( being fit), and Hach as havingCoinmunibn with us, become unmeet for it 'that are to be caft out, &c. fo that it is to be exercifed on Perlons, fó far as they are to have Communion with us, and not on thofethat are uncapable of that Commrí-"' nion. z. That fententially it mutt be done by the Pallor or Goveriour of that particular Church, which the Perron is to he admitted into, or call out oft 'And by the judgment of the Parlorsof other neighbour Churches, when they -alto, -as .. Neighbours, are to refaié'Communion with him. 3. That executively it is to be done by every one in their places, the Pallors giving or denying the Sacraments, the, and the People holding or refufing'Communion or Coíiïpany with Men ac- cording as they are judged by'the Church..I think there is no' Contloverfie among us about there. § -3 zç. 3. And therefore the Work will refolve as of thepláee I. viz. That theEx. ecatson mutt'be in that place where he had or defiled Communion, or was capable, of it e And therefore that the yargment Ihould be by thofethat beingupon thoptaee, have fullelt opportunity to know the Perlons and the Cafe: Evenby thotel'aftors wba labour aniongff the People that are over themsi,theLord, s Theft 5. iz, r3. who have the rule over them, and preach to them the Word ofGod, Hebr, 13. 7, 17, 24: and not by ehoit that are grangers to them. f 326. ç. And as to the Manner, all Divines are agreed, That it is not tobe like the proceedings of a Civil Court, where there is nomore to be done, but examine the Cauee afid pats the Sentence, and execute it by Corporal Penalties and Mul&s: But, r. That it is to be managed by grave Divines, the Phyticians of Soulsfor the faring of the Sinner, if it may be, with great ferioufnefs, and light, and weight of Scripture Argument, convincing the Erroneous, terrifying the Securewith the ter- roars of the Lord, reproving and admonilhing and -perfwadingthe penitent Offen- der, and all this with Loveand Compaflton and due Patience;- and reftoring the Penitent with Tendernefs and Confolation and neceffary Caution. Prom all which it is evident, That one liagle Perfoo thus dealtwith in cafe of Herehe, may hold the Parlor orBifhop many days time, andone grofs Sinner may hold him many hours time, before this Work can be done as the Nature andEnds of it do require. z. And it is to be done by the meer Keys of the Kingdom of Chrilb, by managing God's Word by particular Application to the Cafe and Confcience of the Sinner, and not by outward Force or Penalties. rff f 327
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