repentance for them, and thy gracious pardon, that their souls may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Amen.
Church Discipline.
However the Church be in some respects incorporated with the commonwealth in a Christian state, yet its fundamental rights remain distinct from it; of which this is one of the chief—to receive into, and to exclude out of the Church, such persons which, according to the laws of the Christian society, are fit to be taken in, or shut out.
And when temporal laws interpose, it is temporal punishment only, which they design to inflict or set aside. Bishop Stillingfleet.
Ezek. ii. 6. "And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words; thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear."
2 Cor. xiii. 10. "Lest I should use sharpness, according to the power," (namely, of binding and loosing,) "which God hath given me to edification, and not to destruction."
1 Tim. i. 20. "Whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may not blaspheme." O admirable use and command of Satan! He is God's enemy, and yet does Him service; and an adversary to man, and yet helps to save him. He is the author of blasphemy, and yet teacheth not to blaspheme. That is, One that is stronger than he directs his malice to ends which he did not intend. Satan is set on work to take him down by terror and despair whom before he had tempted to sin. But while Satan thinks to drive him to destruction by despair, God stops his course, when the sinner is sufficiently humbled; and then, as it was with Christ, Satan is dismissed, and Angels come and minister unto him.—Rouse.
What great man shall we now find, who will not take it ill to be reproved? and yet David, a prince and favourite of God, when he was reproved, even by a subject, did not turn away in a rage, but confessed his fault, and repented truly of his sin.—St. Amhros. ap. David.
The very office of Consecration, so often confirmed by Acts of Parliament, does warrant every Bishop, in the clearest and most
