CHAPTER XXX
Of Church Censures
The Lord Jesus, as King and Head of His Church, hath therein appointed a government, in the hand of Church officers, distinct from the civil magistrate.
Isa. ix. 6, 7; 1 Tim. v. 17; 1 Thess. v. 12; Acts xx. 17, 28; Heb. xiii. 7, 17, 24; 1 Cor. xii. 28; Matt. xxviii. 18, 19, 20.
II. To these officers, the keys of the kingdom of heaven are committed: by virtue whereof, they have power respectively to retain, and remit sins; to shut that kingdom against the impenitent, both by the Word and censures; and to open it unto penitent sinners, by the ministry of the Gospel, and by absolution from censures, as occasion shall require.
Matt. xvi. 19; Matt. xviii. 17, 18; John xx. 21, 22, 23; 2 Cor. ii. 6, 7, 8.
III. Church censures are necessary, for the reclaiming and gaining of offending brethren, for deterring of others from the like offences, for purging out of that leaven which might infect the whole lump, for vindicating the honour of Christ, and the holy profession of the Gospel, and for preventing the wrath of God, which might justly fall upon the Church, if they should suffer His covenant and the seals thereof to be profaned by notorious and obstinate offenders.
1 Cor. v. chap.; 1 Tim. v. 20; Matt. vii. 6; 1 Tim. i. 20; 1 Cor. xi. 27 to the end, with Jude ver. 23.
IV. For the better attaining of these ends, the officers of the Church are to proceed by admonition; suspension from the sacrament of the Lord's Supper for a season; and by excommunication from the Church; according to the nature of the crime, and demerit of the person.
1 Thess. v. 12; 2 Thess. iii. 6, 14, 15; 1 Cor. v. 4, 5, 13; Matt. xviii. 17; ***. iii. 10.
CHAPTER XXXI
Of Synods and Councils
For the better government, and further edification of the Church, there ought to be such assemblies as are commonly called synods or councils.
Acts xv. 2, 4, 6.
II. (As magistrates may lawfully call a synod of ministers, and other fit persons, to consult and advise with, about matters of religion; so, if magistrates be open enemies to the Church, the ministers of Christ of themselves, by virtue of their office, or they, other fit persons, upon delegation from their Churches, may meet together in such assemblies.)*
Isa. xlix. 23; 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2; 2 Chron. xix. 8, 9, 10, 11; 2 Chron. xxix., xxx. chaps.; Matt. ii. 4, 5; Prov. xi. 14; Acts xv. 2, 4, 22, 23, 25.
III. It belongeth to synods and councils, ministerially to determine controversies of faith and cases of conscience, to set down rules and directions for the better ordering of the public worship of God, and government of His Church; to receive complaints in cases of maladministration, and authoritatively to determine the same: which decrees and determinations, if consonant to the Word of God, are to be received with reverence and submission; not only for their agreement with the Word, but also for the power whereby they are made, as being an ordinance of God appointed thereunto in His Word.
Acts xv. 15, 19, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31; Acts xvi. 4; Matt. xviii. 17, 18, 19, 20.
IV. All synods or councils, since the Apostles' times, whether general or particular, may err; and many have erred. Therefore they are not to be made the rule of faith or practice; but to be used as a help in both.
Eph. ii. 20; Acts xvii. 11; 1 Cor. ii. 5; 2 Cor. i. 24.
V. Synods and councils are to handle, or conclude, nothing, but that which is ecclesiastical: and are not to intermeddle with civil affairs which concern the commonwealth; unless by way of humble petition, in cases extraordinary; or by way of advice, for satisfaction of conscience, if they be thereunto required by the civil magistrate.
Luke xii. 13, 14; John xviii. 36.
CHAPTER XXXII
Of the State of Men after Death and the
Resurrection of the Dead
The bodies of men, after death, return to dust and see corruption; but their souls (which neither die nor sleep) having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them: the souls of the righteous, being then made perfect in holiness, are received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God, in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies. And the souls of the wicked are cast into hell, where they remain in torments and utter darkness, reserved to the judgment of the great day. Beside these two places, for souls separated from their bodies, the Scripture acknowledgeth none.
Gen. iii. 19; Acts xiii. 36; Luke xxiii. 43; Eccles. xii. 7; Heb. xii. 23; 2 Cor. v. 1, 6, 8; Phil. i. 23 with Acts iii. 21 and Eph. iv. 10; Luke xvi. 23, 24; Acts i. 25; Jude ver. 6. 7; 1 Pet. iii. 19.
II. At the last day, such as are found alive shall not die, but be changed: and all the dead shall be raised up, with the selfsame bodies and none other, although with different qualities, which shall be united again to their souls for ever.
1 Thess. iv. 17; 1 Cor. xv. 51, 52; Job xix. 26, 27; 1 Cor. xv. 42, 43, 44.
III. The bodies of the unjust shall, by the power of Christ, be raised to dishonour; the bodies of the just, by His Spirit, unto honour; and be made conformable to His own glorious body.
Acts xxiv. 15; John v. 28, 29; 1 Cor. xv. 43; Phil. iii. 21.
Of Church Censures
The Lord Jesus, as King and Head of His Church, hath therein appointed a government, in the hand of Church officers, distinct from the civil magistrate.
Isa. ix. 6, 7; 1 Tim. v. 17; 1 Thess. v. 12; Acts xx. 17, 28; Heb. xiii. 7, 17, 24; 1 Cor. xii. 28; Matt. xxviii. 18, 19, 20.
II. To these officers, the keys of the kingdom of heaven are committed: by virtue whereof, they have power respectively to retain, and remit sins; to shut that kingdom against the impenitent, both by the Word and censures; and to open it unto penitent sinners, by the ministry of the Gospel, and by absolution from censures, as occasion shall require.
Matt. xvi. 19; Matt. xviii. 17, 18; John xx. 21, 22, 23; 2 Cor. ii. 6, 7, 8.
III. Church censures are necessary, for the reclaiming and gaining of offending brethren, for deterring of others from the like offences, for purging out of that leaven which might infect the whole lump, for vindicating the honour of Christ, and the holy profession of the Gospel, and for preventing the wrath of God, which might justly fall upon the Church, if they should suffer His covenant and the seals thereof to be profaned by notorious and obstinate offenders.
1 Cor. v. chap.; 1 Tim. v. 20; Matt. vii. 6; 1 Tim. i. 20; 1 Cor. xi. 27 to the end, with Jude ver. 23.
IV. For the better attaining of these ends, the officers of the Church are to proceed by admonition; suspension from the sacrament of the Lord's Supper for a season; and by excommunication from the Church; according to the nature of the crime, and demerit of the person.
1 Thess. v. 12; 2 Thess. iii. 6, 14, 15; 1 Cor. v. 4, 5, 13; Matt. xviii. 17; ***. iii. 10.
CHAPTER XXXI
Of Synods and Councils
For the better government, and further edification of the Church, there ought to be such assemblies as are commonly called synods or councils.
Acts xv. 2, 4, 6.
II. (As magistrates may lawfully call a synod of ministers, and other fit persons, to consult and advise with, about matters of religion; so, if magistrates be open enemies to the Church, the ministers of Christ of themselves, by virtue of their office, or they, other fit persons, upon delegation from their Churches, may meet together in such assemblies.)*
Isa. xlix. 23; 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2; 2 Chron. xix. 8, 9, 10, 11; 2 Chron. xxix., xxx. chaps.; Matt. ii. 4, 5; Prov. xi. 14; Acts xv. 2, 4, 22, 23, 25.
III. It belongeth to synods and councils, ministerially to determine controversies of faith and cases of conscience, to set down rules and directions for the better ordering of the public worship of God, and government of His Church; to receive complaints in cases of maladministration, and authoritatively to determine the same: which decrees and determinations, if consonant to the Word of God, are to be received with reverence and submission; not only for their agreement with the Word, but also for the power whereby they are made, as being an ordinance of God appointed thereunto in His Word.
Acts xv. 15, 19, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31; Acts xvi. 4; Matt. xviii. 17, 18, 19, 20.
IV. All synods or councils, since the Apostles' times, whether general or particular, may err; and many have erred. Therefore they are not to be made the rule of faith or practice; but to be used as a help in both.
Eph. ii. 20; Acts xvii. 11; 1 Cor. ii. 5; 2 Cor. i. 24.
V. Synods and councils are to handle, or conclude, nothing, but that which is ecclesiastical: and are not to intermeddle with civil affairs which concern the commonwealth; unless by way of humble petition, in cases extraordinary; or by way of advice, for satisfaction of conscience, if they be thereunto required by the civil magistrate.
Luke xii. 13, 14; John xviii. 36.
CHAPTER XXXII
Of the State of Men after Death and the
Resurrection of the Dead
The bodies of men, after death, return to dust and see corruption; but their souls (which neither die nor sleep) having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them: the souls of the righteous, being then made perfect in holiness, are received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God, in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies. And the souls of the wicked are cast into hell, where they remain in torments and utter darkness, reserved to the judgment of the great day. Beside these two places, for souls separated from their bodies, the Scripture acknowledgeth none.
Gen. iii. 19; Acts xiii. 36; Luke xxiii. 43; Eccles. xii. 7; Heb. xii. 23; 2 Cor. v. 1, 6, 8; Phil. i. 23 with Acts iii. 21 and Eph. iv. 10; Luke xvi. 23, 24; Acts i. 25; Jude ver. 6. 7; 1 Pet. iii. 19.
II. At the last day, such as are found alive shall not die, but be changed: and all the dead shall be raised up, with the selfsame bodies and none other, although with different qualities, which shall be united again to their souls for ever.
1 Thess. iv. 17; 1 Cor. xv. 51, 52; Job xix. 26, 27; 1 Cor. xv. 42, 43, 44.
III. The bodies of the unjust shall, by the power of Christ, be raised to dishonour; the bodies of the just, by His Spirit, unto honour; and be made conformable to His own glorious body.
Acts xxiv. 15; John v. 28, 29; 1 Cor. xv. 43; Phil. iii. 21.
