was out of the way of salvation, that he falls into a deep sorrow for his sin, submits himself to the orders of the Church; and the governors of the Church, being satisfied with his penitence, received him again into their society, where he might perfect his repentance; absolved, and comforted him.

Now, what is it could prevail with men to submit to persons, who to the eye of the world had no manner of authority over them, but that all Christians were then satisfied, that no man had a share in the blessings which Christ had purchased to His Church, but such as submitted to the lawful governors of His Church, in things spiritual? Pray consider, from whom do you receive baptism? From whom do you receive the Lord's Supper? From whom do you receive instruction to life eternal?

And are not we as much the ministers of Christ when we rebuke and censure the wicked, and turn out the obstinate and profane, as when we baptize and receive men into Christ's Church, as when we pray for, instruct, and comfort, the faithful? And will not Jesus Christ hear us, and confirm our sentence, as well as hear our prayer?

For God's sake, be not so perverse as to think otherwise. We profess to have no power given us by Christ, but for your edification; that is, to build, and to establish you in godliness.

2 Cor. 2. to

ver. 10.

We pretend not to any power to lord it over God's heritage; [1 Pet. 5.3.] but this is the power we have from Christ: to rebuke, and that with authority, as very well knowing that God will warrant us in what we do in His name, and for His honour.

We have power to deny the sacraments to all such as render themselves unworthy of them.

We have power to shut men that are obstinately wicked out of the Church, that they may no longer scandalize the Christian profession; and to charge all other Christians not to accompany with them. And those that will not obey do not reject our authority, but the authority of Christ.

Lastly we have power to receive the penitent, to absolve, and to comfort them.

And the same Lord, who gives us this power, gives all penitents, who submit to it, an assurance that they may

SERM. depend upon what we do in His name. loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them."

XCIII. [Matt. 18. 18; John 20. 23.]

"Whatsoever ye "Whosesoever

And now, though many people, for want of knowing these truths, (though they are all Scripture truths,) and though many, out of a profane and worldly spirit, do set at nought and make light of Church censures; and though too many, God knows, submit to them out of fear of the temporal laws only, and not out of submission to Jesus Christ, and obe. dience to His ministers; yet, as sure as any thing we preach is true, this is true: that they who have been guilty of any scandalous crimes, and do not repent, and openly, if required, confess their sin and their sorrow for having done despite to the grace of God, for having broken their baptismal vow, for having brought a scandal upon their holy religion; such persons have no hopes of mercy and pardon from God.

And those who find ways to escape the censures of the Church, by leaving their place of abode, or their country, by prevailing with officers, whose duty it is to present them, to pass them by, or by any other way, such persons are in the same sad condition; they are exposed to the wrath of God, and no man can promise them any hopes of pardon without public acknowledgment of their crime, and such as the Church appoints.

On the other hand: all such who have had the misfortune to fall grievously, and come to be truly humbled by their offences, and submit to take shame to themselves, and to give glory to God in a free confession of their crimes; acknowledging that God is more to be feared than all other powers on earth, and His judgments dreaded more than death (which is truly giving glory to God); whoever does this in sincerity may be confident that the absolution he receives here will most certainly be confirmed in heaven.

From all which you may see, that if the ministers of Christ's kingdom should neglect their duty, and should forbear to call notorious offenders to public penance; though they should (which God forbid) be partial, and favour some for their own, or for their friends' sake, or for the place they bear in the world; yet this would indeed be no favour at the last, unless we shall think it an advantage to avoid that

shame in this life, which we have justly deserved, to meet with shame, and misery, and confusion of face, for ever and ever, in the next world.

Shame and sorrow are the due reward of our sins, and we must suffer them either here or hereafter. And we know that those that have found ways to avoid the censures of the Church, and the shame and affliction that attend them, have visibly been given up to bring double shame and sorrow upon themselves in this life, that their souls might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

It was a just sense of this which has ever prevailed with wise men, when they have fallen into any grievous crime, not only to submit with patience, and great meekness, to the judgment of their spiritual governors, but even to desire to be made public examples, that they might obtain the prayers of all good Christians, that they might receive absolution, and have one of the greatest comforts and assurances which Christ has given to His Church.

They did not look upon themselves, nor did ever any good Christian look upon them as worse, but in a much better and happier condition, for having submitted to shame for the glory of God.

And I hope a time will come, when all Christians will have the same thoughts of the discipline of the Church; which God grant in His own good time!

In the mean time, we must not neglect to tell you the truth, whether you receive it or not; for what is it we get by your obedience, but only the blessing of being instrumental in saving your souls? We desire not to lord it over your consciences; we desire you to submit to the laws of Jesus Christ, not to any rules of ours, which He has not plainly warranted; in one word we only desire to be helpers forward of your salvation, which you all hope for, as well as we.

To conclude: it is to be hoped, that all such as submit to do penance, submit out of a principle of conscience, and in hopes thereby to find God, for Christ's sake, more favourable to them.

But because we are but too apt to deceive ourselves, I must add further, (for the sake of all such unhappy people as do things worthy of public penance,) that their submission and

XCIII.

SERM. outward tokens of sorrow will not be accepted as any amends for their crimes, unless it proceed from an humble and contrite heart.

Hear how the penitent in the text speaks: "And Achan answered Joshua, and said unto him, indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done."

This humble confession shews, that it came from his very heart; and the danger he exposed himself to by making it shews, that he feared the sentence and judgments of God more than either shame or death.

We have no power to inflict such punishment, nor any temporal evil; therefore we had need to be more earnest with penitents, not to deceive the Church or themselves with false appearances.

People may submit out of fear, and forget all their promises of amendment when that is over; but then they forget their own souls.

Penance is designed to make men better; and if it does not do that, it were better it had never been performed.

If an inward change of heart, and an outward reformation of manners, do not follow, all your promises are lies, and all your sorrow is vile hypocrisy.

And therefore a person that has any fear of God in his heart, after he has humbly confessed his fault; begged God's pardon for having done dishonour to His authority; asked forgiveness of the people; obtained absolution from the priest, the minister of Christ; he will, from that day forward, resolve to live more circumspectly; pray constantly to God for grace, without which we can do nothing; attend the Church and service of God duly; avoid all temptations to impiety, and especially drunkenness, which makes way for all manner of villainies; and if he falls into any one sin, he will immediately repent and forsake it, that it may not make way for a greater.

And he that does so will have great reason to bless God that he has had his lot in a part of the Catholic Church, where the discipline is kept up, the censures executed, and sin openly as well as in private rebuked.

And all wise and good men will be so far from despising

those that thus humble themselves, that they will receive them with open arms, and esteem them the better, as the father did his prodigal son.

And now, I pray you all to join with me in these petitions, that God of His goodness would be pleased to continue to this part of Christ's Church, the power and the spirit of discipline; that He would restore godly discipline to all Christian Churches; and that He would vouchsafe unto all that are engaged in sinful courses, a true sense of their errors, true sorrow and repentance for them, and His gracious pardon, that God may be glorified in their confession, amendment, and salvation, for Jesus Christ's sake.

To Whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all honour, thanksgiving, and praise, now and for ever.