第66章

andsuchaone，St。PauladvisethTitusafterthefirstandsecondadmonition，toreject。Buttorejectinthisplaceisnottoexcommunicatetheman；buttogiveoveradmonishinghim，tolethimalone，tosetbydisputingwithhim，asonethatistobeconvincedonlybyhimself。ThesameApostlesaith，“Foolishandunlearnedquestionsavoid“：*(4)Thewordavoidinthisplace，andrejectintheformer，isthesameintheoriginal，paraitou，butfoolishquestionsmaybesetbywithoutexcommunication。Andagain，“Avoidfoolishquestions，：*(5)wheretheoriginalperiistaso(setthemby)isequivalenttotheformerword，reject。ThereisnootherplacethatcansomuchascolourablybedrawntocountenancethecastingoutoftheChurchfaithfulmen，suchasbelievedthefoundation，onlyforasingularsuperstructureoftheirown，proceedingperhapsfromagoodandpiousconscience。But，onthecontrary，allsuchplacesascommandavoidingsuchdisputesarewrittenforalessontopastors，suchasTimothyandTituswere，nottomakenewarticlesoffaithbydeterminingeverysmallcontroversy，whichobligementoaneedlessburdenofconscience，orprovokethemtobreaktheunionoftheChurch。WhichlessontheApostlesthemselvesobservedwell。St。

PeterandSt。Paul，thoughtheircontroversyweregreat，aswemayreadinGalatians，2。11，yettheydidnotcastoneanotheroutoftheChurch。Nevertheless，duringtheApostles’times，therewereotherpastorsthatobserveditnot；asDiotrepheswhocastoutoftheChurchsuchasSt。Johnhimselfthoughtfittobereceivedintoit，outofapridehetookinpre-eminence：*(6)soearlyitwasthatvaingloryandambitionhadfoundentranceintotheChurchofChrist。

Thatamanbeliabletoexcommunication，therebemanyconditionsrequisite；asfirst，thathebeamemberofsomecommonalty，thatistosay，ofsomelawfulassembly，thatistosay，ofsomeChristianChurchthathathpowertojudgeofthecauseforwhichheistobeexcommunicated。Forwherethereisnocommunity，therecanbenoexcommunication；norwherethereisnopowertojudge，cantherebeanypowertogivesentence。

FromhenceitfolloweththatoneChurchcannotbeexcommunicatedbyanother：foreithertheyhaveequalpowertoexcommunicateeachother，inwhichcaseexcommunicationisnotdiscipline，noranactofauthority，butschism，anddissolutionofcharity；oroneissosubordinatetotheotherasthattheybothhavebutonevoice，andthentheybebutoneChurch；andthepartexcommunicatedisnomoreaChurch，butadissolutenumberofindividualpersons。

Andbecausethesentenceofexcommunicationimportethanadvicenottokeepcompanynorsomuchastoeatwithhimthatisexcommunicate，ifasovereignprinceorassemblybeexcommunicate，thesentenceisofnoeffect。Forallsubjectsareboundtobeinthecompanyandpresenceoftheirownsovereign，whenherequirethit，bythelawofnature；norcantheylawfullyeitherexpelhimfromanyplaceofhisowndominion，whetherprofaneorholy；norgooutofhisdominionwithouthisleave；muchless，ifhecallthemtothathonour，refusetoeatwithhim。Andastootherprincesandstates，becausetheyarenotpartsofoneandthesamecongregation，theyneednotanyothersentencetokeepthemfromkeepingcompanywiththestateexcommunicate：fortheveryinstitution，asitunitethmanymenintoonecommunity，soitdissociatethonecommunityfromanother：sothatexcommunicationisnotneedfulforkeepingkingsandstatesasunder；norhasanyfurthereffectthanisinthenatureofpolicyitself，unlessitbetoinstigateprincestowarupononeanother。

NoristheexcommunicationofaChristiansubjectthatobeyeththelawsofhisownsovereign，whetherChristianorheathen，ofanyeffect。Forifhebelievethat“JesusistheChrist，hehaththeSpiritofGod，“*“andGoddwellethinhim，andheinGod。“*(2)ButhethathaththeSpiritofGod；hethatdwellethinGod；heinwhomGoddwelleth，canreceivenoharmbytheexcommunicationofmen。

Therefore，hethatbelievethJesustobetheChristisfreefromallthedangersthreatenedtopersonsexcommunicate。HethatbelievethitnotisnoChristian。ThereforeatrueandunfeignedChristianisnotliabletoexcommunication：norhealsothatisaprofessedChristian，tillhishypocrisyappearinhismanners；thatis，tillhisbehaviourbecontrarytothelawofhissovereign，whichistheruleofmanners，andwhichChristandhisApostleshavecommandedus