It is never proper for a church to pass a vote suspending a member from church privileges, but when a church commences any disciplinary proceedings with a member, such member is, by that act, suspended from all the privileges of membership, till such proceedings are stayed.

The course of the church should always be uniform and consistent in its treatment of offences. Some churches, like the Pharisees of old, "strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel." They notice some offences, and pass by others; sometimes they are very strict, at other times exceedingly lax. Such vacillation is very injurious to religion.

What offences should be brought to the notice of the church? Such only as, if persisted in, would require the offender to be excluded from the church. These are, First, those which, if persisted in, would exclude the offender from heaven. Second, such eccentricities of opinion or of conduct as are subversive of the doctrines, and destructive to the peace, of the church. Third, a voluntary departure from the covenant and fellowship of the church.

Though every case is to be decided by vote of the brethren, yet the pastor should instruct the church in regard to the scriptural rules which apply to it; and he must administer the censure, or pronounce the vote of excommunication, which should be done with great solemnity. It is sometimes pronounced in the most public manner, from the pulpit, but this is not necessary as a general rule.

And it should be remembered that, in all cases, the church is to form its judgment solely on evidence, not on prejudice, or hearsay reports. The church is appointed by Christ to judge of the law and the evidence; that is, to decide whether, and in what way, the law of Christ applies to the offence charged, and whether the charge is proved by the evidence, if it be not confessed. "In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established." Members should be very careful not to have their minds made up, nor in any degree biased, beforehand.

The spirit of obedience and love to the Saviour should be supreme in all these proceedings. No class of duties

requires a higher exercise of all the Christian graces than these; and the faithfulness with which they are performed is the surest test of a pure, faithful, and useful church. "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you," says our Lord; and he commends or rebukes the seven churches in Asia, according to their faithfulness or remissness in this. duty. When the Apostle taught the Corinthian church to forgive and restore the guilty man whom he had in his first epistle required them to exclude, he declared that one object was, to prove them. Though I wrote to you, I did it not [solely] for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause [only] that had suffered the wrong;" "for to this end, also, did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things."

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To cherish the right feeling toward an erring brother is sometimes a difficult, but always an important duty. The first object should be, to restore such an one in the spirit of meekness," with all the tenderness and watchful care of a surgeon in setting a broken bone. When this is effected, all is gained. Before commencing with him we should seek to be divested of the Pharisaic spirit. We must not approach him in an assuming, censorious, or dictatorial manner. We must make him feel that he is treated as a brother, though an erring one, and that our earnest desire is to do him good.

SECT. 5. Treatment of Excluded Persons.

Exclusion, or excommunication, is the most solemn exercise of that judicial executive power vested by the Saviour in the churches. It is not the power to shut any one out of heaven by a church vote, nor the power to change a man's moral character, nor to determine the final judgment of God. It implies no imprecations, no anathemas, does not affect his civil relations, releases him from no natural or social obligation, does not release others from the duties of kindness or of benevolence toward him.

It should be remembered that there are different degrees

of censure implied in exclusion, according to the nature and aggravation of the offence. A grossly immoral man, or manifestly base impostor, is expelled with the most solemn reprobation of his crime; while he who forsakes the fellowship of the church on account of erroneous opinions, should be treated with more tenderness. From some, all Christian fellowship is withdrawn, and all social intercourse; from others, church fellowship only. "But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, with such an one, no, not to eat ;" i. e., a common social meal. The passage indicates that excluded persons should be treated with more marked disapprobation and reserve, even, than other sinners of the same grade. This course is to be pursued towards the worst offenders against Christian morality; but towards another class a different course is to be pursued. 66 If any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed: yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother."

The first object in the treatment of the excommunicate is, to vindicate the honor of religion; the second, to bring them to repentance. They are in a wrong and unhappy state. If not Christians at all, they need the prayers and labors of the church; if real, but fallen disciples, they should be reclaimed and restored, if possible. The church of which they once were members is under special obligations to look after them.

The first duty is, to abstain from intimacy with them. "Let him be to thee as a heathen man and a publican," persons with whom the hearers of Christ held no intercourse. Such, in addition to the passages already quoted, are the repeated injunctions of the Apostle: "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences, contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them." Familiar intercourse with an excluded person is rendering null in action the censure we have expressed by vote, and is highly improper. It would expose a Christian

to danger of being infected by the same sins or errors, would imply that the offender's fault was not seriously disapproved, and lessen the efficacy of his exclusion as a means of reformation. All our deportment toward him should sustain, and be consistent with, the object of the censure.

The second duty requires that they should be treated with kindness, mingled with a tender concern for their spiritual welfare. His former brethren, while they show a disapproval of his conduct, should also show that they still love him, and desire his restoration. They should pray for him, be ready to impart counsel or affectionate admonition, and encourage him to hope for forgiveness on sincere repentance.

Should he forsake his sins, or renounce his errors, satisfy the church by a proper confession, and again exhibit the Christian character, he may, after sufficient time, be restored to fellowship. He should be encouraged to apply for readmission, when the church is satisfied of his repentance and thorough reformation. The interests and honor of religion, and his own happiness and growth in piety require, that when the act of exclusion has accomplished its intended effect, he should resume his place in the household of faith. His discipline, though painful, was merciful. If he is a true penitent, he will bless the Saviour and the church for it. The scriptures now require his restoration: "Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. So that, contrariwise, ye ought rather to forgive him and comfort him; lest, perhaps, such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore I beseech you that you would confirm your love toward him.”

An excluded member may apply for admission to another church. Every church has, of course, a right to receive any one whom it judges qualified for membership. Yet each should render due respect to all others, and sustain their proper authority. Each should presume that another has done right in excluding a member, and not take his story as evidence to the contrary. If he has been wronged, the wrong should be rectified where it was committed.

If, however, a case should occur in which, manifestly, a member was improperly and unjustly excluded, and the church should persist in refusing to restore him, he ought to have a remedy. Another church, being fully convinced that he is entitled to membership, should, after suitable delay and a careful investigation of the case,—the other church having been duly notified of their intention,—receive him. Such a case, however, seldom occurs, and this course is justifiable only in extreme cases.

SECT. 6. Treatment of a Delinquent Pastor.

The pastor, as a member of the church, is subject to its watch and discipline, like any other member, in every thing which relates to morals and Christian character. His station entitles him to respect, and to caution in receiving charges against him, as will soon be shown; but not to exemption from needful discipline. Even the Apostle Peter, when called to account by the brethren of the church in Jerusalem, (Acts 11,) of which church he was a member, claims no official privilege of exemption; but pleads his case before them by an array of facts and arguments. And the church at Ephesus was praised for having "tried them who say they are Apostles, and are not." Of the same nature is the direction of Paul to the churches in Galatia to proceed at once to the excommunication of their false teachers, who were leading them astray. "I would they were even cut off which trouble you; 5: 12. And this they were to do in the exercise of their Christian liberty; v. 13.

If the pastor is guilty of a scandalous sin, the church have power to investigate the facts, and exclude him from fellowship. But this is not all that the case requires. For although it is plain that if he is unfit to be a church member he is unworthy to be a minister, yet, as the agency of the presbytery was called in to invest him with the ministerial office, it is equally necessary in order to devest him of it. One church may not undo that which properly required the consent and agency of many churches to do; and