members; which is perfectly confistent with a concern for their converfion, and cternal falvation ; nay, confiftent with a disposition to receive them again into the church here, upon their exhibiting proper evidences of that repentance which is not to be repented of. With regard to the nature of excommunication, it feems to be a cenfure not peculiar to the churches, but common alfo to civil focieties: hence it is competent for any fuch fociety to expel members who rebel against their conftitution, or act unworthy of it; and to expel them, by banishment, for a fhorter or longer time, with leffer or greater marks of infamy nay, Selden quotes a paffage from the manuscript of a Caraite *, affirming, "That excom"munication was introduced into the Jewish repub"lic, under the government of foreign princes t." As if that ufage, in the Jewish church, had taken its rife from the practice of banishment in civil focietics. In the writings of the Jews themselves, so much is faid of this punishment, and fuch various accounts of it are given, that the detail would be an endlefs, and, perhaps, ufelefs, talk. It amounts, in general, to this, that the perfon was expelled from the communion of that church; and from fuch external privileges too, as were connected with church communion §. Befides * A religious fect amongst the Jews, who reject rabbinical interpretations of fcripture. + See dictionary of the Bible, on the word excommunication. The Jews, inflicted three different kinds of excommunication. The Greek and Latin churches, copying probably from the Jews, had likewise a three fold Befides the great feverity with which this part of their difcipline was attended, they carried the matter fo far, as to render the cenfure itself ridicul ous, in the eyes of other nations; for, the Rabbins contend, that excommunication had its effect even on the irrational tribes: and, what is no lefs furprizing, it is alleged, that Roman catholics, in fome inftances, have copied after that usage amongst the Jews *. What, however, must be chiefly to our purpose, is, the kind of this cenfure under the New-Teftament difpenfation. Our Lord, in his perfonal miniftry, gives a very plain account of it, in these words, "Let him be unto thee as an heathen man "and a publican," Matth. xviii. 17. i. e. You are not to hate him; rather, as a fellow-creature, to pray for him; and though you cannot have complacency in him, you fhould exercise a Christian fympathy toward him, and concern for his falvation: In your church capacity only, he is to be confidered in the fame light as the heathen and the pagan world; confidered as profeffed Chriftians are, who, by a profane converfation, give the lie to their profeffion; to be confidered as no church member, as capable of no church privilege, and as one with whom you must hold no Christian communion. The apoftle of the Gentiles is ftill more explicit in tranfmitting to us the precife quality of this cenfure, when to the church at Corinth, he fays, "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, such fold excommunication. Vide Godwin. Mofes et Aaron, lib. v. cap. 2. *The Baron de la Hontan, in his voyage to North America, informs us, that the bishop of Quebec excommunicated all the turtles in his diocefe, for fome mifdemeanor alleged against them. 66 a one must be delivered unto Satan †," 1 Cor. v. 4, 5.-Satan is called "the God of this world;" 2 Cor. iv. 4. the heathen are the world, in oppofition to the churches; converts to Christianity come from the former to the latter delivering, therefore, unto Satan in this fenfe, is no more than confidering fuch a one to be, what he truly was before the commencement of his Christian profeffion, of the world, namely, or belonging to the world, in which, as a malignant prince Satan is permitted to bear a confiderable fway. Accordingly, by wifhing and praying for the excifion under view, Chriftians only mean, that fuch rotten hearted members be cut off from the body ecclefiaftic; and confidered, in their true light, as unconverted and unholy : as of the world, lying in wickedness; as fellow men, though by no means fellow Chriftians. Nor, on the fuppofition that the character and conduct of church officers are inconsistent with the spirit and practice of Chaistianity, would there be any injuftice in this wifh, or uncharitableness in that prayer; because the Bible itself lays no foundation for our believing men to be faints, who think, and speak, and behave as finners: nor can the wifh and prayer, in fuch circumftances, be juftly deemed cruel or inhuman, fince their being cut off from the church, by men, is no bar in the way of God's dealing with them; and can be none in the way of Chriftians praying for them. We come now to the III. Thing propofed, To apply the fubject in a fuitablenefs to the occafion of this meeting. The improvement shall confift in an address, 1. Το This is what the Jews called the fecond degree of excommunication. Vide Godwini Mofes et Aaron lib. v. cap. ii. fect. 4. To my reverend fathers and brethren of this, presbytery, with fuch other church officers as now hear me. 2. To my reverend brother, at whose admiffion to the paftoral charge of this congregation I have the honour to prefide. And, 3. To the conftituent members of this congregation, and fuch other hearers of the gofpel as witness this folemnity. The first addrefs, my reverend fathers and brethren, is what I could with the nature of this dif course had not rendered fome-how neceffary. To put you in mind of your duty, does not become my age nor ftanding in the miniftry: but, fince it now lies upon me, by your own appointment, may I hope for your indulgence in the discharge of a truft, for which, to our common Lord and Master, you know I must be accountable ? If, then, it appears, that unholy men may bear office in the church of Chrift, with what anxiety and diligence fhould we enquire into our own state and character; left, peradventure, any of us may have failed of the grace of God; and be in danger of coming fhort of eternal life! Do we fee caufe to prefs this duty frequently upon our respective hearers; and fhall it be thought altogether unneceffary with regard to ourselves?-If men, in general, need to make confcience of it, with a concern proportioned. to the danger they are in of deceiving their own fouls; how much more minifters,left what we do, in the ordinary courfe of our studies and labours, be mistaken for the life and exercise of grace, which are effential to the truly Chriftian and holy character ? If office-bearers in the Chriftian church may trouble her, by fuch fuch means as were mentioned, may not we, by the oppofite principles and practices, form a tolerable notion of our own characters, as the fervants of God in the gofpel of his Son? If love to the Redeemer, and the fouls of men, be our chief inducement, in all our paftoral endeavours; if divine authority, interpofed and exhibited by the fcriptures, is our only standard in matters of doctrine; if the New Teftament plan of Chriftian communion, church discipline alfo and government, difjoined from all the commandments of men, is what we defire and endeavour to be directed by, in our ruling capacity; and if a holy and unblameable converfation, a circumfpect walk, an ufeful and a wellfpent life, are the ambition of our fouls; and, in fome measure, enemies themselves being judges, our attainment through grace; then, it is evident that the charge laid by the apoftle, against fome teachers at Galatia, does not ly at our door. If the edification and comfort of the churches have fuch a dependance on the character and deportment of those who bear office in them, how cautious fhould we be in licenfing men to preach the gofpel, or fetting them apart to bear rule, with us, in our several congregations; and with what precifion fhould we attend to the apoftolic exhortation, to " lay hands fuddenly on no man?" 1 Tim, v. 22. To want of faithfulness in thefe particulars, might not every mischief, of the kinds reprefented, be afcribed? If acquaintance with certam branches of literature, while no evidences of real Christianity appear, fhall recommend one to a capacity of preaching the gofpel ;-if intereft, in a particular corner, is that whereby another is chiefly preferred to the honour of ruling in a Chriftian congregation;-or, if the influence of the great and noble amongst men, without needful correfponding qualifications, can, of itself, raife a third to the paftoral charge of fouls; in fuch circumstances, is it to be wondered that men of corrupt minds creep into the church of Christ, |