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Service and Benefit of God's Church and
People, Reformation, and not their own
Gain or Secular Intreft.

Let me have Leave alfo here to fay, that its a Fault and a Corruption of Dif cipline to admit or accept Commutations for Penance: For though Acts of Charity are the Tokens of a Penitent Mind, and avail much towards the obtaining God's Favour and Mercy, according to that which the Apostle has faid of Charity, that it covereth a Multitude of Sins; Yet a forced Gift to the Poor, for certain can be of no Avail. The Apostle fuppofes, a Man may give all his Goods to the Poor, and yet not have Charity. An Offender may give to avoid Cenfure, or rather, Secular Inconveniences from it; but shall that be efteemed Charity, or fhall it be prefumed a Token and Sign of Repentance> Yea, he may give Voluntarily, and yet continue in his Sins; and fhall Charity be thought an Expiation for Sins wilfully continued in? or indeed, a Satisfaction to God's Church, as to the taking off Ecclefiaftical Cenfures pafs'd on fuch, when their Amendment other ways appears not? It withal brings an Evil Report even on the Difcipline it felf, as

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well as on them that Minifter it. I hope, with us there is no fuch thing as pur ting up Commutation Summs, but 'tis well known fuch things have been Objected, as though the Minifters of Difcipline put themselves in place of the Poor. It were therefore queftionless much better if Commutations were never medled with; it would remove all Scandal, and prevent falfe Reports, and be never the worfe for the Poor. For if the Discipline of the Church can bring once Sinners to be truly Penitent, they will be of themfelves difpofed to do Voluntary Acts of Charity.

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Thefe Defects and Abuses, and whatfoever others there are that may hinder in any respect the wifhed Effects in Difcipline, all who have any hand, or part in the Ministry are concerned, if possible, to remove and remedy. And fo valua ble would the Effects of Difcipline be, duly Exercifed and Adminiftred, to the Church of God and the Intreft of our common Christianity, that I shall fay without fear of Contradiction, that it would be the Glory of our Reformation to bring it to be of Effect, as it is now our Reproach, that we have fuffered the Dif cipline of Chrift's Church to be laid a

fide and rejected in the most effential parts of it, and to be fo Corrupted in what remains thereof with us, that the fame is in a manner of no Effect or Advantage to the Church of God.

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But if our Sins are ftill too Powerful to fuffer the due and right courfe of Ecelefiaftical Difcipline to take place among us as it ought; let me advertise all good Chriftians of a private Benefit and Advantage which every Man may make to himself from what has appeared in this Difcourfe, of the Nature and Intent of Difcipline, while thofe who are concern! ed to bring it to Effect do it not, or la bour to do it, but without Succefs. If this Discipline cannot be brought to a due Effect throughout the Church, i.e. to be Exercised for its true Purposes, and Sub mitted to for its true End; nevertheless, every Man may learn from what this Dif cipline was, and from what it ought to be, fomething that concerneth the ftate of his own Soul, and how to fsupply in fome measure to himself the want of the due Effect of this Ordinance of Christ, which is become defective through the Wickedness of Men. Every one must be fenfible, from what hath been here before faid of the nature of Difcipline, and its

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Practice

Practice in the Primitive Church; that whofoever was Admitted into the Church of Chrift, was Admitted upon his Engagement to live Chriftianly, this being indeed the Refolution that entitled to the Mercy of God in Christ Jefus upon the Terms of the Gofpel; that whofoever failed of performing and making good this his Undertaking, forfeited thereby all Right to the Bleffings of the Covenant, and was therefore, by them that had the Overfight and Care of the Church of God to be called to Account, to be Rebuked and Cenfured, and if found Obftinate in Wickedness, to be Cut off from the Church of God; that fuch an one might thereby be made fenfible that his Sins had cut him off from the hope of Salvation; whereof this Advantage every Man may, and it is to be hoped, will make for himfelf, to wit, conclude, and judge aright concerning the state of his own Soul, that is to fay, That if his own Heart Condemn him of Sins inconfistent with Chriftianity, he reckon that God will much more Condemn him and betake himself therefore immediately to Reform every Evil Practice, not daring to prefume on God's Mercy and Favour whilft he lives in Sins unrepented,

within the Bofom of a Church, wherein the Discipline of Chrift not having place, his Admission to the Sacraments cannot be to him a fufficient Prefumption of a fure Intreft in the Benefits of Chrift; but concluding that though he be not cut off from the Society of God's Church, yet, his fins unrepented, juftly cut off his hopes of God's Favour, and will utterly Exclude him from his Heavenly Kingdom; if he be not fo true to the Intreft of his Soul, as henceforth to become a True Penitent.

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