Book IV. THE CHURCH COMI'ARED 'I'D A MOTHER. 6Sr Bowels fhould exceed the Bowels of a natural Mother to her fick Chi.ldren upon this ""!ccounr. METAPHOR. IX. A gracious and godly Mo– ther loveth thofe Children .ocfr, that are mofr dutiful, and who -dearly love, and are moft like their Father. PAR ALL EL. IX. So the Church of God loveth thofe Chil– dren or Saints bell:, that are moft diligent, duti– ful and obedient to Chrifl, and. to all the good and wholefome Laws of the Family; who love, and are moft like God., in Mercy, Heavenly-minded– nefs, in good Works, and ACl:s of Piety and Charity to the Poor; thefe fhe efieems and prizes highly. _Matt. v. 45· . X. A Mother is allowed by the X. So the Church ts allo.wed, nay, reqmred .by -Father to chaflife or correct thofe Chrill:, to correct by gentle Reproof, thofe Chit– Children, that grow heady and dren or Members that do trangrcfs the Law of .proud,orany ways mifbehavethemGod; and if they grow heady, proud and !tub– felves, to the Difhonor of the Faborn, fiJC reproves them fi1arply; but If that Will ·ther, and Reproach of the Family. not reclaim them, but that they fit!! proceed in a rebellious Mind, and mifbeha\·e themfelves, fhe proceeds further, and taketh the Rod of Church-Difcipline, and withdraws hcr!elt from diem, and alloweth them not to come to the Table with the refi of her Children: Nay, if they fall inro any fcandalous Evil, to the Reproach of Chrifr, his_Truth, and the Houfhold of Faith, fhe chafrifeth them with the Rod of Excommumcatton, and putteth them quite out of the Family. Deliver fuch an one unto Satan, for the Deflruc– Yion of the Flejh, that the Spirit may be faved in the Day of the Lord Jefus, I Cor. v. 5· XI. A Mother is fometimes a!- XI. So the Church of Chri!t in his Abfence i~ Jowed, in the Abfence of the Faappointed to govern all the Afrairs of his Houfe. ther, to be chief Governefs in the and according to thofe holy Laws and Directions Family; and to chufe, according left by him, ought to chufe a Steward, viz. a ·to the DireCtion of the Father, a Bifhop, Minifrer, or Paftor, to take the Charge Sreward over her Houfe, and other of the great Afr'airs of the Family, and .other in~ inferior Officers; and as they be- .ferior Officers, as Deacons, &c. to take care of have themfelves, fi1e ought to enthe Poor: And as the Pallor or Deacons 'behave courage them, and continue them, themfelves, fhe ought to encourage him or them. or otherwife turn them out of their and continue them in their Places; but if they •Offices. fall into Sin, or neglect their 'vVork, and are unfaithful in their Places, fi1e hath Power to correCl:, and turn them out: Always provided, fhe aB: according to Rule: Againjl an Elder re– ·ceive not an /lccufation, under two or three Wit11ejfes, 1 Cfim. v. r. XII. A MO< her, though her XII. So the Church of God, though fome of Children prove never fa vi'le and her Members prove very vile, and will not be on– ungodly, .bath no Power to kill der her Government; or turn Hereticl<S, fucking ·them.: 1f !he do, though they are in damnable Errors: Yet the mofr fhe can do, is, her own Children, !he is deemed to pafs the Cenfure of Excommunication againll: by the Law a Murderer, and as them: /In Heretic, after the jirji and fecond /ldmo· fuch mufr die. 11ition, rejeff, &c. 'Tit. iii. g, 10. And therefore the Mother of Harlots, for putting to death fuch as fhe calls Heretics, is deemed, by the Law of God and Nations, a Murderer, and, .as fuch, muft and fhall in God's due Time die. Her Plagues jha/1 come upo11 her in one -!Ja;y, Death, Mourning, and Famine, aJ?d fhe jha/1 be 111/erly burnt with Fire; for jlr~ng lS the L ord God that judgeth her, Rev. xviii. 8. XUI. lt is a great and high HoXIII. So it is the Honor of the Church ofChrift, nor to a Mother, that her Chi!- when all her Children hu;nbly and faithfully fub– dren and F~mily are well governed, mit themfelves ro ~od Order and Difcipline, when nav1ng the~r Food in due Order; all of them carefully attend their refpeCl:ive Du– and that her Children and Servants ties, and do not abfent themfelves, when fbe call– are all at her Beck, and dearly love eth them together at Times of public Worfhip, or ·One another;. and when none of upon any other Occafion, as to rectify Diforders, •them are nnffing at Dtnncr, or or chufe Officers, &c. 0 how lovely and amiable Duty·tllne. ' is it, and how cloth it tend to the Glory of the Church, to fee Saints live together in Love and :Unity, always making Confcience of thofe Laws, that refpeCl: tbe well orderino-, and Jeltgtous Government of the .Family or I:loufhold of God·) Pfal. cxxxiii. ,, 2 , 0 S .L XIV. S<>
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