incorrigible, exclude him from its communion; but the power of binding or loosing is something additional to its discipline, and the execution of which is intrusted exclusively to the Apostles. Whatsoever ye-not the church-shall bind; and whatsoever ye shall loose, shall be bound or loosed in heaven.

An illustration of what is meant by binding and loosing, may be derived from our Saviour's declaration on one of the occasions, when he vindicated his conduct in performing a miracle of healing on the Sabbath-day. "Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath-day?"* In this case, the binding was the infliction of supernatural disease, by the permitted agency of Satanic power; the loosing was the deliverance of the victim, and the restoration to health, by the removal of the distempered bond. On more than one occasion, we find the Apostles exercising the power of binding, by delivering incorrigible offenders to be afflicted by Satanic agency for the punishment of the flesh. But, the case which touches every point, and illustrates, combines, and harmonizes every part of this subject, is that of the incestuous person at Corinth :

* Luke xiii. 16.

"It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered. together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."* The injunction of the Apostle was obeyed by the church. The offender was excluded,―given up for the correction of his vice, as Job had been for the trial of his faith, to Satanic power over the flesh, made contrite for his sin, and in danger of being "swallowed up with over-much sorrow." The command was then given by the Apostle to restore him to the communion of the church, with the assurance, "To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also."+

In the directions relative to this case, the

* 1 Cor. v.

1-5. + 2 Cor. ii. 7.

2 Cor. ii. 10.

duty of the church and the extent of its power, irrespective of apostolic interference, are clearly marked out. Its members should have mourned, on account of the defilement and dishonour brought on their body by the incestuous member, and the scandal presented as a stumbling-block to the world; and they should have shown their abhorrence of the sin which had been committed, by putting away from among them the wicked person. The reproof which they received, implies, that they could, and should have done this, but nothing more. The special illumination of an Apostle in the knowledge of a case which required discipline, and guiding to an infallible decision, as well as the power to bind temporal punishment upon the offender, is indicated in the positive injunction to deliver at once the judgment which he transmitted; and to connect it with his authority as present in spirit, and invested with the power derived from the Lord Jesus. So long as the supernatural and distempered bond lay upon the offender, his sin was evidently retained;-retained by the authority which had delivered him over to Satanic agency. And when, by that same power, the sin was remitted and forgiven, the bond would be loosed, and the restored penitent be returned to soundness of body, as well as comfort of mind.

We see, then, that the power of retaining sins which was conveyed to the Apostles, was exemplified, in their binding supernatural diseases upon the bodies of those offenders who were the subjects of ecclesiastical discipline; the judgment which they suffered making it evident that sin unpardoned lay upon them: and that the power of forgiving sins was exemplified in the loosing of the distempered bond, which was an evident indication of their restored peace with God, and their being qualified to enjoy renewed communion with the church.

This power was vested in the Apostles, for the purpose of securing their authority in an infant church in which no precedents were established, nor habits of obedience formed; while it was effectually guarded from misapplication and abuse, by the gift of discerning spirits which they possessed, and the plenary inspiration, by which, in every case of its exercise, they were guided. It was exercised by Peter in the case of Ananias and Sapphira. To his eye was exposed, by special revelation, all the circumstances of the sin which they had agreed together in committing; and while his voice was delivering the rebuke, first one, and then the other, fell down dead. This was the first, and severest example of the exercise of the power; and its effect was correspondent, and, without

E

doubt, immensely beneficial on the interests of the rising church. That deference, which in cases requiring discipline, has been subsequently yielded by every well-regulated church to apostolic authority, conveyed through apostolic writings, as the result of fixed and established principles, was here, before principles had had time to root themselves, secured at once by a most painful and awful stroke: “ And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard of these things."* In no other case do we read of death being inflicted; and from Paul's declaration to the Corinthians on this subject, we learn that this authority which the Lord had given to the Apostles, was for "edification, and not destruction." That was, doubtless, the invariable design for which it was exerted; and, either to the offenders who suffered its effects, or to the church which witnessed them, the unfailing result.

The power, however, belonged exclusively to the apostolic, never to the priestly office. Its exercise was connected with the possession of plenary inspiration and miraculous gifts; never with the discharge of priestly rites. If there were any persons in the church who could give us proof, that they have the gift of discerning spirits,

* Acts v. 11.

† 2 Cor. xiii. 10.