The Nature and Necessity of Christian Discipline

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan. "As Christian discipline is of a spiritual nature, and exempts no one from civil trial or punishment by the authorities, so also besides civil punishment there is need of ecclesiastical censures, to reconcile the sinner with the church and his neighbor and to remove the offense out of the church of Christ."  Church Order, Article 71. Introduction Article 71 introduces the fourth and last section of the...