The fifth Chapter. Of discipline & gouernment of the Church, and namelie of Excommunication: Of order Ecclesiasticall: Of Temples and their ornaments.
1 ECclesiastical discipline is nothing else but a power grauted to the Church by GOD, by which the willes and actions of the faithful, are made conformable to the lawe of GOD: which is done by doctrine, admonitions, correction, and finallie by punishments, and also by excommunicatio if néede require. They that cannot abide this kinde of medicine, speake ill of their Pastors for dooing well their office. Howbeit of God whose messengers they be, they are not nor euer shall bée forsaken. Wherefore let vs set before our eyes, what things must be obserued in brotherlie correction. 2 We must take héede that we auoide two extremities, and kéepe the meane. On the one part, that we vse not a faire and flattering spéeche, whereby we rather nourish vices than remooue them. On the other part, that we vse not ouer rough & rawe admonition: least we rather turne a man from saluation, than leade him vnto it. The meane must be kept which Christ will haue to be kept in the 18. Chapter of Matthew: 3 If thy brother trespasse against thee (saieth he) goe and reprooue him betweene thee and him onelie. But if he shall not heare thee, take yet with thee one or two. And if he refuse to heare them, tell the Church, 4 the which is verie necessarie, aswell in y e Church as in the Common weale, and in euerie familie: forsomuch as the same being taken awaie, all goeth to wrack. For euen as there shall neuer want poore folkes whom we may helpe with our liberalitie, 5 so there will neuer lacke vices of men, 6 the which by reproouing we maie heale: so as reproouing is an action pertaining to discipline, 7 whereby of charitie we are earnest with them that are fallen as touching their sinnes, warning them to repent according to the manner and forme set forth by Christ, to the intent that euill maie be taken awaie from among vs. In this definition, action is placed as the generall worde: the efficient cause is charitie, for that it is no iust correction, if it procéede of hatred, wrath, or iniurie. But the matter wherein it is occupied, be sinnes, and those grieuous sinnes, séeing lighter faultes pertaine not to this kinde of correction. The forme is the maner prescribed by God. The ende is, that euill maie be taken awaie from among the faithfull: which is euerie godlie mans part to haue a care of in the Church, so much as possiblie maie be. 8 Yet neuerthelesse correction containeth not discipline generallie, because neither a Father, neither an Ecclesiasticall Pastor, nor yet a ciuill Magistrate ought to suffer sinnes to passe, for that there be manie with whom brotherlie admonition is of no force. Wherefore the father if his offending sonne, and the Magistrate if stubborne Citizens will not amend their liues, ought to punish them more sharplie than by admonitions. A Pastor shall correct with the greater discipline, a brother that goeth foreward in disordinate life. 9 Neither is this kinde of Action inuented by men, but established by the lawe of God. Christ, as it is written in the Gospell, saieth: 10 If thy brother trespasse against thee, reprooue him betweene thee and him alone. And Paule vnto the Galathians: 11 If thy brother be suddenly taken in anie offence, ye that be spirituall, instruct him with all gentlenesse. And in the 2. to the Thessalonians: 12 Yee shall not esteeme them as enemies, but admonish yee them as brethren. 13 And in Leuiticus the xix. Chapter it is written: Hate not thy neighbour, but beare with him, correct him when he sinneth, least thou beare his sinne: Reuenge not nor keepe hatred against him, but thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe. So we are commaunded not onelie by the Gospell but also by the lawe to admonish and rebuke our brother. 14 And vndoubtedlie if we be commaunded to lift vp the asse of our enemie falling downe vnder his burden: howe much more is it commaunded that we should helpe our brother when he falleth? 15 Also in an other place, to wit, in the 19. Chapter of Leuiticus God hath charged by the lawe, that a man should not laie a stumbling block in his waie that is blinde, but shoulde rather bring him into the waie againe: but brethren which do sinne grieuouslie, are blinded with couetousnesse and doe straie out of the waie: so as they cannot be ouerpassed of vs without a fault.