A02990:329
A friendly trial of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest…A friendly triall of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest…
A friendly trial of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest dispute touching the lawfulness of a stinted liturgy and set form of prayer, Communion in mixed assemblies, and the primitive subject and first receptacle of the power of the Keys: tending to satisfy the doubtful, recall the wandering, and to strengthen the weak: by John Ball.A friendly triall of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest dispute touching the lawfulnesse of a stinted liturgie and set form of prayer, Communion in mixed assemblies, and the primitive subject and first receptacle of the power of the Keyes: tending to satisfie the doubtfull, recall the wandering, and to strengthen the weak: by John Ball.
Cambridge: printed by Roger Daniel printer to the University of Cambridge for Edward Brewster, 1640Cambridge: printed by Roger Daniel printer to the Universitie of Cambridge for Edward Brewster, 1640
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Two scriptures are so plain,1 clear, evident, and perspicuous for excommunication,2 the former Matth. 18. 15, 16, 17. for the order and degrees of proceeding, the other 1. Cor. 5. 4. for the persons interested in the business, as that to bring in other scriptures for the expounding of them, is in truth as needless and lost a labour as to light the sun and moon a candle. They among whom the fornication was, out of the midst of whom he was to be put, and which were puffed up when they had rather cause of sorrowing, to them the Apostle writeth, them he reproveth, they were to be gathered together for the excommunicating, purging out and judging of the offender, vers. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. And therefore the duty here enjoined ⟨p. 273⟩as well concerneth the brethren as the officers, except we will say the fornicator was only among and in the midst of the officers, and to be put from among them, and left among the people still, and that the officers only were puffed up when they should have sorrowed, and not the brethren with them. It concerned the people as well as the priests, in the type and shadow, to put away leaven out of their houses, and to keep the passover with unleavened bread; and so in the truth and substance, to purge and put out this leaven Paul speaketh of, namely the incestuous person, vers. 6, 7. The Apostle admonisheth them that they were not to be commingled with fornicators, nor to eat with them, vers. 9, 10, 11. and this duty as well concerned the people as the officers. They with whom Paul dealeth are commanded to put the wicked man from among themselves, vers. 13. So that the same persons from among whom he is to be put are to put him away, which are both officers and people. They whom the Apostle by his letter made sorry for their failing in the casting out of the incestuous man, and that with sorrow to repentance, manifested with great indignation and zeal, they were to reprove and censure him, and so did for his reformation and their own clearing: which, that it was not the case of the officers alone, but of the brethren with them, appeareth in these scriptures,