Fellowship has Light with Darkness, a Man of Vice with the Sons of Virtue, a Turk with a Jew, or a Pagan with a Chriftian? And does not the New Teftament reprefent to us the Chriftian Churches receiving new Members on their Profeffion of Chriftianity? Acts ii. 41, 47. They who gladly received the Word were baptized; and the fame Day there were added to them about three Thoufand Souls: And the Lord added to the Church daily fuch as fhould be faved. And does not the Apostle teach the Churches to take Care that they be kept pure, and free from Scandal, by feparating themselves from evil Members, and by cafting out those that depart from the Truth, or are guilty of grofs Immoralities? 2 Theff. iii. 6. Withdraw yourfelves from every Brother that walketh diforderly. 1 Cor. v. 5, 11, 13. When ye are gathered together, deliver fuch a one to Satan. Purge out the old Leaven, that ye may be a new Lump: i.e. Put away from among yourselves that wicked Perfon. If If a Man that is called a Brother be a Fornicator, or an Idolater, or a Railer, or a Drunkard, or an Extortioner, keep no Company with fuch a * Whether the delivering an Offender to Satan, in the primitive Times, did include in it the Infliction of any fore bodily Disease, though it be probable, yet it is not certain, nor univerfally agreed; but I think it is agreed pretty univerfally, that fuch a one was caft out of the Church, and delivered back again into the World, which is the Kingdom of Satan; who is called in Scripture the Prince and the God of this World. John i. 4. 2 Cor. iv. 4. one; one; no, not to eat. And those who deny the Refurrection, and overthrow the Faith of fome, are delivered to Satan, and caft out of the Church into the World, which is his Kingdom, that they may learn not to blafpheme. 1 Tim. i. 19, 20. and 2 Epift. ii. 17, 18. Reafon and Christianity alfo join to inform. us, that, upon the credible Evidence of a fincere Repentance, and a Change of Heart and Life, fuch Offender fhould be forgiven, and received into the religious Society again: So the offending Corinthian was forgiven, and received and restored again to the Love and Communion of the Chriftian Church there. See 2 Cor. ii. 7, 8, 9. V. It is evident to common Reafon, when such a voluntary religious Society is inftituted, the Right of receiving or cafting out Members, or reftoring them upon Repentance, lies originally in the Society itself, because the Society itself is formed, and subfifts, by the mutual Compact of its own Members; and whatfoever Qualifications are required of Perfons, in order to become Members of this Body, it is the Society itself that has an original Right to judge whether the Perfons have thefe Qualifications or no. It was upon the mutual Acknowledgement of fuch Qualifications, expreffed or implied, that this Society was first founded; and as a voluntary Society, it must be maintained on C 2 the the fame Foot, otherwise new Members will be likely to be admitted, and impofed upon them, to the great Dislike and Injury of the Society. Indeed they may depute feveral particular Perfons of their Number, whom they suppose better skilled therein, as Elder and Wifer, to act for the whole Society, and particularly to examine into the Qualifications of Perfons, and the Merits of the Caufe, when Members are to be received, or to be caft out; but they fhould never renounce their own original Right. They may also appoint any particular Perfon to go before the reft in this Matter, to give them his Advice herein, to acquaint them what Perfons are fit to be received, and to pronounce the Sentence of receiving them into the Society, or excluding them from it, according to the Evidence of their Qualifications: And this, I prefume, will be usually allowed to be the Office of the fixed Paftor, or President of the Affembly, where there is fuch a Prefident. And does not the New Testament generally give Directions agreeable to this Dictate of the Light of Nature? Does not St. Paul direct to the Churches themfelves his apoftolic Advices about receiving, cafting out, or reftoring Members? See his Advice to the Church at Rome, Rom. i. 7. and xiv. 1. Ye, Saints at Rome, receive him that is weak in Faith. Rom. xv. 7. Receive ye one another. Rom. Rom. xvi. 2. Receive ye Phebe in the Lord, as becometh Saints *. See his Advice to the Corinthians, 1 Cor. v. 4. In the Name of our Lord Jefus Chrift, when ye are gathered together, deliver fuch a wicked Man to Satan. Ver. 13. Put away from among yourselves that wicked Perfon. And in 2 Cor. ii. 6. this is called a Punishment inflicted by many. And Ver. 7, 8, 10. the Church was taught and required to forgive him upon his evident Repentance, to confirm their Love towards him, and to restore him to the Fellowship of the Church. It is granted indeed, when proper Officers are chosen and fixed among them, it is by their Ministrations, by their Advice and Direction, Christian Churches should usually exercise this Difcipline; and fo the Orders of Chrift are directed to the Angels of the Churches. Rev. ii. and iii. But the whole Work of Reformation and Difcipline there required, is fuch as eminently concerns the Churches or People themselves, and not the Pastor only. It is also granted, that many Times Churches do commit the whole Care of this Matter into the Hand of their Minifters, as being *It is granted this Text refers to Phebe, as a Traveller at Rome, and defiring to hold occafional Communion with the Chriftian Church there; but the Reafon of Things is the fame, or stronger, with Regard to receiving Perfons into a fixed and conftant Communion with any Church: There must be ftill a mutual Agreement. C 3 ufually usually fittest to judge of the Profeffion made; but it ought never to be so entirely given into their Hands, as to renounce the People's Right of judging in thefe Affairs. Diotrephes, who loved to have the Pre-eminence among them, affumed to himself the Right of receiving and cafting out Members from the Church; but he was feverely reproved for his Pride and Ufurpation, when he forbid his Fellow-Chriftians to receive Brethren who were worthy. 3 John 9, 10. Minifters may happen to prove fo injudicious, or fo negligent of Enquiry into the Profeffion and Qualifications of Perfons to be admitted, fo fubject to Prejudices, or fo engaged in a Party-Quarrel, as to fill the Church with fuch Members as may be very contrary to the Sentiments of the Majority of the Church; and if the People renounce their own Right in this Affair, they may thank themselves for fuch unhappy Confequences. I would add alfo, that if People entirely give up the Right of Admiffion and Exclufion to the Minifter alone, they can never caft the Minister himself out, if he be never fo impious or immoral. Having found the Conftitution of a Chriftian Church to be fo conformable to the Dictates of right Reafon, let us confider what are the Acts of Worship which are to be paid to God in publick, and in what Manner must they be performed; and we shall find the |