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<DATE>2013-11-27</DATE>
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<NAME>Colm MacCrossan</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed.</ITEM>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>THE KEYES Of the Kingdom of HEAVEN, AND Power thereof, according to the VVORD of GOD. BY That Learned and Judicious Divine, M^r^. IOHN COTTON, Teacher of the Church at <HI>Bo&s;ton</HI> in <HI>New-England,</HI> Tending to reconcile &s;ome pre&s;ent differences about DISCIPLINE.</P>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Gen. 13.7, 8.</HI></BIBL>
<P>And Abraham &s;aid unto Lot, Let there be no &s;trife, I pray between thee, and mee; for we be Brethren.</P></Q>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Gen. 45.24.</HI></BIBL>
<P>And Jo&s;eph &s;aid to his Brethren (when they were going the third time out of Egypt) See that yee fall not out by the way.</P></Q>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Acts 7.26.</HI></BIBL>
<P>Sirs, yee be Brethren, why do ye wrong one to another?</P></Q>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Eph. 4.15.</HI></BIBL>
<P><GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, &amp;c.</P></Q>
<P>Publi&s;hed <HI>By</HI> THO. GOODWIN. PHILIP NYE.</P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by <HI>M. Simmons</HI> for <HI>Henry Overton,</HI> and are to be &s;old at his Shop entring into <HI>Popes-head Alley,</HI> out of <HI>Lumbard-&s;treet,</HI> 1644.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>TO THE READER.</HEAD>
<P>_THE greate&s;t commotions in Kingdomes have for the mo&s;t part beene rai&s;ed and maintained for and about <HI>Power,</HI> and <HI>Liberties,</HI> of the <HI>Rulers</HI> and the <HI>Ruled,</HI> together with the due bounds and limits of either: And the like hath fallen out in Churches, and is con|tinued to this day in the &s;harpe&s;t contentions (though now the &s;eate of the warre is changed) who &s;hould bee the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> adequate, and compleate <HI>&s;ubject</HI> of that <HI>Church-power,</HI> which Chri&s;t hath left on earth; <HI>how bounded,</HI> and <HI>to whom committed.</HI> This controver&s;ie is in a &s;peciall manner the lot of the&s;e pre&s;ent times: And now that mo&s;t parties (that can pretend any thing towards it) have in &s;everall ages had their turns &amp; vici&s;&s;itudes of &s;o long a pe&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of it, and their pleas for their &s;everall pretences, have beene &s;o much and &s;o long heard, it may wel be hoped it is neere determining; &amp; that Chri&s;t wil &s;hortly &s;ettle this power upon the right heires to whom he primitively did be|queath it.</P>
<P>In tho&s;e former darker times, this golden Ball was throwne up by the <HI>Clergy</HI> (&s;o called) alone to runne for among them&s;elves: And as they quietly po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed the name <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, The <HI>Clergy,</HI> and of the <HI>Church,</HI> ap|propriated to them&s;elves; &s;o an&s;werably all manner of intere&s;t in power or cogni&s;ance of matters of the Church, was wholly left &amp; quitted to them: whil&s;t the <HI>People that</HI> then <HI>knew not the Law,</HI> having given up their &s;oules to an implicite faith in what was to be beleeved, did much more &s;uffer them&s;elves to be deprived of all Liberties in Church affaires. this royall donation be&s;towed by Chri&s;t upon his Church, was taken up and And placed in &s;o high thrones of Bi&s;hops, Popes, Generall Councell, &amp;c. not onely <HI>farre above the&s;e things on earth,</HI> the people; but <HI>things in Heaven</HI> al&s;o, we meane the <HI>Angels</HI> and <HI>Mini&s;ters</HI> of the Churches them|&s;elves; in &s;o great a remotene&s;&s;e from the <HI>people,</HI> that the lea&s;t right or intere&s;t therein, was not &s;o much as &s;u&s;pected to belong to them. But to|wards the&s;e latter times, after many removalls of it downe againe, and this as the i&s;&s;ue of many &s;uits againe and againe renued and removed, and upon the &s;entence (even of whole States) as oft rever&s;ed. It hath now
<PB REF="3">in the&s;e our dayes been brought &s;o neere unto the people, that <HI>they</HI> al&s;o have begunne to pleade and &s;ue for a portion, and legacy bequeathed them in it. The <HI>Saints</HI> (in the&s;e knowing times) finding that the <HI>Key of know|ledge</HI> hath &s;o farre opened their hearts, that they &s;ee with their owne eyes into the &s;ub&s;tantialls of Godline&s;se, and that through the in&s;truction and guidance of their teachers, they are enabled to under&s;tand for them&s;elves &s;uch other things as they are to joyne in the practi&s;e of. They doe therefore further (many of them) begin more then to &s;u&s;pect, that &s;ome &s;hare in the <HI>Key of power</HI> &s;hould likewi&s;e appertain unto them.</P>
<P>It was the unhappine&s;&s;e of tho&s;e, who fir&s;t in the&s;e latter times revived this plea of the peoples right, to erre on the other extreame (as it hath ever beene the fate of truth, when it fir&s;t ari&s;eth in the Church from under that long night of darknes which Antichri&s;tiani&s;me had brought upon the world to have a long &s;hadow of errour to accompanie it) by laying the plea &amp; claim on their behalf unto the <HI>whole</HI> power; &amp; that the Elders &s;et over them did but exerci&s;e that power for them, which was properly theirs, &amp; which Chri&s;t had (as they contended) radically and originally e&s;tated in the people only.</P>
<P>But after that all titles have been pleaded, of tho&s;e that are content with nothing but the whole, the finall judgement and &s;entence may (po&s;&s;ibly) fall to be a &s;utable and due proportioned <HI>di&s;tribution and di&s;per&s;ion of this power</HI> into &s;everall intere&s;ts, and the whole to neither part. In <HI>Common|welaths,</HI> it is a <HI>Di&s;per&s;ion</HI> of &s;everall portions of power and rights into &s;everall hands, joyntly to concurre and agree in acts and proce&s;&s;e of weight and moment, which cau&s;eth that healthfull <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> and con&s;titution of them, which makes them la&s;ting &amp; pre&s;erves their peace, when none of al &s;orts find they are excluded, but as they have a &s;hare of concernement, &s;o that a fit mea|&s;ure of power or priviledge, is left and betru&s;ted to them. And according|ly the wi&s;edome of the fir&s;t Con&s;titutors of Common wealths is mo&s;t &s;een in &s;uch a ju&s;t ballancing of power &amp; priviledges, &amp; be&s;ides al&s;o in &s;etting the exact limits of that which is committed unto each; yea and is more ad|mired by us in this than in their other Lawes; and in experience, a cleare and di&s;tinct definement and confinement of all &s;uch parcells of power, both for the kind and extent of them, is judged to be as e&s;&s;entially nece&s;&s;ary (if not more) than what ever other &s;tatutes, that &s;et out the kinds and degrees of <HI>crimes</HI> or <HI>penalties.</HI></P>
<P>So in that <HI>Politie</HI> or Government by which Chri&s;t would have his <HI>chur|ches</HI> ordered, the right <HI>di&s;po&s;all</HI> of the power therein (we humbly &s;uppo&s;e) may lie in a due and proportioned <HI>allotment and di&s;per&s;ion</HI> (though not in the &s;ame mea&s;ure and degree) into divers hands, according unto the &s;everal concernments and intere&s;ts that each rank in his Church may have; rather than in an intire and &s;ole tru&s;t committed to any one man (though
<PB REF="3">never &s;o able) or any one &s;ort or kinde of men or officers, although diver&s;ified into never &s;o many &s;ubordinations under one another. And in like manner, wee cannot but imagine, that Chri&s;t hath been as exact in &s;etting forth the true bounds and limits of what ever portion of power he hath imparted unto any (if wee of this age could attain rightly to di&s;|cern it) as hee hath been in ordering what kinde of cen&s;ures, and for what &s;innes and what degrees of proceedings unto tho&s;e cen&s;ures; which wee finde hee hath been punctuall in.</P>
<P>Now the &s;cope which this grave and judicious Author in this his Treati&s;e doth pur&s;ue, is, to lay forth the ju&s;t lines and terriers of this divi&s;ion of <HI>Church-power,</HI> unto all the &s;everall &s;ubjects of it; to the end to allay the contentions now on foot, about it. And in generall hee layes this fundamentall <HI>Maxime,</HI> that holds in common true of all the particulars, to whom any portion of power can be &s;uppo&s;ed to be committed: <HI>That look what ever power or right any of the po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ours and &s;ubjects thereof may have, they have it each, alike im|mediatly</HI> (that is, in re&s;pect of a mediation of <HI>delegation</HI> or <HI>depen|dance</HI> on each other) <HI>from Chri&s;t,</HI> and &s;o are <HI>each, the fir&s;t &s;ubjects of that power that is allotted to them.</HI> And for the particular &s;ub|jects them&s;elves, hee follows that divi&s;ion (in the handling of them) which the Controver&s;ie it &s;elf hath made unto his hands; To wit, <HI>1. What power each</HI> &s;ingle <HI>Congregation</HI> (which is indowed with a Charter to be a body-politique to Chri&s;t) hath granted to it to exerci&s;e within it &s;elf: And <HI>2. What mea&s;ure,</HI> or rather, <HI>kinde of power</HI> Chri&s;t hath placed in <HI>Neighbour-Churches</HI> without it, and in <HI>a&s;&s;ociati|on</HI> with it.</P>
<P>For the fir&s;t. As hee &s;uppo&s;eth, each Congregation, &s;uch, as to have the priviledge of injoying a <HI>Presbyterie,</HI> or company of more or le&s;&s;e Elders, proper unto it &s;elf; &s;o being thus Presbyterated, hee a&s;&s;erteth this incorporate body or &s;ociety to be the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> and <HI>primary</HI> &s;ubject of a compleat and entire power within it &s;elf over it's own members; yea, and the <HI>&s;ole native &s;ubject</HI> of the power of <HI>Ordination</HI> and <HI>Excom|munication,</HI> which is the highe&s;t Cen&s;ure. And whereas this corpora|tion con&s;i&s;teth both of <HI>Elders</HI> and <HI>Brethren,</HI> (for as for women and children, there is a &s;peciall exception by a <HI>Statute-law</HI> of Chri&s;t again&s;t their injoyment of any part of this publique power;) His &s;copeis to de|mon&s;trate a di&s;tinct and &s;everall &s;hare and intere&s;t of power, in matters of common concernment, vouch&s;afed to each of the&s;e, and di&s;per&s;ed among both, by Charter from the Lord: as in &s;ome of our <HI>towns corporate,</HI> to a company of <HI>Aldermen,</HI> the Rulers, and a <HI>Common-Councell,</HI>
<PB REF="4">a body of the people, there u&s;eth to be the like: He giving unto the <HI>Elders</HI> or <HI>Presbytery</HI> a binding power of <HI>Rule</HI> and <HI>Authority</HI> proper and peculiar unto them; and unto the <HI>Brethren,</HI> di&s;tinct and apart, an intere&s;t of <HI>power</HI> and <HI>priviledge</HI> to concurre with them, and that &s;uch affaires &s;hould not be tran&s;acted, but with the joynt agreement of both, though out of a different right: &s;o that as a Church of <HI>Brethren</HI> only, could not proceed to any publique cen&s;ures, without they have <HI>Elders</HI> over them, &s;o nor in the Church have the <HI>Elders</HI> power to cen&s;ure without the concurrence of the people; and likewi&s;e &s;o, as each <HI>alone</HI> hath not power of Excommunicating the whole of either, though <HI>together</HI> they have power over any particular per&s;on or per&s;ons in each.</P>
<P>And becau&s;e the&s;e particular Congregations, both <HI>Elders</HI> and <HI>People,</HI> may di&s;agree and mi&s;carry, and abu&s;e this power committed to them; He therefore, <HI>&s;econdly,</HI> a&s;&s;erteth an a&s;&s;ociation or communion of Churches, &s;ending their <HI>Elders</HI> and <HI>Me&s;&s;engers</HI> into a <HI>Synod,</HI> (&s;o hee purpo&s;e|ly choo&s;eth to &s;tile tho&s;e <HI>A&s;&s;emblies</HI> of <HI>Elders</HI> which the <HI>Reformed Churches</HI> do call <HI>Cla&s;&s;es</HI> or <HI>Presbyteries,</HI> that &s;o hee might di&s;tin|gui&s;h them from tho&s;e <HI>Presbyteries</HI> of <HI>Congregations</HI> before mentio|ned) And acknowledgeth that it is an <HI>Ordinance</HI> of Chri&s;t, unto whom Chri&s;t hath (in relation to rectifying <HI>Mal-admini&s;trations</HI> and <HI>healing di&s;&s;entions</HI> in particular <HI>Congregations,</HI> and the like ca&s;es) commit|ted a due and ju&s;t mea&s;ure of power, &s;uited and proportioned to tho&s;e ends; and furni&s;hed them, not only with <HI>ability</HI> to give <HI>coun&s;ell</HI> and <HI>advice,</HI> but further upon &s;uch occa&s;ions with a <HI>Mini&s;teriall power</HI> and <HI>authority</HI> to <HI>determine, declare</HI> and <HI>injoyn</HI> &s;uch things as may tend to the reducing &s;uch <HI>Congregations</HI> to right order and peace. Onely in his bounding and defining this <HI>power,</HI> he affirms it to be. Fir&s;t for the <HI>kinde</HI> and <HI>quality</HI> of it, but a <HI>dogmaticall</HI> or <HI>doctrinall power,</HI> (though &s;tamped with authority Mini&s;teriall as an <HI>Ordinance</HI> of Chri&s;t) whether in judging of controver&s;ies of faith (when they di&s;turb the peace of particular <HI>Congregations,</HI> and which them&s;elves finde too difficult for them) or in decerning matters of fact and what cen|&s;ures they doe de&s;erve: but not armed with authority and power of <HI>Excommunicating</HI> or <HI>delivering unto Satan,</HI> either the <HI>Congre|gations</HI> or the <HI>Members</HI> of them: But they in &s;uch ca&s;es, having decla|red and judged the nature of the offence, and admoni&s;hed the peccant <HI>Churches,</HI> and decerned what they ought to do with their offending mem|bers; they are to leave the <HI>formall act</HI> of this cen&s;ure to that authority which can only execute it, placed by Chri&s;t in tho&s;e <HI>Churches</HI> them|&s;elves; which if they deny to do, or per&s;i&s;t in their mi&s;carriage, then to
<PB REF="4">determine to <HI>withdraw communion from them.</HI> And al&s;o for the <HI>extent</HI> of this power in &s;uch <HI>A&s;&s;emblies</HI> and <HI>A&s;&s;ociation</HI> of <HI>Churches,</HI> he limits and confines <HI>that</HI> al&s;o unto ca&s;es, and with cautions (which will appear in the <HI>Di&s;cour&s;e</HI>) to wit, That they &s;hould not intrench or impair the priviledge of intire Juri&s;diction committed unto each <HI>Con|gregation,</HI> (as a liberty purcha&s;ed them by Chri&s;ts blood) but to leave them free to the exerci&s;e and u&s;e thereof, untill they abu&s;e that power, or are unable to manage it; and in that ca&s;e only to a&s;&s;i&s;t, guide, and di|rect them, and not take on them to admini&s;ter it for them, but with them, and by them.</P>
<P>As for our &s;elves, we are yet, neither afraid, nor a&s;hamed to make profe&s;&s;ion (in the midst of all the high waves on both &s;ides da&s;hing on us) that the &s;ub&s;tance of this brief <HI>Extract</HI> from the <HI>Authors</HI> larger <HI>Di&s;cour&s;e,</HI> is That very <HI>Middle-way</HI> (which in our Apologie we did in the generall intimate and intend) between that which is called <HI>Browni&s;me,</HI> and the <HI>Presbyteriall-government,</HI> as it is practi&s;ed; whereof the one doth in effect put the chief (if not the whole) of the rule and government into the hands of the people, and drowns the <HI>Elders</HI> votes (who are but a few) in the major part of theirs: And the other, taking the chief and the principall parts of that rule (which we con|ceive is the due of each <HI>Congregation,</HI> the <HI>Elders</HI> and <HI>Brethren</HI>) into this Juri&s;diction of a common <HI>Presbyterie</HI> of &s;everall <HI>Congregations,</HI> doth thereby in like manner &s;wallow up, not only the intere&s;ts of the people, but even the votes of the <HI>Elders</HI> of that <HI>Congregation</HI> con|cerned, in the major part thereof.</P>
<P>Neither let it &s;eeme arrogance in us, but a te&s;timony rather to the truth, further to Remon&s;trate, that this very <HI>Boundary platforme</HI> and <HI>di&s;|po&s;ement</HI> of <HI>Church power,</HI> as here it is (we &s;peake for the &s;ub&s;tance of it) &s;et out and &s;tated; as al&s;o that the tenure and exerci&s;e thereof in all the&s;e &s;ubjects, &s;hould be immediate from Chri&s;t unto them all, is now new unto our thoughts; yea it is no other than what our owne apprehen&s;ions have beene moulded unto long &s;ince: And this many of our friends and &s;ome that are of a differing opini|on having knowne our private judgements long, as likewi&s;e our owne Notes and tran&s;cripts written long agoe, can te&s;tifie; be&s;ides many publike profe&s;&s;ions &s;ince as occa&s;ion hath beene offered: In&s;omuch as when we fir&s;t read this of this learned Author (knowing what hath been the more generall current both of the practice and judgement of our <HI>Bre|thren</HI> for the Congregationall way) we confe&s;&s;e we were filled with wonder|ment at that Divine hand, that had thus led the judgements (without the
<PB REF="5">lea&s;t mutuall interchange or intimation of thoughts or notions in the&s;e par|ticulars) of our <HI>Brethren</HI> there, and our &s;elves (unworthy to be mentioned with them) here: Onely we crave leave of the reverend Author and tho&s;e <HI>Brethren</HI> that had the view of it, to declare: that we a&s;&s;ent not to all expre&s;|&s;ions &s;cattered up and down, or all &amp; every A&s;sertion interwoven in it; yea nor to all the grounds or allegations of Scriptures; nor &s;hould wee in all things perhaps have u&s;ed the &s;ame terms to expre&s;&s;e the &s;ame materials by.</P>
<P>For in&s;tance, wee humbly conceive <HI>Prophecying</HI> (as the Scripture tearmes it) or &s;peaking to the edification of the whole Church, may (&s;ome|times) be performed by Brethren gifted, though not in Office as Elders of the Church; onely <HI>1</HI> Occa&s;ionally, not in an ordinary cour&s;e. <HI>2.</HI> By men of &s;uch abilities as are fit for Office; And <HI>3.</HI> not a&s;suming this of them|&s;elves, but judged &s;uch by tho&s;e that have the power, and &s;o allowed and de&s;igned to it: And <HI>4.</HI> &s;o as their Doctrine be &s;ubjected (for the <HI>judg|ing of it</HI>) in an e&s;peciall manner to the <HI>Teaching Elders</HI> of that Church: And when it is thus cautioned, wee &s;ee no more incongruity for &s;uch to &s;peake to a point of Divinity in a Congregation, then for men of like abi|lities to &s;peake to, and debate of matters of religion in an A&s;&s;embly of Di|vines, which this reverend Author allows; and here, with us, is practi&s;ed.</P>
<P>Againe, in all humility, we yet &s;ee not that A&s;&s;embly of <HI>Apo&s;tles, El|ders,</HI> and <HI>Brethren, Acts 15.</HI> to have beene a <HI>formall Synod,</HI> of Me&s;|&s;engers, &s;ent, out of a &s;et and combined a&s;&s;ociation from neighbour Chur|ches; but an A&s;&s;embly of the <HI>Church of Jeru&s;alem</HI> and of the Me&s;&s;en|gers from the <HI>Church of Antioch</HI> alone; that were farre remote each from other, and electively now met: Nor are we for the pre&s;ent convin|ced that the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> to the end to make this a Precedent of &s;uch <HI>a formal Synod,</HI> did act therein as Ordinary <HI>Elders,</HI> and not out of Apo&s;tolicall guidance &amp; a&s;&s;i&s;tance; But we rather conceive (if we would &s;imply con&s;i|der the mutual a&s;pects which the&s;e two Churches and their <HI>Elders</HI> &s;tood in this conjunction, ab&s;tracting from them that influence and impre&s;&s;ion w^c^h (that &s;uperior Sphere) the Apo&s;tles who were then pre&s;ent had in this tran&s;|action) this to have been a <HI>Con&s;ultation</HI> (as the learned Author doth al&s;o acknowledge it to have beene in its fir&s;t originall, onely ri&s;ing up to be a Generall Councell by the Apo&s;tles pre&s;ence, they being <HI>Elders</HI> of all the Churches;) or if you will, <HI>a reference</HI> by way of <HI>Arbitration</HI> for deciding of that great controver&s;ie ri&s;en among&s;t them at <HI>Antioch,</HI> which they found to bee too difficult for them&s;elves; and &s;o to be a war|rant indeede for all &s;uch waies of communion between all, or any, e&s;pe|cially neighbour Churches; and upon like occa&s;ions to bee Ordinances furni&s;hed with mini&s;teriall power for &s;uch ends and purpo&s;es. Our
<PB REF="5">rea&s;ons for this, wee are now many waies bound up from giving the accompt of, in this way, and at this &s;ea&s;on; But however if it &s;hould have beene &s;o intended as the learned Author judgeth, and the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> to have acted therein as ordinary <HI>El|ders,</HI> yet the lines of that proportion of power that could bee drawne from that pat|terne would extend no further then a Mini&s;teriall Doctrinall power, &amp;c. in &s;uch A&s;&s;emblies, which we willingly grant. And it may bee ob&s;erved with what a wary eye and exact ayme hee takes the latitude and elevation of that power there held forth, not daring to attribute the lea&s;t, either for kind or degree, then what that ex|ample warrants, which was at utmo&s;t but a Doctrinall decernement both of the truth of that controver&s;ie they were con&s;ulted in; as al&s;o the matter of fact in tho&s;e that had taught the contrary, as belyers of them and &s;ubverters of the faith; with|out &s;o much as brandi&s;hing the &s;word and power of Excommunication, again&s;t tho&s;e high and gro&s;&s;e delinquents, or others, that &s;hould not obey them by that Epi&s;tle.</P>
<P>Onely in the la&s;t place for the further clearing the difference of the peoples intre&s;t (which the reverend Author u&s;ually calleth <HI>Liberty,</HI> &s;ometimes <HI>Power</HI>) &amp; the <HI>El|ders rule</HI> and <HI>authority</HI> (which makes that <HI>fir&s;t di&s;tribution</HI> of Church power <HI>in particular Congregations</HI>) as likewi&s;e for the illu&s;tration of that other allotment of <HI>Mini&s;terial doctrinal power</HI> in an a&s;&s;ociation or communion of Churches as &s;e|vered from the power of <HI>Excommunication</HI> (which is <HI>the &s;econd.</HI>) We take the boldnes to ca&s;t a weake beame of our dimne light upon either of the&s;e; &amp; to pre&s;ent how the&s;e have layne &s;tated in our thoughts, to this end that wee may haply prevent &s;ome readers mi&s;take, e&s;pecially about the former. For the fir&s;t, we con|ceive the <HI>Elders</HI> and <HI>Brethren</HI> in each Congregation, as they are u&s;ually in the New Te&s;tament thus mentioned di&s;tinctly apart, and this when their mee|ting together is &s;poken of, &s;o they make in each congregation two di&s;tinct intre&s;ts (though meeting in one A&s;&s;embly) as the intre&s;t of the <HI>Common-Councell</HI> or bo|dy of the people, in &s;ome <HI>Corporations,</HI> is di&s;tinct from that of the company of <HI>Al|dermen;</HI> &s;o as without the con&s;ent and concurrence of both nothing is e&s;teemed as a Church act. But &s;o as in this company of <HI>Elders,</HI> this power is properly <HI>Autho|rity;</HI> but in the people is a <HI>priviledge</HI> or <HI>power.</HI> An apparent difference betweene the&s;e two is evident to us by this. That two or three or more &s;elect per&s;ons &s;hould be put into an Office and betru&s;ted with an intire intre&s;t of power for a multitude, to which that multitude ought (by a command from Chri&s;t) to bee &s;ubject and obe|dient as to an ordinance to guide them in their con&s;ent, and in who&s;e &s;entence the ul|timate formall Mini&s;teriall act of binding or loo&s;ing &s;hould con&s;i&s;t: this power mu&s;t needs bee e&s;teemed and a knowledged in the&s;e few to have the proper notion and cha|racter of <HI>Authority,</HI> in compari&s;on of that power (which mu&s;t yet concurre with theirs) that is in a whole body or multitude of men, who have a greater and neerer intere&s;t and concernement in tho&s;e affaires, over which the&s;e few are &s;et as Rulers.</P>
<P>This difference of power doth ea&s;ily appeare in comparing the &s;everall intere&s;t of <HI>Father</HI> and <HI>child,</HI> in his di&s;po&s;ement of her in marriage, and her concurrence with him therein, (although we intend not the paralell between the things them|&s;elves.)
<PB REF="6">A <HI>virgin daughter</HI> hath a <HI>power</HI> truly and properly &s;o called, <HI>yea</HI> and a power ultimately to di&s;&s;ent upon an un&s;atisfied di&s;like, yea, and it mu&s;t be an act of her con&s;ent, that maketh the marriage valid: But yet for her <HI>Parents</HI> to have a power to guide her in her choyce (which &s;he ought in duty to obey) and a power which mu&s;t al&s;o concurre to be&s;towe her, or the marriage is invalid, this (comparing her intre&s;t (wherein &s;he is more neerly and intimately concerned) with theirs) doth ari&s;e to the notion of an <HI>extrin&s;ecall authority;</HI> whereas that power is in her is but &s;imply the power of her own act, in which her own concernement which doth intre&s;t her free by an <HI>intrin&s;ecall right.</HI> The like difference would appeare if we had &s;eene a Governement tempered of an <HI>Ari&s;tocracy</HI> and <HI>democracy;</HI> in which, &s;uppo&s;e the people have a &s;hare, and their actuall con&s;ent is nece&s;&s;ary to all lawes and &s;entences, &amp;c. whereas a few Nobles that are &s;et over them (who&s;e concernement is le&s;&s;e generall) in whom the formall <HI>&s;anction</HI> of all &s;hould lye, in the&s;e it were <HI>Rule</HI> and <HI>Authority,</HI> in that multitude but <HI>Power</HI> and <HI>intre&s;t,</HI> and &s;uch an Authority is to be given to a Presbytry of <HI>Elders</HI> in a particular Con|gregation, or el&s;e (as wee have long &s;ince beene re&s;olved,) all that is &s;aid in the New Te&s;tament about their <HI>Rule,</HI> and of the peoples <HI>Obedience</HI> to them, is to be look't upon but as Metaphors, and to hold no porportion with any &s;ub&s;tantiall reallity of Rule and Governement.</P>
<P>And in this Di&s;tribution of power, Chri&s;t hath had a &s;utable and due regard unto the estate and condition of his Church; as now under the New Te&s;tament, He hath qualified and dignified it. Vnder the Old Te&s;tament, it was in its infancy, but it is comparatively come forth of its nonage, &amp; growen up to a riper age (both as the te|nure of the Covenant of grace in difference from the old, runs in the Prophets, &amp; as <HI>Paul</HI> to the <HI>Galatians</HI> expre&s;&s;eth it.) They are therefore more generally able, if vi|&s;ible Saints (which is to be the &s;ubject matter of Churches under the N. Te&s;ta~ent) to joyn with their Guides &amp; Leaders in judging &amp; di&s;cerning what concernes their own &amp; their <HI>Brethrens</HI> con&s;ciences; And therefore Chri&s;t hath not now lodged the &s;ole power of all Church matters &s;olely &amp; intirely in the Churches <HI>Tutors &amp; Go|vernors</HI> as of old when it was under age He did: But yet becau&s;e of their weaknes &amp; unskilfulnes (for the generality of them,) in compari&s;on to tho&s;e who~ He hath a&s;cen|ded to give gifts unto, on purpo&s;e for their guidance &amp; the Government of the~; He hath therefore placed a Rule and Authority in tho&s;e Officers over them, not direct|ing onely but binding: &s;o as not onely nothing (in an ordinary way of Church go|vernment) &s;hould be done without them, but not e&s;teemed validly done unle&s;&s;e done by them. And thus by meanes of this due and golden ballancing and poy&s;ing of power and intere&s;t, Authority and Priviledge, in <HI>Elders</HI> and the <HI>Brethren,</HI> this Government might neither degenerate into Lordlyne&s;&s;e and oppre&s;&s;ion in Ru|lers over the Flocke, as not having all power in their hands alone; nor yet into Anarchy and confu&s;ion in the Flocke among them&s;elves; &amp; &s;o as all things belong|ing to mens con&s;ciences might be, tran&s;acted to common edification, &amp; &s;atisfaction.</P>
<P>For the &s;econd, Let it not &s;eeme a paradoxe that a <HI>Mini&s;teriall Doctrinall</HI> Au|thority
<PB REF="6">&s;hould be found &s;evered from that power of <HI>Excommunication,</HI> to &s;econd it, if not obeyed. Every Mini&s;ter and Pa&s;tour hath in him&s;elfe, alone, a Mini|&s;teriall Doctrinall authority over the whole Church that is his charge, and every per&s;on in it, to <HI>in&s;truct, rebuke, exhort with all authority:</HI> By rea&s;on of which tho&s;e under him are bound to obey him in the Lord, not only <HI>vi Materiae</HI> by vertue of the matter of the commands, in that they are the commands of Chri&s;t (for &s;o he &s;hould &s;peake with no more authority then any other man, yea a <HI>Child,</HI> who &s;peaking a truth out of the word, &s;hould <HI>leade us,</HI> as the prophet &s;peakes;) But further, by rea&s;on of that Mini&s;teriall authority which Chri&s;t hath endowed him withall, he is to be look't at by them as an Ordinance of <HI>His,</HI> over them and towards them: And yet he alone hath not the authority of Ex|communication <HI>in him,</HI> to inforce his Doctrine if any doe gaine&s;ay it: Neither therefore is this authority (as in him con&s;idered) to be judged vaine and fruit|le&s;&s;e and ineffectuall, to draw men to obedience.</P>
<P>Neither let it &s;eeme strange, that the power of this Cen&s;ure, of cutting men off, and <HI>delivering them to Satan</HI> (in which the po&s;itive part <HI>(and indeed the con|trover&s;ie betwixt us &amp; others,)</HI> of <HI>Excommunication</HI> lyes) &s;hould be in&s;eperably linked by Chri&s;t unto a particular Congregation, as the proper native priviledge hereof, &s;o as that no A&s;&s;embly or company of <HI>Elders</HI> ju&s;tly pre&s;umed and granted to be more wi&s;e &amp; judicious, &s;hould a&s;&s;ume it to them&s;elves, or &s;ever the formall pow|er thereof from the particular Congregations. For though it be hard to give the rea&s;on of Chri&s;ts in&s;titutions. Yet there is u&s;ually in the wayes of humane wi&s;edom and rea&s;on &s;omething analogous thereunto, which may &s;erve to illu&s;torate, if not to ju&s;tifie this <HI>di&s;per&s;ion of intre&s;ts:</HI> And &s;o (if we mi&s;take not) there may be found even of this in the wi&s;edome of our Ance&s;tours, in the con&s;titutions of this King|dome; <HI>The &s;entencing to death</HI> of any &s;ubject in the Kingdome, as it is the highe&s;t civill puni&s;hment, &s;o of all other the neerest and exacte&s;t paralell to this in &s;piritu|alls, of cutting a &s;oule off and delivering it to Satan; yet the power of this high judgement is not put into the hands of an A&s;&s;embly of Lawyers onely, no not of all the Judges them&s;elves, men &s;elected for wi&s;edome, faithfullne&s;&s;e, and gravity, who yet are by office de&s;igned to have an inere&s;t herein; But when they upon any &s;peciall Cau&s;e of difficulty, for councell and direction in &s;uch judgements doe all meete (as &s;ometimes they doe): Yet they have not power to pronounce this &s;entence of death upon any man without the concurrence of a Jury of his Peeres, which are of his owne ranke; and in Corporations, of &s;uch as are Inhabitants of the &s;ame place: And with a Jury of the&s;e (men, of them&s;elves not &s;uppo&s;ed to be &s;o skilfull in the Lawes, &amp;c.) two Judges, yea one, with other Ju&s;tices on the Bench hath power to adjudge and pronounce that which all of them, and all the Lawyers in this Kingdome together, have not without a Jury. And we of this Nation u&s;e to ad|mire the care and wi&s;edom of our Ance&s;tors herein, &amp; do e&s;teeme this priviledge of the Subject in this particular (peculiar to our Nation) as one of the glories of our Lawes, and doe make bea&s;t of it as &s;uch a liberty and &s;ecurity to each per&s;ons life,
<PB REF="7">as (we thinke) no Nation about us can &s;hew the like. And what &s;hould be the rea|&s;on of &s;uch a con&s;titution but this (which in the beginning we in&s;i&s;ted on) the di&s;|per&s;ion of power into &s;everall hands, which in capitall matters, every mans tryall &s;hould runne through; whereof the one &s;hould have the tye of like common intre&s;t to oblige them unto faithfullne&s;&s;e; as the other &s;hould have skill and wi&s;edome to guide them and direct therein.</P>
<P>And be&s;ids that intre&s;t that is in any kind of A&s;&s;ociation, fraternity, yea or neigh|bourhood, or like wi&s;e, that which is from the common ca&s;e of men alike &s;ubjected to an Authority &s;et over them to &s;entence them, there is al&s;o the &s;peciall advantage of an exact knowledge of the fact in the hainous circum&s;tances thereof, yea, and (in the&s;e ca&s;es) of the ordinary conver&s;ation of the per&s;on offending.</P>
<P>We need not inlarge in the application of this: Although <HI>a greater A&s;&s;embly of Elders</HI> are to be reverenced as more wi&s;e and able than a <HI>few Elders</HI> with their &s;ingle <HI>Congregations,</HI> and accordingly may have an higher doctrinall power, (a power properly, and peculiarly &s;uited to their Abilities.) in ca&s;es of difficulty, to determine and direct Congregations in their way; yet Chri&s;t hath not betru&s;ted them with that power Hee hath done the Congregations; becau&s;e they are ab|stracted from the people: And &s;o <HI>one Tribe</HI> of men concerned in all the fore|mentioned re&s;pects <HI>is wanting,</HI> which Chri&s;t would have per&s;onally concurring, not by delegation or repre&s;entation alone, not to the <HI>execution</HI> only, but even to the <HI>legall &s;entence</HI> al&s;o of <HI>cutting men off,</HI> as in the former paralell and in&s;tance may bee ob&s;erved. Yea, and the higher and the greater the a&s;&s;ociation of the <HI>Presbyteries</HI> are, the further are they removed from <HI>the people,</HI> and although you might have thereby a greater helpe, in that <HI>Juridicall</HI> knowledge of the <HI>Rule,</HI> to be proceeded by: yet they are in a further di&s;tance (and di&s;inabled therby) from that Preci&s;e <HI>practique</HI> knowledge of the <HI>Fact</HI> and frame of <HI>&s;pirit</HI> in the per&s;on tran&s;gre|&s;&s;ing. And Ca&s;es may be as truely difficult and hard to bee decided from ob&s;curi|tie, and want of light into the Circum&s;tantiation of the Fact, and per&s;on: in which it was committed, and by him ob&s;tinately per&s;i&s;ted in; as of the Law it &s;elf.</P>
<P>Other con&s;iderations of like weight might here be added, if not for the proofe (which we do not here intend) yet the clearing of this particular; As al&s;o to demon|&s;trate that <HI>that</HI> other way of proceeding by <HI>withdrawing communion</HI> is mo&s;t &s;u|table to the relation, that by Chri&s;ts endowment all Churches &s;tand in one towards another, yea and wherein the lea&s;t (being a body to Chri&s;t) doth &s;tand unto all: But we &s;hould too much exceed the bounds of an Epi&s;tle, and too long detayne the Reader from the fruitfull and pregnant labours of the worthy Authour.</P>
<P>The God of peace and truth, &s;anctifie all the truths in it, to all tho&s;e holy ends (and through his grace much more) which the holy and peaceable &s;pirit of the Au|thor did intend.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>THO: GOODVVIN. PHILIP NYE.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="tract">
<PB N="1" REF="7">
<HEAD>Of the Keys of the Kingdome of HEAVEN, and the Power thereof; according to the WORD of GOD, &amp;c.</HEAD>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. I.</HI> What the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven be, and what their Power.</HEAD>
<P>_THe Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven are pro|mi&s;ed by the Lord Je&s;us (the head and King of his Church) unto <HI>Peter, Mat.</HI> 16.19. <HI>To thee</HI> (&s;aith Chri&s;t) <HI>will I give the keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven: and what&s;oever thou &s;halt binde on earth, &s;hall be bound in Heaven;</HI> and <HI>what&s;oever thou &s;halt loo&s;e on earth, &s;hall be loo&s;ed in Heaven.</HI> The words being Allegoricall, are therfore &s;omewhat ob&s;cure: and holding forth honor &amp; power in the Church, are therefore controver&s;all;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 15.1.</NOTE> For where there is no honour (nor pride to pur&s;ue it) there is no contention. It will not therefore be ami&s;&s;e, for opening of the Doctrine of the Power of the keyes; &s;omewhat to open the words of this Text, whereon that power is built. Five words require a little clearing.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. What is here meant by the Kingdome of Heaven?</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. What are the keys of this kingdom, and the giving of them?</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. What are the acts of the&s;e Keyes, which are &s;aid to be bind|ing and loo&s;ing?</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. What is the object of the&s;e acts to be bound or loo&s;ed, here put under a generall name, What&s;oever?</ITEM>
<ITEM>5. Who is the &s;ubject recipient of this power, or to whom is this power given? To thee will I give the Keyes, &amp;c.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<PB N="2" REF="8">
<P N="1">1. For the fir&s;t: By the Kingdome of Heaven is here meant both the Kingdome of Grace, which is the Church; and the Kingdome of Glory, which is in the highe&s;t heavens: For Chri&s;t giving to <HI>Peter</HI> the keys of the kingdome of Heaven, conveyeth therewith not only this power to binde on earth (that is, in the Church on earth; for he gave him no power at all to binde in the world; The king|dome of Chri&s;t is not of this world:) but he gives him al&s;o this pri|viledge; That what he bound on earth, &s;hould be bound in heaven. And heaven being di&s;tingui&s;hed from the Church on earth, mu&s;t needs be meant the kingdome of Glory.</P>
<P N="2">2. For the &s;econd: What the keys of the kingdom of heaven be?</P>
<P>The keys of the kingdom are the Ordinances which Chri&s;t hath in&s;tituted, to be admini&s;tred in his Church; as the preaching of the Word, (which is the opening and applying of it) al&s;o the admi|ni&s;tring of the Seals and cen&s;ures: For by the opening and applying of the&s;e, both the gates of the Church here, and of heaven hereafter, are opened or &s;hut to the &s;ons of men.</P>
<P>And the giving of the&s;e keyes, implyeth, that Chri&s;t inve&s;teth tho&s;e to whom he giveth them, with a power to open, and &s;hut the gates of both. And this power lyeth partly in their &s;pirituall cal|ling (whether it be their office, or their place and order in the Church:) and partly in the concur&s;e and co-operation of the Spi|rit of Chri&s;t, accompanying the right di&s;pen&s;ation of the&s;e keyes; that is, of the&s;e Ordinances according to his will.</P>
<P>Moreover, the&s;e keys are neither Sword nor Scepter; No Sword, for they convey not civill power of bodily life and death; nor Scep|ter, for they convey not Soveraigne or Legi&s;lative power over the Church, but &s;tewardly and mini&s;teriall. As the key of the Hou&s;e of <HI>David</HI> was given to <HI>Hilkiah</HI> (<HI>I&s;a.</HI> 22.22.) who &s;ucceeded <HI>Shebna</HI> in his office; and his office was <GAP LANG="heb" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> over the hou&s;e, <HI>v.</HI> 15. and the &s;ame word over the hou&s;e, is tran&s;lated &s;teward in the hou&s;e, <HI>Gen.</HI> 43.19.</P>
<P N="3">3. Touching the third thing, what are the acts of the&s;e keys?</P>
<P>The acts of the&s;e keys, are &s;aid here to be binding and loo&s;ing, which are not the proper acts of materiall keys; for their acts be opening and &s;hutting, which argueth the keys here &s;poken of be not materiall keys, but metaphoricall; and y t being keys, they have a power al&s;o of opening and &s;hutting: for Chri&s;t who hath the &s;ove|raigne power of the&s;e keys, hee is &s;aid to have the key of <HI>David,</HI>
<PB N="3" REF="8">to open, and no man to &s;hut; to &s;hut, and no man to open, <HI>Rev.</HI> 3.7. which implyeth, that the&s;e keys of Chri&s;ts Kingdome, have &s;uch a power of opening and &s;hutting, as that they do thereby, binde and loo&s;e, retain and remit; in opening, they loo&s;e, and remit; in &s;hut|ting they binde, and retain: which will more appeare in open|ing the fourth point.</P>
<P N="4">4. The fourth point then is, What is the &s;ubject to be bound and loo&s;ed?</P>
<P>The Text in <HI>Mat.</HI> 16.9. &s;aith, <HI>what&s;oever,</HI> which reacheth not (&s;o far as the Papi&s;ts would &s;tretch it) to what&s;oever oathes, or co|venants, or contracts, or coun&s;els, or lawes; as if what&s;oever oathes of allegiance, covenants of lea&s;e or marriage, &amp;c. the Pope rati|fieth or di&s;&s;olveth on earth, &s;hould be ratified or di&s;&s;olved in heaven: No, this is not the key of the kingdome of heaven, but the key of the bottomele&s;&s;e pit, <HI>Rev.</HI> 9.1. But this word <HI>what&s;oever,</HI> is here put in the Neuter Gender, (not in the Ma&s;culine, <HI>whom&s;oever</HI>) to imply both things and per&s;ons; Things, as &s;ins; Per&s;ons, as tho&s;e that com|mit them. For &s;o when our Saviour &s;peaketh of the &s;ame acts of the &s;ame keys (<HI>Ioh.</HI> 20.21.) he explaineth him&s;elf thus: <HI>Who&s;e &s;ins &s;oever yee remit, they are remitted, and who&s;e &s;ins &s;oever yee retain, they are retained.</HI> What&s;oever you binde on earth, is as much there|fore, as who&s;e &s;ins &s;oever you retain on earth; and what&s;oever you loo&s;e on earth, is as much as who&s;e &s;ins &s;oever you loo&s;e on earth.</P>
<P>Now this binding and loo&s;ing of what&s;oever &s;ins, in who&s;ever commit them, is partly in the con&s;cience of the &s;inner, and partly in his outward e&s;tate in the Church, which is wont to be expre&s;&s;ed in other terms, either <HI>in foro interiori,</HI> or <HI>in foro exteriori.</HI> As when in the di&s;pen&s;ation of the Ordinances of God, a &s;inner is convinced to lie under the guilt of &s;in, then his &s;in is retained, his con&s;cience is bound under the guilt of it, and him&s;elf bound under &s;ome Church-cen&s;ure, according to the quality and de&s;ert of his offence; and if his &s;in be the more hainous, him&s;elf is &s;hut out from the commu|nion of the Church: But when a &s;inner repenteth of his &s;in, and confe&s;&s;eth it before the Lord, and (if it be known) before his peo|ple al&s;o, and then in the mini&s;tery of the Doctrine and Di&s;cipline of the Go&s;pel, his &s;in is remitted, and his con&s;cience loo&s;ed from the guilt of it, and him&s;elf hath open and free entrance, both unto the promi&s;e of the Go&s;pel, and into the gates of the holy communion of the Church.</P>
<PB N="4" REF="9">
<P N="5">5. The fifth point to be explained, is, To whom is this power of the keyes given? The Text &s;aith, To thee <HI>Simon Peter,</HI> the &s;onne of <HI>Jona,</HI> whom Chri&s;t ble&s;&s;eth, and pronounceth ble&s;&s;ed upon his holy confe&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;t, the Sonne of the living God, and upon the &s;ame occa&s;ion promi&s;eth both to u&s;e him and his confe&s;&s;ion, as an In|&s;trument to lay the foundation of his Church; and al&s;o to give him the keys of his Church, for the well ordering and governing of it. But it hath proved abu&s;ie Que&s;tion, How <HI>Peter</HI> is to be con&s;idered in receiving this power of the keys, whether as an Apo&s;tle, or as an Elder, (for an Elder al&s;o he was, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 5.1.) or as a Believer pro|fe&s;&s;ing his faith before the Lord Je&s;us, and his fellow Brethren. Now becau&s;e wee are as well &s;tudious of peace, as of truth, wee will not leane to one of the&s;e interpretations, more than to another. Take any of them, it will not hinder our purpo&s;e in this en&s;uing Di&s;cour&s;e, though (to &s;peake ingenuou&s;ly and without offence what we con|ceive) the &s;en&s;e of the words will be mo&s;t full, if all the &s;everall con&s;iderations be taken joyntly together. Take <HI>Peter</HI> con&s;idered not onely as an Apo&s;tle, but an Elder al&s;o, yea, and a Beleever too, pro|fe&s;&s;ing his faith, all may well &s;tand together. For there is a different power given to all the&s;e, to an Apo&s;tle, to an Elder, to a Beleever, and <HI>Peter</HI> was all the&s;e, and received all the power, which was given by Chri&s;t to any of the&s;e, or to all of the&s;e together. For as the Fa|ther &s;ent Chri&s;t, &s;o Chri&s;t &s;ent <HI>Peter</HI> (as well as any Apo&s;tle) <HI>cum am|plitudine, &amp; plenitudine pote&s;tatis,</HI> (&s;o far as either any Church-Offi|cer, or the whole Church it &s;elfe, was capable of it) <HI>John</HI> 20.21. So that <HI>Au&s;tin</HI> did not mi&s;take when he &s;aid <HI>Peter</HI> received the keys in the name of the Church. Neverthele&s;&s;e, wee from this place in <HI>Mat.</HI> 16.19. will challenge no further power, either to the Presby|tery, or to the Fraternitie of the Church, then is more expre&s;ly gran|ted to them in other Scriptures. Now in other Scriptures it appear|eth; Fir&s;t, That Chri&s;t gave the power of retaining or remitting of &s;ins (that is, the power of binding and loo&s;ing, the whole power of the keys) to all the Apo&s;tles as well as to <HI>Peter, Joh.</HI> 20.21.23. Secondly, It appeareth al&s;o that the Apo&s;tles commended the rule and government of every particular Church to the Elders (the Pre&s;|bytery) of that Church, <HI>Heb.</HI> 13.17. 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 5.17. And therefore Chri&s;t gave the power of the Keys to them al&s;o. Thirdly, It appear|eth farther that Chri&s;t gave the power of the keys to the Body like|wi&s;e of the Church, even to the Fraternitie with the Presbytery.
<PB N="5" REF="9">For the Lord Je&s;us communicateth the power of binding and loo|&s;ing, to the Apo&s;tles, or Elders, together with the whole Church, when they are met in his Name, and agree together in the cen&s;ure of an offender, <HI>Mat.</HI> 18.17, 18. If an offender (&s;aith he) neglect to heare the Church, let him be to thee as an Heathen or a Publican, that is, let him be excommunicated. Which cen&s;ure admini&s;tred by them, with the whole Church, he ratifieth with this promi&s;e of the power of the keys, <HI>Verily, I &s;ay unto you, what&s;oever you &s;hall binde on earth, &s;hall be bound in heaven, and what&s;oever you &s;hall loo&s;e on earth, &s;hall be loo&s;ed in heaven.</HI> In which place, how&s;oever there be &s;ome diffe|rence between Cla&s;&s;icall and Congregationall Divines, what &s;hould be meant by the <HI>Church (Tell the Church)</HI> whether the Presbytery or the Congregation: yet all agree in this (and it is agreement in the truth, which wee &s;eek for) That no offender is to be excommu|nicated, but with &s;ome concur&s;e of the Congregation, at lea&s;t by way 1. Of con&s;ent to the &s;entence. 2. Of actuall execution of it by with|drawing them&s;elves from the offender &s;o convicted and cen&s;ured. Now this con&s;ent and concur&s;e of the Congregation, which is requi|&s;ite to the power and validitie of the cen&s;ure, we conceive is &s;ome part of the exerci&s;e of the power of the keys.</P>
<P>So that when Chri&s;t &s;aid to <HI>Peter, To thee will I give the keys of the kingdome of heaven:</HI> If <HI>Peter</HI> then received the whole power of the keys, then he &s;tood in the roome and name of all &s;uch, as have recei|ved any part of the power of the keys, whether Apo&s;tles, or Elders, or Churches. Or if he &s;tood in the roome of an Apo&s;tle onely, yet that hindreth not, but that as he there received the power of an A|po&s;tle, &s;o the re&s;t of the Apo&s;tles received the &s;ame power, either there or el&s;ewhere: and the Presbytery of each Church received, if not there, yet el&s;ewhere, the power belonging to their office: and in like &s;ort each Church or Congregation of profe&s;&s;ed Believers, recei|ved that portion al&s;o of Church-power which belonged to them.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. II.</HI> Of the Di&s;tribution of the Keys, and their power, or of the &s;everall &s;orts thereof.</HEAD>
<P>THe ordinary Di&s;tribution of the keys is wont to be thus delive|red. There is
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>clavis</HI> 1. <HI>Scientiae,</HI> A key of knowledge, and a </ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>clavis</HI> 2. <HI>Pote&s;tatis,</HI> key of power:</ITEM>
</LIST> and the key
<PB N="6" REF="10">of power is
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>Ordinis,</HI> Either a key of order, or a key of</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>Juri&s;dictionis,</HI> Juri&s;diction.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>This di&s;tribution though it goe for current both among&s;t Prote|&s;tants and Papi&s;ts, yet wee crave leave to expre&s;&s;e, what in it doth not fully &s;atisfie us. Foure things in it &s;eeme defective to us: 1. That any key of the kingdome of heaven &s;hould be left without power. For here in this di&s;tribution, the key of knowledge is con|tradi&s;tingui&s;hed from a key of power.</P>
<P N="2">2. There is a reall defect in omitting an integrall part of the keys, which is that key of <HI>power</HI> or <HI>liberty,</HI> which belongeth to the <HI>Church</HI> it &s;elf. But no marvell, though the Popi&s;h Clergie omitted it, who have oppre&s;&s;ed all Church-libertie: and Prote&s;tant Churches, ha|ving recovered the libertie of preaching the Go&s;pel, and mini&s;tery of the Sacraments, have been well &s;atisfied therewith, &s;o as &s;ome of them have looked no farther, nor &s;o much as di&s;cerned their defect of Church-power, or liberty due unto them in point of di&s;cipline: and others finding them&s;elves wronged in withholding a key or power, which belongs to them, have wre&s;ted to them&s;elves an un|due power, which belongs not to them, the key of <HI>authority.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. There is another defect in the Di&s;tribution, in dividing the key of order from the key of Juri&s;diction: of purpo&s;e to make way for the power of Chancellours and Commi&s;&s;aries <HI>in foro exteriori:</HI> who though they want the key of order, (having never entred into holy orders, as they are called, or at mo&s;t into the order of Deacons one|ly, whereof our Lord &s;pake nothing touching Juri&s;diction) yet they have been inve&s;ted with Juri&s;diction, yea, and more then mini&s;teri|all authoritie, even above tho&s;e Elders who labour in word and doctrine: By this &s;acrilegious breach of order (which hath been as it were the breaking of the Files and Ranks in an Armie) Satan hath routed and ruined a great part of the libertie and puritie of Chur|ches, and of all the Ordinances of Chri&s;t in them.</P>
<P N="4">4. A fourth defect (but yet the lea&s;t, which we ob&s;erve in this di|&s;tribution) is, that order is appropriated to the Officers of the Church onely. For though wee be far from allowing that &s;acrilegi|ous u&s;urpation of the Mini&s;ters office, which we heare of (to our griefe) to be practi&s;ed in &s;ome places, that private Chri&s;tians ordi|narily take upon them to preach the Go&s;pel publickly, and to mini|&s;ter Sacraments: Yet we put a difference between Office and Order. Office we looke at as peculiar to tho&s;e, who are &s;et apart for &s;ome peculiar function in the Church, who are either Elders or Deacons. But order (&s;peaking of Church-order properly taken) is common
<PB N="7" REF="10">to all the members of the Church, whether Officers or private bre|thren. There is an order as well in them that are &s;ubject, as in them that rule. There is a <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> as well <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, as <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">. The maid in <HI>Athenaeus</HI> is &s;aid <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, as well as her Mi&s;tre&s;&s;e. Yet if any man be willing to make office and order aequi|pollent, we will not contend about words, &s;o there be no erroneous apprehen&s;ion wrapt into the matter.</P>
<P>To come therefore to &s;uch a di&s;tribution of the keyes as is more &s;uitable to Scripture phra&s;e. For it becomes true I&s;raelites rather to &s;peak the language of Canaan, then the language of A&s;hdod.</P>
<P>When <HI>Paul</HI> beheld, and rejoyced to behold, how the Church of Colo&s;&s;e had received the Lord Ie&s;us, and walked in him; he &s;um|meth up all their Church e&s;tate, to wit, their beautie and power, in the&s;e two, <HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>order, Col.</HI> 2.5, 6.</P>
<P>There is therefore a <HI>key of Faith,</HI> and a <HI>key of Order.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>key of Faith,</HI> is the &s;ame which the Lord Ie&s;us calleth the <HI>key of knowledge, Luke</HI> 11.52. and which he complaineth, the Lawyers had taken away. Now that key of knowledge Chri&s;t &s;peak|eth of, was &s;uch, that if it had not been taken away, they that had it, had power by it to enter into the kingdom of heaven them&s;elves, and it may be to open the doore to others, to enter al&s;o. Now &s;uch a knowledge, whereby a man hath power to enter into heaven, is onely faith, which is often therefore called knowledge, as <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 53.11. <HI>By the knowledge of him &s;hall my righteous &s;ervant ju&s;tifie many:</HI> that is, by the faith of Chri&s;t. And <HI>Ioh.</HI> 17.3. <HI>This is eternall life to know thee:</HI> that is, to beleeve on thee. This key therefore, the key of knowledge, (&s;aving knowledge) or which is all one, the key of faith, is common to all beleevers. A faithfull &s;oul knowing the Scriptures, and Chri&s;t in them, receiveth Chri&s;t, and entreth through him into the kingdom of heaven, both here, and hereafter. Here he entreth into a &s;tate of grace through faith<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Heb. 4.3.</NOTE>: and by the pro|fe&s;&s;ion of his faith, he entreth al&s;o into the fellow&s;hip of the Church (which is the kingdom of heaven upon earth:) and by the &s;ame faith, as he beleeveth to ju&s;tification, &s;o he maketh confe&s;&s;ion to &s;al|vation, which is perfected in the kingdom of glory. <HI>Rom.</HI> 10.10.</P>
<P>The <HI>key of Order</HI> is the power whereby every member of the Church walketh orderly him&s;elf, according to his place in the Church, and helpeth his brethren, to walk orderly al&s;o.</P>
<P>It was that which the Apo&s;tles and Elders called upon <HI>Paul,</HI> &s;o to carrie him&s;elf before the Jews in the Temple, that he might make
<PB N="8" REF="11">it appear to all men that he walked orderly. (<HI>Act.</HI> 21.18.24.) Or|derly, to wit, according to the orders of the Iewi&s;h Church, with whom he then conver&s;ed. And it was the commandment which <HI>Paul</HI> gave to the whole Church of The&s;&s;alonica, and to all the members of it, to <HI>withdraw them&s;elves from every brother that walketh di&s;orderly,</HI> 2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 3.6. This their withdrawing from him that walk|ed di&s;orderly, was the exerci&s;e of their key of order. And it was a like exerci&s;e of the &s;ame key of order, when he requireth the Bre|thren to warne the <HI>unruly,</HI> which is, (in the originall) the &s;ame word, to admoni&s;h the <HI>di&s;orderly:</HI> 1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 5.14. And this key of order (to wit, order under&s;tood in this &s;en&s;e) is common to all the mem|bers of the Church, whether Elders or brethren.</P>
<P>Furthermore, of <HI>Order</HI> there be <HI>two keyes:</HI> a key of <HI>power,</HI> or <HI>in|tere&s;t:</HI> And the key of <HI>Authority</HI> or <HI>Rule.</HI> The fir&s;t of the&s;e is termed in the Scriptures, <HI>Liberty:</HI> So di&s;tingui&s;hing it from that part of <HI>Rule</HI> and <HI>Authority</HI> in the officers of the Church. We &s;peak not here of that &s;pirituall liberty, whether of <HI>impunitie,</HI> whereby the chil|dren of God are &s;et free by the blood of Chri&s;t from Satan, hell, bon|dage of &s;in, cur&s;e of the Morall Law, and &s;ervice of the Ceremoniall Law: nor of <HI>immunitie</HI> whereby we have <HI>power to be called the &s;ons of God,</HI> to come boldly unto the throne of grace in prayer, and as heirs of glory, to look for our inheritance in light: but of that <HI>externall libertie,</HI> or <HI>intere&s;t</HI> which Chri&s;t al&s;o hath purcha&s;ed for his people, as libertie to enter into the fellow&s;hip of his Church, libertie to chu&s;e and call well gifted men to office in that his Church: libertie to partake in Sacraments, or &s;eals of the Covenant of the Churchs libertie and intere&s;t to joyn with officers in the due cen&s;ure of of|fenders, and the like. This libertie and the acts thereof, are often exemplified in the Acts of the Apo&s;tles: and the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> cal|leth it expre&s;ly by the name of libertie. <HI>Brethren</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>you have been called unto</HI> LIBERTY, <HI>onely u&s;e not your liberty as an occa&s;ion to the fle&s;h, but by love &s;erve one another.</HI> Galath. 5.13. that the Apo|&s;tle by that libertie meaneth Church libertie or power in order|ing Church affaires, will evidently appeare, if we con&s;ult with the context, rather then with Commenters. For the Apo&s;tle ha|ving &s;pent the former part of the Epi&s;tle, partly in the confirmation of his calling, partly in di&s;putation again&s;t ju&s;tification by the works of the Law, to the end of <HI>v.</HI> 8. of Chap. 5. in the ninth Ver&s;e he de&s;cendeth not to exhort unto <HI>bonos mores</HI> in generall, (as u&s;ual|ly Commenters take it) but to in&s;truct in Church Di&s;cipline, in
<PB N="9" REF="11">which he giveth three or foure directions to the tenth v. of Chap. 6.</P>
<P N="1">1 Touching the cen&s;ure of tho&s;e corrupt Teachers; who had perverted and troubled them with that corrupt Doctrine of ju&s;ti|fication by works. Chap. 5. ver. 9. to the end of the Chapter.</P>
<P N="2">2. Touching the gentle admonition and re&s;toring of a brother fallen by infirmitie, Chap. 6. ver. 1. to 5.</P>
<P N="3">3. Touching the maintenance of their Mini&s;ters, ver. 6, 7, 8. and beneficence to others, ver. 9, 10.</P>
<P>Touching the fir&s;t, the cen&s;ure of their corrupt teachers. 1 He layeth for the ground of it (that which him&s;elf gave for the ground of the excommunication of the ince&s;tuous Corinth, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.6.) <HI>A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.</HI> ver&s;. 9. 2 He pre&s;umeth the Church will be of the &s;ame mind with him, and concur in the cen|&s;ure of him that troubled them with corrupt doctrine, v. 10. (from fellow&s;hip with which corrupt doctrine he cleareth him&s;elf, v. 11.) 3 He proceedeth to declare, what cen&s;ure he wi&s;heth might be di&s;|pen&s;ed again&s;t him, and the re&s;t of tho&s;e corrupt teachers. <HI>I would</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>they were even cut off that trouble you:</HI> cut off, to wit, by ex|communication, ver. 12. Now le&s;t it &s;hould be objected by the bre|thren of the Church: But what power have we to cut them off? The Apo&s;tle an&s;wereth, they have a power and libertie (to wit, to joyn with the &s;ounder part of the Presbyterie, in ca&s;ting them out, or cutting them off:) <HI>For brethren</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>you are called unto liberty.</HI></P>
<P>If it &s;hould be further objected, Yea, but give the people this power and libertie in &s;ome ca&s;es, either to ca&s;t off their teachers, or to cut them off, the people will &s;oon take advantage to abu&s;e this libertie unto much carnall licentiou&s;ne&s;&s;e. The Apo&s;tle preventeth that with a word of whol&s;ome coun&s;ell: <HI>Brethren</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>you have been called unto libertie: onely u&s;e not your libertie as an occa&s;ion to the fle&s;h, but by love &s;erve one another,</HI> v. 13. and thereupon &s;ea&s;onably pur|&s;ueth this coun&s;ell with a caveat to beware of abu&s;ing this liberty to carnall contention, (an u&s;uall di&s;ea&s;e of popular liberty) and withall dehorteth them from all other fruits of the fle&s;h, to the end of the Chapter.</P>
<P>Evident therefore it is, that there is a key of power or libertie gi|ven to the Church (to the Brethren with the Elders) as to open a doore of entrance to the Mini&s;ters calling; &s;o to &s;hut the doore of entrance again&s;t them in &s;ome ca&s;es, as when through corrupt and pernicious doctrine, they turn from Shepherds to become ravenous wolves.</P>
<PB N="10" REF="12">
<P>Having &s;poken then of that fir&s;t key of order, namely, the key of <HI>power,</HI> (in a more large &s;en&s;e) or liberty in <HI>the Church,</HI> there remain|eth the other <HI>key of order,</HI> which is the key of <HI>Authority</HI> or of <HI>Rule,</HI> in a more &s;trict &s;en&s;e, which is in the <HI>Elders</HI> of the Church.</P>
<P><HI>Authoritie is a morall power, in a &s;uperiour order</HI> (or &s;tate) <HI>binding or relea&s;ing an inferious in point of &s;ubjection.</HI></P>
<P>This key when it was promi&s;ed to <HI>Peter,</HI> Matth. 16.19. and given to him with the re&s;t of the Apo&s;tles, <HI>Ioh.</HI> 20.23. they thereby had power to bind and loo&s;e: and it is the &s;ame Authority which is given to their &s;ucce&s;&s;ours the Elders whereby they are called to feed and rule the Church of God, as the Apo&s;tles had done before them. <HI>Act.</HI> 20.28. And indeed by opening and applying the Law (the &s;pirit of bondage accompanying the &s;ame) they bind &s;inners under the cur&s;e, and their con&s;ciences under guilt of &s;in, and fear of wrath, and &s;hut the kingdom of heaven again&s;t them. And by opening and applying the Go&s;pel (the Spirit of Adoption accompanying the &s;ame) they remit &s;in, and loo&s;e the con&s;ciences of beleeving repent|ing &s;ouls from guilt of &s;in, and open to them the doores of heaven. By vertue of this key, as they preach <HI>with all authoritie,</HI> not onely the doctrine of the Law, but al&s;o the Covenant of the Go&s;pel; &s;o they admini&s;ter the &s;eals thereof, Bapti&s;me, and the Lords Supper. By virtue al&s;o of this key, they with the Church do bind an ob&s;ti|nate offender under excommunication, <HI>Matth.</HI> 18.17, 18. and re|lea&s;e, and forgive him upon his repentance. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2.7.</P>
<P>This Di&s;tribution of the <HI>keyes,</HI> and &s;o of <HI>&s;pirituall power,</HI> in the things of Chri&s;ts kingdom we have received from the Scripture. But if any men out of love to Antiquitie, do rather affect to keep to the terms of the former more ancient Di&s;tribution (as there be who are as loath to change <HI>Antiquos terminos verborum,</HI> as <HI>agrorum</HI>) we would not &s;tick upon the words rightly explained, out of de&s;ire both to judge and &s;peak the &s;ame things with fellow-brethren. Onely then let them allow &s;ome &s;pirituall power to the key of knowledge, though not Church-power. And in Church power let them put in as well a <HI>key of liberty,</HI> that is, a power and priviledge <HI>of intere&s;t,</HI> as a <HI>key of Authoritie.</HI> And by their key of order, as they do under&s;tand the key of office, &s;o let them not divide from it the key of juri&s;diction (for Chri&s;t hath given no juri&s;diction, but to whom he hath given office) and &s;o we willingly con&s;ent with them.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="11" REF="12">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. III.</HI> Of the &s;ubject of the power of the keyes, to whom they are com|mitted: and fir&s;t of the key of knowledge, and Order.</HEAD>
<P>AS the keyes of the kingdom of heaven be divers, &s;o are the &s;ub|jects to whom they are committed, divers: as in the naturall body, diver&s;itie of functions belongeth to diver&s;ity of members.</P>
<P N="1">1. The <HI>key of knowledge</HI> (or which is all one, the key of Faith) belongeth to all the faithfull, whether joyned to any particular Church or no. As in the primitive times, men of grown yeers were fir&s;t called and converted to the faith, before they were received in|to the Church: And even now an Indian or Pagan may not be re|ceived into the Church, till he have fir&s;t received the faith, and have made profe&s;&s;ion of it before the Lord, and the Church: which argu|eth, that the key of knowledge is given not onely to the Church, but to &s;ome before they enter into the Church. And yet to Chri&s;ti|ans for the Churches &s;ake: that they who receive this grace of faith, by it may receive Chri&s;t and his benefits, and therewith may receive al&s;o this priviledge, to find an <HI>open doore</HI> &s;et before them, to enter into the fellow&s;hip of the Church.</P>
<P N="2">2. The <HI>key of order</HI> (&s;peaking as we do of Church order, as <HI>Paul</HI> doth, <HI>Col.</HI> 2.5.) belongeth to all &s;uch, who are in Church order, whether <HI>Elders</HI> or <HI>Brethren.</HI> For though Elders be in a &s;uperiour order, by rea&s;on of their office, yet the brethren (over whom the Elders are made Over&s;eers and Rulers) they &s;tand al&s;o in an order, even in orderly &s;ubjection, according to the order of the Go&s;pel. It is true, every faithful &s;oul that hath received a key of knowledge, is bound to watch over his neighbours &s;oul, as his own, and to ad|moni&s;h him of his &s;in, unle&s;&s;e he be a &s;corner: but this he doth, <HI>Non ratione ordinis, &s;ed intuitu charitatis:</HI> not by vertue of a &s;tate of order which he is in (till in Church fellow&s;hip) but as of common Chri|&s;tian love and charitie. But every faithfull Chri&s;tian who &s;tand|eth in Church order is bound to do the &s;ame, as well <HI>re&s;pectu or|dinis,</HI> as <HI>intuitu charitatis,</HI> by virtue of that royall Law, not onely of love, but of Church order, <HI>Matth.</HI> 18.15, 16, 17. whereby if his brother who offended him, do not hearken to his conviction and admonition, he is then according to order, to proceed further, taking one or two with him: and if the offender refu&s;e to hear them al&s;o, then he is by order to tell the Church, and afterwards walk towards him, as God &s;hall direct the Church to order it.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="12" REF="13">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. IIII.</HI> Of the &s;ubject to whom the key of Church <HI>priviledge, power,</HI> or <HI>Liberty</HI> is given.</HEAD>
<P>THis key is given to the Brethren of the Church: for &s;o &s;aith the Apo&s;tle, in <HI>Gal.</HI> 5.13. (in the place quoted and opened before) <HI>Brethren, you have been called to liberty.</HI></P>
<P>And indeed, as it is the <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, &amp; <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> of a Common-wealth, the right and due e&s;tabli&s;hment and ballancing of the <HI>liber|ties</HI> or <HI>priviledges</HI> of the people (which is in a true &s;en&s;e, may be cal|led a <HI>power</HI>) and the <HI>authority</HI> of the Magi&s;trate: &s;o it is the &s;afety of Church e&s;tate, the right and due &s;ettling and ordering of the holy <HI>power</HI> of the <HI>priviledges</HI> and <HI>liberties</HI> of the Brethren, and the mini|&s;teriall authority of the Elders. The Go&s;pel alloweth no Church authority (or rule properly &s;o called) to the Brethren, but re&s;erveth that wholly to the Elders; and yet preventeth the tyrannie and oli|garchy, and exorbitancy of the Elders, by the large and firm e&s;ta|bli&s;hment of the liberties of the Brethren, which ari&s;eth to a <HI>power</HI> in them. <HI>Bucers</HI> axiome is here notable; <HI>Pote&s;taspenes omnem Eccle|&s;iame&s;t; Authoritas mini&s;terii penes Presbyteros &amp; Epi&s;copos.</HI> In <HI>Mat.</HI> 16.19. where <HI>Pote&s;tas,</HI> or <HI>power</HI> being contradi&s;tingui&s;hed from <HI>Au|thoritas, Authority</HI> is nothing el&s;e but a liberty or priviledge.</P>
<P>The liberties of the Brethren, or of the Church con&s;i&s;ting of them, are many and great.</P>
<P N="1">1. The Church of Brethren hath the <HI>power, priviledges</HI> and <HI>liber|ty</HI> to choo&s;e their officers. In the choyce of an Apo&s;tle in to the place of <HI>Judas,</HI> the people went as far as humane vote and &s;uffrage could go. Out of 120. per&s;ons, (<HI>v.</HI> 15.) they cho&s;e out, and pre&s;ented two; out of which two (becau&s;e an Apo&s;tle was to be de&s;igned immediate|ly by God) God by lot cho&s;e one; And yet this one &s;o cho&s;en of God, <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, <HI>communibus omnium fuffragiis inter duodecim Apo&s;tolos allectus e&s;t, v.</HI> 26. was counted among&s;t the Apo&s;tles by the common &s;uffrages of them all. And this place <HI>Cyprian</HI> pre&s;&s;eth among&s;t others, to confirm the <HI>power,</HI> (that is <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, or <HI>priviledge,</HI> or <HI>liberty</HI>) of the people in choo&s;ing or refu&s;ing their Mini&s;ters. <HI>Plebs Chri&s;tiana</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>vel maxime pote&s;tatem habet, vel dignos &s;acerdotes eligendi, ves indignos recu&s;andi,</HI> Epi&s;tol. 4. lib. 1.</P>
<P>The like, or greater liberty is generally approved by the be&s;t of our Divines (&s;tudious of Reformation) from <HI>Act.</HI> 14.23.
<PB N="13" REF="13">They <HI>ordained them Elders, cho&s;en by lifting up of hands.</HI></P>
<P>The &s;ame <HI>power</HI> is cleerly expre&s;&s;ed in the choyce of Deacons, <HI>Act.</HI> 6.3.5, 6. The Apo&s;tles did not choo&s;e the Deacons, but called the multitude together, and &s;aid unto them, <HI>Brethren, looke you out &s;even men amongst you whom we may appoint over this bu&s;ine&s;&s;e: And the &s;aying plea&s;ed the whole multitude, and they cho&s;e</HI> Stephen, &amp;c.</P>
<P N="2">2. It is a <HI>priviledge,</HI> or a <HI>liberty</HI> the Church hath received, to &s;end forth one or more of their Elders, as the publike &s;ervice of Chri&s;t and of the Church may require. Thus <HI>Epaphroditus</HI> was a <HI>Me&s;&s;enger</HI> or <HI>Apo&s;tle</HI> of the Church of <HI>Philippi</HI> unto <HI>Paul,</HI> Phil. 2.25.</P>
<P N="3">3. The <HI>Brethren</HI> of the Church have <HI>power</HI> and <HI>liberty</HI> of propoun|ding any ju&s;t exception again&s;t &s;uch as offer them&s;elves to be admit|ted unto their communion, or unto the &s;eales of it: Hence <HI>Saul,</HI> when hee offered him&s;elf to the communion of the Church at <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> was not at fir&s;t admitted thereto, upon an exception taken again&s;t him by the <HI>Di&s;ciples</HI> till that exception was removed, <HI>Act.</HI> 9.26, 27. and <HI>Peter</HI> did not admit the family of <HI>Cornelius</HI> to Bapti&s;me, till he had inquired of the <HI>Brethren,</HI> if any of them had any exception again&s;t it, <HI>Act.</HI> 10.47.</P>
<P N="4">4. As the <HI>Brethren</HI> have a <HI>power</HI> of order, and the <HI>priviledge</HI> to ex|po&s;tulate with their <HI>Brethren,</HI> in ca&s;e of private &s;candals, according to the rule, <HI>Mat.</HI> 18.15, 16. So in ca&s;e of publike &s;candall, the whole Church of <HI>Brethren</HI> have <HI>power</HI> and <HI>priviledge</HI> to joyn with the <HI>Elders,</HI> in inquiring, hearing, judging of publike &s;candals; &s;o as to binde no|torious offenders and impenitents under cen&s;ure, and to forgive the repentant: For when Chri&s;t commandeth a brother, in ca&s;e that of|fence cannot be healed privately, then to <HI>tell the Church, Mat.</HI> 18.17. it nece&s;&s;arily implyeth that the Church mu&s;t heare him, and inquire into the offence complained of, and judge of the offence as they find it upon inquiry. When the Brethren that were of the circumci&s;ion expo&s;tulated with <HI>Peter</HI> about his communion with <HI>Cornelius,</HI> and his uncircumci&s;ed family, <HI>Peter</HI> did not reject them, and their com|plaint again&s;t him, as tran&s;gre&s;&s;ing the bounds of their ju&s;t <HI>power</HI> and <HI>priviledge,</HI> but readily addre&s;&s;ed him&s;elf to give &s;atisfaction to them all, <HI>Act.</HI> 1, 1, 2 to 18. The <HI>Brethren of the Church of Corinth</HI> being gathe|red together with their Elders, <HI>in the name of the Lord Je&s;us,</HI> and <HI>with his power, did deliver the ince&s;tuous per&s;on to Satan,</HI> 1 Cor. 5.4, 5. And <HI>Paul</HI> reproveth them all, Brethren as well as Elders, that they had no &s;ooner put him away from among&s;t them, <HI>v.</HI> 2. and expre&s;ly he alloweth to them all power <HI>to judge</HI> them that are within, <HI>v.</HI> 22.
<PB N="14" REF="14">Yea, and from thence argueth, in all the Saints, even in the meane&s;t of the Saints, and ability to judge between brethren, in the things of this life, as tho&s;e that have received &s;uch a &s;pirit of di&s;cerning from Chri&s;t, by which they &s;hall one day judge the world, even Angels, &s;o in the next Chapter, the 6. of that 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.2, 3, 4, 5. And the &s;ame <HI>Brethren</HI> of the &s;ame Church, as well as the <HI>Elders,</HI> he intreateth <HI>to forgive</HI> the &s;ame ince&s;tuous <HI>Corinthian,</HI> upon his repentance, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2.7, 8.</P>
<P>If it be &s;aid, to <HI>judge</HI> is an act of rule; and to be Rulers of the Church, is not given to all the Brethren, but to the Elders only: <HI>An&s;w.</HI> All judgement is not an act of authority or rule, for there is a judgement of di&s;cretion, by way of <HI>priviledge,</HI> as well as of au|thority by way of &s;entence: That of di&s;cretion is common to all the Brethren, as well as that of authority belongeth to the Presbytery of that Church. In <HI>England,</HI> the Jury by their verdict, as well as the Judge by his &s;entence, do both of them judge the &s;ame male|factor; yet in the Jury their verdict is but an act of their popular liberty: In the Judge it is an act of his judiciall authority.</P>
<P>If it be demanded, What difference is there between the&s;e two?</P>
<P>The an&s;wer is ready, Great is the difference: for though the Jury have given up their judgement and verdict, yet the malefactor is not thereupon legally condemned, much le&s;&s;e executed, but upon the &s;entence of the Judge: In like &s;ort here, though the Brethren of the Church do with one accord give up their vote and judge|ment for the cen&s;ure of an offender, yet he is not thereby cen&s;ured, till upon the &s;entence of the Presbytery.</P>
<P>If it be &s;aid again; Yea, but it is an act of authority to binde and loo&s;e, and the power to bind and loo&s;e, Chri&s;t gave to the whole Church, <HI>Mat.</HI> 18.18.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The whole Church may be &s;aid to bind and loo&s;e, in that the Brethren con&s;ent, and concurre with the Elders, both before the Cen&s;ure in di&s;cerning it to be ju&s;t and equall, and in declaring their di&s;cernment, by lifting up of their hands, or by &s;ilence: and after the cen&s;ure, in rejecting the offender cen&s;ured from their wonted Com|munion. And yet their di&s;cerning or approving of the ju&s;tice of the cen&s;ure before-hand, is not a preventing of the Elders in their work. For the Elders before that have not onely privately examined the offender and his offence, and the proofes thereof, to prepare the mat|ter and ripen it for the Churches cognizance: but doe al&s;o publick|ly revi&s;e the heads of all the materiall pa&s;&s;ages thereof before the
<PB N="15" REF="14">Church: and doe withall declare to the Church the coun&s;ell and will of God therein, that they may rightly di&s;cerne and approve what cen&s;ure the Lord requireth to be admini&s;tred in &s;uch a ca&s;e. So that the peoples di&s;cerning and approving the ju&s;tice of the cen|&s;ure before it be admini&s;tred, ari&s;eth from the Elders former in&s;tru|ction and direction of them therein: Whereunto the people give con|&s;ent, in obedience to the will and rule of Chri&s;t. Hence is that &s;peech of the Apo&s;tle; <HI>Wee have in readine&s;&s;e to revenge all di&s;obedience, when your OBEDIENCE IS F&V;LFILLED,</HI> 2 Cor. 10.6. The Apo&s;tles revenge of di&s;obedience by way of reproofe in preaching, doth not follow the peoples obedience, but proceedeth whether the people obey it or no. It was therefore their revenge of di&s;obedience by way of cen&s;ure in di&s;cipline, which they had in readine&s;&s;e, when the obedience of the Church is fulfilled in di&s;cerning and approving the Equitie of the Cen&s;ure, which the Apo&s;tles or Elders have declared to them from the Word.</P>
<P>This power or priviledge of the Church in dealing in this &s;ort with a &s;candalous offender, may not be limited only to a private bro|ther offending, but may reach al&s;o to an offen&s;ive Elder. For (as hath been touched already) it is plaine that the Brethren of the Circum|ci&s;ion, &s;uppo&s;ing <HI>Peter</HI> to have given an offence in eating with men uncircumci&s;ed, they openly expo&s;tulated with him about his offence: and he &s;tood not with them upon termes of his Apo&s;tle&s;hip, much le&s;&s;e of his Elder&s;hip, but willingly &s;ubmitted him&s;elfe to give &s;atis|faction to them all, <HI>Act.</HI> 11.2. to 18. And <HI>Paul</HI> writeth to the Church of <HI>Colo&s;&s;e,</HI> to deale with <HI>Archippus,</HI> warning him to &s;ee to the fulfilling of his Mini&s;tery, <HI>Col.</HI> 4.17. And very pregnant is his direction to the <HI>Galatians,</HI> for their proceeding to the utmo&s;t with their corrupt and &s;candalous fal&s;e Teachers. <HI>I would</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>they were even cut off that trouble you;</HI> And that upon this very ground of their <HI>libertie, Gal.</HI> 5.12, 13. as hath been opened above in Chap. 2.</P>
<P>But whether the Church hath power or libertie for proceeding to the utmo&s;t cen&s;ure of their whole Presbytery, is a Que&s;tion of more difficultie.</P>
<P>For 1. It cannot well be conceived that the whole Presbytery &s;hould be proceeded again&s;t, but that by rea&s;on of their &s;trong in|fluence into the hearts of many of the Brethren, a &s;trong partie of the Brethren will be ready to &s;ide with them: and in ca&s;e of finding di&s;|&s;en&s;ion and oppo&s;ition, the Church ought not to proceed without con&s;ulting with the Synod. As when there aro&s;e di&s;&s;en&s;ion in the
<PB N="16" REF="15">Church at <HI>Antioch,</HI> and SIDING, (or as the word is <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">) they &s;ent up to the Apo&s;tles and Elders at <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> who in way of Synod de|termined the bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, <HI>Act.</HI> 15.2. to 23. A precedent and patterne of due Church proceedings in ca&s;e of di&s;&s;en&s;ion, when &s;ome take with one &s;ide, &s;ome with another. But of that more here after.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Excommunication</HI> is one of the <HI>highe&s;t</HI> acts of <HI>Rule</HI> in the Church, and therefore cannot be performed but by &s;ome Rulers. Now where all the Elders are culpable, there be no Rulers left in that Church to cen&s;ure them. As therefore the Presbytery cannot excommunicate the whole Church, (though Apo&s;tate) for they mu&s;t tell the Church, and joyne with the Church in that Cen&s;ure: &s;o nei|ther can the Church excommunicate the whole Presbytery, becau&s;e they have not received from Chri&s;t an office of rule, without their Officers.</P>
<P>If it be &s;aid, the <HI>twentie-foure Elders</HI> (who repre&s;ent the private members of the Church, as the <HI>foure living Creatures</HI> doe the foure Officers) had all of them <HI>Crowns</HI> upon their heads, and <HI>&s;ate</HI> upon <HI>thrones</HI> (<HI>Rev.</HI> 4.4.) which are &s;ignes of regall authoritie: The an|&s;wer is, The crowns and thrones argue them to be <HI>Kings,</HI> no more then their <HI>white rayments</HI> argue them to be <HI>Prie&s;ts, ver.</HI> 4. but nei|ther Prie&s;ts nor Kings by office, but by libertie to performe like &s;pi|rituall duties by grace, which the other doe by grace and office: As Prie&s;ts they offer up &s;pirituall &s;acrifices: and as Kings they rule their lu&s;ts, pa&s;&s;ions, them&s;elves, and their families, yea, the world and Church al&s;o after a &s;ort: the world, by improving it to &s;pirituall ad|vantage: and the Church, by appointing their own Officers, and like|wi&s;e in cen&s;uring their offenders, not onely by their officers, (which is as much as Kings are wont to doe) but al&s;o by their own royall a&s;|&s;ent, which Kings are not wont to doe, but onely in the execution of Nobles.</P>
<P>But neverthele&s;&s;e, though the Church want authoritie to excom|municate their Presbytery, yet they want not libertie to withdraw from them: For &s;o <HI>Paul</HI> in&s;tructeth and be&s;eecheth the Church of <HI>Rome</HI> (whom the holy Gho&s;t fore&s;aw would mo&s;t &s;tand in need of this coun&s;ell) to make u&s;e of this libertie: <HI>I be&s;eech you</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>mark &s;uch as cau&s;e divi&s;ions and offences, contrary to the DOCTRINE you have received,</HI> <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, <HI>WITHDRAW from them.</HI></P>
<P>So then, by the agitation of this objection, there appeare two li|berties of the Church more to be added to the former.</P>
<P>One is this (which is the fifth libertie in members) the Church
<PB N="17" REF="15">hath libertie in ca&s;e of di&s;&s;en&s;ion among&s;t them&s;elves to re&s;ort to a Synod, <HI>Act.</HI> 15.1, 2. Where al&s;o it appeareth the Brethren enjoy|ed this libertie, to di&s;pute their doubts till they were &s;atisfied, <HI>ver.</HI> 7.12. to joyne with the Apo&s;tles and Elders in the definitive &s;entence, and in the promulgation of the &s;ame, <HI>ver.</HI> 22, 23.</P>
<P>The &s;ixt Libertie of the Church is, To withdraw from the com|munion of tho&s;e, whom they want authoritie to excommunicate. For as they &s;et up the Presbytery, by profe&s;&s;ing their &s;ubjection to them in the Lord: &s;o they avoyd them by profe&s;&s;ed withdrawing their &s;ubjection from them according to God.</P>
<P>A &s;eventh and la&s;t libertie of the Church, is, Libertie of commu|nion with other Churches. Communion we &s;ay: for it is a great Li|bertie, that no particular Church &s;tandeth in &s;ubjection to another particular Church, no, not to a Cathedrall Church: but that all the Churches enjoy mutuall brotherly communion among&s;t them&s;elves: which communion is mutually exerci&s;ed among&s;t them &s;even waies, which for brevitie and memory &s;ake, we &s;umme up in &s;even words. 1. By way of Participation. 2. Of Recommendation. 3. Of Con&s;ulta|tion. 4. Of Congregation into a Synod. 5. Of Contribution. 6. Of Admonition. 7. Of Propagation or Multiplication of Churches.</P>
<P N="1">1. By way of Participation, the members of one Church, occa|&s;ionally comming to another Church, where the Lords Supper com|meth to be admini&s;tred, are willingly admitted to partake with them at the Lords Supper, in ca&s;e that neither them&s;elves, nor the Chur|ches from whence they came, doe lie under any publique offence. For wee receive the Lords Supper, not onely as a Seale of our com|munion with the Lord Je&s;us, and with his members in our owne Church, but al&s;o in all the Churches of the Saints.</P>
<P N="2">2. By way of Recommendation; Letters are &s;ent from one Church to another, recommending to their watchfulne&s;&s;e and communi|on, any of their members, who by occa&s;ion of bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, are for a time to re&s;ide among&s;t them. As <HI>Paul</HI> &s;ent Letters of Recommen|dation to the Church of <HI>Rome,</HI> in the behalfe of <HI>Phoebe,</HI> a Deacone&s;&s;e of the Church at <HI>Cenchrea,</HI> Rom. 16.1, 2. And of the&s;e kind of Let|ters he &s;peaketh to the Church of <HI>Coriuth</HI> al&s;o, though not as need|full to him&s;elfe (who was well known to them) yet for others, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.1.</P>
<P>But if a member of one Church have ju&s;t occa&s;ion to remove him|&s;elfe, and his family, to take up his &s;etled habitation in another Church, then the Letters written by the Church in his behalfe, doe
<PB N="18" REF="16">recommend him to their perpetuall watchfulne&s;&s;e and communion. And if the other church have no ju&s;t cau&s;e to refu&s;e him, they of his own church do by tho&s;e letters wholly di&s;mi&s;&s;e him from them|&s;elves; whereupon the letters (for di&s;tinction &s;ake) are called let|ters of di&s;mi&s;&s;ion; which indeed do not differ from the other, but in the durance of the recommendation, the one recommending him for a time, the other for ever.</P>
<P N="3">3. By way of con&s;ultation, one Church hath liberty of communi|cating with another to require their judgement and coun&s;ell, touch|ing any per&s;ons or cau&s;e, wherewith they may be better acquainted then them&s;elves. Thus the Church of <HI>Antioch</HI> by their me&s;&s;engers con&s;ulted with the Church at <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> touching the nece&s;&s;ity of circumci&s;ion, <HI>Act.</HI> 15.3. although the con&s;ultation brought forth a further effect of communion with Churches; to wit, their Con|gregation into a Synod. Which is the fourth way of communion of Churches: All of the Churches have the like liberty of &s;ending their me&s;&s;engers to debate and determine in a Synod, &s;uch matters as do concern them all; As the Church of <HI>Antioch</HI> &s;ent me&s;&s;engers to <HI>Je|ru&s;alem</HI> for re&s;olution and &s;atisfaction in a doubt that troubled them: the like liberty by proportion might any other Church have taken; yea, many Churches together; yea, all the Churches in the world, in any ca&s;e that might concern them all. What authority the&s;e Synods have received, and may put forth, will come to be con&s;idered in the &s;equele.</P>
<P>A fifth way of communion of Churches is, the liberty of giving and receiving mutuall &s;upplies and &s;uccours one from another. The Church of <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> communicated to the Churches of the <HI>Gentiles,</HI> their &s;pirituall trea&s;ures of gifts of Grace; and the Chur|ches of the <HI>Gentiles</HI> mini&s;tred back again to them, liberall oblations of outward beneficence, <HI>Rom.</HI> 15.26, 27. <HI>Act.</HI> 11.29, 30. When the Church of <HI>Antioch</HI> aboundeth with more variety of &s;pirituall gifted men then the &s;tate of their own Church &s;tood in need of; they fa&s;ted and prayed; as for other ends, &s;o for the inlargement of Chri&s;ts Kingdome in the improvement of them. And the Holy Gho&s;t opened them a dore for the &s;uccour of many countries about them, by the &s;ending forth of &s;ome of them, <HI>Act.</HI> 13.1, 2, 3.</P>
<P>A &s;ixth way of communion of Churches is by way of mutuall ad|monition, when a publike offence is found among&s;t any of them: For as <HI>Paul</HI> had liberty to admoni&s;h <HI>Peter</HI> before the whole Church at <HI>Antioch,</HI> when hee &s;aw him walke not with a right foot (and yet
<PB N="19" REF="16"><HI>Paul</HI> had no authority over <HI>Peter,</HI> but onely both of them had equall mutuall intere&s;t one in another) <HI>Gal.</HI> 2.11. to 14. So by the &s;ame proportion, one Church hath liberty to admoni&s;h another, though they be both of them of equall authority; &s;eeing one Church hath as much intere&s;t in another, as one Apo&s;tle in another. And if by the royall law of love, one Brother hath liberty to admoni&s;h his bro|ther in the &s;ame Church, (<HI>Mat.</HI> 18.15, 16.) then by the &s;ame rule of brotherly love and mutuall watchfulne&s;s one Church hath power to admoni&s;h another, in faithfulne&s;&s;e to the Lord, and unto them. The Church in the <HI>Canticles</HI> took care not only for her own mem|bers, but for her little &s;i&s;ter, which &s;he thought had no brea&s;t; yea, and con&s;ulteth with other churches what to do for her, <HI>Cant.</HI> 8.8. And would &s;he not then have taken like care, in ca&s;e their little &s;i&s;ter having brea&s;ts, her brea&s;ts had been di&s;tempered, and given corrupt matter in &s;tead of milke?</P>
<P>A &s;eventh way of communion of churches may be by way of pro|pagation and multiplication of churches: As when a particular Church of Chri&s;t &s;hall grow &s;o full of members, as all of them cannot heare the voyce of their Mini&s;ters; then as an Hive full of Bees &s;warmeth forth, &s;o is the church occa&s;ioned to &s;end forth a &s;ufficient number of her members, fit to enter into a church-&s;tate, and to carrry along church-work among&s;t them&s;elves. And for that end they either &s;end forth &s;ome one or other of their Elders with them, or direct them where to procure &s;uch to come unto them. The like cour&s;e is wont to be taken, when &s;undry Chri&s;tians com|ing over from one countrey to another; &s;uch as are come over fir&s;t, and are them&s;elves full of company, direct tho&s;e that come after them, and a&s;&s;i&s;t them in like &s;ort, in the combination of them&s;elves into Church order, according to the rule of the Go&s;pel. Though the Apo&s;tles be dead, who&s;e office it was to plant &amp; gather and multiply Churches; yet the work is not dead, but the &s;ame power of the keyes is left with the Churches in common, and with each particular church for her part, according to their mea&s;ure, to pro|pagate and inlarge the kingdome of Chri&s;t (as God &s;hall give op|portunity) throughout all generations.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="20" REF="17">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. V.</HI> Of the &s;ubject to whom the key of <HI>Authority</HI> is committed.</HEAD>
<P>THe key of <HI>Authoritie</HI> or <HI>Rule,</HI> is committed to the Elders of the Church, and &s;o the act of Rule is made the proper act of their office. <HI>The Elders that rule well,</HI> &amp;c. 1 Tim. 5.17. Heb. 13.7.17.</P>
<P>The &s;peciall acts of this rule are many.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t and principall is that which the <HI>Elders who labour in the Word and Doctrine,</HI> are chiefly to attend unto, that is, the <HI>preach|ing of the Word with all Authoritie,</HI> and that which is annexed thereto, the admini&s;tration of the Sacraments or &s;eals. <HI>Speak, rebuke and exhort</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Paul</HI> to <HI>Titus</HI>) <HI>with all authoritie.</HI> Tit. 2.15. And that the admini&s;tration of the &s;eals is annexed thereto, is plain from <HI>Matth.</HI> 28.19, 20. <HI>Go</HI> (&s;aith Chri&s;t to the Apo&s;tles) <HI>make Di&s;ciples, and baptize them, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>If it be objected, private members may all of them prophecie pub|liquely, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14 31. and therefore al&s;o baptize: and &s;o this act of Authority is not peculiar to preaching Elders.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> 1. The place in the Corinths doth not &s;peak of ordinarie private members, but of men furni&s;hed with extraordinary gifts. Kings at the time of their fir&s;t Coronation give many extraordinary large gifts, which they do not daily poure out in like &s;ort in their ordinary government. Chri&s;t &s;oon after his a&s;cenfion poured out a larger mea&s;ure of his &s;pirit then in times &s;ucceeding. The mem|bers of the Church of Corinth (as of many other in tho&s;e primi|tive times) were <HI>inriched with all knowledge, and in all utterance.</HI> I <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.5. And the &s;ame per&s;ons that had the <HI>gift of prophe&s;ie</HI> in the Church of Corinth, had al&s;o <HI>the gift of tongues,</HI> which put up|on the Apo&s;tle a nece&s;&s;itie to take them off from their frequent &s;peaking with tongues, by preferring prophe&s;ie before it, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14.2. to 24. So that though all they might prophe&s;ie (as having extraordinary gifts for it) yet the like libertie is not allowed to them that want the like gifts. In the <HI>Church</HI> of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> none be&s;ides the <HI>Prie&s;ts</HI> and <HI>Levites,</HI> did ordinarily prophe&s;ie, either in the Tem|ple, or in the Synagogues, unle&s;&s;e they were either furni&s;hed with extraordinatie gifts of prophe&s;ie, (as the Prophets of I&s;rael) or were &s;et apart, and trained up, to prepare for &s;uch a calling, <HI>as the &s;ons of the Prophets.</HI> When <HI>Amos</HI> was forbidden by the <HI>high Prie&s;t</HI> of <HI>Bethel,</HI> to prophe&s;ie at <HI>Bethel, Amos</HI> doth not alledge nor plead
<PB N="21" REF="17">the libertie of any I&s;raelite to prophe&s;ie in the holy A&s;&s;emblies, but alledgeth onely his extraordinarie calling, <HI>Amos</HI> 7.14, 15. It ap|peareth al&s;o that the <HI>&s;ons of the Prophets,</HI> that is, men &s;et apart, and trained up to prepare for that calling, were allowed the like libertie, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 19.20.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 2. But neither the &s;ons of the Prophets, nor the Prophets them&s;elves, were wont to offer &s;acrifices in I&s;rael, (except <HI>Samuel</HI> and <HI>Eliah</HI> by &s;peciall direction) nor did the extraordinarie Prophets in Corinth take upon them to admini&s;ter Sacraments.</P>
<P>If any reply, That if the Prophets in the Church at Corinth had been endued with extraordinarie gi&s;ts of prophefie, they had not been <HI>&s;ubject</HI> to the <HI>judgement of the Prophets,</HI> which the&s;e are direct|ed to be. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14.22.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> It followeth not. For the people of God were to examine all prophe&s;ies, <HI>by the Law</HI> and <HI>te&s;timonie,</HI> and not to receive them but according to that rule. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 8.20. Yea, and <HI>Paul</HI> him&s;elf refer|reth all his Doctrine <HI>to the Law</HI> and <HI>Prophets. Act.</HI> 26.22. And the Bereans are commended for examining <HI>Pauls</HI> doctrine according to the Scriptures. <HI>Act.</HI> 17.11, 12.</P>
<P N="2">2. A &s;econd act of Authoritie common to the Elders, is, they have power, as any weighty occa&s;ion &s;hall require, <HI>to call the Church</HI> together, as the <HI>Apo&s;tles called the Church together</HI> for the election of Deacons, <HI>Act.</HI> 6.2. And in like &s;ort are the <HI>Prie&s;ts</HI> of the old Te&s;tament &s;tirred up to call a <HI>&s;olemne A&s;&s;embly,</HI> to gather the Elders, and all the inhabitants of the land, to <HI>&s;anctifie a Fa&s;t. Joel</HI> 1.13, 14.</P>
<P N="3">3. It is an act of their power, to examine, if Apo&s;tles, then any others (whether officers or members) before they be received of the Church. <HI>Rev.</HI> 2.2.</P>
<P>A fourth act of their rule is, the <HI>Ordination of officers</HI> (whom the people have cho&s;en) whether Elders or Deacons. 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4.14. <HI>Act.</HI> 6.6.</P>
<P N="5">5. It is an act of the <HI>key of Authoritie,</HI> that the Elders <HI>open the doores of &s;peech and &s;ilence</HI> in the A&s;&s;embly. They were the <HI>Rulers of the Synagogue,</HI> who &s;ent to <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Barnabas</HI> to open their mouthes in a <HI>word of exhortation, Act.</HI> 13.15. and it is the &s;ame power which calleth men to &s;peak, to put men to &s;ilence when they &s;peak ami&s;&s;e. And yet when the <HI>Elders</HI> them&s;elves do lie under of|fence, or under &s;u&s;pition of it, the Brethren have liberty to require &s;atisfaction, in a mode&s;t manner, concerning any publick breach of rule, as hath been mentioned above out of <HI>Act.</HI> 11.2, 3, &amp;c.</P>
<PB N="22" REF="18">
<P N="6">6. It belongeth to the <HI>Elders</HI> to <HI>prepare matters beforehand,</HI> which are to be tran&s;acted by them&s;elves, or others in the face of the Congregation, as the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> and <HI>Elders</HI> being met at the hou&s;e of <HI>Iames,</HI> gave direction to <HI>Paul,</HI> how to carry him&s;elf, that he might prevent the offence of the Church, when he &s;hould appear before them. <HI>Act.</HI> 21.18. Hence when the offence of a brother is (ac|cording to the rule in <HI>Matth.</HI> 18.17.) to be brought to the <HI>Church,</HI> they are beforehand to con&s;ider and enquire whether the offence be really given or no, whether duely proved, and orderly proceeded in by the Brethren, according to rule, and not duly &s;atisfied by the offender: le&s;t them&s;elves and the Church, be openly cumbred with unnece&s;&s;ary and tedious agitations: but that all things tran&s;acted before the Church, be carried along with mo&s;t expedition and be&s;t edification. In which re&s;pect they have power to reject cau&s;le&s;&s;e and di&s;orderly complaints, as well as to propound and handle ju&s;t complaints before the Congregation.</P>
<P N="7">7. In the handling of an offence before the Church, the Elders have authoritie both <HI>Jus dicere,</HI> and <HI>Sententiam &s;erre;</HI> When the of|fence appeareth truly &s;candalous; the Elders have power from God to informe the Church, what the <HI>Law</HI> (or <HI>Rule</HI> and <HI>will</HI>) of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is for the cen&s;ure of &s;uch an offence: And when the Church di&s;cerns the &s;ame, and hath no ju&s;t exception again&s;t it, but conde&s;cendeth thereto, it is a further act of the Elders power, to <HI>give &s;entence</HI> a|gain&s;t the offender. Both the&s;e acts of power in the Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pel, are foretold by <HI>Ezekiel,</HI> Chap. 44.23, 24. <HI>They &s;hall teach my people the difference between holy and prophane, and cau&s;e them to di&s;|cerne between the uncleane and the cleane.</HI> And in <HI>controver&s;ie they &s;hall &s;tand in judgement,</HI> and <HI>they &s;hall judge it according to my judgement, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="8">8. The Elders have power <HI>to di&s;mi&s;&s;e the Church,</HI> with <HI>a ble&s;&s;ing</HI> in the name of the Lord, <HI>Num.</HI> 6.23. to 26. <HI>Heb.</HI> 7.7.</P>
<P N="9">9. The <HI>Elders</HI> have received power, to <HI>charge</HI> any of the people in <HI>private,</HI> that none of them live either <HI>inordinately</HI> without a calling, or <HI>idlely</HI> in their calling, or <HI>&s;candalou&s;ly</HI> in any &s;ort, 2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 3.6. &amp; <HI>ver.</HI> 8, 10, 11, 12. The Apo&s;tles command argueth a power in the Elders, to charge the&s;e duties upon the people effectually.</P>
<P N="10">10. What power belongeth to the Elders in a <HI>Synod;</HI> is more fit|ly to be &s;poken to in the <HI>Chapter</HI> of <HI>Synods.</HI></P>
<P N="11">11. In ca&s;e the Church &s;hould fall away to bla&s;phemy again&s;t Chri&s;t, and ob&s;tinate rejection and per&s;ecution of the way of grace, and either no Synod to be hoped for, or no helpe by a Synod, the El|ders
<PB N="23" REF="18">have power to <HI>withdraw</HI> (or <HI>&s;eparate</HI>) the <HI>Di&s;ciples</HI> from them, and to carry away the Ordinances with them, and therewithall &s;adly to denounce the ju&s;t judgement of God again&s;t them, <HI>Act.</HI> 19.9 <HI>Exod.</HI> 33.7. <HI>Mark.</HI> 6.11. <HI>Luk.</HI> 10, 11. <HI>Act.</HI> 13.46.</P>
<P><HI>Obj.</HI> But if Elders have all this power to exerci&s;e all the&s;e acts of Rule, partly over the private members, partly over the whole Church, how are they then called the <HI>&s;ervants of the Church?</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.5.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The Elders to be both &s;ervants and Rulers of the Church, may both of them &s;tand well together. For their rule is not lordly, as if they ruled of them&s;elves, or for them&s;elves, but &s;tewardly and mini&s;teriall, as ruling the Church from Chri&s;t, and al&s;o from their call: and withall, ruling the Church for Chri&s;t; and for the Church, even for their &s;pirituall everla&s;ting good. A Queene may call her &s;ervants, her mariners, to pilot and conduct her over the Sea to &s;uch an Haven: yet they being called by her to &s;uch an office, &s;hee mu&s;t not rule them in &s;teering their cour&s;e, but mu&s;t &s;ubmit her &s;elfe to be ruled by them, till they have brought her to her de&s;ired Haven. So is the ca&s;e between the Church and her Elders.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="6" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. VI.</HI> Of the Power and <HI>Authoritie</HI> given to <HI>Synods.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>SYnods</HI> wee acknowledge, being rightly ordered, as an Ordinance of Chri&s;t. Of their A&s;&s;embly wee find three ju&s;t cau&s;es in Scrip|ture. 1. When a Church wanting light or peace at home, de&s;ireth the coun&s;ell and helpe of other Churches, few or moe. Thus the <HI>Church of Antioch</HI> being annoyed with corrupt teachers, who dark|ned the light of the truth, and bred no &s;mall di&s;&s;en&s;ion among&s;t them in the Church; they &s;ent <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Barnabas</HI> and other <HI>me&s;&s;engers</HI> un|to the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> and <HI>Elders</HI> at Hieru&s;alem, for the e&s;tabli&s;hment of Truth and Peace. In joyning the Elders to the Apo&s;tles (and that doubtle&s;&s;e by the advi&s;e of <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Barnabas</HI>) it argueth that they &s;ent not to the Apo&s;tles as extraordinary and infallible, and authen|ticall Oracles of God, (for then what need the advi&s;e and helpe of Elders?) but as wi&s;e and holy guides of the Church, who might not onely relieve them by &s;ome wi&s;e coun&s;ell, and holy order, but al&s;o &s;et a Precedent to &s;ucceeding ages, how errours and di&s;&s;en&s;ions in Churches might be removed and healed. And the cour&s;e which the
<PB N="24" REF="19">Apo&s;tles and Elders tooke for clearing the matter, was not by pub|li&s;hing the coun&s;ell of God with Apo&s;tolick authoritie, from imme|diate revelation, but by &s;earching out the truth in an ordinary way of free di&s;putation, <HI>Act.</HI> 15. <HI>v.</HI> 7. which is as fit a cour&s;e for imi|tation in after ages, as it was &s;ea&s;onable for practice then.</P>
<P N="2">2. Ju&s;t con&s;equence from Scripture giveth us another ground for the a&s;&s;embly of many churches, or of their me&s;&s;engers, into a Sy|nod, when any church lyeth under &s;candall, through corrupti|on in doctrine and practice, and will not be healed by more private adverti&s;ements of their own members, or of their neighbour Mini|&s;ters, or Brethren. For there is a brotherly communion, as be|tween the members of the &s;ame church, &s;o between the churches. <HI>We have a little &s;i&s;ter</HI> (&s;aith one church to another, <HI>Cant.</HI> 8.8.) there|fore churches have a brotherly communion among&s;t them&s;elves. Look then as one brother being offended with another, and not able to heal him by the mouth of two or three brethren private|ly, it behooveth him to carry it to the whole church; &s;o by propor|tion, if one church &s;ee matter of offence in another, and be not able to heal it in a more private way, it will hehove them to pro|cure the A&s;&s;embly of many churches, that the offence may be order|ly heard, and judged and removed.</P>
<P N="3">3. It may &s;o fall out, that the &s;tate of all the churches in the countrey may be corrupted; and beginning to di&s;cern their corrupti|on, may de&s;ire the concur&s;e and coun&s;ell of one another, for a &s;pee|dy, and &s;afe, and generall reformation. And then &s;o meeting and conferring together, may renew their covenant with God, and con|clude and determine upon a cour&s;e, that may tend to the publike healing, and &s;alvation of them all. This was a frequent practice in the old Te&s;tament, in the time of <HI>A&s;a,</HI> 2 <HI>Cron.</HI> 15.10. to 15. in the time of <HI>Hezekiah,</HI> 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 29.4. to 19. In the time of <HI>Jo&s;iah,</HI> 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 34.29. to 33. and in the time of <HI>Ezra,</HI> Ezra 10.1. to 5. The&s;e and the like examples were not peculiar to the <HI>I&s;raelites,</HI> as one in|tire <HI>nationall church:</HI> For in that re&s;pect they appealed from every <HI>Synagogue</HI> and Court in <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> to the <HI>nationall high Prie&s;t,</HI> and Court at <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> as being all of them &s;ubordinate thereunto (and there|fore that precedent is u&s;ually waved by our be&s;t Divines, as not ap|pliable to Chri&s;tian churches:) but the&s;e examples hold forth no &s;uperiority in one church or court over another, but all of them in an equall manner, give advice in common, and take one common cour&s;e for redre&s;&s;e of all. And therefore &s;uch examples are fit precedents
<PB N="25" REF="19">for churches of equall power within them&s;elves, to a&s;&s;emble toge|gether, and take order with one accord, for the reformation of them all.</P>
<P>Now a <HI>Synod</HI> being a&s;&s;embled; three que&s;tions ari&s;e about their power: 1. <HI>What</HI> is that <HI>power</HI> they have received? 2. How far the <HI>fraternity concurreth</HI> with the Presbyterie in it; the brotherhood with the Elder&s;hip? 3. Whether the power they have recieved reacheth to the injoyning of things, both in their nature, and in their u&s;e indifferent?</P>
<P>For the fir&s;t; we dare not &s;ay that their power reacheth no farther then giving coun&s;ell: for &s;uch as their ends be, for which according to God, they do a&s;&s;emble, &s;uch is the power given them of God, as may attain tho&s;e ends. As they meet to mini&s;ter light and peace to &s;uch churches, as through want of light and peace lye in error (or doubt at lea&s;t) and variance; &s;o they have power by the grace of Chri&s;t, not only to give light and coun&s;ell in matter of Truth and Practice; but al&s;o to command and enjoyn the things to be believed and done. The expre&s;&s;e words of the Synodall letter imply no le&s;&s;e; <HI>It &s;eemed good to the Holy Gho&s;t, and unto us, to lay upon you no other burthen,</HI> Act. 15.27. This burthen therefore, to ob&s;erve tho&s;e nece&s;|&s;ary things which they &s;peak of, they had power to impo&s;e. It is an act of the binding power of the keys, to <HI>bind burthens.</HI> And this <HI>binding power</HI> ari&s;eth not only <HI>materially</HI> from the weight of the mat|ters impo&s;ed, (which are nece&s;&s;ary <HI>nece&s;&s;itate praecepti</HI> from the word) but al&s;o <HI>formally,</HI> from the authority of the Synod, which being an Ordinance of Chri&s;t, bindeth the more for the Synods &s;ake. As a truth of the Go&s;pel taught by a Mini&s;ter of the Go&s;pel, it bindeth to faith an obedience, not only becau&s;e it is Go&s;pel, but al&s;o becau&s;e it is taught by a Mini&s;ter for his callings &s;ake, &s;eeing Chri&s;t hath &s;aid, <HI>Who &s;o receiveth you receiveth me.</HI> And &s;eeing al&s;o a Synod &s;ometime meeteth to convince, and <HI>admoni&s;h</HI> an offending church or Presby|terie; they have <HI>power</HI> therefore, (if they cannot heal the offenders) to <HI>determine to withdraw communion from them.</HI> And further, &s;eeing they meet likewi&s;e &s;ometimes for generall reformation; they have power to <HI>decree</HI> and publi&s;h &s;uch <HI>Ordinances,</HI> as may conduce ac|cording to God, unto &s;uch reformation: Examples whereof wee read, <HI>Neh.</HI> 10.32. to 39. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 15.12, 13.</P>
<P>For the &s;econd que&s;tion; How far the <HI>Fraternity,</HI> or the <HI>Brethren</HI> of the church, may <HI>concurre</HI> with the <HI>Elders</HI> in exerci&s;ing the power of the Synod?</P>
<PB N="26" REF="20">
<P>The An&s;wer is; The power which they have received, is a power of liberty: As 1. They have liberty to <HI>di&s;pute their doubts</HI> mode&s;tly and Chri&s;tanly among&s;t the <HI>Elders:</HI> For in that Synod at <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> as there was <HI>much di&s;putation, Act.</HI> 15.7. &s;o the <HI>multitude</HI> had a part in the <HI>Di&s;putation,</HI> v. 12. For after <HI>Peters</HI> &s;peech, it is &s;aid, <HI>the whole multitude kept &s;ilence,</HI> and &s;ilence from what? to wit, from the &s;peech la&s;t in hand among&s;t them, and that was, from <HI>Di&s;pu|tation.</HI> 2. The <HI>Brethren</HI> of the church had liberty to joyn with the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> and <HI>Elders,</HI> in approving of the <HI>&s;entence</HI> of <HI>James,</HI> and <HI>de|termining</HI> the &s;ame as the common &s;entence of them all. 3. They had liberty to joyn with the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> and <HI>Elders</HI> in <HI>choo&s;ing</HI> and <HI>&s;ending me&s;&s;engers,</HI> and in <HI>writing Synodall</HI> Letters in the names of all, for the publi&s;hing of the &s;entence of the Synod. Both the&s;e points are expre&s;&s;ed in the Text, <HI>v.</HI> 22.23. to 29. Then plea&s;ed <HI>it the Apo&s;tles and Elders, with the whole Church, to &s;end cho&s;en men, and to write Letters by them.</HI> See the whole church di&s;tingui&s;hed from the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> and <HI>Elders;</HI> and tho&s;e whom he called the <HI>whole Church,</HI> v. 22. he calleth <HI>the Brethren,</HI> v. 23. <HI>The Apo&s;tles, and Elders, and Brethren,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>But though it may not be denyed, that the Brethren of the church pre&s;ent in the Synod, had all this power of liberty, to joyn with the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> and <HI>Elders</HI> in all the&s;e acts of the Synod; yet the <HI>authority of the Decrees</HI> lay chiefly (if not only) in the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> and <HI>Elders.</HI> And therefore it is &s;aid, <HI>Act.</HI> 16.4. <HI>That</HI> Paul <HI>and</HI> Silas <HI>delivered to the Churches for to keep the Decrees that were ordained of the Apo&s;tles and Elders:</HI> So then it will be mo&s;t &s;afe to pre&s;erve to the Church of <HI>Brethren</HI> their due liberties, and to re&s;erve to the <HI>Elders</HI> their due authority.</P>
<P>If it be &s;aid, The <HI>Elders</HI> a&s;&s;embled in a Synod, have no authority to determine or conclude any act that &s;hall binde the Churches, but according to the in&s;tructions which before they have received from the Churches.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Wee do not &s;o apprehend it; For what need Churches &s;end to a Synod for light and direction in ways of truth and peace, if they be re&s;olved afore-hand how far they will go? It is true, if the <HI>Elders</HI> of Churches &s;hall conclude in a Synod any thing preju|judiciall to the truth and peace of the Go&s;pel, they may ju&s;tly ex|po&s;tulate with them at their return, and refu&s;e &s;uch &s;anctions as the Lord hath not &s;ancited. But if the <HI>Elders</HI> be gathered in the name of Chri&s;t in a Synod, and proceed according to the rule (the word)
<PB N="27" REF="20">or Chri&s;t, they may con&s;ider and conclude &s;undry points expedient for the e&s;tate of their Churches, which the Churches were either ignorant or doubtfull of before.</P>
<P>As for the third Que&s;tion, whether the Synod have power to in|joyn &s;uch things as are both in their nature and their u&s;e indifferent? We &s;hould an&s;wer it negatively, and our rea&s;ons be:</P>
<P>1. From the pattern of that precedent of Synods, <HI>Act.</HI> 15.28. They laid upon the Churches no <HI>other burthen,</HI> but tho&s;e <HI>nece&s;&s;ary things:</HI> nece&s;&s;ary, though not all of them in their own nature, yet for pre&s;ent u&s;e, to <HI>avoid the offence</HI> both of <HI>Jew</HI> and <HI>Gentile:</HI> of the <HI>Jew,</HI> by <HI>eating things &s;trangled and blood;</HI> of the <HI>Gentile</HI> and <HI>Jew</HI> both, by <HI>eating things &s;acrificed to Idols,</HI> as <HI>Paul</HI> expoundeth that <HI>Article</HI> of the Synod, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 8.10, 11, 12. and <HI>Chap.</HI> 10.28. This ea ing with of|fence was a murther of a weak brothers &s;oule, and a &s;in again&s;t Chri&s;t, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 8.11, 12. and therefore <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> to be forborn, <HI>nece&s;&s;i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ate praecepti,</HI> by the nece&s;&s;ity of Gods Commandement.</P>
<P>2. A &s;econd rea&s;on may be from the latitude of the Apo&s;tolicall commi&s;&s;ion, which was given to them, <HI>Mat.</HI> 28.19, 20. where the Ap<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;tles are commanded to <HI>teach the people to ob&s;erve all things which Chri&s;t had commanded.</HI> If then the Apo&s;tles teach the people to ob|&s;erve more then Chri&s;t hath commanded, they go beyond the bounds of their commi&s;&s;ion, and a larger commi&s;&s;ion then that given to the Apo&s;tles, nor Elders, nor Synods, nor churches can challenge.</P>
<P>If it be &s;aid, Chri&s;t &s;peaketh only of teaching &s;uch things which he had commanded, as nece&s;&s;ary to &s;alvation.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> If the Apo&s;tles or their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors &s;hould hereupon u&s;urpe an authority to teach the people things indifferent, they mu&s;t plead this their authority from &s;ome other commi&s;&s;ion given them el&s;e|where: for in this place there is no foot &s;tep for any &s;uch power. That much urged and much abu&s;ed place in 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14.40. will not reach it. For though <HI>Paul</HI> requiring in that place, all the duties of Gods wor&s;hip, whether Prayer or Prophe&s;ying, or P&s;almes, or Tongues, &amp;c. that they &s;hould be performed <HI>decently and orderly,</HI> he thereby forbiddeth any performance thereof undecently; as for men with long hayre, and women to &s;peak in open a&s;&s;emblies, e&s;pecially to pray with their hair loo&s;e about them. And though he forbiddeth al&s;o men <HI>&s;peaking two or three at once,</HI> which to do, were not <HI>order,</HI> but <HI>confu&s;ion;</HI> yet he doth not at all, neither him&s;elf injoyn, nor allow the Church of <HI>Corinth</HI> to injoyn &s;uch things as decent, who&s;e want, or who&s;e contrary is not undecent; nor &s;uch orders, who&s;e want or
<PB N="28" REF="21">contrary would be no di&s;order. Suppo&s;e the Church of Corinth, (or any other Church or Synod) &s;hould enjoyn their Mini&s;ters to preach in a gown. A gown is a decent garment to preach in: yet &s;uch an Injunction is not grounded upon that Text of the Apo&s;tle. For then a Mini&s;ter in neglecting to preach in a gown &s;hould neg|lect the commandment of the Apo&s;tle, which yet indeed he doth not. For if he preach in a cloak, he preacheth decently enough, and that is all which the Apo&s;tles Canon reacheth to. In the&s;e things Chri&s;t never provided for <HI>uniformitie,</HI> but onely for <HI>unity.</HI></P>
<P>For a third rea&s;on of this point, (and to adde no more) it is taken from the nature of the mini&s;teriall office, whether in a Church or Synod. Their office is <HI>&s;tewardly,</HI> not <HI>lordly:</HI> they are Em|ba&s;&s;adours from Chri&s;t, and for Chri&s;t. Of a <HI>Steward</HI> it is required he be found <HI>faithfull,</HI> 1 Cor. 4.1, 2. and therefore he may di&s;pen&s;e no more injunctions to Gods hou&s;e, then Chri&s;t hath appointed him: Neither may an Emba&s;&s;adour proceed to do any act of his of|fice, further then what he hath received in his Commi&s;&s;ion from his Prince. If he go further, he maketh him&s;elf a Praevaricator, not an Emba&s;&s;adour.</P>
<P>But if it be enquired, <HI>Whether a Synod hath power of Ordination and Excommunication;</HI> we would not take upon us ha&s;tily to cen&s;ure the many notable precedents of ancient and later Synods, who have put forth acts of power in both the&s;e kinds. Onely we doubt that <HI>from the beginning it was not &s;o:</HI> and for our own parts, if any occa|&s;ion of u&s;ing this power &s;hould ari&s;e among&s;t our &s;elves (which hi|therto through preventing mercie it hath not) we (in a Synod) &s;hould rather chu&s;e to <HI>determine,</HI> and to <HI>publi&s;h</HI> and <HI>declare</HI> our deter|mination. That the ordination of &s;uch as we find fit for it, and the excommunication of &s;uch as we find do de&s;erve it, would be an ac|ceptable &s;ervice both to the Lord, and to his Churches: but the <HI>admini&s;tration</HI> of both the&s;e acts we &s;hould refer to the <HI>Presbytery</HI> of the <HI>&s;everall Churches,</HI> whereto the per&s;on to be ordained is called, and whereof the per&s;on to be excommunicate is a member: and both acts to be performed in the pre&s;ence, and with the con&s;ent of the &s;everall Churches, to whom the matter appertaineth. For in the beginning of the Go&s;pel in that precedent of Synods, <HI>Act.</HI> 15. we find the fal&s;e teachers <HI>declared</HI> to be <HI>di&s;turbers</HI> and <HI>troublers</HI> of the Churches, and <HI>&s;ubverters of their &s;ouls,</HI> Act. 15.24. but no condigne cen&s;ure di&s;pen&s;ed again&s;t them by the Synod. An evident argument to us, that they left the cen&s;ure of &s;uch offenders (in ca&s;e they re|pented
<PB N="29" REF="21">not) to the particular Churches, to whom they did apper|tain. And for Synodicall ordination, although <HI>Act.</HI> 1. be alledged, where <HI>Matthias</HI> was called to be an Apo&s;tle, yet it doth not appear that they acted then in a Synodicall way: no more then the <HI>Church of Antioch</HI> did, when with <HI>fa&s;ting and prayer</HI> they by their Presbyters <HI>impo&s;ed hands</HI> on <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Barnabas,</HI> and thereby <HI>&s;eparated</HI> them to <HI>the work</HI> of the Apo&s;tle&s;hip, whereto the holy <HI>Gho&s;t had called them,</HI> Act. 13.1, 2, 3. Whence as the holy Gho&s;t then &s;aid, <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">: &s;o thereupon <HI>Paul</HI> &s;tyleth him&s;elf <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">. <HI>Rom.</HI> 1.1. And this was done in a particular Church, not in a Synod.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="7" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. VII.</HI> Touching the fir&s;t Subject of all the forementioned power of the Keyes. And an explanation of <HI>Independency.</HI></HEAD>
<P>WHat that Church is, which is the fir&s;t Subject of the power of the keyes, and whether this Church have an independent power in the exerci&s;e thereof, though they be made two di&s;tinct Que&s;tions, yet (if candidely interpreted) they are but one. For what|&s;oever is the fir&s;t Subject of any accident or adjunct, the &s;ame is inde|pendent in the enjoyment of it, that is, in re&s;pect of deriving it from any other &s;ubject like it &s;elf. As if fire be the fir&s;t &s;ubject of heat, then it dependeth upon no other &s;ubject for heat. Now in the fir&s;t &s;ubject of any power, three things concur. 1. It fir&s;t receiveth that power whereof it is the fir&s;t &s;ubject, and that reciprocally. 2. It fir&s;t ad|deth and putteth forth the exerci&s;e of that power. 3. It fir&s;t com|municateth that power to others. As we &s;ee in Fire, which is the fir&s;t &s;ubject of heat: it fir&s;t receiveth heat, and that reciprocally. All fire is hot, and what&s;oever is hot is fire, or hath fire in it. Again, Fire fir&s;t putteth forth heat it &s;elf, and al&s;o fir&s;t communicateth heat, to what&s;oever things el&s;e are hot. To come then to the fir&s;t &s;ubiect of Church-power, or of the power of the keyes. The &s;ub&s;tance of the doctrine thereof, may be conceived and declared in a few Propo&s;i|tions. Church-power is either &s;upream and <HI>&s;overaign,</HI> or &s;ubordi|nate and <HI>mini&s;teriall.</HI> Touching the former, take this propo&s;ition.</P>
<P>The Lord Je&s;us <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> the <HI>head</HI> of his Church, is the <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, the fir&s;t proper &s;ubiect of the <HI>&s;overaigne power</HI> of the keyes. <HI>He hath the key of David: He openeth, and no man &s;hutteth; He &s;hutteth, and
<PB N="30" REF="22">no man openeth,</HI> Revel. 3.7. <HI>The government is upon his &s;houlder,</HI> I&s;a. 9.6. And him&s;elf declareth the &s;ame to his Apo&s;tles, as the ground of his granting to them Apo&s;tolicall power. <HI>All power</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>is gi|ven to me in heaven and earth,</HI> Matth. 28.18. <HI>Go ye therefore, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Hence 1. <HI>All legi&s;lative power</HI> (power of making of Laws) in the Church is in him, and not from him derived to any other. <HI>Jam.</HI> 4.12. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 33.22. The power derived to others, is onely to publi&s;h and execute his Laws and Ordinances, and to &s;ee them ob&s;erved. <HI>Mat.</HI> 28.20. His <HI>Laws are perfect,</HI> P&s;al. 19.9. and do <HI>make the man of God perfect</HI> to every <HI>good work.</HI> 2 Tim. 3.17. and need no addition.</P>
<P N="2">2. From his &s;overaign power it proceedeth, that he onely can erect and ordain a true con&s;titution of a Church-e&s;tate, <HI>Hebr.</HI> 3.3. to 6. <HI>He buildeth his own hou&s;e,</HI> and &s;etteth the pattern of it, as God gave to <HI>David</HI> the pattern of <HI>Solomons</HI> Temple, 1 <HI>Chron.</HI> 28.19. None hath power to erect any other Church-frame, then as this Ma&s;ter-builder hath left us a pattern thereof in the Go&s;pel. In the old Te&s;tament the <HI>Church</HI> &s;et up by him was <HI>Nationall,</HI> in the New, <HI>Congregationall;</HI> yet &s;o as that in &s;undrie ca&s;es it is ordered by him, many congregations or their me&s;&s;engers, may be a&s;&s;embled into a Synod. <HI>Act.</HI> 15.</P>
<P N="3">3. It is from the &s;ame &s;overaigne power, that all the offices, or mini&s;teries in the Church are ordained by him, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.5. yea and all the <HI>members are &s;et in the body by him,</HI> together with all the power belonging to their offices and places: as in the naturall body, &s;o in the Church. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.18.</P>
<P N="4">4. From this &s;overaigne power in like &s;ort it is, that all gifts to di&s;charge any office, by the officers, or any duty by the members, are from him, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.11. All <HI>trea&s;ures of wi&s;dome,</HI> and know|ledge, and grace, and the fulne&s;&s;e thereof are in him for that end, <HI>Col.</HI> 2.3. and v. 9, 10. <HI>Joh.</HI> 1.16.</P>
<P N="5">5. From this &s;overaigne power it is, that all the &s;pirituall power, and efficacie, and ble&s;&s;ing, in the admini&s;tration of the&s;e gifts in the&s;e offices and places, for the gathering, and edifying, and per|fecting of all the Churches, and of all the Saints in them is from him. <HI>Mat.</HI> 28.20. <HI>Lo I am with you alwayes,</HI> &amp;c. Col. 1.29. 1 Cor. 15.9.</P>
<P>The g od plea&s;ure of the Father, the per&s;onall union of the hu|mane nature with the eternall Son of God, His purcha&s;e of his Church with his own blood, and His deep humiliation of him&s;elf unto the death of the Cro&s;&s;e, have all of them obtained to him this his highe&s;t exaltation, to be <HI>head over all things unto the Church,</HI> and to
<PB N="31" REF="22">injoy as king thereof this &s;overaign power, <HI>Col.</HI> 1.19. <HI>Col.</HI> 2.2, 9, 10. <HI>Act.</HI> 20.28. <HI>Phil.</HI> 2.8, to 11.</P>
<P>But of this &s;overaigne power of Chri&s;t, there is no que&s;tion a|mong&s;t Prote&s;tants, e&s;pecially &s;tudious of Reformation. Now as con|cerning the <HI>Mini&s;teriall</HI> power, we give the&s;e following <HI>Propo&s;itions.</HI></P>
<P N="1">I. <HI>Propo&s;.</HI> A <HI>particular Church or Congregation of Saints, profe&s;&s;ing the faith, TAKEN INDEFINITELY FOR ANY CHVRCH</HI> (one as well as another) <HI>is the fir&s;t &s;ubject of all the Church-offices, with all their &s;piri|tuall gifts and power,</HI> which Chri&s;t hath given to be executed among&s;t them; <HI>whether it be</HI> Paul, <HI>or</HI> Apollos, <HI>or</HI> Cephas, <HI>all are yours,</HI> (&s;peaking to the Church of <HI>Gorinth,</HI> 1 Cor. 3.22.) not as a peculiar priviledge unto them, but common to them with any other parti|cular church. And theirs was &s;uch a Church, of whom it is &s;aid; <HI>That they came all together into one place,</HI> for the communication of their &s;pi|rituall gifts, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14 23. And <HI>Paul</HI> telleth the &s;ame church, that <HI>God hath &s;et the officers,</HI> and their gifts, and all variety of members, and their functions <HI>in his Church,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14.28. where it is not &s;o well tran&s;lated [<HI>Some</HI>] God hath <HI>&s;et &s;ome</HI> in his church, for hee hath &s;et all; but &s;peaking of the members of the church <HI>v.</HI> 27. he proceedeth to exemplifie tho&s;e members in <HI>v.</HI> 28. <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, <HI>and which God hath &s;et in his Church;</HI> that is, which members, <HI>Apo&s;tles, Prophets, &amp;c.</HI> For though the Relative be not of the &s;ame gender with the Antecedent before, yet it is an u&s;uall thing with the pen-men of the new Te&s;tament, to re&s;pect the &s;en&s;e of the words, and &s;o the per&s;on intended, rather then the gender of their name, and to render the Relative of the &s;ame gender and ca&s;e with the Sub&s;tantive following: &s;o here, <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, &amp;c.</P>
<P>In the new Te&s;tament, it is not a new ob&s;ervation that we never read of any nationall church, nor of any nationall officers given to them by Chri&s;t. In the old Te&s;tament indeed, we reade of a Natio|nall church. All the tribes of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> were three times in a yeer to ap|peare before the Lord in <HI>Jeru&s;alem, Deut.</HI> 16.16. And he appoin|ted them there an high Prie&s;t of the whole nation, and certain &s;o|lemne &s;acrifices by him to be admini&s;tred, <HI>Lev.</HI> 16.1. to 29. and toge|ther with him other Prie&s;ts and Elders, and Judges, to whom all ap|peals &s;hould be brought, and who &s;hould judge all difficult and tran&s;cendent ca&s;es, <HI>Deut.</HI> 17.8. to 11. but wee reade of no &s;uch nationall church or high Prie&s;t, or court in the new Te&s;tament; And yet we willingly grant that particular churches of equall power,
<PB N="32" REF="23">may in &s;ome ca&s;es appointed by Chri&s;t, meet together by them&s;elves, or by their me&s;&s;engers in a Synod, and may perform &s;undry acts of power there, as hath been &s;hewed above. But the officers them&s;elves, and all the Brethren members of the Synod; yea, and the Synods them&s;elves, and all the power they put forth, they are all of them <HI>primarily</HI> given to the &s;everall churches of particular Congregati|ons, either as the fir&s;t &s;ubject in whom they are re&s;ident, or as the fir&s;t object about whom they are conver&s;ant, and for who&s;e &s;ake they are gathered and imployed.</P>
<P N="2">II. <HI>Propo&s;. The Apo&s;tles of Chri&s;t were the fir&s;t &s;ubject of Apo&s;to|licall power;</HI> Apo&s;tolicall power &s;tood chiefly in two things: Fir&s;t, in that each Apo&s;tle had in him all mini&s;teriall power of all the of|ficers of the Church. They by vertue of their office might <HI>exhort as Pa&s;tors,</HI> 1 Tim. 2.1. <HI>teach as Teachers,</HI> 1 Tim. 2.7. <HI>rule as Rulers.</HI> 2 Tim. 4.1. <HI>receive</HI> and <HI>di&s;tribute</HI> the oblations of the Church as <HI>Deacons,</HI> Act. 4.35. yea, any one Apo&s;tle or Euangeli&s;t carried about with him the liberty and power of the whole Church; and there|fore might <HI>Baptize;</HI> yea, and cen&s;ure an offender too, as if he had the pre&s;ence and concurrence of the whole Church with him. For we reade that <HI>Philip</HI> baptized the Eunuch without the pre&s;ence of any Church, <HI>Act.</HI> 8.38. And that <HI>Paul</HI> him&s;elf excommunicated <HI>Alexander,</HI> 1 Tim. 1.20. and it is not mentioned that hee took the con&s;ent of any Church or Presbyterie in it. It is true indeed, where he could have the con&s;ent and concur&s;e of the Church and Presbyte|rie in exerci&s;e of any act of church-power, he willingly took it, and joyned with it, as in the ordination of <HI>Timothy</HI> (2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1.6. with 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4.14.) and in the excommunication of the ince&s;tuous <HI>Co|rinthian,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.4, 5. But when both him&s;elf and the per&s;on to be baptized, or ordained, or excommunicated, were ab&s;ent and di|&s;tant from all churches, the Apo&s;tles might proceed to put forth their power in the admini&s;tration of any church act without them. The amplitude and plenitude of power, which they received im|mediately from Chri&s;t, would beare them out in it. <HI>As my Father &s;ent me</HI> (&s;aith Chri&s;t) to wit, with amplitude and plenitude of &s;overaigne power, <HI>&s;o &s;end I you</HI> (with like amplitude and plenitude of mini&s;te|riall power) <HI>Joh.</HI> 20.21.</P>
<P N="2">2. Apo&s;tolicall power extended it &s;elf to all churches, as much as to any one. <HI>Their line went out into all the world,</HI> (P&s;al. 19.4. compa|red with <HI>Rom.</HI> 10.) And as they received commi&s;&s;ion to preach and
<PB N="33" REF="23">baptize in all the world, <HI>Mat.</HI> 28.19. So they received charge to <HI>feed</HI> the flock of Chri&s;ts <HI>Sheep and Lambs</HI> (which implyeth all acts of Pa&s;torall government over all the <HI>Sheep</HI> and <HI>Lambs</HI> of Chri&s;t) <HI>Joh.</HI> 21.15, 16, 17. Now this Apo&s;tolicall power, centring all church-power into one man, and extending it &s;elf forth to the cir|cumference of all churches, as the Apo&s;tles were the fir&s;t &s;ubject of it, &s;o were they al&s;o the la&s;t; Neverthele&s;&s;e that ample and univer&s;all latitude of power, which was conjoyned in them, is now divided even by them&s;elves among&s;t all the churches, and all the officers of the churches re&s;pectively, the officers of each church attending the charge of the particular church co~mitted to them, by vertue of their office, and yet none of them neglecting the good of other churches, &s;o far as they may be mutually helpfull to one another in the Lord.</P>
<P N="3">III. <HI>Propo&s;.</HI> When the church of a particular congregation walk|eth together in the truth and peace, the <HI>Brethren</HI> of the church are the <HI>fir&s;t &s;ubject of church-liberty,</HI> and the <HI>Elders</HI> thereof of <HI>church-autho|rity;</HI> and <HI>both</HI> of them together are the fir&s;t &s;ubject of <HI>all church-power</HI> needfull to be exerci&s;ed within them&s;elves, whether in the election and ordination of officers, or in the cen&s;ure of offenders in their own body.</P>
<P>Of this <HI>Propo&s;ition</HI> there be three <HI>Branches:</HI> 1. That the Brethren of a particular church of a Congregation, are the fir&s;t &s;ubjects of church-liberty: 2. That the Elders of a particular church, are the fir&s;t &s;ubjects of church-authority: 3. That both the Elders and Brethren, walking and joyning together in truth and peace, are the fir&s;t &s;ubjects of all church-power, needfull to be exerci&s;ed in their own body.</P>
<P>Now that the key of church-priviledge or liberty is given to the Brethren of the church, and the key of rule and authority to the El|ders of the church, hath been declared above, in <HI>Chapt.</HI> 3. But that the&s;e are the fir&s;t &s;ubjects of the&s;e keys; and fir&s;t the church, the fir&s;t &s;ubject of liberty, may appeare thus.</P>
<P>From the removall of any former &s;ubject of this power or liber|ty, from whence they might derive it. If the Brethren of the con|gregation were not the fir&s;t &s;ubject of their church-liberty, then they derived it either from their own Elders, or from other churches. But they derived it not from their own Elders: for they had power and liberty to choo&s;e their own Elders, as hath been &s;hewed above, and therefore they had this liberty before
<PB N="34" REF="24">they had Elders, and &s;o could not derive it from them.</P>
<P>Nor did they derive it from other particular churches. For all particular churches are of equall liberty and power within them|&s;elves, not one of them &s;ubordinate to another. Wee reade not in Scripture, that the Church of <HI>Corinth,</HI> was &s;ubject to that of <HI>Ephe|&s;us,</HI> nor that of <HI>Ephe&s;us</HI> to <HI>Corinth;</HI> no, nor that of <HI>Cenchrea</HI> to <HI>Corinth,</HI> though it was a church &s;ituate in their vicinity.</P>
<P>Nor did they derive their liberty from a Synod of churches. For we found no foot-&s;tep in the pattern of Synods, <HI>Act.</HI> 15. that the Church of <HI>Antioch</HI> borrowed any of their liberties from the Synod at <HI>Jeru&s;alem.</HI> They borrowed indeed light from them, and de|crees, tending to the e&s;tabli&s;hment of truth and peace. For upon the publi&s;hing of the decrees of that Synod, the Churches were e&s;ta|bli&s;hed in the faith (or truth) <HI>Act</HI> 16.4, 5. and al&s;o in con&s;olation and peace, <HI>Act.</HI> 15.31, 32. but they did not borrow from them any church-liberty at all.</P>
<P N="2">2. Now, the <HI>&s;econd branch</HI> of the <HI>Propo&s;ition</HI> was, That the Elders of the church of a particular Congregation, are the fir&s;t &s;ubject of rule or authority, in that church (or congregation) over which the Holy Gho&s;t hath made them over-&s;eers.</P>
<P N="1">1. From the charge of rule over the Church committed to them immediatly from Chri&s;t: For though the Elders be cho&s;en to their office by the church of Brethren, yet the office it &s;elf is ordained immediatly by Chri&s;t, and the rule annexed to the office, is limited by Chri&s;t only. If the Brethren of the church &s;hould elect a presby|terie to be called by them in the Lord, this will not excu&s;e the Pre&s;|byters in their neglect of rule, either before the Lord, or to their own con&s;ciences. For thus runneth the Apo&s;tles charge to the Elders of <HI>Ephe&s;us,</HI> (Act. 20.28.) <HI>Take heed to your &s;elves, and to the whole flock, over which the Holy Gho&s;t hath made you over-&s;eers.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The &s;ame appeareth from the gift of rule, required e&s;pecially in an Elder, without which they are not capable of election to that office in the church, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3, 4, 5. He mu&s;t be one <HI>that is able to rule well his own hou&s;e,</HI> or el&s;e how &s;hall he order the church of God? The like gift of rule is not nece&s;&s;ary to the admi&s;&s;ion of a member into the church, as to the election of an Elder: If a private brother be not &s;o well able (through weakne&s;&s;e in prudence or courage) to rule his own hou&s;e, it will not ju&s;tly debarre him from entrance in|to the church; but the like defect will ju&s;tly debar a man from ele|ction to the office of an Elder. Neither hath God given a &s;pirit of
<PB N="35" REF="24">rule and government ordinarily to the greater part of the body of the brethren: and therefore neither hath he given them the fir&s;t Re|ceit of the key of Authoritie, to whom he hath not given the gift to employ it.</P>
<P>If it be objected; How can the brethren of the Church inve&s;t an Elder with rule over them, if they had not power of rule in them|&s;elves to communicate to him?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> They inve&s;t him with rule, partly by chu&s;ing him to the of|fice which God hath inve&s;ted with rule, partly by profe&s;&s;ing their own &s;ubjection to him in the Lord: we by the rule of Relatives doth nece&s;&s;arily inferre, and preferre the authoritie of the Elders over them. For in yeelding &s;ubjection, they either &s;et up, or acknow|ledge Authoritie in him, to whom they yeeld &s;ubjection.</P>
<P><HI>Ob.</HI> 2. The body of the Church is the Spou&s;e of Chri&s;t, the Lambs wife, and ought not the wife to rule the &s;ervants and &s;tewards in the hou&s;e, rather then they her? Is it not meet that the keyes of Authoritie &s;hould hang at her girdle rather then at theirs?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> There is a difference to be put between Queens, Prin|ce&s;&s;es, Ladies of great Honor, (&s;uch as the Church is to Chri&s;t, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 45.9.) and Countrey hu&s;wives, poore mens wives. Queens and great per&s;ons have &s;everall offices and officers for every bu&s;ine&s;&s;e and &s;ervice about the hou&s;e, as Chamberlains, Stewards, Trea&s;urers, Comptrollers, V&s;hers, Bayliffs, Groomes, and Porters, who have all the authoritie of ordering the affairs of their Lords hou&s;e in their hands. There is not a key left in the Queens hand of any office, but onely of power and libertie to call for what &s;he wanteth accor|ding to the Kings royall allowance: which if &s;he exceed, the offi|cers have power to re&s;train her by order from the King. But coun|trey hu&s;wives, and poore mens wives, who&s;e husbands have no Officers, Bayliffs or Stewards, to over&s;ee and order their e&s;tates, they may carry the keyes of any office at their own girdles, which the husband keepeth not in his own hand. Not becau&s;e poore hu&s;|wives have greater authoritie in the hou&s;e then Queens; but be|cau&s;e of their poverty and mean e&s;tate, they are fain to be in &s;tead of many &s;ervants to their husbands.</P>
<P><HI>Obj.</HI> 3. The whole body naturall, is the fir&s;t &s;ubject of all the na|turall power of any member in the body; as the facultie of &s;ight is fir&s;t in the body, before in the eye.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> It is not in the my&s;ticall body (the Church) in all re&s;pects alike, as in the naturall body. In the naturall body there be all the
<PB N="36" REF="25">faculties of each part actually inexi&s;tent, though not exerting or putting forth them&s;elves, till each member be articulated and for|med. But in the body of the Church of Brethren it is not &s;o. All the &s;everall functions of Church power, are not actually inexi&s;tent in the body of Brethren, unle&s;&s;e &s;ome of them have the gifts of all the officers, which often they have not, having neither Presbyters, nor men fit to be Presbyters. Now if the power of the Presbytery were given to a particular Church of Brethren, as &s;uch, <HI>primo &amp; per &s;e,</HI> then it would be found in every particular Church of Brethren. For a <HI>Quatenus adomnia valet con&s;equentia.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Obj.</HI> 4. But it is an u&s;uall tenent in many of our be&s;t Divines, that the government of the Church is mixt of a Monarchy, an Ari|&s;tocracie, and a Democracy. In regard of Chri&s;t the head, the go|vernment of the Church is &s;overaigne and monarchicall. In regard of the Rule by the Presbytery, it is &s;tewardly and Ari&s;tocraticall: in regard of the peoples power in elections and cen&s;ures, it is Demo|craticall: which argueth, the people have &s;ome &s;tock of <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, power and authority in the government of the Church.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> In a large &s;en&s;e, Authority after a &s;ort, may be acknow|ledged in the people. As 1. when a man acteth by coun&s;ell accor|ding to his own di&s;cerning freely, he is then &s;aid to be <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, <HI>Dominus &s;ui actus.</HI> So the people in all the acts of liberty which they put forth are <HI>Domini &s;ui actus,</HI> Lords of their own action.</P>
<P N="2">2. The people by their acts of liberty, as in election of officers, and concurrency in cen&s;ure of offenders, and in the Determination and Promulgation of Synodall acts; they have a great &s;troke or power in the ordering of Church affairs, which may be called <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, or <HI>po|te&s;tas,</HI> a POWER, which many times goeth under the name of rule or authoritie, but in proper &s;peech it is rather a priviledge or liberty then authoritie, as hath been opened above in Chap. 3. For no act of the peoples power or liberty doth properly bind, unle&s;&s;e the au|thoritie of the Presbytery concur with it.</P>
<P N="3">3. A third argument whereby it may appear that the Elders of a particular Church are the fir&s;t &s;ubject of authoritie in that Church, is taken from the like removall of other &s;ubjects, from whence they might be thought to derive their authoritie, as was u&s;ed before to prove the Church of Brethren was the fir&s;t &s;ubject of their own li|bertie in their own Congregation. The Elders of Churches are ne|ver found in Scripture to derive their authority which they exerci&s;e in their own congregation, either from the Elders of other Chur|ches,
<PB N="37" REF="25">or from any Synod of Churches. All particular Churches and all the Elders of them are of equall power, each of them re&s;pective|ly in their own Congregations. None of them call others their Rabbies, or Ma&s;ters, or Fathers (in re&s;pect of any authoritie over them) but all of them own and acknowledge one another as fellow Brethren, <HI>Matth.</HI> 23.8, 9, 10.</P>
<P>And though in a Synod they have received power from Chri&s;t, and from his pre&s;ence in the Synod, to exerci&s;e Authoritie in impo|&s;ing burthens (&s;uch as the holy Gho&s;t layeth) upon all Churches who&s;e Elders are pre&s;ent with them, <HI>Act.</HI> 15.28. (for the Apo&s;tles were Elders in all Churches) yet the Elders of every particular Church, when they walk with the brethren of their own Church in light and peace, they need not to derive from the Synod any power to impo&s;e the &s;ame, or the like burthens upon their owne Churches. For they have received a power and charge from Chri&s;t, to teach and command with all authoritie the whole coun&s;ell of God unto their people. And the people di&s;cerning the light of the truth delivered, and walking in peace with their Elders, they readily yeeld obedience to their Over-&s;eers, in what&s;oever they &s;ee and hear by them commended to them from the Lord.</P>
<P N="3">3. Now we come to the <HI>third branch</HI> of the third Propo&s;ition, which was this. That the Church of a particular congregation, El|ders and Brethren walking and joyning together in truth and peace, are the fir&s;t &s;ubject of all Church-power, needfull to be exerci&s;ed within them&s;elves, whether in the election or ordination of officers, or in the cen&s;ure of offenders in their own body.</P>
<P>The truth hereof may appear by the&s;e Arguments. 1 In point of <HI>ordination.</HI> From the compleat integritie of a Mini&s;ters calling (oven to the &s;atisfaction of his own and the peoples con&s;cience) when both the Brethren and the Elders of the particular Church whereto he is called, have put forth the power which belongeth to them about him. As, when the Brethren of the Church have cho&s;en him to office, and the Presbyterie of the Church have laied their hands upon him: and both of them in their &s;everall acts have due re&s;pect to the inward mini&s;teriall gifts whereunto God hath fur|ni&s;hed him: he may then look at him&s;elf as called by the holy Gho&s;t, to exerci&s;e his talents in that office among&s;t them, and the people may and ought to receive him, as &s;ent of God to them.</P>
<P>What defect may be found in &s;uch a call, when the Brethren ex|erci&s;e their lawfull libertie, and the Elders their lawfull authority,
<PB N="38" REF="26">in his ordination, and nothing more is required to the compleat in|tegritie of a Mini&s;ters calling? If it be &s;aid there wanted impo&s;i|tion of hands by the Bi&s;hop, who &s;ucceedeth in the place of <HI>Timo|thy</HI> and <HI>Titus,</HI> whom the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> left the one in Ephe&s;us, the other in Crete, to ordain Elders in many Churches. <HI>Tit.</HI> 1.5.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> Touching ordination by <HI>Timothy,</HI> and <HI>Titus,</HI> and (upon pretence of them) by Bi&s;hops, enough hath been &s;aid by many god|ly learned heretofore, e&s;pecially of later times.</P>
<P>The &s;umme cometh to the&s;e conclu&s;ions. 1 That <HI>Timothy</HI> and <HI>Titus</HI> did not ordain Elders in many Churches, as Bi&s;hops, but as Evangeli&s;ts. <HI>Timothy</HI> is expre&s;ly termed an Evangeli&s;t, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4.5. And <HI>Titus</HI> is as clearly decyphered to be an Evangeli&s;t as <HI>Timothy,</HI> by the characters of an Evangeli&s;t, which either Scripture holdeth forth, or <HI>Eu&s;ebius</HI> noteth in his <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;t. hi&s;tor. lib.</HI> 3. <HI>cap.</HI> 37. <HI>Gr. cap.</HI> 31. <HI>Lat.</HI> Not to be limited to a certain Church, but to follow the Apo&s;tles, fini&s;hing their work in planting and watering Chur|ches, where they came. They did indeed ordain officers where they wanted, and exerci&s;ed juri&s;diction (as the Apo&s;tles did) in &s;everall Churches; yet with the re&s;t of the Presbyterie, and in the pre&s;ence of the whole Church, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 5. But for the continuance of this of|fice of an Evangeli&s;t in the Church, there is no direction in the Epi|&s;tles either to <HI>Timothy</HI> or <HI>Titus,</HI> or any where el&s;e in Scripture.</P>
<P N="2">2. Conclu&s;ion. Tho&s;e Bi&s;hops who&s;e callings or offices in the Church, are &s;et forth in tho&s;e Epi&s;tles to be continued; they are al|together Synonyma with Presbyters. <HI>Tit.</HI> 1.5, 7. 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.1. to 7.</P>
<P N="3">3. Conclu&s;. We read of many Bi&s;hops to one Church, <HI>Phil.</HI> 1.1. <HI>Act.</HI> 14.23. and Chap. 20.17, 28. <HI>Tit.</HI> 1.5.7. but not of many Churches (much le&s;&s;e all the Churches in a large Dioce&s;&s;e) to one Bi&s;hop.</P>
<P N="4">4. Conclu&s;. There is no tran&s;cendent proper work, cut out, or re&s;erved for &s;uch a tran&s;cendent officer as a Dioce&s;an Bi&s;hop through|out the New Te&s;tament. The tran&s;cendent acts re&s;erved to him by the Advocates of Epi&s;copacie, are Ordination and Iuri&s;diction. Now both the&s;e are acts of Rule. And <HI>Paul</HI> to <HI>Timothy</HI> acknow|ledgeth no Rulers in the Church above Pa&s;tors and Teachers, who labour in word and doctrine, but rather Pa&s;tors and Teachers above them. The Elders (&s;aith he) that rule well, are worthy of double honour, but e&s;pecially they that labour in word and doctrine. 1. <HI>Tim.</HI> 5.17.</P>
<P N="5">5 Conclu&s;. When after the Apo&s;tles times, one of the Pa&s;tors by
<PB N="39" REF="26">way of eminencie was called Bi&s;hop for order &s;ake, yet for many yeers he did no act of power, but 1 With con&s;ent of the Presbyte|rie. 2 With con&s;ent, and in the pre&s;ence of the people. As is no|ted out of <HI>Eu&s;ebius, Eccle&s;ia&s;t. Hi&s;tor. lib.</HI> 6. <HI>ca.</HI> 43. <HI>Gr. ca.</HI> 35. <HI>Lat. Cyprian Epi&s;t. lib.</HI> 3. <HI>Epi&s;t.</HI> 10. <HI>&amp; lib.</HI> 1. <HI>Epi&s;t</HI> 3. <HI>Ca&s;anb. adver&s;us Ba|ronium, exercitat.</HI> 15. <HI>num.</HI> 28.</P>
<P>When it is alledged out of <HI>Hiereme</HI> to confirm the &s;ame, that in the primitive times, <HI>Communi Presbyterorum con&s;ilie, Ecele&s;iae guber|nabantur.</HI> It is a weak and poore eva&s;ion, to put it off with ob&s;er|ving, that he &s;aith, <HI>Communi Presbyterorum con&s;ilie,</HI> not <HI>authoritate.</HI> For 1. No authoritie is due to Presbyters over the Bi&s;hop or Pa&s;tor, no more then to the Pa&s;tor over them. They are <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, fel|low-Elders, and coequall in authoritie. And 2. when <HI>Hiereme</HI> &s;aith, The Churches were governed by the common coun&s;ell, but all with it, el&s;e it might be &s;aid, the Bi&s;hop governed the Churches with the common coun&s;ell of Presbyters, to wit, asked, but not fol|lowed. And that would imply a contradiction to <HI>Hieronus</HI> te&s;timo|nie, to &s;ay the Churches were governed by the &s;ole authoritie of Bi&s;hops, and yet not without asking the common coun&s;ell of the Presbyters. For in asking their coun&s;ell, and not following it, the Bi&s;hop &s;hould order and govern the Churches again&s;t their coun|&s;ell. Now that the Churches were governed by the common coun&s;ell of Presbyters, and again&s;t the common coun&s;ell of Presbyters, are flat contradictories.</P>
<P N="2">2. For a &s;econd Argument, to prove that the Brethren of the Church of a particular congregation, walking with their Elders in truth and peace, are the fir&s;t &s;ubject of all that Church power which is needfull to be exerci&s;ed in their own body: It is taken</P>
<P>From their indi&s;pen&s;able and independent power in Church cen|&s;ures. The cen&s;ure that is ratified in heaven cannot be di&s;pen&s;ed with|all, nor rever&s;ed by any power on earth. Now the cen&s;ure that is admini&s;tred by the Church of a particular congregation, is ratified in Heaven. For &s;o &s;aith the Lord Ie&s;us touching the power of Church cen&s;ures, <HI>Matth.</HI> 18 17, 18. If the offender refu&s;e <HI>to hear the Church, let him be to thee as a heathen and a Publican. Verily I &s;ay unto you What&s;oever ye &s;hall bind onearth, &s;hall be bound in Heaven: and what&s;oever ye &s;hall loo&s;e on earth, &s;hall be loo&s;ed in heaven.</HI></P>
<P>Again&s;t this Argument from this Text many objections are wont to be made, but none that will hold.</P>
<PB N="40" REF="27">
<P><HI>Object.</HI> 1. By <HI>Church</HI> in <HI>Mat.</HI> 18.17. is not meant the Chri&s;tian Church (for it was not yet extant, nor could the Apo&s;tles then have under&s;tood Chri&s;t if he had &s;o meant) but the <HI>Jewi&s;h</HI> church, and &s;o he delivereth their cen&s;ure, in a <HI>Jewi&s;h</HI> phra&s;e; to account a man as <HI>an Heathen and a Publican.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 1. The Chri&s;tian Church, though it was not then extant, yet the Apo&s;tles knew as well what he meant by Church in <HI>Mat.</HI> 18.17. as they under&s;tood what he meant by building his Church upon the Rock in <HI>Mat.</HI> 16.18. It was enough the Apo&s;tles looked for a Church which Chri&s;t would gather, and build upon the confe&s;&s;ion of <HI>Peters</HI> faith; and being built, &s;hould be indued with heavenly power in their cen&s;ures, which they more fully under&s;tood after|wards, when having received the Holy Gho&s;t, they came to put the&s;e things in practice.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 2. The allu&s;ion in the Church-cen&s;ure to the <HI>Jewi&s;h</HI> cu|&s;tome, in accounting a man as an <HI>Heathen</HI> and <HI>Publican,</HI> doth not argue that Chri&s;t directeth his Di&s;ciples to complain of &s;candals to the <HI>Jewi&s;h</HI> Synagogues; but only directeth them how to walk to|wards ob&s;tinate offenders, excommunicate by the Chri&s;tian church, to wit, to walk towards them, as the <HI>Jews</HI> walk towards <HI>Hea|thens,</HI> (to wit, denying to them religious communion) and as to|wards <HI>Publicans,</HI> with-holding from them familiar civill commu|nion; for &s;o the <HI>Iews</HI> &s;aid to Chri&s;ts Di&s;ciples, <HI>Why eateth your Ma&s;ter with Publicans and Sinners?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 3. It is not credible, that Chri&s;t would &s;end his Di&s;ciples to make complaint of their offences to the <HI>Iewi&s;h</HI> Synagogues:</P>
<P>For, fir&s;t, Is it likely he would &s;end his Lambs and Sheep, for right and healing, unto Wolves and Tigres? Both their Sanhe|drim, and mo&s;t of their Synogogues were no better. And if here and there &s;ome Elders of their Synagogues were better affected, yet how may it appear that &s;o it was, where any of them&s;elves dwelt? And if that might appear too, yet had not the <HI>Iews</HI> al|ready agreed; <HI>That if any man did confe&s;&s;e Chri&s;t, he &s;hould be ca&s;t out of the Synagogues,</HI> Joh. 9.22.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> 2. Again&s;t the argument from this Text, it is objected; That by the Church is meant the Bi&s;hop, or his Commi&s;&s;ary?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 1. One man is not the Church.</P>
<P>If it be &s;aid, one man may repre&s;ent a church; the reply is ready: one man cannot repre&s;ent the Church, unle&s;&s;e he be &s;ent forth by the Church; but &s;o is neither the Bi&s;hop nor his Commi&s;&s;ary. They
<PB N="41" REF="27">not for them, but they come un&s;ent for, (like water into a Ship) chiefly for the terror of the &s;ervants of Chri&s;t, and for the incou|ragement of the prophane. And though &s;ome of Chri&s;ts &s;ervants have found &s;ome favour from &s;ome few of Bi&s;hops, (men of more learning and ingenuity) yet tho&s;e Bi&s;hops have found the le&s;&s;e fa|vour them&s;elves from their fellow-Bi&s;hops.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 2. The Bi&s;hop ordinarily is no member of the Church of that congregation, where the offence is committed, and what is his &s;atisfaction to the removall of the offence given to the Church?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 3. The new Te&s;tament acknowledgeth no &s;uch ruler in the Church, as claimeth honour above the Elders that labour in word and Doctrine, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 5.17.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> 3. To tell the Church, is to tell the Presbyterie of the Church.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 1. We deny not, The offence is to be told to the Presby|terie; yet not to them as the Church, but as the guides of the church, who, if upon hearing the cau&s;e, and examining the witne&s;&s;es, they finde it ripe for publike cen&s;ure, they are then to propound it to the Church, and to try and cleer the &s;tate of the cau&s;e before the church, that &s;o the church di&s;cerning fully the nature and quality of the of|fence may con&s;ent to the judgement and &s;entence of the Elders again&s;t it, to the confu&s;ion of the offender; and the publike edifica|tion of them all, who hearing and fearing, will learn to beware of the like wickedne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 2. The Church is never put for the Presbyterie alone (throughout the new Te&s;tament) though &s;ometime it be put ex|pre&s;ly for the Fraternity alone, as they are di&s;tingui&s;hed from the Elders and Officers, <HI>Act.</HI> 15.22. and therefore Tell the Church, can|not be meant Tell the Presbyterie alone.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> In the old Te&s;tament, the Congregation is often put for the Elders and Rulers of the Congregation.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Let all the places alledged be examined, and it will ap|peare, that in matters of judgement, where the Congregation is put for the Elders and Rulers, it is never meant (for ought we can finde) of the Elders and Rulers alone, &s;itting apart, and retired from the Congregation; but &s;itting in the pre&s;ence of the Congregation, and hearing and judging cau&s;es before them: In which ca&s;e, if a &s;entence have pa&s;&s;ed from a Ruler, with the di&s;like of the Congre|gation, they have not &s;tuck to &s;hew their di&s;like, &s;ometime by pro|te&s;ting openly again&s;t it (as 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 14.44, 45.) &s;ometime by re|fu&s;ing
<PB N="42" REF="28">to execute it. (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 22.16, 17.) And what the people of the Congregation lawfully did in &s;ome ca&s;es, at &s;ome times, in wa|ving and counterpoizing the &s;entence of their Rulers, the &s;ame they might and ought to have done in the like ca&s;es at any time. The whole Ho&s;t or Congregation of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> might prote&s;t again&s;t an un|righteous illegall &s;entence; and a part of the Congregation, who di&s;cerned the iniquity of a &s;entence, might ju&s;tly withdraw them|&s;elves from the execution of it.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> 4. When Chri&s;t &s;aid <HI>Tell the Church,</HI> hee meant a Syno|dicall or Cla&s;&s;icall a&s;&s;embly of the Presbyters of many Churches. For it was his meaning and purpo&s;e in this place, to pre&s;cribe a rule for the removing of all &s;candals out of the Church, which cannot be done by telling the Church of one Congregation; for what if an Elder offend; yea, what if the whole Presbytery offend? The people or Brethren have not power to judge their Judges, to rule their Ru|lers. Yea, what if the whole Congregation fall under an offence (as they may do, <HI>Lev.</HI> 4.13.) a Synod of many Presbyters may reform them, but &s;o cannot any one Congregation alone; if the Congrega|tion that gave the offence &s;tand out in it.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 1. Re&s;erving due honour to Synods rightly ordered, or (which is all one) a <HI>Cla&s;&s;is</HI> or <HI>Convention</HI> of Presbyters of particular churches, we do not finde that a Church is any where put for a Synod of Presbyteries. And it were very incongruous in this place: For though it be faid a particular Congregation cannot reach the re|movall of all offences; &s;o it may be as truly &s;aid, that it were un|meet to trouble Synods with every offence that falleth out in a Con|gregation; Offences fall out often, Synods meet but &s;eldome; and when they do meet, they finde many more weighty imployments, then to attend to every offence of every private brother. Be&s;ides, as an whole particular Congregation may offend, &s;o may a gene|rall A&s;&s;embly of all the Presbyters in a Nation offend al&s;o: For ge|nerall Councels have erred; and what remedy &s;hall be found to remove &s;uch errors and offences out of this Text? Moreover, if an offence be found in a Brother of a Congregation, and the Con|gregation be found faithfull and willing to remove it by due cen|&s;ure; why &s;hould the offence be called up to more publike judica|ture, and the plai&s;ter made broader than the &s;ore?</P>
<P>Again, If an Elder offend, the re&s;t of the Presbytery with the Congregation joyning together, may proceed again&s;t him, (if they cannot otherwi&s;e heal him) and &s;o remove the of|fence
<PB N="43" REF="28">from among&s;t them. If the whole Presbyterie offend, or &s;uch, a part as will draw a party and a faction in the Church with them their readie&s;t cour&s;e is, to bring the matter then to a Synod. For though this place in <HI>Matthew</HI> direct not to that; yet the Holy Gho&s;t leaveth us not without direction in &s;uch a ca&s;e, but giveth us a pattern in the church of <HI>Antioch,</HI> to repaire to a Synod. And the like cour&s;e is to be taken in the offence of a whole Congregation, if it be per&s;i&s;ted in with ob&s;tinacy. Neither is it true which was &s;aid, that it was the purpo&s;e of Chri&s;t in <HI>Mat.</HI> 18.17. to pre&s;cribe a rule for the removall of all offences out of the Church; but only of &s;uch private and le&s;&s;e hainous offences, as grow publike and notori|ous only by ob&s;tinacy of the offenders: For if offences be haynous and publike at fir&s;t, the Holy Gho&s;t doth not direct us to proceed in &s;uch a generall cour&s;e from a private admonition by one brother alone, and then to a &s;econd, by one or two more, and at la&s;t, to tell it to the Church. But in &s;uch a ca&s;e the Apo&s;tle giveth another rule, (1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.11.) to ca&s;t an haynous notorious offender, both out of church-communion, and private familiar communion al&s;o.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> 5. The Church here &s;poken of, <HI>Mat.</HI> 18.17. is &s;uch an one, as whereto a complaint may orderly be made: But a complaint cannot be orderly made to a multitude, &s;uch as an whole Congre|gation is.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> And why may not a complaint be orderly made to a whole multitude? The <HI>Levite</HI> made an orderly conplaint to a grea|ter multitude, then 400. particular Congregations are wont to amount to, <HI>Jud.</HI> 20.1, 2, 3, 4, &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> 6. The Church here to be complained of meeteth with authority, (for cen&s;ures are admini&s;tred with authority) but the church of a particular Congregation meeteth with humility, to &s;eek the face and favour of God.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Humility to God may well &s;tand with authority to men. The 24. Elders (who repre&s;ent the growne heyres of the Church of the new Te&s;tament) they are &s;aid in Church-a&s;&s;emblies to &s;it up|on thrones with crownes on their heads, <HI>Rev.</HI> 4.4. yet when they fall down to wor&s;hip God and the Lamb, they ca&s;t down their crownes at his feet, <HI>v.</HI> 10.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> 7. In the church of a particular Congregation, a woman may not &s;peak: but in this Church here &s;poken of, they may &s;peak; for they may be offenders, and offenders mu&s;t give an account of their offences.</P>
<PB N="44" REF="29">
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> When the Apo&s;tle forbiddeth women to &s;peak in the church, he meaneth, &s;peaking partly by way of authority, as in pub|like praying or prophe&s;ying in the Church, (1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2.12.) partly by way of bold inquiry, in asking que&s;tions publikely of the Prophets in the face of the Church, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14.34. But to an&s;wer it: If the whole Congregation have taken ju&s;t offence at the open &s;in of a woman, &s;he is bound as much to give &s;atisfaction to the whole Congregati|on, as well as to the Presbyterie.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> 8. When Schi&s;mes grew to be &s;candalous in the Church of <HI>Corinth,</HI> the hou&s;hold of <HI>Chloe</HI> told not the whole Congregation of it, but <HI>Paul,</HI> 1 Cor. 1.11.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The contentions in the Church of <HI>Corinth</HI> were not the offence of a private brother, but of the whole church. And who can tell whether they had not &s;poken of it to the Church before? But whether thay had or no, the example only argueth, that Bre|thren offended with the &s;ins of their brethren, may tell an Elder of the church of it, that he may tell it to the Church, which no man denyeth. <HI>Paul</HI> was an Elder of every church of Chri&s;t, as the other Apo&s;tles were, as having the government of all the churches com|mitted to them all.</P>
<P>Having thus (by the help of Chri&s;t) cleered this Text in <HI>Mat.</HI> 18.17. from variety of mi&s;con&s;tructions, (which not the ob&s;curity of the words, but the eminency of the gifts, and worth of Expo&s;itors hath made difficult) Let us adde an argument or two more to the &s;ame purpo&s;e, to prove, that the Church of a particular Congre|gation, fully furni&s;hed with officers, and rightly walking in judge|ment and peace, is the fir&s;t &s;ubject of all Church-authority, need|full to be exerci&s;ed within their own body.</P>
<P N="3">3. A third argument to prove this, is u&s;ually and ju&s;tly taken from the practice and example of the Church of <HI>Corinth,</HI> in the excommunication of the ince&s;tuous <HI>Corinthian,</HI> 1 Cor. 5.1. to 5.</P>
<P><HI>Obj.</HI> 1. The excommunication of the ince&s;tuous <HI>Corinthian,</HI> was not an act of judiciall authority in the church of <HI>Corinth,</HI> whether Elders or Brethren, but rather an act of &s;ubjection to the Apo&s;tle, publi&s;hing the &s;entence, which the Apo&s;tle had before decreed and judged: for (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) I though ab&s;ent in body, yet pre|&s;ent in &s;pirit, have judged already, concerning him that hath done this deed, &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 1. Though <HI>Paul</HI> (as a chiefe Officer of every church) judged before-hand the excommunication of the ince&s;tuous <HI>Corin|thian:</HI>
<PB N="45" REF="29">yet his judgement was not a judiciall &s;entence, delivering him to Satan, but a judicious doctrine and in&s;truction, teaching the Church what they ought to do in that ca&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2. The act of the church in <HI>Corinth</HI> in cen&s;uring the ince&s;tuous per&s;on, was indeed an act of &s;ubjection to the Apo&s;tles divine do|ctrine and direction (as all church-cen&s;ures, by whom&s;oever admi|ni&s;tred, ought to be acts of &s;ubjection to the word of Chri&s;t) but yet their act was a compleat act of ju&s;t power, (even an act of all that liberty and authority which is to be put forth in any cen&s;ure.) For, fir&s;t they delivered him to Satan, in the name of the Lord Je&s;us, and with the power of the Lord Je&s;us, <HI>v.</HI> 4. and that is the highe&s;t power in the Church. Secondly, the &s;pirit of <HI>Paul,</HI> that is, his Apo|&s;tolike &s;pirit was gathered together with them, in delivering and publi&s;hing the &s;entence; which argueth, both his power and theirs was co-incident and concurrent in this &s;entence. Thirdly, the holy end and u&s;e of this &s;entence argueth the heavenly power from whence it proceeded. They delivered him to Satan for the de|&s;truction of the fle&s;h (that is, for the mortifying of his corruption) that his &s;oul might be &s;aved in the day of the Lord Je&s;us. Fourthly, when his &s;oul came to be humble and penitent by the means of this &s;entence, <HI>Paul</HI> intreateth the church to relea&s;e and forgive him, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2.6. to 10. Now <HI>eju&s;dem pote&s;tatis e&s;t ligare &amp; &s;olvere, claude|re &amp; aperire.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> 2. All this argueth no more, but that &s;ome in the church of <HI>Corinth</HI> had this power (to wit, the Presbytery of the church, but not the whole body of the people) to excommunicate the offender.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 1. If the Presbyterie alone had put forth this power, yet that &s;ufficeth to make good the Propo&s;ition, that every church fur|ni&s;hed with a presbyterie, and proceeding righteou&s;ly and peace|ably, they have within them&s;elves &s;o much power as is requi&s;ite, to be exerci&s;ed within their own body.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 2. It is apparent by the Text, that the Brethren concur|red al&s;o in this &s;entence, and that with <HI>&s;ome act of power,</HI> to wit, &s;uch power as the want of putting it forth, retarded the &s;entence, and the putting of it forth was requi&s;ite to the admini&s;tration of the &s;entence.</P>
<P>For, fir&s;t, the reproofe for not proceeding to &s;entence &s;ooner, is directed to the whole church, as well as to the Presbyterie; <HI>They are all blamed for not mourning, for not putting him away, for being puffed up rather,</HI> 1 Cor. 5.2.</P>
<PB N="46" REF="30">
<P N="2">2. The commandment is directed to them all, <HI>when they are ga|thered together,</HI> (and what is that but to a Church meeting?) to pro|ceed again&s;t him. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.4. In like &s;ort, in the end of the Chapter he commandeth them all, <HI>Put away therefore from among you that wie|ked per&s;on,</HI> v. 13.</P>
<P N="3">3. He declareth this act of theirs in putting him out, to be a judi|ciall act, v. 12. <HI>Do you not judge them that are within?</HI> Say that the judgement of authoritie be proper onely to the Presbytery, yet the judgement of di&s;cretion (which as concurring in this act with the Presbytery hath a power in it (as was &s;aid) may not be denyed to the Brethren: for here is an act of judgement a&s;cribed to them all: which judgement in the Brethren he e&s;teemeth of it &s;o highly, that from thence he taketh occa&s;ion to advi&s;e the members of the Church, to refer their differences even in civill matters, to the judgement of the Saints or Brethren. <HI>Know ye not</HI> (&s;aith he) that <HI>the Saints &s;hall judge the world? yea the Angels?</HI> 1 Cor. 6.1, 2, 3. how much more the things of this life? Yea rather then they &s;hould go to Law, and that before Infidels, in any ca&s;e depending betweene Brethren, he advi&s;eth them rather to &s;et up the meane&s;t in the Church to hear and judge between them, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6.4.</P>
<P N="4">4. When the Apo&s;tle directeth them upon the repentance of an offender, to forgive him, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2.4, to 10. he &s;peaketh to the Bre|thren, as well as to their elders to <HI>forgive him.</HI> As they were all (the Brethren as well as the Elders) offended with his &s;in: &s;o it was meet they &s;hould all a like be &s;atisfied, and being &s;atisfied &s;hould forgive him: the Brethren in a way of brotherly love and Church-con&s;ent, as well as the Elders, by &s;entencing his ab&s;olution and re&s;titution to the Church.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Obj.</HI> But was not this Church of <HI>Corinth</HI> (who had all this power) a <HI>metropolis,</HI> a <HI>mother Church</HI> of <HI>Achaia,</HI> in which many Pre&s;|byteries, from many Churches in the villages were a&s;&s;embled to ad|mini&s;ter this cen&s;ure?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> No &s;uch thing appeareth from the &s;tory of the Church of Corinth, neither in the Acts (<HI>Act.</HI> 18.) nor from either of the Epi&s;tles <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span"> Corinthians.</HI> True it is, <HI>Corinth</HI> was a <HI>mother-city,</HI> but not a <HI>Mother-Church</HI> to all <HI>Achaia:</HI> and yet it is not unlikely that other Churches in that region, might borrow much light from their gifts; for they abounded, and were <HI>enriched with</HI> variety of all <HI>gifts,</HI> 1 Cor. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word">. But yet that which the Apo&s;tle calleth the <HI>Church of Corinth, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> the whole Church was</HI> no larger, then was wont to <HI>meet together
<PB N="47" REF="30">in one place, one congregation,</HI> 1 Conrinth. 14.23.</P>
<P>A fourth and la&s;t <HI>Argument</HI> to prove the <HI>Propo&s;ition,</HI> that every Church &s;o furni&s;hed with officers (as hath been &s;aid) and &s;o carried on in truth and peace, hath all Church power needfull to be exerci|&s;ed within them&s;elves, is taken from the guilt of offence, which lieth upon every Church, when any offence committed by their members lyeth uncen&s;ured and unremoved. Chri&s;t hath &s;ome|thing again&s;t the <HI>Church of Pergamus,</HI> for <HI>&s;uffering Balaam</HI> and the <HI>Nicolaitans,</HI> Revel. 2.14, 15. and &s;omething again&s;t the <HI>Church of Thyatira,</HI> for <HI>&s;uffering Jezabel.</HI> Now if the&s;e Churches had not ei|ther of them &s;ufficient power to purge out their own offenders, why are they blamed for toleration of them? yea, why are not the neigh|bour Churches blamed for the &s;ins of the&s;e Churches? But we &s;ee, neither is <HI>Pergamus</HI> blamed for tolerating <HI>Jezabel,</HI> nor <HI>Thyatira</HI> for tolerating <HI>Balaam,</HI> nor <HI>Smyrna</HI> for tolerating either. Indeed what Chri&s;t writeth to any one Church, his <HI>Spirit</HI> calleth <HI>all the Churches</HI> to hearken unto, and &s;o he doth our Churches al&s;o at this day: not becau&s;e he blamed them for the toleration of &s;ins in other Churches, but becau&s;e he would have them beware of the like remi&s;&s;ene&s;&s;e in tolerating the like offences among&s;t them&s;elves: and al&s;o would provoke them to ob&s;erve notorious offences among&s;t their Si&s;ter-Churches, and with brotherly love and faithfulne&s;&s;e to admoni&s;h them thereof.</P>
<P>It is an un&s;ound body that wanteth &s;trength to purge out his own vicious and malignant humours. And every Church of a par|ticular congregation, being a bodie, even a body of Chri&s;t in it &s;elf, it were not for the honour of Chri&s;t, nor of his body, if when it were in a &s;ound and athletick con&s;titution, it &s;hould not have power to purge it &s;elf of its own &s;uperfluous and noy&s;ome humors.</P>
<P>IV. Propo&s;ition. <HI>In ca&s;e a particular Church be di&s;turbed with error or &s;candall, and the &s;ame maintained by a faction</HI> among&s;t them. <HI>Now a Synod of Churches, or of their me&s;&s;engers, is the fir&s;t &s;ubject of that power and authoritie, whereby error is judicially convinced and condemned, the truth &s;earched out,</HI> and determined, and the way of truth and peace declared and impo&s;ed upon the Churches.</P>
<P>The truth of this Propo&s;ition may appear by <HI>two Arguments.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Argum.</HI> From the want of power in &s;uch a particular church to pa&s;&s;e a binding &s;entence, where error or &s;candall is maintained by a faction; For the promi&s;e of binding and loo&s;ing which is made to
<PB N="48" REF="31">a particular church, <HI>Mat.</HI> 18.18. is not given to the church, when it is leavened with error and variance. It is a received maxime, <HI>Clavis errans non ligat;</HI> and it is as true, <HI>Eccle&s;ia litigans not ligat:</HI> And the ground of both ari&s;eth from the e&s;tate of the Church, to which the promi&s;e of binding and loo&s;ing is made, <HI>Mat.</HI> 18.17, 18. which, though it be a particular church (as hath been &s;hewed) yet it is <HI>a Church</HI> AGREEING <HI>together in the name of Chri&s;t,</HI> Mat. 18.19, 20. <HI>If there want agreement amongst them, the promi&s;e of binding and loo&s;ing is not given to them:</HI> or if they &s;hould agree, and yet agree in an error, or in a &s;candall, they do not then agree in the name of Chri&s;t; For to meet in the name of Chri&s;t, implyeth, they meet not only by his command and authority, but al&s;o that they proceed according to his Lawes and Will, and that to his &s;ervice and glory. If then the church, or a con&s;iderable part of it fall into error through ignorance, or into faction by variance, they cannot expect the pre|&s;ence of Chri&s;t with them, according to his promi&s;e to pa&s;&s;e a bind|ing &s;entence. And then as they fall under the conviction and ad|monition of any other &s;i&s;ter church, in a way of brotherly love, by vertue of communion of churches; &s;o their errors and variance, and what&s;oever &s;candals el&s;e do accompany the &s;ame, they are ju&s;tly &s;ubject to the condemnation of a Synod of churches.</P>
<P N="2">2. A &s;econd Argument to prove that a Synod is the fir&s;t &s;ubject of power, to determine and judge errors and variances in particu|lar churches, is taken from the pattern &s;et before us in that ca&s;e, <HI>Act.</HI> 15.1. to 28. when certain fal&s;e Teachers, having taught in the church of <HI>Antioch,</HI> a nece&s;&s;ity of circumci&s;ion to &s;alvation, and having gotten a faction to take part with them, (as appeareth by the <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> &amp; <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> of <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Barnabas</HI> again&s;t them) the church did not determine the ca&s;e them&s;elves, but referred the whole matter to the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> and <HI>Elders</HI> at <HI>Jeru&s;alem, Act.</HI> 15.1, 2. Not to the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> alone, but to the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> and <HI>Elders.</HI> The Apo&s;tles were as the Elders and Rulers of all churches; and the Elders there were not a few, the Believers in <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> being many thou&s;ands. Neither did the Apo&s;tles determine the matter (as hath been &s;aid) by Apo&s;tolicall authority from immediate revelation; but they a&s;|&s;embled together with the Elders, to <HI>con&s;ider of the matter, v. 6.</HI> and a <HI>multitude of Brethren</HI> together with them (<HI>v.</HI> 12.22, 23.) and af|ter, &s;earching out the cau&s;e by an ordinary means of <HI>di&s;putation, v.</HI> 7. <HI>Peter</HI> cleered it by the witne&s;&s;e of the Spirit to his Mini&s;tery in <HI>Cornelius</HI> his family; <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Barnabas</HI> by the like effect of their
<PB N="49" REF="31">Mini&s;terie among the <HI>Gentiles <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Iames</HI> confirmed the &s;ame by the te&s;timony of the <HI>Prophets,</HI> wherewith the whole Synod being &s;a|tisfied, they determine of a judiciall &s;entence, and of a way to pub|li&s;h it by letters and me&s;&s;engers; in which they <HI>cen&s;ure the fal&s;e Teachers, as troublers of their Church, and &s;ubverters of their &s;oules;</HI> they reject the impo&s;ition of <HI>circumci&s;ion, as a yoak which neither they nor their fathers were able to beare:</HI> they impo&s;e upon the churches none but &s;ome <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> ob&s;ervations, and them by way of that authority which the Lord had given them, <HI>v.</HI> 28. Which pattern cleerly &s;heweth us to whom the <HI>key of authority</HI> is com|mitted, when there groweth offence and difference in a church. Look as in the ca&s;e of the offence of a faithfull brother per&s;i&s;ted in, the matter is at la&s;t judged and determined in a church, which is a Congregation of the faithfull: &s;o in the ca&s;e of the offence of the church or congregation, the matter is at la&s;t judged in a congrega|tion of churches, a Church of churches: for what is a Synod el&s;e but a Church of churches?</P>
<P>Now, from all the&s;e former <HI>Propo&s;itions</HI> which tend to cleare the <HI>fir&s;t &s;ubject</HI> of the power of the keys, it may be ea&s;ie to deduce certain <HI>corollaries</HI> from thence, tending to clear a parallel Que&s;ti|on to this; to wit, <HI>In what &s;en&s;e it may, and ought to be admitted, that a church of a particular congregation is independent in the u&s;e of the power of the keys, and in what &s;en&s;e not?</HI> For in what &s;en&s;e the Church of a particular congregation is the fir&s;t &s;ubject of the power of the keys, in the &s;ame &s;en&s;e it is independent, and in none other. We taking the fir&s;t &s;ubject and the independent &s;ubject to be all one.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Corollary.</HI> The Church is not independent on Chri&s;t, but de|pendent on him for all church-power.</P>
<P>The Rea&s;on is plain, becau&s;e he is the fir&s;t &s;ubject of all church-power by way of &s;overaigne eminency, as hath been &s;aid. And therefore the church, and all the Officers thereof; yea, and a Synod of churches is dependent upon him, for all mini&s;teriall church-power. <HI>Mini&s;tery is dependent upon &s;overaigntie;</HI> yea, the more de|pendent they be upon Chri&s;t, in all the exerci&s;e of their church-power, the more powerfull is all their power in all their ad|min&s;trations.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Corollary.</HI> The fir&s;t &s;ubject of the mini&s;teriall power of the keys, though it be independent in re&s;pect of derivation of power from the power of the &s;word to the performance of any &s;pirituall
<PB N="50" REF="32">admini&s;tration, yet it is &s;ubject to the power of the &s;word in matters which concern the civill peace.</P>
<P>The matters which concern the civill peace, wherein Church-&s;ubjection is chiefly attended, are of foure &s;orts.</P>
<P N="1">1. The fir&s;t &s;ort be <HI>civill matters,</HI> <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> the <HI>things of this life,</HI> as is the di&s;po&s;ing of mens goods or lands, lives, or liberties, tri|butes, cu&s;tomes, worldly honours, and inheritances. In the&s;e the Church &s;ubmitteth, and referreth it &s;elf to the civill State. Chri&s;t as mini&s;ter of the circumci&s;ion, refu&s;ed to take upon him the dividing of Inheritances among&s;t Brethren, as impertinent to his calling, <HI>Luk.</HI> 12.13, 14. <HI>His kingdome</HI> (he acknowledgeth) <HI>is not of this world,</HI> Joh. 18.36. Him&s;elf payed tribute to <HI>Ce&s;ar,</HI> (Matth. 17.27.) for him&s;elf and his di&s;ciples.</P>
<P N="2">2. The &s;econd &s;ort of things which concern civill peace, is, the <HI>e&s;tabli&s;hment of pure Religion, in doctrine, wor&s;hip, and government,</HI> ac|cording to the word of God: as al&s;o the reformation of all corrup|tions in any of the&s;e. On this ground the good Kings of Iudah, commanded <HI>Iudah to &s;eek the Lord God of their fathers,</HI> and to wor|&s;hip him, according to his own &s;tatutes and commandments: and the contrary corruptions of &s;trange gods, high places, Images, and Groves, they removed, and are commended of God, and obeyed by the Prie&s;ts and people in &s;o doing, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 14.3, 4, 5. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 15.8. to 16. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 17.6. to 9. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 19.3, 4. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 24.4, 5, 6. 8, 9, 10. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 29.3. to 35. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 30.1. to 12. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 34.3. to 33. The e&s;tabli&s;hment of pure Religion, and the refor|mation of corruptions in Religion, do much concerne the ci|vill peace. If Religion be corrupted, there will be <HI>warre in the gates,</HI> Iudg. 5.8. and <HI>no peace to him, that cometh in, or goeth out.</HI> 2 Chron. 15.3, 5, 6. But where Religion rejoyceth, the civill State flouri&s;heth, <HI>Hagg.</HI> 2.15. to 19. It is true, the e&s;tabli&s;hment of pure Religion, and reformation of corruptions pertain al&s;o to the Chur|ches and Synodicall A&s;&s;emblies. But they go about it onely with &s;pirituall weapons, mini&s;tery of the Word, and Church-cen&s;ures upon &s;uch as are under Church-power. But Magi&s;trates addre&s;&s;e them&s;elves thereto, partly by commanding, and &s;tirring up the Churches and Mini&s;ters thereof to go about it in their &s;pirituall way: partly al&s;o by civill puni&s;hments upon the wilfull oppo&s;ers, and di&s;turbers of the &s;ame. As <HI>Ieho&s;aphat</HI> &s;ent <HI>Prie&s;ts and Levites</HI> (and them accompanied and countenanced with <HI>Princes</HI> and <HI>No|bles</HI>) to <HI>preach and teach in the Cities of Iudah,</HI> 2 Chron. 17.7, 8, 9. So
<PB N="51" REF="32"><HI>Io&s;iah</HI> put to death the idolatrous Prie&s;ts of the high places, 2 <HI>King.</HI> 22.20. Nor was that a peculiar duty or priviledge of the <HI>Kings of Iudah,</HI> but attended to al&s;o by <HI>heathen Princes,</HI> and that to prevent the wrath of God, again&s;t the Realme <HI>of the King and his &s;ons.</HI> Ezra 7.23. yea, and of the times of the New Te&s;tament it is prophe&s;ied, that in &s;ome ca&s;es, capitall puni&s;hment &s;hall proceed again&s;t <HI>fal&s;e Prophets,</HI> and that by the procurement of their <HI>neere&s;t kindred.</HI> Zach. 13.3. And the execution thereof is de&s;cribed, <HI>Revel.</HI> 16.4. to 7. where the <HI>rivers and fountains of waters</HI> (that is, the Prie&s;ts and Ie|&s;uites, that conveigh the Religion of the Sea of Rome throughout the countreys) <HI>are turned to blood,</HI> that is, have <HI>blood given them to drink,</HI> by the civill Magi&s;trate.</P>
<P>Neverthele&s;&s;e, though we willingly acknowledge a power in the Civill Magi&s;trate, to e&s;tabli&s;h and reform Religion, according to the Word of God: yet we would not be &s;o under&s;tood, as if we judged it to belong to the civill power, to compell all men to come and &s;it down at the Lords table, or to enter into the communion of the Church, before they be in &s;ome mea&s;ure prepared of God for &s;uch fellow&s;hip. For this is not <HI>a Reformation,</HI> but a <HI>Deformation</HI> of the Church, and is not according to the Word of God, but again&s;t it, as we &s;hall &s;how (God willing) in the &s;equell, when we come to &s;peak of the di&s;po&s;ition or qualification of Church-members.</P>
<P N="3">3. There is a third &s;ort of things which concern the civill peace, wherein the Church is not to refu&s;e &s;ubjection to the Civill Magi|&s;trate, in the exerci&s;e of &s;ome publick &s;pirituall admini&s;trations, which may advance and help forward the publick good of Civill State according to God. In time of warre, or pe&s;tilence, or any publick calamitie or danger lying upon a Common-wealth, the Magi&s;trate may lawfully <HI>proclaime a Fa&s;t as Ieho&s;aphat did,</HI> 2 Chron. 20.3. and the Churches ought not to neglect &s;uch an admini&s;tra|tion, upon &s;uch a ju&s;t occa&s;ion. Neither doth it impeach the power of the Church to call a Fa&s;t, when them&s;elves &s;ee God calling them to publick humiliation. For as <HI>Ieho&s;aphat</HI> called a Fa&s;t: &s;o the Pro|phet <HI>Joel</HI> &s;tirreth up the Prie&s;ts to call a Fa&s;t in time of a famine threatning the want of holy Sacrifices, <HI>Ioel</HI> 1.13, 14.</P>
<P>It may fall out al&s;o, that in undertaking a warre, or in making a league with a forraine State, there may ari&s;e &s;uch ca&s;es of con&s;ci|ence, as may require the con&s;ultation of a Synod. In which ca&s;e, or the like, if the Magi&s;trate call for a Synod, the Churches are to yeeld him ready &s;ubjection herein in the Lord. <HI>Jeho&s;aphat</HI> though he
<PB N="52" REF="33">was out of his place, when he was in <HI>Samaria</HI> vi&s;iting an idolatrous King: yet he was not out of his way, when in ca&s;e of undertaking the war again&s;t <HI>Syria,</HI> he called for coun&s;ell from the mouth of the Lord, by a Councell or Synod of Prie&s;ts and Prophets. 1 <HI>King.</HI> 22.5, 6, 7.</P>
<P N="4">4. A fourth &s;ort of thinge, wherein the church is not to refu&s;e &s;ub|jection to the <HI>Civill Magi&s;trate,</HI> is in patient &s;uffering their unju&s;t per&s;ecutions without ho&s;tile or rebellious re&s;i&s;tance. For though per&s;ecution of the churches and &s;ervants of Chri&s;t will not advance the civill peace, but overthrow it; yet for the church to take up the &s;word in her own defence, is not a lawfull means of pre&s;erving the church peace, but a di&s;turbance of it rather. In this ca&s;e, when <HI>Peter</HI> drew his &s;word in defence of his Ma&s;ter, (<HI>the Lord Ie&s;us</HI>) again&s;t an attachment &s;erved upon him, by the Officers of the high Prie&s;ts and Elders of the people: our Saviour bade him <HI>put up his &s;word into his &s;heath again;</HI> for (&s;aith he) <HI>all they that take the &s;word, &s;hall peri&s;h by the &s;word,</HI> Mat. 27.50, 51, 52. where he &s;peaketh of <HI>Peter,</HI> either as a private Di&s;ciple, or a church-officer, to whom, though the power of the keys was committed, yet the power of the &s;word was not committed. And for &s;uch to take up the &s;word, though in the cau&s;e of Chri&s;t, it is forbidden by Chri&s;t; and &s;uch is the ca&s;e of any particular church or of a Synod of churches. As they have received the power of the keys, not of the &s;word, to the power of the keys they may, and ought to admini&s;ter, but not of the &s;word. Wherein neverthele&s;&s;e, we &s;peak of churches and Synods, as &s;uch, that is, as church-members, or church-a&s;&s;emblies, acting in a church-way, by the power of the keys received from Chri&s;t. But if &s;ome of the &s;ame per&s;ons be al&s;o betru&s;ted by the civill State, with the pre&s;ervation and protection of the Lawes and Liberties, peace and &s;afety of the &s;ame &s;tate, and &s;hall meet together in a publike ci|vill a&s;&s;embly (whether in Councell or Camp) they may there pro|vide by civill power (according to the whol&s;ome lawes and liber|ties of the countrey) <HI>Ne quid Eccle&s;ia, ne quid Re&s;publica detrimenti capiat.</HI> If King <HI>Saul</HI> &s;wear to put <HI>Ionathan</HI> to death, the Leaders of the people may by &s;trong hands re&s;cue him from his fathers unju&s;t and illegall fury. 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 14.44, 45. But if <HI>Saul</HI> per&s;ecute <HI>Da|vid</HI> (though as unju&s;tly as <HI>Ionathan</HI>) yet if the Princes and Lea|ders of the people will not re&s;cue him from the wrath of the King, <HI>David</HI> (a private man) will not draw out his &s;word in his own defence, &s;o much as to <HI>touch the Lords anoynted,</HI> 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 24.4. to 7.</P>
<PB N="53" REF="33">
<P>To conclude this <HI>Corollary,</HI> touching the &s;ubjection of churches to the civill State, in matters which concern the civill peace, this may not be omitted, that as the Church is &s;ubject to the &s;word of the Magi&s;trate in things which con|cern the civill peace: &s;o the Magi&s;trate (if Chri&s;tian) is &s;ub|ject to the keys of the Church, in matters which concern the peace of his con&s;cience and the kingdome of heaven. Hence it is prophe&s;ied by <HI>I&s;aiah,</HI> that Kings and Queens, who are nur&s;ing fathers and mothers to the church, <HI>&s;hall bow down to the Church, with their faces to the earth,</HI> I&s;ai. 49.23. that is, they &s;hall walk in profe&s;&s;ed &s;ubjection to the Ordinances of Chri&s;t in his Church. Hence al&s;o it is, that <HI>David</HI> prophe|&s;ieth of <HI>a two-edged &s;word,</HI> (that is, the &s;word of the Spirit, the word of Chri&s;t) put <HI>into the hands of the Saints</HI> (who are by calling the Members of the Church) as to &s;ubdue the na|tions by the mini&s;tery of the Word, to the obedience of the Go&s;pel (<HI>P&s;al.</HI> 149.6, 7.) &s;o <HI>to binde their Kings with chains, and their Nobles with fetters of iron, to execute upon them the judgement written,</HI> (that is, written in the Word) <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 149. <HI>v.</HI> 8, 9.</P>
<P N="3">3. A <HI>third Corollary</HI> touching the independency of churches is this, That a church of a particular Congregation, con|&s;i&s;ting of Elders and Brethren, and walking in the truth and peace of the Go&s;pel, as it is the Fir&s;t &s;ubject of all Church-power, needfull to be exerci&s;ed within it &s;elfe, &s;o it is in|dependent upon any other (Church or Synod) for the exer|ci&s;e of the &s;ame.</P>
<P>That &s;uch a Church is the fir&s;t &s;ubject of all church-power, hath been cleered above in the opening the third Propo&s;ition of the fir&s;t &s;ubject of the power of the keys. And &s;uch a church being the fir&s;t &s;ubject of church-power, is unavoidably inde|pendent upon any other church or body for the exerci&s;e therof, for as hath been &s;aid afore, the fir&s;t &s;ubject of any Accident or Adjunct, is independent upon any other either for the injoying, or for the imploying (the having or the u&s;ing) of the &s;ame.</P>
<P N="4">4. A <HI>fourth Corollary</HI> touching the independency of churches is, That a Church fallen into any offence (whether it be the whole church, or a &s;trong party in it) is not independent in the exerci&s;e of church-power, but is &s;ubject both to the ad|monition of any other church, and to the <HI>determination and
<PB N="54" REF="34">judiciall &s;entence</HI> of a Synod for <HI>direction into a way of truth and peace.</HI></P>
<P>And this al&s;o ari&s;eth from the former di&s;cour&s;e. For, if <HI>clavis errans non ligat, &amp; Eccle&s;ia litigans non ligat;</HI> that is, if Chri&s;t hath not given to a particular church a promi&s;e to binde and loo&s;e in heaven, what they binde and loo&s;e on earth, unle&s;&s;e they <HI>agree together,</HI> and <HI>agree in his name,</HI> then &s;uch a church is not independent in their proceedings, as do fail in either. For all the independency that can be claimed is foun|ded upon that promi&s;e, <HI>What yee binde on earth, &s;hall be bound in heaven: what yee loo&s;e on earth, &s;hall be loo&s;ed in heaven,</HI> Matth. 18.18. On that promi&s;e is founded both the indepen|dency and <HI>&s;ecurity,</HI> and <HI>parity</HI> al&s;o of all churches. But if that promi&s;e be cut off from them, they are like <HI>Sam&s;on</HI> when his haire was cut off, weak, and &s;ubject to fall under other men; and yet they fall &s;ofter then hee did: hee fell into the hands of his enemies, but they fall under the cen&s;ure of their friends. As the fal&s;e Prophet recanting his error did acknowledge, &s;o may they: <HI>Thus was I wounded in the hou&s;e of my friends,</HI> Zach. 13.6. In the hou&s;e of a neighbour-church or two, I was friendly &s;mitten with a brotherly ad|monition, which (like <HI>a precious oyle</HI>) did <HI>not break mine head:</HI> and in the hou&s;e of a Synod of churches, I was friendly, yea, brotherly cen&s;ured and healed.</P>
<P N="5">5. A <HI>fifth</HI> and la&s;t <HI>Corollary</HI> ari&s;ing from the former di&s;|cour&s;e, touching the independency of churches, may be this; Though the church of a particular Congregation, con&s;i&s;ting of Elders and Brethren, and walking with a right foot in the truth and peace of the Go&s;pel, be the fir&s;t &s;ubject of all church-power needfull to be exerci&s;ed within it &s;elfe; and con&s;equently be independent from any other church or Sy|nod in the u&s;e of it; yet it is a &s;afe and whole &s;ome, and ho|ly Ordinance of Chri&s;t, for &s;uch particular churches to joyn together in holy Covenant or Communion, and con&s;olation among&s;t them&s;elves, to admini&s;ter all their church affairs, (which are of weighty, and difficult and common concern|ment) not without common con&s;ultation and con&s;ent of o|ther churches about them. Now church-affaires of weighty and difficult and common concernment, wee account to be
<PB N="55" REF="34">the <HI>election and ordination of Elders, excommunication of an Elder,</HI> or any <HI>per&s;on of publick note,</HI> and employment: the <HI>tran&s;lation of an Elder</HI> from one Church to another, or the like. In which ca&s;e we conceive it &s;afe and whol&s;ome, and an holy ordinance to proceed with common con&s;ultation and con&s;ent. Safe, for <HI>in multitude of coun&s;ellers there is &s;afetie</HI> (as in civill, &s;o in Church affairs) Prov. 11.14. And though this or that Church may be of a good and &s;trong con&s;titution, and walk with a right foot in the truth, and peace of the Go&s;pel: yet all Churches are not in a like athletick plight, and they will be Ioath to call in, or look out for help as much or more then others, though they have more need then others: yea, and the be&s;t Churches may &s;oon degenerate, and &s;tand in as much need of help as others, and for want of it may &s;ink and fall into deep Apo&s;ta&s;ie, which other Churches might have prevented, had they di&s;cerned it at fir&s;t.</P>
<P>It is al&s;o whol&s;ome, as tending to maintain brotherly love, and &s;oundne&s;&s;e of doctrine in Churches, and to prevent many offences, which may grow up in this or that particular Church, when it tran&s;acteth all &s;uch things within it &s;elf without con|&s;ent.</P>
<P>It is likewi&s;e an holy ordinance of Chri&s;t, as having ju&s;t war|rant from a like precedent. The Apo&s;tles were as much inde|pendent from one another, and &s;tood in as little need of one an|others help, as Churches do one of another. And yet <HI>Paul</HI> went up to <HI>Ieru&s;alem,</HI> to confer with <HI>Peter, Iames and Iohn,</HI> le&s;t he <HI>&s;hould run in vain</HI> in the cour&s;e of his mini&s;tery, <HI>Galat.</HI> 2.2. And though in conference the chief Apo&s;tles added nothing to <HI>Paul,</HI> ver. 6. yet when they perceived <HI>the Go&s;pel of the uncircumci&s;ion was committed to Paul and Barnabas, as that of the circumci&s;ion to Peter, Iames and Iohn, they gave</HI> unto one another <HI>the right hand of fellow&s;hip.</HI> ver. 9. Now then it will follow by ju&s;t proportion, that if the Apo&s;tles who are each of them independent one of another, had need to con&s;ult and confer together about the work of their mini&s;tery, to procure the freer pa&s;&s;age to their calling, and to their doctrine: then &s;urely Churches, and Elders of Churches, though independent one of another, had need to communicate their cour&s;es and proceedings in &s;uch ca&s;es one with another, to procure the freer pa&s;&s;age to the &s;ame. And if
<PB N="56" REF="35">the Apo&s;tles, giving right hand of fellow&s;hip one to another, did mutually &s;trengthen their hands in the work of the mini|&s;tery: then the Elders of Churches, giving right hand of fel|low&s;hip to one another in their ordination, or upon any fit oc|ca&s;ion, cannot but much encourage and &s;trengthen the hearts and hands of one another in the Lords work.</P>
<P>Again, &s;omething might be added, if not for confirmation, yet for illu&s;tration of this point, by comparing the dimen&s;ions of <HI>the new Ieru&s;alem,</HI> which is a perfect platform of a pure Church, as it &s;hall be con&s;tituted in the Iewi&s;h Church &s;tate, at their la&s;t conver&s;ion. The dimen&s;ions of this Church as they are de&s;cribed by <HI>Ezekiel</HI> (Chap. 48.30.) are (according to <HI>Iunius</HI>) <HI>twelve furlongs,</HI> which after the mea&s;ure of the Sanctu|arie (which is double to the common) is about <HI>three miles</HI> in length, and as much in breadth. But the dimen&s;ions of the &s;ame Church of the <HI>Iews,</HI> in <HI>Revel.</HI> 21.16. is &s;aid to be <HI>twelve thou&s;and furlongs.</HI> Now how can the&s;e two dimen&s;ions of the &s;ame Church &s;tand together, which are &s;o farre di&s;crepant one from another? For there be a <HI>thou&s;and times twelve</HI> furlongs, in <HI>twelve thou&s;and furlongs.</HI> The fitte&s;t and faire&s;t reconciliation &s;eemeth plainly to be this, that <HI>Ezekiel</HI> &s;peaketh of the dimen|&s;ions of any ordinarie Iewi&s;h Church of one particular con|gregation. But <HI>Iohn</HI> &s;peaketh of the dimen&s;ions of many par|ticular Iewi&s;h Churches, combining together in &s;ome ca&s;es, even to the communion of a thou&s;and Churches. Not that the Church of the Iews will be con&s;tituted in a <HI>Nationall</HI> and <HI>Dio|ce&s;an</HI> frame, with <HI>Nationall</HI> officers, and <HI>Dioce&s;an</HI> Bi&s;hops, or the like: but that &s;ometimes a thou&s;and of them will be ga|thered into a Synod, and all of them will have &s;uch mutuall care, and yeeld &s;uch mutuall brotherly help and communion one to another, as if they were all but one body.</P>
<P>If any man &s;ay, <HI>Theologia &s;ymbolica,</HI> or <HI>parabolica non e&s;t argu|mentativa,</HI> that arguments from &s;uch parables and my&s;ticall re|&s;emblances in Scripture are not valid, let him enjoy his owne apprehen&s;ion: and (if he can yeeld a better interpretation of the place) let him wave this collection. Neverthele&s;&s;e, if there were no argumentative power in parables, why did the Lord Ie&s;us &s;o much delight in that kind of teaching? and why did <HI>Iohn,</HI> and <HI>Daniel,</HI> and <HI>Ezekiel</HI> deliver a great part of their
<PB N="57" REF="35">prophe&s;ies in parables, if we mu&s;t take them for riddles, and not for documents nor arguments? Surely if they &s;erve not for argument, they &s;erve not for document.</P>
<P>But furthermore, touching this great work of commu|nion and con&s;ociation of Churches, give us leave to adde this caution;<NOTE PLACE="marg">A Caution.</NOTE> To &s;ee that this con&s;ociation of Churches be not perverted, either to the oppre&s;&s;ion or diminution of the ju&s;t libertie and authoritie of each particular Church within it &s;elf: who being well &s;upplied with a faithfull and expert Presby|terie of their own, do walk in their integritie according to the truth and peace of the Go&s;pel. Let Synods have their ju&s;t au|thoritie in all Churches, how pure &s;oever, in determining &s;uch <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, as are requi&s;ite for the edification of all Chri&s;ts Chur|ches according to God. <HI>But in the election and ordination of Of|ficers, and cen&s;ure of offenders, let it &s;uffice the Churches con&s;ociate to a&s;&s;i&s;t one another, with their coun&s;ell, and right hand of fellow&s;hip, when they &s;ee a particular Church to u&s;e their libertie and power aright. But let them not put forth the power of their communitie, either to take &s;uch Church acts out of their hands, or to hinder them in their lawfull cour&s;e, unle&s;&s;e they &s;ee them (through ignorance or weakne&s;&s;e) to abu&s;e their libertie and authoritie in the Go&s;pel.</HI> All the liberties of Churches were purcha&s;ed to them by the precious blood of the Lord Ie&s;us: and therefore neither may the Churches give them away, nor many Churches take them out of the hands of one. They may indeed prevent the abu&s;e of their li|berties, and direct in the lawfull u&s;e of them, but not take them away, though them&s;elves &s;hould be willing. The Lord Ie&s;us having given equall power to all the Apo&s;tles, it was not law|full for eleven of them to forbid the twelfth to do any act of his office without their intervention. Neither was it lawfull for the nine who were of inferiour gifts, to commit the gui|dance and command of all their Apo&s;tolick admini&s;trations un|to <HI>Peter, Iames and Iohn, who &s;eemed to be pillars.</HI> And that, not onely becau&s;e they were all (one as well as another) imme|diately guided by the holy Gho&s;t: but becau&s;e they were all equall in office, and everie one to give account for him&s;elf un|to God.</P>
<P>It is the like ca&s;e (in &s;ome mea&s;ure) of particular chur|ches,
<PB N="58" REF="36">yea, there is moreover a three-fold further inconve|nience, which &s;eemeth to us, to attend the tran&s;lation of the power of particular churches in the&s;e ordinary admnini&s;tra|ons, into the hands of a Synod of Presbyters, commonly cal|led a <HI>Cla&s;&s;is.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. The promi&s;e of <HI>Binding and Loo&s;ing,</HI> in way of Di&s;ci|pline, which Chri&s;t gave to every particular church (as hath been &s;hewed) is by this means not received, nor injoyned, nor practi&s;ed by them&s;elves immediately, but by their Depu|ties or Over-&s;eers.</P>
<P N="2">2. The &s;ame promi&s;e which was not given to Synods in acts of that nature (as hath been &s;hewed in the Chapter of Synods) but in acts of another kinde, is hereby received, and injoyned, and practi&s;ed by them, and by them onely, which ought not to be.</P>
<P>And which is a third inconvenience, The practice of this power of the keys only by a Synod of Presbyters, &s;till keep|eth the Church as under nonage, as if they were not grown up to the full fruition of the ju&s;t liberty of their riper yeers in the dayes of the Go&s;pel. For a mother to bear her young daughter in her arms, and not to &s;uffer it to go on its own feet, while&s;t it is in the infancie, is kindly and comely: but when the Damo&s;ell is grown up to riper yeers, for the mo|ther &s;till to bear her in her arms, for fear of &s;tumbling, it were an uncece&s;&s;ary burthen to the mother, and a reproach to the Virgin; Such is the ca&s;e here: The community of churches (according to the Hebrew phra&s;e) is as the <HI>Mo|ther;</HI> each particular church is as the <HI>Daughter.</HI> In the old Te&s;tament, while the Church was in her nonage, it was not un&s;ea&s;onable to leave the whole guidance and bearing there|of in the hands of their <HI>Tutors and Governours, the Prie&s;ts and Levites,</HI> and in the community of the nationall courts. But now in the dayes of the new Te&s;tament, when the churches are grown up (or &s;hould be grown at lea&s;t) to more maturi|ty, it were meet more to give the Church liberty to &s;tand alone, and to walk upon her own legs; and yet in any &s;uch part of her way, as may be more hard to hit right upon, as in her Elections, and Ordinances, and Cen&s;ures of eminent per|&s;ons,
<PB N="59" REF="36">in office; it is a &s;afe and holy and faithfull office of the vigilancy of the community of churches, to be pre&s;ent with them, and helpfull to them in the Lord. And at all times when a particular church &s;hall wander out of the way, (whether out of the way of truth, or of peace) the community of churches may by no meanes be excu&s;ed from reforming them again into their right way, according to the authority which the Lord hath given them for the publike edification of all the &s;everall churches within their Covenant.</P>
<Q><HI>Soli Chri&s;to,</HI> <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"></Q>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="license">
<P>This is licen&s;ed and entred according to Order.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
