You will say, shall we be the worse for one wicked mans coming? no, if we be no way faulty of it, then we cannot be said to be worse and it cannot leaven us; but now when it is our duty to purge him out, and we do not do it, as in all communion of Saints there is a duty, and there is not any one but may do something towards it; thus far every communicant in every communion of Saints must go; if there be a wicked man there, if you come to know it, and do not go thus far as I have spoken, you are defiled by him, you are not defiled by the mere presence of wicked men, (for that's a mere deceit and gall that some would put upon men that differ from them otherwise;) but thus now you are defiled by their presence, if you do not do your duty, and the uttermost that you are able to purge them out; yea, then the whole congregation is defiled, if they do not do their duty; now this is the duty of every one in the congregation, to tell their brother, or to take two or three, and after that to tell the Church, and so come to profess against them, or if the Church will not do their duty as they ought, yet then to free their own souls, as to profess, here is one that is so and so guilty, and may be proved thus and thus, and so for my part I to free my own soul profess that this man or woman ought not to have communion here; and thus you come to free your own souls, and when you have done thus, though wicked men be there you may there eat and drink and not be defiled by their presence, for you cannot be said properly to eat with them now, not to have communion with them, no more than if a dog should come and skip upon the Table, and take a piece of bread; you cannot have communion with him because he takes it, no more have you with those wicked men when once you have dealt so far with them, you for your selves profess against them that you for your own particular cannot have communion with them herein; this is not to eat with them: The Apostle in 1 Cor. 5. latter end, he doth there require, ⟨p. 237⟩in the 11. v. that If any man that is called a Brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an Idolater, or a Railer, or a Drunkard, or an Extortioner, with such a one no not to eat; for what have I to do to judge them also that are without? that is, the Heathens, and those that were in no communion with them, I have nothing to do to judge them; but do not ye judge them that are within?
You will say, shall we be the worse for one wicked mans coming? no, if we be no way faulty of it, then we cannot be said to be worse and it cannot leven us; but now when it is our duty to purge him out, and we do not do it, as in all communion of Saints there is a duty, and there is not any one but may do something towards it; thus far every communicant in every communion of Saints must go; if there be a wicked man there, if you come to know it, and do not go thus far as I have spoken, you are defiled by him, you are not defiled by the meer presence of wicked men, (for that's a meer deceit and gall that some would put upon men that differ from them otherwise;) but thus now you are defiled by their presence, if you do not do your duty, and the uttermost that you are able to purge them out; yea, then the whole congregation is defiled, if they do not do their duty; now this is the duty of every one in the congregation, to tell their brother, or to take two or three, and after that to tell the Church, and so come to professe against them, or if the Church will not do their duty as they ought, yet then to free their own souls, as to profess, here is one that is so and so guilty, and may be proved thus and thus, and so for my part I to free my own soul profess that this man or woman ought not to have communion here; and thus you come to free your own souls, and when you have done thus, though wicked men be there you may there eat and drink and not be defiled by their presence, for you cannot be said properly to eat with them now, not to have communion with them, no more than if a dog should come and skip upon the Table, and take a pice of bread; you cannot have communion with him because he takes it, no more have you with those wicked men when once you have dealt so far with them, you for your selves profess against them that you for your own particular cannot have cōmunion with them herein; this is not to eat with them: The Apostle in 1 Cor. 5. latter end, he doth there require, ⟨p. 237⟩in the 11. v. that If any man that is called a Brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an Idolater, or a Raylor, or a Drunkard, or an Extortioner, with such a one no not to eat; for what have I to do to judge them also that are without? that is, the Heathens, and those that were in no communion with them, I have nothing to do to judge them; but do not yee judge them that are within?
