TRACTS FOR THE TIMES.
firmed in Heaven? If so, what advantage will a sinner get by going to another society, if after all Jesus Christ shall confirm the sentence of his former Pastor? And for want of being reconciled by Him, shall shut him out of Heaven?
It is true, our Lord hath not given us any power to compel men by outward force, either to come into, or to continue in His Church; but will people for this reason despise the power which Christ has given us? They will hardly do so, if they know what St. Paul hath said upon this: "The weapons we use," saith he, "are not carnal, but mighty through God[1];" that is, God can humble the stoutest sinner, and make the power of His ministers effectual, when they use their power for His glory, and according to His will.
You see, good Christians, that we take upon us no authority but what Christ has given us; what His Apostles exercised, and what we are bound by our most solemn vows to exercise.
Every Bishop, for instance, at his consecration, solemnly promises, that he will correct and punish disobedient and criminous persons within his diocese, according to such authority as he has by God's word[2]. What authority he has by God's Word, you have already heard; and all serious Christians must acknowledge, that we should become adversaries to ourselves, to our Church, and our country, if we should suffer Christ's discipline to fall into decay, while we are warranted and bound, both by the laws of God and this land, to exercise it; especially when vices of this kind begin to grow upon us.
Only let us take care that we use this authority as the Apostle directs, for edification, and not for destruction[3].
And if we must be forced to shut this unhappy person out of the Church, let it be with the same compassion and reluctancy that a father turns his rebellious son out of his house, not with a design that he should starve and be lost for ever; but that being made sensible of the misery of being out of his father's house, he
- ↑ 2 Cor. x. 4.
- ↑ See Consecration Service.
- ↑ 2 Cor. X. 8. See too the Service for the Consecration of Bishops, in the Prayer just before Consecration.
