to use all diligence and vigilance, both by doctrine and discipline respectively, for preventing and purging out errors, heresies, schisms, and scandals, tending to the detriment and disturbance of the church; yet because it may fall out, through the pride and stubbornness of offenders, that these means alone prove not effectual to that purpose, it is necessary to employ the aid of the civil magistrate, who ought to use his coercive power for the suppressing all such offences, and vindicating the discipline of the church from contempt. CHAP. IX. Concerning the order of proceeding to absolution. 1. If, after excommunication, signs of repentance appear in the excommunicated person, such as godly sorrow for having incurred God's heavy displeasure by his sin, occasioned grief to his brethren, and justly provoked the church to cast him out of their communion, together with a full purpose of heart to turn from his sin unto God through Christ, and to reform his life and conversation, with a humble desire of recovering peace with God and his people, and to be restored to the favour of God and light of his countenance, through the blood of Jesus Christ, and to the communion of the church; and the presbytery upon his application be satisfied therewith, and judge that he ought to be absolved, and thereupon give warrant for his absolution, he is to be brought before the congregation, and there also to make free confession of his sin and sorrow for it, to call upon God for mercy in Christ, to seek to be restored to the communion of the church, promising to God, through grace, new obedience, and more holy and circumspect walking as becomes the gospel, and that this appearance before the congregation be as often as church judicatories shall find may be for edification and trial of the professing penitent's sincerity; and being satisfied in this, then the minister and congregation are to praise God, who delighteth not in the death of the sinner, but rather that he should repent and live; as also, for blessing the ordinance of excommunication, and making it effectual by his Spirit to the recovering of the offender, to magnify the mercy of God through Jesus Christ, in pardoning and receiving to his favour the most grievous offenders, whensoever they unfeignedly repent and forsake their sins; but before the minister proceed to absolution, he is to pray with the congregation to this effect: "That the Lord Jesus Christ, prophet, priest, and king "of his church, who with the preaching of the gospel hath join"ed the power to bind and loose the sins of men, who hath "declared, that whosoever by his ministers is bound on earth, "shall be bound in heaven, and also, that whatsoever is "loosed by the same, shall be loosed and absolved in heaven, "would mercifully accept his creature N, 'whom Satan of “long time hath held in bondage, so that he not only drew "him to iniquity, but also so hardened his heart, that he de"spised all admonitions, for the which his sin and contempt, "the church was compelled to excommunicate him from the "society of the faithful; but now seeing the Holy Spirit, by "his grace, hath so prevailed, 'that he is returned, and pro" fesseth repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord "Jesus Christ, that it may please God, by his Spirit and grace, to make him a sincere and unfeigned penitent, and "for the obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ unto death, so "to accept of this poor believing and returning sinner, that "his former disobedience may never be laid to his charge, " and that he may increase in all godliness; so that Satan in "the end may be trodden under foot by the power of our "Lord Jesus Christ, and God may be glorified, the church "edified, and the penitent saved in the day of the Lord." 66 2. Then shall follow the sentence of absolution in these or the like words: "Whereas thou N, hast been for thy sin, "shut out from the communion of the faithful, and hast now "manifested thy repentance, wherein the church resteth sa"tisfied; I, in the name of our Lord Jesus, before this con "gregation, pronounce and declare thee absolved from the "sentence of excommunication formerly denounced against "thee, and do receive thee to the communion of the church, " and the free use of all the ordinances of Christ, that thou mayest be partaker of all his benefits, to thy eternal salva❝tion." 3. After this sentence of absolution, the minister speaketh to him as a brother, exhorting him to watch and pray, and comforting him as there shall be cause: The elders embrace, and the whole congregation hold communion with him as one of their own: And the absolution should be intimated in all the churches where the excommunication was intimated. |