A37205:185
The power of Congregational churches asserted and vindicated in answer to a treatise of…
The power of Congregational churches asserted and vindicated in answer to a treatise of Mr. J. Paget entitled The defence of church-government exercised in classes and synods / by John Davenport.The power of Congregational churches asserted and vindicated in answer to a treatise of Mr. J. Paget intituled The defence of church-government exercised in classes and synods / by John Davenport.
London: printed for Rich. Chiswell and to be sold by John Usher of Boston, 1672
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.
1. Corollary.
Then the censure of Excommunication is not a light matter, but to be looked at, as very weighty and formidable. You see,
1. That it is the Sovereign Remedy prescribed by Christ against the many Diseases, whereunto the Body is subject; the great preservative of the Churches peace, and safety against the gates of Hell.
1. That it is the Soveraign Remedy prescribde by Christ against the many Diseases, whereunto the Body is subject; the great preservative of the Churches peace, and safety against the gates of Hell.
2. That it is such a Power given by Christ to his Church, as proveth Church-Societies to be the visible Suburbs of Heaven, yea, the Kingdom of Heaven begun on Earth, seeing such an Heavenly Power is committed to them. This is a greater work than Elijah did, when he ⟨p. 132⟩shut up Heaven, that it rained not, Jam. 5.17. For that was but an outward and temporal Judgment, for three years and six months: But this is Spiritual, and for ever, upon impenitent persons. It is greater than Earthly Kings and Magistrates can do; they can bind a Malefactor hand and foot, and deliver him to the Jailer, and sentence him to banishment out of their Dominions: but this Censure binds the Soul and Conscience, delivers them to Satan, and excludes obstinate impenitent sinners from the Kingdom of God; that when this Censure is applied by the Church according to Scripture-Rules, Jesus Christ is with them, to ratify his Censure according to this Promise, What you shall bind on Earth, shall be bound in Heaven; and to bless it to the attainment of its end, the destruction of the flesh, that the Spirit may be saved. This is a singular Privilege of Church-Members. If they that are out of Church-fellowship, bless themselves in their Liberty, because they cannot be touched with Church-censures, they show their extreme folly therein; for they are left to the Sword of the Magistrate, or to the immediate judgment of God, as forlorn Creatures, excluded from Spiritual helps