THE Baptist Magazine. JUNE, 1820. CHURCH ADMONITION. ness, which is contrary to 1 Thess. iv. 11, 12, Study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that ye may walk honestly to A Charge exhibited against, and a Church Admonition unto, Brother G. Fitzjohn, an offending Member in a Church of Christ at Hitchin, over which Messrs. J. Wilson and J. Needham are Co-pastors.-De-ward them that are without, and cember 10, 1710.* BROTHER FITZJOHN, that ye may have lack of nothing. See also 1 Tim. v. 13, Now that you have been guilty of this sin, will be evident, if you lay these two things close to your conscience, in the fear of God. "A church of Christ, has a power of withdrawing their communion from their members that walk disorderly, 2 Thess. iii. 6. (1.) You have confessed that Now we command you, breyou never liked, or loved the thren, in the name of our Lord Je-calling you were brought up to. sus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly. Thus you see the church's power, Now that you have so walked will be plain from the following particulars; 1. Your dishonourable idle This Article was sent us by the Rev. W. Freeman of Bedford. The church referred to was that over which the Rev. Mr. Geard is now pastor. It was a branch of the church at Bedford, of which Mr. Bunyan was Pastor. Mr. John Wilson was grandfather of Mr. Samuel Wilson, of Prescot-street, London; and Mr. Needham was grandfather of Mr. Isaac James, one of the tutors of the Bristol Academy, and of Mrs. Button of London. Mr. James's father succeeded Mr. Needham; and Mr. Geard, Mr. James. It is worthy of notice, that for upwards of 160 years since this church was founded, there have been only four pastors. The church has always admitted of mixed communion; but the pastors have all been Baptists. VOL. XII. Now when the mind is too high for an honest, though a mean employment, a person is necessarily led to neglect it, (as you have done,) and is most dangerously exposed to idleness, being unsettled from his proper business. Think (we beseech you) seriously, whether this be not your case, (2.) You have not done your part in providing for your fami, ly, which is contrary to 1 Tim. v. 8, If any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.' We do not say you have done nothing for your family at any time; but statedly and commonly you do not do your part; for the people cannot help be 2 T lieving, that if somebody did not take more pains than you, as you have been in straits, your circumstances would be still but very indifferent. You must take this plain dealing in very good part, since (if God please) we would have you laid under a conviction of your faults. And Oh that you would consider what a heavy sin the sin of idleness is, which, you see, the scriptures speak so much against; and whatsoever excuses you may frame for it now, you must give a strict account of it at the dreadful tribunal of Christ. 2. Another crime we charge you with is, a frequent keeping company, without just occasion, with profane persons, which is contrary to Psalm exix. 63: I am a companion of all them that fear thee.' See also Ephes. v. 11. Nobody denies that a Christian may keep company with the worst of persons, where urgent business requires it; but surely they will dispatch their business as fast as they can, and leave such society, where no good is to be got, and where the holy name of the great God is profaned; but your case is (1.) You have very little soeiety with religious persons, in whom your great delight should be, and with whom your spare hours should be spent. (2.) Those that open but half an eye, cannot but see, that the company you keep is very unbecoming a professor, and especially one that set out in religion with so much life and zeal as you did at first. 3. Another dishonourable evil we charge you with is, frequenting public-houses without necessary business. We do not say you never have business there; but we think very frequently you have not what may be called necessary business; and if your own conscience would speak out, we believe you must confess, that the business you speak of so much might better and sooner be dispatched at home, or in a private house; for surely, if you had so much business at those places of drinking, some fruits of it would be seen more than are: yourworldly circumstances would be better, and your family taste more of your profits. But you will say, If my family be generally provided for, why should other persons concern themselves? We answer, (and you must bear with our plainness,) No great thanks to you for that. This does not excuse your sin, but, indeed, add to your shame, that the master of the house should be the least concerned for making provision, when he ought to be the most; and as you are a member with us, you are accountable to the church for your own unbecoming carriage, who have a power to inspect it, and reprove you for it. 4. Another evil is this, (and Oh that you would lay it to heart,) unreformedness for divers years, under frequent private admonitions. (1.) Religion certainly runs very low in conversation, and particularly in your family, where the worship of God is neglected; thus bringing yourself under that dreadful word, Jerem. x. 25: Pour out thy fury upon the heathen, that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name.' (2.) Instead of falling under private and friendly reproofs, you are all for justifying yourself, as a most innocent man. Now indeed, our brother, whatsoever fine gloss you may put upon your actions now, you will have different thoughts of them when death stares you in the face, or sickness shakes you over eternity, except conscience be in a dead sleep indeed, which we pray that God may prevent. Now we beseech you, if you have any love to your soul, that, ere it be too late, you would take this awful scripture into serious considera. tion, Prov. xxix. 1. He that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.' (3.) It certainly argues your un reformedness, that twice, and that not in a very civil manner, you have despised the authority of the church, in refusing to come before them when they sent for you, which is one way of breaking your church covenant; by which you did not only oblige yourself to partake of the privileges, but also to submit to the discipline of the church. a DIVINE HONOUR VINDICATED BY THE MEDIATION OF CHRIST. IT is no novel remark, that oftentimes the most important truths are included in passages quoted from the Old Testament by inspired writers in the New, an instance of which appears in Rom. xv. 3, where the Apostle, pressing the great duty of Christian sympathy to the weak of the family of Christ, introduces the Saviour as making the most unexampled sacrifice of ease and comfort, to vindicate the injured honour of his own his Father. "For even Christ pleased not himself, but as it is in general make a pretty free use ever For these things, we, as church of Christ, not out of pre-not only they, but infidel writers judice to your person, but love and faithfulness to you, and our blessed Redeemer, and by virtue of that authority we have received from him, do, in order to your recovery, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, lay our admonition upon you, that you take your long backslidings into serious consideration for repentance; and we do hereby, They also add, as our act, suspend you from that it is not consistent with the communion with us at the Lord's scriptural representation of the table, till we have evidences of righteousness of God, as hating your godly sorrow, and reformaevil: they equally reproach the tion; for which we pray, and general constitution, and admishall all rejoice to see it; and Ohnistration of things, that such a may we indeed see it. your God give you an humble, thoughtful, penitent, prayerful mind. Amen." which should include the existence of moral evil, as all its subsequent provisions show to have been the case. *I am sorry that I have not now the books by me from which the above quotations are made. They are now made from memory, as I have ceased for some years reading authors of that sort. |