N00497:130
Blessed unions. An union with the son of God by faith. And, an union…
Blessed unions. An union with the son of God by faith. And, an union in the church of God by love, importunately pressed; in a discourse which makes divers offers, for those unions; together with a copy of those articles, where-upon a most happy union, has been lately made between those two eminent parties in England, which have now changed the names of Presbyterians, and Congregationals, for that of United Brethren. / By Cotton Mather ; [Six lines from Mead]
Boston: printed by B. Green for Samuel Phillips, 1692
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.
III. Of Censures.
1. AS it cannot be avoided, but that in the Purest Churches on Earth, there will sometimes Offences & Scandals arise by reason of Hypocrisy & prevailing corruption; so Christ hath made it the D• ty of every Church, to reform it self by Spiritual Remedies, appointed by him to ⟨p. 7⟩be applied in all such cases; viz. Admonition and Excommunication.
1. AS it cannot be avoided, but that in the Purest Churches on Earth, there will sometimes Offences & Scandals arise by reason of Hypocrisie & prevailing corruption; so Christ hath made it the D• ty of every Church, to reform it self by Spiritual Remedies, appointed by him to ⟨p. 7⟩be applied in all such cases; viz. Admonition and Excommunication.
2. Admonition, being the rebuking of an Offending Member in order to conviction, is in case of private offences to be performed according to the Rule in Mat. 18. v. 15, 16, 17. & in case of public offences, openly before-the Church, as the Honour of the Gospel, & nature of the Scandal shall require: And if either of the Admonitions take place for the recovery of the fallen Person, all further proceedings in a way of censure, are thereon to cease, and satisfaction to be declared accordingly.