A77979:746
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters…
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of the prophesy of Hosea· Being first delivered in several lectures at Michaels Cornhill London. By Jeremiah Burroughs. Being the fifth book, published by Thomas Goodwin, William Greenhil, Sydrach Simson William Bridge, John Yates, William Adderly.An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of the prophesy of Hosea· Being first delivered in several lectures at Michaels Cornhil London. By Jeremiah Burroughs. Being the fifth book, published by Thomas Goodwyn, William Greenhil, Sydrach Simson William Bridge, John Yates, William Adderly.
London: printed for Peter Cole, 1650
Title page typeset from the transcription.
AN EXPOSITION Of the PROPHESY of HOSEA. › Chapter 5 › Verse 3
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.
Not merely because wicked m•n are there. But first, then Answ. 1 a Congregation is defiled if they do not use the power that Christ hath given unto them. As he hath given a power unto every Church (let the Church-state be what it will) to cast out all the scandalous persons that are amongst them. Now if this Church shall (under what pretence soever, as saying they have no power, or that the power is taken from them or the like) neglect the duty of it, viz to cast out those that are unworthy then the Church cometh to be defiled,1 and their communion to be defiled. So that their communion is not defiled because the wicked are there, but because they neglect their duties of casting out the wicked from thence. For let a man be wicked, let him be a hypocrite, it is not the duty of the Church to cast out that hypocrite until he discover himself; but if that hypocrite discover himself, if then the Church perform not her duty as it ought in casting him out, then it cometh to be defiled. And the example of the incestuous Corinth, in 2 Cor. 5. is a plain place for it; A little leaven (saith the Apostle) leaveneth the whole lamp. What is that lump there? It is the Church communion, and the leaven there is the incestuous person; and the Apostle gives order to cast him out; now saith he, while this leaven continues, if you do not do your duty to cast out this scandalous person, your […] up, your whole communion will come to be defiled. So Churches come to be defiled.2
Not meerly because wicked m•n are there. But first, then Answ. 1 a Congregation is defiled if they do not use the power that Christ hath given unto them. As he hath given a power unto every Church (let the Church-state be what it will) to cast out all the scandalous persons that are amongst them. Now if this Church shal (under what pretence soever, as saying they have no power, or that the power is taken from them or the like) neglect the duty of it, viz to cast out those that are unworthy then the Church cometh to be defiled,1 and their communion to be defiled. So that their communion is not defiled because the wicked are there, but because they neglect their duties of casting out the wicked from thence. For let a man be wicked, let him be a hypocrite, it is not the duty of the Church to cast out that hypocrite until he discover himself; but if that hypocrite discover himself, if then the Church perform not her duty as it ought in casting him out, then it cometh to be defiled. And the example of the incestious Corinth, in