To the next instance, from 1 Tim. v. 19, "Against an elder receive not an
accusation, but before two or three witnesses," the reverend brother
answereth, "It is either in relation to the judgment of charity, or
ministerial conviction, as the verses following." _Ans._ 1. That of two or
three witnesses is taken from the law of Moses, where it is referred only
to a forensical proceeding. But in relation either to the judgment of
charity, or ministerial conviction, it is not necessary that there be two
or three witnesses. If a scandalous sin be certainly known to a minister,
though the thing be not certified by two or three witnesses, yet a
minister, upon certain knowledge had of the fact, may both believe it and
ministerially convince the offender. But there may not be a consistorial
proceeding without two or three witnesses. 2. Since he appealeth to the
following verses, let ver. 22 decide it: "Lay hands suddenly on no man."
To whom the laying on of hands or ordination did belong, to them also it
did belong to receive an accusation against an elder: but to the
presbytery did belong the laying on of hands, or ordination, 1 Tim. iv.
14; therefore to the presbytery did belong the receiving of an accusation
against an elder. And so it was not the act of a single minister, as
ministerial conviction is.

To the last instance, from Rev. ii. 14, 15, 20, the reverend brother
answers, That he had striven to find out how church censures might be
there grounded, but was constrained to let it alone. But what is it, in
his opinion, which is there blamed in the angels of those churches? Doth
he imagine that those who are so much commended by Christ himself for
their holding fast of his name, and of the true faith, did not so much as
doctrinally or ministerially oppose the foul errors of the Balaamites and
of Jezebel? No doubt but this was done: but Christ reproves them, because
such scandalous persons were yet suffered to be in the church, and were
not cast out. "I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there
them that hold the doctrine of Balaam;" and, ver. 20, "Thou sufferest that
woman Jezebel." And why was the very having or suffering them in the
church a fault, if it had not been a duty to cast them out of the church?
which casting out could not be by banishment, but by excommunication. It
did not belong to the angel to cast out the Balaamites out of Pergamos,
but he might, and ought to have cast them out of the church