feel the awful situation in which his transgression has placed him.

But it is equally evident from the apostolic injunction, that excommunicated persons are not to be utterly forsaken and abandoned. "Count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." Pains should be taken to bring them to repentance. They should not be given up to their sins, and given over as it were to become more and more vile. The pastor and members should seek opportunities to admonish and warn them: "Peradventure God may give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth." Upon their penitence and reformation, they should be again received into communion with compassion and love, joy and gratitude. "Better," says Dr. Owen, never excommunicate a person at all, than forsake and abandon him when he is expelled, or refuse to receive him back again upon his repentance; but there is a class of persons unto whom, if a man be an offender, he shall be so for ever."

Great care should be taken by a church, to display the most inflexible IMPARTIALITY in the exercise of discipline. To allow the riches, talents, or influence of any offender, to blind the eyes of the society, and to screen him from punishment, is a most flagrant crime against the authority of Christ, and the laws of his kingdom. We can scarcely conceive of any thing more displeasing in his sight, any thing more likely to bring down his fearful indignation upon a church, than to allow his temple to be defiled, out of compliment to secular distinctions.

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No member should be allowed to resign, in order to avoid expulsion. If he has done any thing worthy of censure or separation, he should not be allowed to retire with his conduct unnoticed. "It becomes not the wisdom and order of any society, intrusted with authority for its own preservation, as the church is by Christ himself, to suffer persons obnoxious to censure by the fundamental rules of that society, to cast off all respect unto it, to break their order and relation, without animadverting thereupon, according to the authority wherewith they are intrusted. To do otherwise is to expose their order unto contempt, and proclaim a diffidence in their own authority for the spiritual punishment of offenders."

On the Removal of Members from one Church to an

other in the same Town.

This of course can happen only in those places where there are more than one church of the same denomination, and in such places it is a very common occurrence. Church fellowship is a very sacred bond, which ought not to be formed without serious deliberation, nor broken without just cause. No member should dissolve his connexion with a Christian society, but upon such grounds as will stand the test of reason and revelation. The slight pretexts on which some persons transfer themselves from one church to another, betrays a frivolity and volatility of mind,

Dr. Owen on Church Government, p. 222.

which looks like trifling with sacred things. On the least offence, either imaginary or real, produced either by minister or people, they send for their dismission to another communion, and are off.

Sometimes a disagreement with one of the members, is the cause of secession. This is manifestly wrong. The scripture is very explicit on the subject of offences. Instead of leaving a church on this ground, we ought to take immediate steps towards reconciliation. It is no justification to say, "If I cannot sit down at the Lord's Supper in love with a person, I had better not sit down at all;" because we ought without delay to have the offence removed, and come to an agreement with the offender.

Some persons break their connexion with a church, because they think that there are sinful members retained in its communion. Instead of removing, their duty is either by private admonition to reclaim such supposed delinquents, or by informing the pastor, to take the proper measures for their expulsion. If the matter should be brought before the church, and the brethren should not be convinced that there is sufficient ground to proceed to discipline, we ought immediately to acquiesce, and to suppose that through want of information, or some secret prejudice, we had formed an incorrect opinion, and from that time should feel charitably toward the individuals in question. And even if we were persuaded that the church had erred in its judgment, yet as they examined the evidence and acted upon conviction, it is not our duty to retire. They endeavoured to decide impartially, and as they did not connive at wickedness, their communion is not defiled.

Societies must be governed by fixed general laws, which may sometimes fail to reach particular cases. We must always act upon evidence, and if this fail to prove a member guilty, we must still consider ourselves bound to continue him in the privileges of communion.

If a church refuses to take cognizance of flagrant immorality, or in order to screen some rich and powererful member, declines to receive testimony, or acts in direct opposition to the clearest evidence, a case which rarely happens, then the communion is defiled, and a member may conscientiously withdraw.

It happens not unfrequently that members secede, because a pastor is chosen, whose election they cannot approve. This forms a difficult case of casuistry. It ought, however, to be a last resort. We should never form a separation on this ground in haste. We should give a patient and impartial hearing to the minister, and strive, by every possible effort, to have our prejudices removed. We should not suffer ourselves to be disaffected towards him, by circumstances trivial and indifferent. We should not lend our ear to those who have similar views, nor suffer a party feeling to be excited; but acting singly and for ourselves, strive to edify so far by his ministry, as to render a secession unnecessary. If, however, after earnest prayer for direction, coupled with great efforts to subdue every thing of prejudice, we still find our religious edification not promoted by his preaching, then we may quietly and peaceably retire, provided there are numbers and property sufficient to found another congregation, and erect another place of worship. We should

never attempt to prejudice the minds of others; a step which is not unfrequently taken by some to justify their own conduct; but which is attended with more guilt than words can describe.

It is quite unlawful to separate, merely on the ground of dissatisfaction with the decision of the church, in its ordinary affairs.

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It is equally sinful to retire, because of some imaginary or real offence given us by the pastor. The same steps of explanation and reconciliation are to be taken in this case, as in that of a private member. should go to him alone, but in the spirit of the greatest meekness and respect, on account of his office. Nothing should be said in the way of accusation, crimination, or demand; but a kind, respectful, mod. est statement of the supposed offence should be given, which, with any reasonable man, will be always sufficient to lead to a satisfactory explanation.

A member ought not to retire, even on the ground of supposed misconduct on the part of the pastor. If his inconsistencies affect his Christian character, they should become matter of church investigation if they are but imprudences, or the lighter imperfections to which even the best of men are subject, we should be rather disposed to treat them with all reasonable candour, and cover them with the veil of love; at the same time it would be proper, that a respectful and kind expostulation should be delivered to him by the deacons, or senior members of his flock.

In cases where a newly married couple are members of two churches, it is quite lawful for the wife to with