A02990:331
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.
But this conclusion fighteth with it self,1 reacheth not to the point in hand, followeth not from the premisses, if understood according to the Authors meaning. It is cross to it self: for if women may not authoritatively excommunicate, then every one two or three amongst whom the fornicator was, whom the Apostle reproved because he was not cast out, whom he admonisheth not to be commingled with fornicators, whom he made sorry for their failing, and to whom he writeth to loose & forgive him, &c. had not equal power with the officers to cast him out, or to forgive him. For all these things were written to the church of Corinth, to the women as well as the men, unless we shall say the incestuous person must be left among them, or they might company with fornicators, &c. In scripture they are distinguished from men, it is said, & therefore in some cases that which is said to the whole congregation doth not equally concern ⟨p. 275⟩every one in the congregation, but in their order.2 And if women be not comprehended in those exhortations and rebukes as equal to the brethren, we cannot say the brethren are comprehended as equal to the officers. But each thing must be expounded according to the nature of the argument, and conference of other scriptures. In general the whole society may be blamed when every particular member is not in fault: as here we may well think, some in Corinth mourned, and endeavoured to have the incestuous person removed (who else should inform the Apostle, now far absent, of this abuse and their gross security?) but could not prevail: and yet the Apostle rebuketh the whole society. And the same may be observed in the Prophets; they rebuke the common sins of many as if all had corrupted their ways. Again, the Apostle might rebuke the whole society, that he was not cast out, when yet the authority to cast him out pertained to some only. Some he might rebuke, because they were puffed up and did not sorrow, nor admonish governors to do their office: others, because they did not cast him out, or rebuke him earnestly to bring him to repentance. Both the brethren and the officers might be remiss, the one to stir up by grief and just indignation, the others to do the duties of their place;3 and so both sorts worthily incur rebuke. So he might admonish them all not to be commingled with fornicators, but every one according to his place: