church-members are supposed to be regenerate persons bearing the image and cherishing the spirit of christ, in whom the peace of god rules, and who walk and work in “the unity of the spirit, and the bond of peace.” but unhappily, even the saints are sanctified only in part, and troubles sometimes arise among brethren. the evil passions of even good men may triumph over piety, and partisan strife may destroy the peace and the prosperity of the body of christ. all this should, if possible, be avoided. corrective discipline seeks to heal offenses; but it is better to prevent them, than to heal them. it is, however, better to heal and remove, than to endure them.

now these offenses and occasions of dissension in the churches arise from various causes, and are largely preventable. most frequently they come by the following means:

[p. 28] 1. because of the too suspicious and sensitive disposition of some who imagine themselves wronged, neglected, or in some way injured; the matter being chiefly imaginary, and without any real foundation in fact.

2. because the pastor, deacons, and influential members do not carefully and constantly enough watch the beginnings of strife, and rectify the evil before it becomes serious.

3. because evil-doers by delay become more persistent in evil, while others are drawn into the strife, and contentious parties insensibly are formed, which tend to divide the church into hostile factions.

4. because that when the difficulty becomes chronic and deep-seated, the church is likely to undertake the discipline with judicial severity, and not in the spirit of meekness, in which the spiritual should restore the erring.

5. because that a case of discipline undertaken under excitement is almost certain to be wrongly conducted. even if the result reached be just and right, the method by which it is reached is likely to be unwise, unjust, and oppressive to individuals, possibly [p. 29] producing more serious and more lasting evils than it has removed.

offenses calling for discipline are usually considered as of two classes: private or personal, and public or general. these terms do not very accurately express the nature of the offenses, but they are in common use, and capable of being understood. in the administration of corrective discipline, the following rules and principles constitute a correct and scriptural course of proceeding:

private offenses

private offenses pertain to personal difficulties between individuals, having no direct reference to the church as a body, and not involving the christian profession at large. in such cases, the course prescribed by our saviour (matt. 18:15–17) is to be strictly followed, without question or deviation.

1. first step.—the member who considers himself injured must go to the offender, tell him his grief, and between themselves alone, if possible, adjust and settle the difficulty. “if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault, between thee and him alone.” this [p. 30] must be done, not to charge, upbraid, or condemn the offender, but to win him. “if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.”

2. second step.—if this shall fail, then the offended member must take one or two of the brethren with him as witnesses, seek an interview with the offender, and, if possible, by their united wisdom and piety, remove the offense and harmonize the difficulty. “but if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be established.”

3. third step.—if this step should prove unavailing, then the offended member must tell the whole matter to the church, and leave it in their hands to be disposed of, as to them may seem wisest and best. “and if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it to the church.” he has done his duty and must abide by the decision of the body which assumes this responsibility.

4. the result.—if this course of kindly christian labor proves finally ineffectual, and the offender shows himself incorrigible, excision must follow. he must be cut off from fellowship in the church whose covenant he has broken, and whose authority [p. 31] he disregards. “and if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man, and a publican.” however painful the act, the church must be faithful to its duty, and to its god.

note 1.—while this divine rule makes it obligatory on the offended member to go to the offender and seek a reconciliation, yet much more is it obligatory on the offender who knows that a brother is grieved with him, to seek such an one, and try to remove the difficulty.

note 2.—the matter is not to be made public until these three steps have been fully taken, and have failed; and then to be made public only by telling the church, and no others.

note 3.—when the case comes before the church, it must not be neglected nor dropped, but judiciously pursued until the difficulty be adjusted, the offense removed, or else the offender be disfellowshipped, and put away.

public offenses

public offenses are not against any one person more than another, but are such as are supposed to be a dishonor to the church of which the offender is a member, and a reproach to the christian profession. they constitute a violation of the code of christian morals, if not of our common worldly morals.

the more common causes of this class of offenses are the following: false doctrine [p. 32] (gal. 1:9, 2 john 10), disregard of authority (matt. 18:17; 1 thess. 5:14), contention and strife (rom. 16:17), immoral conduct (1 cor. 5:11), disorderly walk (2 thess. 3:6, 9), covetous spirit (eph. 5:5; 1 cor. 5:11), arrogant conduct (3 john 9), going to law (1 cor. 6:6).

the following constitutes a proper and scriptural course of treatment for such cases:

1. the first member who has knowledge of the offense should, as in the case of private offenses, seek the offender, ascertain the facts, and attempt to reconcile or remove the difficulty. not till he has done this should he make it public, or bring it before the church.

2. but if no one will, or can, pursue this course of personal effort, or if such a course proves unsuccessful, then any member having knowledge of the facts should confer with the pastor and deacons as to the best course to be pursued.

3. the pastor and deacons should, by the best method they are capable of devising, labor to adjust the matter without bringing it into the church, or otherwise making it public.

[p. 33] 4. but if their efforts fail, or if the case be already public, and a reproach and scandal to religion, then they should bring it to the church, and it should direct a proper course of discipline.

5. the church, thus having the case before it, should either appoint a committee to visit the offender, or cite him before the body to answer the charge. he should be allowed to hear the evidence against him, know the witnesses, and be permitted to answer for himself.

6. if the accused disproves the charges, or if he confesses the wrong, makes suitable acknowledgment, and, so far as possible, reparation, with promise of amendment, in all ordinary cases, this should be deemed satisfactory, and the case be dismissed.

7. but if, after patient, deliberate, and prayerful labor, all efforts fail to reclaim the offender, then, however painful the necessity, the church must withdraw its fellowship from him, and put him away from them.

8. if the case be one of flagrant immorality, by which the reputation of the body is compromised and the christian name scandalized, on being proved or confessed, [p. 34] the hand of fellowship may be at once withdrawn from the offender, notwithstanding any confessions and promises of amendment; but not without a trial.

the church’s good name and the honor of religion demand this testimony against evil. he may be subsequently restored, if suitably penitent.

note 1.—all discipline should be conducted in the spirit of christian meekness and love, with a desire to remove offenses and win offenders. it must also be done under a deep sense of responsibility to maintain the honor of christ’s name, the purity of his church, and the integrity of his truth.

note 2.—if any member shall persist in bringing a private grievance before the church, or otherwise make it public before he has pursued the course prescribed in the eighteenth chapter of matthew, he becomes himself an offender, and subject to the discipline of the body.

note 3.—when private difficulties exist among members which they cannot, or will not settle, the church should consider them as public offenses, and as such dispose of them, rather than suffer the perpetual injury which they inflict.

note 4.—when a member refers to the church any private difficulty, which he has been unable to settle, he must submit it wholly to the disposition of the body, and abide by its decision. if he attempts to revive and prosecute it beyond the decision of the church, he becomes an offender, and subject to discipline.

note 5.—any member tried by the church has the right to receive copies of all charges against him, the [p. 35] names of his accusers, and the witnesses, both of whom he shall have the privilege of meeting face to face, hearing their statements, bringing witnesses on his side, and answering for himself before the body.

note 6.—every member on trial or excluded, shall have furnished at his request, authentic copies of all proceedings had by the church in his case, officially certified.

note 7.—no member under discipline can have the right to bring any person, not a member, before the church as his advocate, except by consent of the body.

note 8.—in every case of exclusion, the charges against the member, and the reasons for his exclusion, should be accurately entered on the records of the church.

note 9.—if at any time it shall become apparent, or seem probable to the church that it has for any reason dealt unjustly with a member, or excluded him without sufficient cause, it should at once, and without request by concession and restoration, so far as possible, repair the injury it has done him.

note 10.—the church should hold itself bound to restore to its fellowship an excluded member when, ever he gives satisfactory evidence of repentance and reformation consistent with godliness.

note 11.—the church will exercise is legitimate authority, and vindicate its honor and rectitude in the administration of discipline, even though the member should regard such discipline as unjust or oppressive.

note 12.—nothing can be considered a just and reasonable cause for discipline, except what is forbidden by the letter of the spirit of scripture. and [p. 36] nothing can be considered a sufficient cause for disfellowship and exclusion, except what is clearly contrary to scripture, and what would have prevented the reception of the person into the church, had it been known to exist at the time of his reception.