Another Letter Of Jacob The Chandler, Written In Prison; In Which He Admonishes His Fellow-Ministers, Not To Flee As Hirelings, And To Let Christ’S Sheep Go Astray Through Lack Of Instruction; But Faithfully To Discharge The Office Imposed Upon Them.

In the second place we have this example in the Testament, first in the case of John and the churches in Asia, how lamentably they had decayed; yet John did not make use of excommunication with respect to them, nor do we find that the Lord once asked him why he had not done this; but he called them to repentance through John, which if they would not do, he would remove their candlestick out of his place. Rev. 2 and 3. And whether the apostle insisted as strongly on excommunication, in regard to that one fornicator, in the second epistle to the Corinthians, as he did in the first, this every one may consider; for the apostles always had a godly care for the simple, and sought to prevent divisions, as far as was possible for them; hence they tried every means to allay strife, as can clearly be seen in the Acts of the Apostles. For when the Jewish brethren came to trouble the believers among the Gentiles, saying: Except ye be circumcised according to the law of Moses, ye cannot be saved: so that there was a great uproar among the people, there rose up also at Jerusalem certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, that it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses; which was certainly great injudiciousness. Yet the elders and the apostles did not persist in charging them with their unwise course, for fear of division, but met the Jewish brethren, to avoid division, and adopted certain articles from the law, which were not contrary to the evangelical truth, and determined that those who had been converted from among the Gentiles should not be troubled, and that no burden should be laid upon them, than that they should abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication. Acts 15; 1 Cor. 10:28; 1 Thess. 4:3; Gen. 9:4; Lev. 7:26. By this the Jews were pacified, for they might easily think that they were right in a measure at least, because some articles from the law were imposed upon the Gentiles. As also in the twenty-first chapter, how they allayed the strife or offense that was between the Jews and Paul. They had heard that Paul taught to forsake Moses; hence the elders advised that Paul should take four men unto him, and go into the temple, and purify themselves and shave their heads. This they were not bound by conscience to do, but they did it for the sake of the Jewish brethren, for they [the elders] said: They will know that those things whereof they were informed concerning thee are nothing. Then he went to signify to them the accomplishment of the days of purification. Acts 21. For when they were pacified it was easier to persuade them that the law had an end in Christ. Rom. 10:4. But they did not determine, that Paul should stand still in his ministry till he had pacified them; for this would frequently have had to be done, since there was often talk about him, as can well be seen in the epistle to the Corinthians but with him it was a very small matter that he should be judged of them, or of man’s judgment, for he says: I judge not mine own self. 1 Cor. 4:3. Nor does this tend to peace, but to more strife; for a church cannot be kept in quietude when she has to lose her pastor, because there are persons that talk about him, and do not know what the matter is, nor whether they say it justly or unjustly of him. Hence the accuser must come before his church, and accuse him there; if they are matters of which they cannot agree together, the church may hear the matter, and if the accused is guilty, she may help punish him; thus she will be delivered from his hand, so that he can make no trouble. And thus the matter must first be proven, before the church can be helped, and also before punishment can take place. Hence Paul writes to Timothy: Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. 1 Tim 5:19. For he well knew that there is often much said about them. Therefore, dear brethren, continue steadfast, this I pray you for the sake of God’s truth, and do not forsake them, namely, your men, before they are forsaken by the Lord; but always seek to build up one another, that the churches may be supplied, and the flock fed; that Jerusalem may have watchmen upon her walls who do not sleep or hold their peace day and night, but remember the Lord and their flock, and say: For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. Is. 62:6,2.