no more than that the Churches of Galatia, from a prudent neceffary Regard to their own Welfare and Safety, would exclude fuch as had created them fo much Trouble, and aimed fo effentially to injure them, from their Soicety, in order to make them thoroughly ashamed of their ill Conduct, and to bring them to the Exercife of that Repentance, which would make them good Chriftians, and fit for Readmiffion; Something fimilar to what he wished in Regard to the Fornicator in the Church of Corinth. In all he faid and did with Refpect to him, he clearly displayed the pureft Charity and the most enlarged Benevolence. 1. Cor. v. 5.

There is indeed a Sentence, which the Apostle made Ufe of in Referrence to him, that has a more horridly tremendous Sound, and which feems to exprefs greater Malignancy of Spirit, than the Words we have been here confidering; I mean that, in which he threatens to deliver him unto Satan. In the two firft Verfes of the Chapter, the Apostle reproves the Corinthian Christians, for not having properly resented his Crime, and from a Regard to their own Credit and Safety, removed him out of the Church; and in Cafe they did not very speedily expel him, he proceeds to inform them, that he should

take

take the Affair into his own Hands, and in a full Affembly of the Church, i. e. when they were gathered together, and the Offender himfelf with them, by Virtue of the Authority and Power he had received from Christ, make. a public Example of him, by delivering him immediately to Satan. This the Corinthians themselves could not do; fuch Power having never been given to any Christian Community. None but the Apostles could deliver a Man to Satan; or put in Execution what the Apostle Paul here threatens. "Verily I have judged [or determined] as present in Spirit, though absent in Body, in the Name of the Lord Jefus Christ, and with his Power to deliver [the Offender] to Satan." Now for what Purpofe was this to be done? or what could the Apostle really intend? That the Devil fhould come and fetch him, and take him with him to Hell? No! His Intentionwas perfectly kind and benevolent— It was to deliver him unto Satan for the Destruction of the Flesh, that the Spirit might be faved in the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ."

The Sound of the former Part of the Verfe is not more dreadful, than the later is ftrange and marvellous! Is it likely, that, to preserve the Purity of a Christian Church, reform a hei

nous

nous Tranfgreffor, and finally save him, the Apoftle, in the Name, and by the Direction of Christ, fhould apply for the Devil's Affistance! Was the Devil a Sinner from the Beginning, whofe Works Chrift came into the World on Purpose to destroy, the only fit Perfon to be employed, when a profeffing Christian had arrived to a certain Height of Iniquity, or become defperately wicked, in order to difcipline him to Virtue, and finally to prefent him holy and without Blame to the great Lord of Chriftians? The Idea is abfurd beyond all the Powers of Description!

Through all the Gloom which covers the for mer, and the Air of Ridicule and Absurdity, which invelopes the later Part of the Text, the Apoftle's Benevolence and Charity fhine in Meridian Glory; as he wifhed, at all Events, and by any Means, though it were a diabolical Interpofition, that the Offender fhould be finally faved,

But I believe it will foon be made fufficiently clear, that no Affiftance from the Devil either was, or could be defired. It is most certain that the Apostle had no Defire or Intention, that the Devil fhould be any Way employed; nor is he here meant or even mentioned, any more than he was by our Saviour, when he gave the Name

of

of Satan to the Apostle Peter. The proper Sigmification of the Word Satan is an Adverfary.. And such, doubtless, is its Meaning, as used by our Saviour with Respect to Peter, and also by the Apostle Paul concerning the Corinthian Of fender.

Peter, though not a Devil, yet, was an Adverfary to Chrift, fo far as he endeavoured to diffuade him from undergoing thofe Sufferings, which God had appointed for him, and through which he was to finish the Work that God had given him to do. So Satan, as ufed by the Apoftle, has no Reference to the Devil, and means only fome bodily Diftemper, a direct Adverfary to corporeal Health and Ease; agreeably to the manifeft Signification of the fame Word as ufed by our Saviour in Luke xiii. 16. "Ought not this Woman, whom Satan hath bound these eighteen Years, be loofed from her Bond ??? i. e, is it not right and fit that her Distemper fhould be removed, with which fhe has been fo long, and fo grievously afflicted. So that to deliver a Man to Satan, was, at the worst, only to fubject him to fome grievous bodily Difeafe. And this was all that the Apoftle threatened to do, and which, had not the prudent Mcafures purfued by the Corinthians terminating in the

Re

Reformation of the Offender prevented, he would have done, though with the utmost Reluctance, and with the moft benevolent Defign imaginable. He threatened, under the Direction, and by the Power of Chrift, to vifit him with fome grievous Distemper, to pain and macerate his Flesh, that being thereby humbled, and brought to Repentance, his Spirit might be faved in the Day of the Lord +.

Thus, I hope, this difficult and very remarkable Text has been set in a clear and satisfactory Light. I was the more willing to take Notice of it, and fome others of a fimilar Kind, as they have been the Occasion of a World of Iniquity among Chriftian Profeffors of various Denominations.

It was by attending to the Sound, without due Enquiry after the true Meaning of these, and perhaps some others of a fimilar Kind, that fo much Countenance has been derived to that accurfed Spirit of Bigotry and Uncharitablenefs, which hath brought fuch immense Disgrace upon the Chriftian World; filled it with Confufion and every evil Work; every Species of Villany, Violence and Cruelty, and even made

Vid. Dr. Taylor's Narrative of T. Rawson's Cafes.