of a vifible Church of Chrif . 6t third ; when or by what Rule (hall the Church come to a Determination : We put our own Wifdom in Com- petition with the Wifdom of Chrift in this Matter, if we keep not dote to the Rule. To wait on a Perlon that negletìs to hear the Church, is to at without a Rule, if the Matter of Fad be fuch as deferves Ejeaion when Obftinacy is added to it, and the Evidence full and clear. 2. In cafe of public Offence, this private Dealing is not to be made ufe of: They that Sin rebuke before all, i Tim. v: ao. that is, they that Sin publickly; the Harmony of Scripture muff be preferved: this Rule muff not be underifood to interfere with the former, where the Brother offended is to deal with the Brother offending in private. 3. If the Cafe concerns an Elder, an Accufation muff not be received by the Church under two or three Wit - neffes; t Tim. v. 19. But againfl an Elder receive not an Accufation, but before (or under, as in the Margin) two or three hV to fes. Befides the pofitive Rule which we are bound to obferve, though we cannot underhand the Reafon of it, there feems to be this Reafon: Elders being more obnoxious to the Malice and Envy of Men than others are, they are more in danger of being falfly accufed than others are. Queft. q.. Whether a Perfon juf?ly ejeaed by the Church, be at the fame Time cut of/from Chrf, and fo made incapable of Salvation unlei he be received again by the Church upon his Repentance? I anfiver in the negative : For, 1. The Church did not ingraft him into Chrill, when they firff received him into Communion with them: Now that which the Church- did not do, they cannot undo, No Perfon can be received a Member regularly, that is not in the Judgment of Cha- rity a true Believer; and if he be fuch in reality, he had then an Intereft in Chrift before he was received by the Church. Either he had an Intereff in Chrift antecedent to his being received by the Church, or he had not If he had, then the Church did not ingraft him in : If he had none before he was received, he bath none f nce. I fpeak of a real Intereff, not of fuch an Interest as ftuitlefs Branches may be faid to have that may be cut off, which F is OPPIRVIRIRPIRIPIMPRAEnsti-,,,m,..
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