orinth, 1 Cor. v. 4, 5, will have them (being gathered together) to
deliver that incestuous person to Satan; therefore, every particular
church or congregation hath power to excommunicate such a contumacious
sinner as that incestuous person was. It is the common answer of Papists,
that albeit the Apostle commanded the act should be done in face of the
church, yet the judgment and authority of giving sentence was in himself
alone, and not in the church of Corinth, whereupon they would make it to
follow, that the power of excommunication pertaineth to the bishop alone,
and not the church. And the same answer doth Saravia return to Beza;(1072)
but, howsoever, the Apostle saith, that he had already judged concerning
the incestuous person, yet he did not hereby seclude the church of Corinth
from the authority of excommunicating him. "It is to be observed (saith
Calvin(1073)) that Paul, albeit he was an apostle, doth not for his own
will excommunicate alone, but communicateth his council with the church,
that the thing may be done by common authority. Himself, indeed, goeth
before and showeth the way, but whilst he adjoineth to himself other
partakers, he signifieth sufficiently that it is not the private power of
one man." Nay, let us farther observe with Junius,(1074) that the apostles
hath a twofold power: one common to them with other presbyters, 1 Pet. v.
1; another, singular, proper, and extraordinary, which they had as
apostles. By this singular power Paul saith, "What will ye? shall I come
unto you with a rod?" 1 Cor. iv. 21; but by the common power it was that
he said, "When ye are gathered together, and my spirit," &c., 1 Cor. v. 4.
By no other power than that which was common to him with the rest of the
presbyters or bishops in Corinth did he judge the incestuous person to be
excommunicated; and thus, as though he had been present in body among the
other presbyters of that church, and assembled together with them in their
ordinary council or consistory (in which _fuerunt liberi apostoli, alii
vero presbyteri ex vocatione propria, et necessitate officii_(1075)), so
he both pronounceth(1076) his own judgment, and likewise goeth before, by
pronouncing that judgment which was to be in common by them pronounced.
Furthermore, that the Apostle would not have that incestuous man to be
excommunicate by his own authority alone, but by the authority of the
church of Corinth, thus it appeareth:

1. The Apostle challengeth and co