press the church of Corinth to
excommunicate the incestuous person. "Ye are puffed up, and have not
rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed may be taken from the
midst of you. For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit,
have already as present judged him that thus wrought this thing. In the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, you being gathered together, and my
spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one
to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved
in the day of our Lord Jesus," 1 Cor. v. 2-5. "Know ye not that a little
leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven,"
ver. 7. "I wrote to you in an epistle, not to be mingled together with
fornicators," ver. 9, 11; and explaining what he meant by not being
_mingled together_, saith, "If any named a brother be a fornicator, or
covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or drunkard, or rapacious, with
such an one not to eat together," ver. 11. "Therefore take away from
among yourselves that wicked person," ver. 13.

5. Seasonable remitting, receiving, comforting, and authoritative
confirming again in the communion of the Church those that are penitent.
"What things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven,"
Matt. xvi. 19, and xviii. 18. "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are
remitted unto them," John xx. 23. This loosing and remitting is not only
doctrinal and declarative in the preaching of the word, but also
juridical and authoritative in the administration of censures. This is
called, for distinction's sake, absolution. After the church of Corinth
had excommunicated the incestuous person, and he thereupon had given
sufficient testimony of his repentance, the apostle directs them to
receive him into church communion again, saying, "Sufficient to such an
one is that rebuke inflicted of many; so that contrariwise you should
rather forgive and comfort him, lest such an one should be swallowed up
of abundant sorrow. Wherefore I beseech authoritatively to confirm love
unto him: for to this purpose also I have written unto you, that I may
know the proof of you, if ye be obedient in all things," 2 Cor. ii. 6-9.

CHAPTER VIII.

_Of the End and Scope of this Government of the Church._

The end or scope intended by Christ in instituting, and to be aimed at
by Christ's officers in executing of church government in dispensing the
word, sacrament, censures, and all ordinan