Sufficient to such a man is this punishment
By this punishment is meant, the excommunication of the
incestuous person, or the censure that was laid upon him by the
church: for this
was inflicted by many;
not by the pastor only, or by the elders or more eminent persons
in the church, but by the multitude, by the whole congregation,
at least (upo twn pleionwn)
, "by the more"; the greater, or major part; and not by one, or a
few only: in inflicting this punishment, or laying on this
censure in the public manner they did, they were certainly right,
and to be commended; but inasmuch as there appeared signs of true
repentance, it was sufficient, it had answered the purpose for
which it was inflicted, and therefore it was high time to remove
it: from whence we learn, that in case of gross enormities, there
ought to be a public excommunication; and that this is to be done
by the vote, and with the consent of the whole church, or the
major part of it; and that in process of time, when the person
thus dealt with has given the church satisfaction as to the truth
and genuineness of his repentance, the censure ought to be taken
off and he be cordially received into the communion of the church
again. This "punishment", or "rebuke", (epitimia) , "by many", is the same which the Jews
call F5 (Mybrb hxkwth) , "a reproof by many"; which is given by
many, or in the presence of many.