either the magistrate have punished the offender as God's law commandeth, or that the same offender be reconciled to the Church again by public repentance; and in the meantime we earnestly desire all the faithful to call upon God to move the hearts of the upper powers so to punish such horrible crimes, that malefactors may fear to offend, even for fear of punishment; and also so to touch the heart of the offender, that he may deeply consider how fearful it is to fall into the hands of the eternal God, that by unfeigned repentance he may apprehend mercy in Jesus Christ, and so avoid eternal condemnation."

The much more summary manner in which sinners of this class were dealt with than those of the other classes is very noticeable; as well as the ray of hope which was shed even upon these notorious criminals. Even in the act of pronouncing the sentence of excommunication, the final repentance of the erring one was not lost sight of. This Christ-like spirit is quite in keeping with the whole legislation of the Reformed Church. In "The Order of the Ecclesiastical Discipline," it is said, that as excommunication is "the greatest and last punishment belonging to the spiritual ministry, it is ordained that nothing be attempted in that behalf without the determination of the whole Church; wherein also they must beware and take good heed that they seem not more ready to expel from the congregation than to receive again those in whom they perceive worthy fruits of repentance to appear; neither yet to forbid him the hearing of sermons who is excluded from the sacraments and other duties of the Church, that he may have liberty and occasion to repent; finally, that all punishments, corrections, censures, and admonitions, stretch no further than God's word with mercy may lawfully bear."

According to "The Order to receive the Excommunicated again to the society of the Church," if those who had been excommunicated for other than capital crimes earnestly sought the favour of the Church, a day was appointed for him to present himself before the session, when diligent inquiry was made into his behaviour since he was excommunicated, the satisfaction he would give the Church, and to whom he had exposed "the grief and dolor of his heart." If penitent and obedient in all things, the minister informed the congregation next Sabbath of his humiliation, and commanded them to call to God for increase of the same. Next session-day he was appointed such satisfaction as was most expedient, to which, if he fully agreed, then a day was appointed when he should fulfil the "For this is principally to be observed, that no excommunicated person may be received to the society of the Church again,

same.

until such time as he hath stood at the Church-door at the least, more Sundays than one." This was to test his penitence. After the satisfaction was complete, some of the elders, when the prayer was ended, brought him into the Church, and conducted him to a "certain place appointed for the penitents," where he stood "in the same habit in the which he made satisfaction," till the sermon was ended. The elders who brought him into the Church, then presented him to the minister, who first rendered thanks to God for that part of his humiliation, desiring the Church of God to do the same with him, and then addressed the excommunicated person, laying his sin before him; the admonitions that had been given him to satisfy the Church; and the proud contempt and long obstinacy for which he had been excommunicated. He was required to make particular confession of each, accusing himself and detesting his impiety. God was then thanked for his conversion into which he had not so much ashamed himself, as he had confounded and overcome Satan. But as man can only see that which is external, prayer was then made that his humiliation might proceed from the heart, as was done in receiving the penitent according to "The Form and Order of Public Repentance;" in the same manner (see above, pp. 609, 610,) the Church and the penitent were admonished with this exception that his crime was always mentioned. The Lord Jesus Christ was then implored to look mercifully upon this His creature whom Satan had so long held in bondage, that he had not only drawn him into iniquity, but so hardened his heart that he despised all admonitions; for which sin and contempt he had been excommunicated. And as the Spirit of the Lord had so far prevailed ɔn him that he had returned to the society of the Church, that so it would please the Lord to accept of him, that his former disobedience might never be laid to his charge, but that he might increase in all godliness, till Satan was finally trod under his feet by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. The minister then pronounced the absolution as, viz. :—“In the name and authority of Jesus Christ, I the minister of His blessed Evangel, with consent of the whole ministry and Church, absolve thee, N., from the sentence of excommunication, from the sin by thee committed, and from all censures laid against thee for the same before, according to thy repentance, and pronounce thy sin to be loosed in heaven, and thee to be received again to the society of Jesus Christ, to His body the Church, to the participation of His sacraments, and, finally, to the fruition of all his benefits, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." The minister then calling him brother, admonished him to watch and pray, and be thankful for the mercy showed him, and to show the fruits of his conversion in his life and conversation. Thereafter the whole minis

try embraced him, and so did others of the Church who were next him, and then a psalm of thanksgiving was sung.1

In 1570 the General Assembly ordained that those excommunicated persons who had not been members of the Church before, but were now anxious to submit themselves and be received into the society of the faithful, should be "receavit be the minister in low and humble habite, with sackcloth, observing the order prescryvit in the book of excommunicatioune in all uther poynts.' The General Assembly in 1573 enacted that ::"Greit men offending in sic crymes as deserves sackcloath; they should receave the samen as well as the puire." And further that :-" No Superintendent nor Commissioner, with advyce of any particular kirk of their jurisdictione, may dispense with the extreamitie of sackcloath prescryvit be the acts of generall discipline, for any pecuniall soume ad pios usus."

113

Those who had been excommunicated for capital crimes were not suddenly admitted to public repentance, albeit that pardon had been purchased of the magistrate. If a murderer,-inquiry was made if he had satisfied the kindred of the slain man, which if he had not done, and was unwilling to do, then the Church would not hear him. And as in no case could the excommunicated be received by the Church at his first request, so if guilty of a capital crime, forty days at the least after his first offer were appointed to try his repentance. During which time the Church might comfort him by wholesome admonitions, assuring him of God's mercy if he was verily penitent; and admitting him to the hearing of the word, but in nowise to participation of prayers either before or after sermon. After these forty days were expired, upon his new suit, the superintendent or session might enjoin such pains as would test his penitence. * 1568 the General Assembly ordained that "nane that hes committit slaughter, adulterie, or incest, or hereafter shall committ the same, shall be receavit to repentance be any particular kirk, till that first they present themselffss before the Generall Assemblie, thair to receave their injunctions; and thereafter they shall keep the same order that was prescryved to Paull Methven in his repentance; this being addeit, that he or they shall beir in their hand at all the tymes of their publick repentance the same or lyke weapon wherewith the murther was committit." The said Paul Methven was

1 In Cyprian's time, it seems that no one, who had been excommunicated, was received into church-communion again, without imposition of hands. SMECTYMNVVS, p. 40.

2 Booke of the Universall Kirk, p. 127.

3 lbid, p. 139.

Order of Excommunication and Public Repentance.

5 Booke of the Universall Kirk, p. 100.

1

enjoined to appear at the kirk-door of Edinburgh, when the second bell rang for public worship, "clad in sackcloth, bareheaded and barefooted, and there remaine whill he be brought into the sermone, and planted in the publick spectacle above the people, in tyme of every sermone," on three several preaching days, the last being a Sabbath, he was at the close of the sermon to profess his sorrow before the congregation, and to request their forgiveness; upon which he was again to be "clad in his own apparell, and received in the societie of the kirk, as ane lyvely member thereof." When they presented themselves before the General Assembly the second time to receive further instructions, they had to do so in linen clothes, bareheaded and barefooted. In 1570 [71] it was ordained that, as diverse of the said offenders are far distant from the places of General Assemblies and others for poverty or deadly feuds could not or dared not travel so far through the country, they should therefore appear before the half-yearly Synods. And in 1588 when Presbyteries had been established through the country, they were to make satisfaction before them. In March 1569 [70] it was concluded that homicides, incestuous persons, and adulterers, not fugitive from the law, but "continually suteing to be receavit be the Kirk to publick repentance," should be received, " to give the signes of their repentance in their awne kirks, according to the order appoyntit before, at qwhilk tyme the minister shall publickly notifie their crymes, that thereby the civil magistrates may know the crymes, and pretend no ignorance thereof." The same Assembly ordained that those who had not suffered the sentence of excommunication for their offences should make their public repentance in sackcloth, bareheaded and barefooted, three several preaching days, while those who had been excommunicated were to present themselves six preaching days. Those who had not been excommunicated, "shall be placit in the publick place where they may be knowne from the rest of the people, bareheaded the tyme of the sermones, the minister remembering them in his prayer in the tyme after preaching;" while those who had been excommunicated were to stand at the kirk-door, "secluded from prayers before and after sermone, and then enter in the kirk, and sit in the publick place bareheaded, all the tyme of the sermons, and depart before the latter prayer.' As it was then customary in the Church of Scotland for the people to keep their hats on during the sermon, the uncovering of the penitents distinguished them in another way

"3

1 Booke of the Universall Kirk, p. 45.

Ibid, pp. 120, 125, 326.

3 Ibid, p. 118.

1

from the congregation. According to the order of Excommunication, the murderer, while standing at the church door, with the bloody weapon in his hand was to confess his crime and its enormity; express his desire to be reconciled again to the Church; and crave the people entering to pray with him to God that his grevious sin might be pardoned, and that they would with him supplicate the Church, that he might not abide thus excommunicated to the end. After his satisfaction was completed, he was received back into the Church in the manner already described.

INFLUENCES OF THE LIFE OF GRACE.

BY SAMUEL RUTHERFORD.

CHAPTER XIII.

ELIHU most gravely speaketh (Job xxxiii. 13). "Why dost thou strive with Him, for He gives not an account of any of His matters ?" And it is strange that any dare chide or scold with the Sovereign Lord.

But 1. Jacob's striving and wrestling in a holy wilful peremptoriness in praying, the Lord being on Jacob, the wrestler's side, really to bear him up by His grace, is a lawful striving.

2. There is a difference betwixt a mere temptation and a threatening. The woman of Canaan strives not against Christ's not answering her one word (Matt. xv.) What! He is Master of His own answers! When Christ says: "I came not but for the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” she strives not. He is Master of His own journey from heaven to earth-yet that answer weakens her not in the duty of praying and worshipping. But when she is reproached as to her interest in Christ: "It is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs," she mildly, yet in the boldness of faith, contradicts Christ.

3. It is a gracious behaviour in the Man Christ that He is affected with grief for the Lord's forsaking, and expresseth it with tears and strong cries (Heb. v. 7). Should not the child weep when the Father is angry? The privation of the greatest good, such as the overclouding of the Lord's favour, is a due cause of sadness. Woman, why weepest thou?" saith the angel to Magdalene. "Why weep I They have taken away my Lord." "It wants not reason I weep, for father is dead: there is my mother's grave: she is very new buried,—therefore I weep: all my goods are taken away,

my

1 "A man coming into one of our churches in time of public worship, if he see the hearers covered, he knows by this customable sign that sermon is begun.” English Popish ceremonies. Part 3, chap. 5, sect. 6.