IO2 The Jt/ itution and Government between him and thee alone, no Body in the World fhould hear it; and if thy Brother be gained, the Matter of fat íhould die in thy own Breaft, it fhould never be publifhed to others, for that may tend to the reproach of thy Brother whole Credit and Reputation thou art bound to preferve as carefully as thy own. It may alfo make force Alienati- on in AffeEtion, and fo in Time prove prejudicial to thy felf and thy Brother too; thou wilt by publifhing of it expofe thy felf to be dealt withal ; for one end of this pri- vate Dealing is the concealing of the Mifcarriage. It may alto prove a great Provocation to thy Brother, and caufe him to fufpea thy Love to him, that thou didft not de- hgn his good as thou pretendeft. And as to the Manner of this Reproof, (t.) It muff be done authoritatively, in the Name of Jefus Chrift ; you have Commiflion from Chrift fo to do. He commands you to do it, and he will own you in it, it is your Lord's Mefl'age that he fends you in. (z.) It mull be done tenderly and meekly, with the greatelt Manifeftation of Love that poflìbly may be, that thy Brother may fee thou defigneft his good : Gal. vi. Brethren, if a Man be overtaken with a Fault, ye who are fpiritual, reffore fuck a one in he Spirit of Meeknef, con. fidering left thou thy felf all; be tempted. Thirdly, Members had need beware of a hafty, heady Separation from. a Church duly conftituted, either by a partial withdrawing of their Communion, or a total de- parture and quitting their Place in the Church. z . Confider there is too much of this hafty heady Sepa- ration ; Churches have Experience of it: There are two Cafes wherein if Perlons do withdraw I cannot but look on it as hafty and heady. (t .) When Perfons take Offence at one another, though poflilly there was none juftly given, (but whether it were or not, it is much the fame) and prefently withdraw their Communion with the Church, be- fore any Means are uftd in order to obtain SatisfaEtion, the bringing his Brother to the Senfe of the Evil, or the Church being made acquainted with it, that fo the Matter may be enquired into. It may be he comes to his Place again when his Stomach is a little down, without feeking on
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