whole multitude of beleevers whether in truth or in shew only Acts 8.3 Saul made havock of the Church and Acts 12.1 c. It was not any particular Church but any of any Churches any of that way Acts 9.2 which must needs signifie the Church indefinetely as opposed to the world not any particular Church Nor was it the Catholike Invisible Church that they persecuted as such for they could not know them to be such Therefore it must be the Catholike Visible Church Besides your self unawares confesse it in the following words Though the whole Church or which is all one the Catholike Church may be visible in her singular members c. Is not this to confesse a Catholike visible Church But say you So they are not a Church or though it may be visible in the severall particular Congregations yet none of them is Catholike I hope you do not imagine that any is so simple to think that the whole Church can be seen at once D. A. said well Ecclesia non est tota simul visibilis The Church he means the Catholike Church is not all visible at once or at one view then it were more then visibilis even visa not visible so much as seen I know you observe the difference But if the whole Church be visible in her members whether in the particular persons or particular Congregations is not the whole visible though not visa seen at once No more is the whole world visible but in its parts yet the world is visible No more is a Congregation of many persons visible that is seen at once yet you will not say but the whole is visible True but then none of those particular Congregations are Catholike The Catholike Church is not visible as a Church and the Church that is visible is not Catholike But 1. If there be a Catholike Church which you suppose here in these words 2. If that Church be visible in its parts the singular members which you also grant 3. If the particular Congregations as parts be also visible as Churches 4. If the whole Church be made up of chose particular Churches which are visible must not the whole or which is all one the Catholike Church be visible and then the whole Church that is visible in its parts is also Catholike and the Catholike Church is visible in its parts And is it not then true that there is a Catholike visible Church It might be added that a particular Church is not visible as a Church but as a company of men assembled for the form of the Church which you say is the Covenant is not visible And once more you seem to yeeld the Catholike visible Church when you say Though all of them the particular Congregations may be called a Catholike Church or generall Assembly if they were met together Only you adde Yet I would be loth to say that Christ giveth the power of the Keys all Ecclesiasticall power into their hands I should indeed be loth to say so for I do not yet believe that our Saviour in that Text did give the power of the Keys to the Church at all whether particular or Catholike but to Peter to the Officers for the Church To thee Peter I give the Keys of the Church c. Yet the question upon that Text is not resolved whether by Church is meant the Catholike visible or invisible Church seeing it is not to be taken for a particular Church And to this you say That I distrusting the meaning to be of the Catholike visible Church expound it rather to be meant of the Invisible mysticall Church But 1. By my word rather I did not exclude the Catholike visible Church though I was swayed by the reason annexed to incline to that sense Because that Church only is built on the rock and against that the gates of hell shall never prevail whereas particular Churches may fail And I am not alone in this Exposition 2. Visible and invisible do not specifically difference Churches but are as your self say somewhere but adjuncts of the same Church whereupon it may be true of both that by the Kingdom of heaven that is the Church ver 18. may be meant both these as included in the same Church the invisible in the visible But of which our Saviour understood it is worth enquiry Upon second thoughts not excluding the invisible I encline now to think he meant is of the Catholike visible Church The Reverend M. Hooker confesses himself inclined that way by some passages of M. Rutherford to take it of the visible Church though he deny a Catholike visible Church as well as you by the force and conviction of this Argument That Church is here meant which is built upon the Rock Christ by the visible confession of Peter But the invisible Church is not built by a visible profession such as Peters was The proposition is made good by the meaning of the words Thou hast made a confession of my self a rock and upon my self so confessed will I build my Church I must ingeniously confesse I am not convinced by this argument For the Invisible Church is also built upon that rock by a visible profession such as Peters was The invisible Church is the same Church or the same members with the visible and are all built upon the same rock by the same profession of faith True beleevers and false make the same profession of faith and the Elect are visible members of the Church though as they are elect they are invisible visible and invisible are in themselves opposite but not in several respects they may predicated of the same subject That which I observe from him is this he acknowledgeth and argues that the visible Church is here meant the question is whether the Catholike or particular visible Church is there intended For the Catholike visible much hath been said already and now I adde from his confession Upon my self so confessed will I build my Church what only a particular Church and not rather the whole Church yea rather the latter for the reason objected against the particular Church because against the visible Church particular the gates of hell have prevailed he answers The visible Church is attended in a double respect Ibid p. 2. 7. either as this or that particular Congregation or else as a Church universall existing in the particulars and in this latter sense it is taken in this place and then it is a sure and confessed truth That the visible Church doth not fail If now it be taken in the latter sense in this place for the Church universall existing in the particulars then it is meant of the Catholike visible Church not of a particular visible Church See more in M. Hookers Survey p. 217. If I may now declare my judgement take it thus Upon this rock that is my self thus confessed or this confession of my self To be the Christ the Son of the living God will I build my Evangellicall Church
consent not Authority And so those times give no expresse lineaments of Congregationall discipline Shew us in any Antiquity of Scripture or story that the people had power without Officers to create or ordain Officers to impose hands upon them or to censure all their Officers or you say nothing to the present controversie 2. When you had said The Keys convey not Soveraign power but stewardly I inferred that this clearly excludeth the people for they have no stewardly or ministeriall power over themselves I might have added much lesse over their Officers You answer by a question As if the people were not Stewards of the grace of God given to them c. But truly Sir this is no better then a fine elusion To take Stewards in a larger sense then I intended it Stewards to me are Officers and can the people be Stewards over their Stewards Your self say pag. 28. It implieth a contradiction that the Church should be its own Officer for the very term of Officer implieth subordination So say I it implieth a contradiction that the Church should be its own Steward And again p. 30. We acknowledge say you that a company of professing believers destitute of Officers are not Stewards by office c. Then say I you answer equivocally taking the word in another sense then it is commonly taken in this controversie Let a man esteem of us as Stewards of the mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4.1 Did not the Apostle there mean it only of Officers Nor will the Apostle Peter help you out 1 Pet. 4.10 For either he takes Stewards in the strict sense for Officers with reference to the 11. verse Or in the large sense for any Dispensers of any kinde of gifts as the referring it to the 9. verse seems to carry it Now we take the word in one sense and you in another and so you answer nothing but misleade your Reader while you evade Yet you go on If they have received any gift of grace they are either Stewards of it or Lords Apply this to women yea to Infidels If they have received any gift or grace they are either Stewards of it or Lords Lords they are not what are they else Stewards they are your own words But we answer it is not any gift that we are speaking of but the gift of the Keys that 's your first evasion And then we say they are neither Stewards nor Lords in our sense of Stewards but members of the family in subordination to the Lords and Stewards having nothing to do with the Keys at all But say you Election of Officers is a publike gift and that must be dispensed publikely Grant Election of Officers to be a publike gift and yeeld it to the people yet say we it is no part of the gift of the Keys Lastly when you say the people are not as Lords to elect whom they list but as Stewards and Ministers to Christ c. either you make them Officers or you doe prevaricate all along his Paragraph and that I think you doe And the like you do in the word calling which I said should be taken of some speciall calling or Office which would exclude the people from having an office in the Church or any power of the Keys You say There is no reason for that if speciall denote a specification of a calling distinct from other members of the Church but if it only signifie a distinct state or order from such as are not members so it is true every member hath a speciall calling from such as are not yet received as members of a particular Church But Sir you cannot well understand it otherwise then I do when you speak of a speciall calling in such as to whom the Keyes are given with a power to open and shut the gates of heaven that is the Church For I suppose every member of the Church particular hath not such a speciall calling or such power of the Keys to open and shut the gates of heaven as women and children for example yet have they in your sense a speciall calling state or order in the Church as was more fully said in Vind. Clav. And surely in this controversie speciall calling and office have ever been taken for the same thing not for state or place or order at large Beleevers not yet members of a particular Church have a distinct calling in your sense from Infidels a state place order in the visible Catholike Church yea if they be men they have as good a state order c. in a particular Church as your women and children have in regard of any power of the Keys Yet you say Every member of a particular Church hath a calling to put forth some acts of power of his own Church which members of another Church have not there Had you not said His I would have asked what acts of power women may put forth in their particular Church yet certainly women may put forth some acts of power in their own Church or else their calling state place order is very mean and contemptible There is no member of the body naturall not the least but it hath in your notion a function action office in the body a power to put forth some acts in its own body which it cannot do in another body nor the members of another body in its body The question is not of some acts of power but some acts of power of the Keys which is an office power But say you still Every member of the body of a particular Church women and all say I hath some function and action or as the new Translation Office in the body Ro. 12.4 5. All the members have not the same office which implieth they all of them have some office though not the same Truly Sir this is but a prevarication Fos 1. By body there is not meant a particular Church but the whole Church We being many are one body in Christ and every one members one of another Paul puts in himself and he was no member of the Church of Rome in your sense 2. When they render the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 office they either mean it largely and not for a speciall office as we take it or strictly and then it relates to the Officers of the Church only as the following verses may seem to insinuate whether Prophecy or Ministry c. where your self and others do finde all the Officers of the Church and so taken it is nothing to your purpose but rather against you When I said you added that explication whether it be their office or place and order in the Church to steal in the interest of the people in some share of the Keys you answer It is not stealth but justice to give to every man his own the Psalmist foretold it in a new song Psa 159.9 Such honour have all his Saints c. But you must first prove it their own and that that Text is so to be understood
it immediatly from Christ I desire you would consider whom M. Hooker meant in those words That conceit is more wide from the mark c. pag 195. sect 2. It is strange that all this while you should agree no better Obj. 7 I said lastly The Church there meant is called the Kingdom of heaven but a particular Congregation of beleevers is never called so being but a member of it c. You answer It is not materiall whether it be called so or no it is enough it is called a Church yea as distinguished from Church-Officers Acts 25.22 Suprà pag. 7. 23. c. I gave the sense and rosolution of that Text afore The sum is this it doth not hold a Church of beleevers as existing without Officers for that Church had Officers but only distinguisheth the Integrall parts as your self call them above of that Church into Officers and members The Apostles Elders and whole Church ver 22. that is the brethren or beleevers ver 23. assembled together ver 25. which is no more then if he had said the whole Church consisting of Apostles Elders and Brethren But you must remember that you are disputing the power of the Keyes to be given to a Church beleevers without Officers and you bring an instance of a Church that had Officers Shew if you can a Church of beleevers existing without Officers which took upon them the name of a Church or the tide of the Kingdom of heaven I yet beleeve whereever the Church is called the Kingdom of heaven in Scripture it is meant of the whole Church not of any particular Congregation Your own Texts produced do hold out as much Mat. 20.1 It is called a vineyard which signifies either the state of the Gospel or the whole visible Church If he had meant it of particular Churches he would have rather said into his vineyards for all those Officers could not be hired for one particular Church You say It was into this or that particular Church respectively true with respect to the whole visible Church which is but one A man that hath a large vineyard hires servants to work in several places or parts of that vineyard but this or that part is not called a vineyard but with respect to the whole they are all hired to labour in his vineyard Or what if that Parable be rather understood of particular persons then particular Congregations God cals all Christians into his Church and sets them to work Some come in at one hour some at another they that come first think they deserve more then they that come in late at the eleventh hour Christ would intimate that God is free and his grace free to do what he will with his own and there is no merit at all Many are called but few are chosen But your Exposition restrains the parable only to Officers as distinct from the Church of beleevers The like my be said of your second Text Mat. 25.1 2. It is not meant as an a description of the estate of each particular Church as you strain rather then interpret it but of every particular professing Christian whereof some have lamps of profession but no oyl of true grace others have both And the scope of the parable is intimated in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or application ver 23. Watch ye therefore every one of you for you know not the day nor hour when the Son of man cometh Your next of Luk. 17.21 is wider from the mark The Kingdom of God is within you that is either the Messias whom you seek as absent is now among you as Beza or the power of the Gospel is within you or upon you Those other of Rev. 1.6 and 1 Pet. 2.9 are as much mistaken if applied to a particular Congregation All the faithfull are Kings and Priests and all together are a Kingdom of Priests both Officers and beleevers I suppose you will not apply this either only to the Officers or only to beleevers but to both singly and jointly and respectively to the whole Church To conclude this whole first Section I added a particular Congregation is but a member or Corporation of that kingdom and it were as improper to call a Congregation Christs kingdom as to call London the kingdom of England You answer Every similar part of a similar body doth properly partake both in the name and nature of the whole Every part of water is water c. and such a part of such a body is a particular visible Church But such is not the state of London c. You said a little above It was not in your minde to understand any other particular Congregation but one furnished with Officers But then if you will speak properly and strictly you cannot say that a particular Congregation of Officers and beleevers is a similar part of a similar body for it is a dâ—ssimilar body consisting of dissimilar parts and so London and it agree in state and that Church can no more properly be called the Kingdom of heaven then London the kingdom of England Again if you will to help your self out of this Labyrinth understand it of a particuar Church without Officers you fall into another gulf as bad as the former For if particular Congregations consisting of similar parts of beleevers only may be called Kingdoms as they are called Churches then it will fairly follow that every particular member of that similar body may be called not only a Church but a Kingdom too because every similar part of a similar body it is your own reason doth properly partake in the Name and Nature of the whole So then as every drop of water is water so every member of such a Church is a Church and of such a Kingdom is a Kingdom Your following of metaphors and Parables too far is guilty of these miscarriages as I elsewhere often shew where I also shew how a particular Church consisting of Officers and beleevers may in a candid sense be said to be a similar body to which I referre you SECT II. What the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven are IF in opening what the Keys of the kingdom of heaven be it was not your intent to enumerate them all distinctly and particularly as you here say Surely you intended not the businesse you had in hand when you were purposely engaged to answer this Question What are the Keyes of this Kingdom would not any Reader expect from an Expositor of that text a full and perfect enumeration of the Keys what and how many they are Had you said only thus The Keys are the Ordinances which Christ hath instituted to be administred in his Church You might afterwards have referred them as you say to their severall subjects But when you adde As the preaching of the Word as also the administration of the Seals and Censures Would not any Reader take it for a full distribution of the Keys And when you adde By the opening and applying of these both
or else it is as well sacrilege or stealth taking it from the right owners if the Lord hath not given them this honour as it is to deny it or take it from them if the Lord hath given it to them Lastly and so you will have done with me you conclude It is not every place or order in the Church that giveth power to receive the Ordinances much lesse power themselves to to dispense Ordinances as children and women c. This is very true yet you asserted before Every member of a particular Church hath a calling to put forth some Acts of power in his own Church c. Then say I women and children for they are members too yea we think except but that of speaking in the Church 1 Cor. 14.34 1 Tim. 2.11 12. expresly forbidden and we do not finde any one thing granted by Christ in respect of the power of the Keys to men the common members of the Church that women may not be allowed to act as I often told you in Vind. Clav. 1. Women widows at least who contribute maintenance may have some power in choosing that is in your sense ordaining Officers 2. To propound just exceptions against such as offer themselves to be admitted 3. To admonish in case of private scandall 4. To judge with a judgement of discretion you sometimes allow the brethren no more Keyes pag. â—4 They may tell the Church they may consent and concurre with the Elders at least passively 5. To withdraw from one excommunicate c. as was suggested to you elsewhere And now before I conclude I shall set before you an observation of your inconstancy in assigning the first subject of the power of the Keys The Keys were given 1. To Peter as an Apostle as an Elder and as a beleever 2. To Peter not as an Apostle not as an Elder but as a believer and consequently to all believers 3. Not to believers as believers but as making publike confession of their faith before the Lord and their brethren The way cleared part 2. pag. 39. and publike profession of their obedience of the faith to the Lord Jesus in the publike Ordinances of his worship pag. 40. 4. Not to believers as believers but as believers covenanting and fitly capable according to Christs appointment M. Hooker Surv. par 1. pag. 203. Or as you here it is not every place or order in the Church that giveth power to receive or dispense Ordinances as not that place or order of children and women c. Whereas when first you began you asserted The Keys were given to Peter as a beleever and so by your own argument a quatenus tale to all beleevers as beleevers you are forced to make severall distinctions to help it out That position that needs so many distinctions gives strong suspition it is not the truth And now I shall conclude this second Section with your own words Let every soul enjoy such priviledges and liberties as the Lord hath given him or her in their place and order and neither effect nor attempt more Happy had it been for the Church of God if this had been done The Keys p. 6. I shall but minde you of what I suggested to you in Vind. Clav. pag. 13. in your own words I pray you seriously consider Whether by this sacrilegious breach of order investing the people with a Key of power even above those Elders that labour in the word and doctrine to open and shut the doors against them p. 9. of Keys which is the breaking of the files and ranks in an Army Satan is not like again to rout and ruine a great part of the liberty and power of Church-Officers and the purity of the Churches and of all the Ordinances of Christ in them SECT III. I now expected you should have gone on with Vind. Clav. and have vindicated your book and self from those other many wickednesses and contradictions charged I still think justly upon you But you fairly if you doe not rather in way of Revenge shake hands with me or rather slightly shake me off and never meet again And this is the more remarkable because you promise at least three times with attestation of the name of God twice at least pag. 15. and pag. 16. and again pag. 19 a further consideration of them In the first place thus when Vindex takes in hand to evade the Scriptures alledged I shall return him God willing further answer In the second place thus again What reason there is for their the Brethrens power in Church-censures we shall further consider God willing in its place To which places you never come near Is not this to take Gods Name in vain And new in the third Section you promise though you undertake those two Reverend Antagonists M. B. and M. Ruth Yet by the way not to neglect what personal exceptions Vindex hath taken at your self But reading over the following discourse I finde not that you do so much as take any notice of me or your threefold engagement but as if Vindex were some contemptible person that deserved to be slighted as his best answer you neglect all his I shall only say Et si ego dignus hac contumelia vel maximè At tu indignus qui faceres tamen Who both are charged with so many contradictions which for your own honour it concerned you to answer and also have charged your self three times to give a further answer Besides this there were seven Chapters in Vind. Clav. wherein you were not a little concerned to give if not me the world satisfaction and you are pleased to answer if you have answered but to one and but to two Sections of three in that chapter which is a slighting and contempt of an adversary not usually heard of And now I leave it to the Judicious Reader to resolve who deserves best Adversarius litis non personae and most justly the name and title of Vindex or Avenger Yet you give some reason of this slighting and neglect for so you say I conceive it losse of time and labour to argue the question with Vindex alone whose exceptions so far as they concern the point in controversie are but collections out of the writings of others who have more distinctly and elaborately disputed the cause I pray Sir why do you conceive it losse of time and labour to argue this Question with me Do you mean your answers would be so unsatisfying as the former now will appear to be as that the time and labour would be ill spent Your Reader will think so if you answer no better to that remaining then to what is gone before And why do you say this Question as if there were no more betwixt us then this But I most of all admire why you should say my excâ—ptions are but collections out of the writings of others I beleeve the Reader will finde my exceptions are Collections of contradictions out of your own writings more then out
part 1. pag. 219. The power of the Keys is in the Church of beleevers as in the first subject Ib. p. 195. That conâ—â—â—â— is wide to make one first subject of this power and yet others to share in this power not by means of that for this is to speak daggers and contradictions Ibid. 10. Pastor and flock are Relates and so he is a Pastor to none but his own Congregation This is the common Tenet 10. The members of any Church we admit to the Lords Table if they bring Letters Testimoniall and their children to Baptism The Way p. 68. The Keys 17. 10. Administration of Sacraments is a Ministeriall act and what authority hath a Pastor to doe it or they to receive it from him to whom he is no Pastor M. H. Survey part 2.64 65. Pastors and Teachers might pray and preach in other Churches beside their own but not administer Seals and censures Bartlets modell p. 63. 11. We receive the Sacrament of the Lords supper say the same of Baptism as a Seal of communion not only with the Lord Jesus in our own Churches but in all Churches of the Saints The Keys p. 17. See Def. of 9. pos p. 133 134. 11. Baptism and so the other Sacrament seals up the externall communion with a particular Church c. M. H. Survey par 3. pag. 27. and he disputes against it is to the Catholike Church  12. It is an act of the Elders power and authority to examine whether Officers or members before they be received of the Church The Keys pag. 21. 12. As for admission election ordination of officers admission and shutting out of members these things the brethren may do without Officers The Way 45. 101.  13. Ordination is then compleat when the people have chosen him and the Presbytery hath laid their hands on him The Keys p. 37. 13. But if the Church want a Presbytery for want of Elders they want a warrant to repair to the Presbytery of another Church to impose hands upon their elect Elders The Way pag. 50.  14. Paul and Barnabas were ordained to that office of Apostleship by the Imposition of hands of some Officers or members of the Church The Way p. 45. 14. In Act. 13.2 3. There is no Ordination to office at all for the Apostles had their office before M. H. Survey part 2. p. 83. This was not to put a new office upon them but to confirm their sending to the Gentiles Ib. p. 60. 14. This was done in a particular Church The Keys p. 29. The Officers of one Church did what as done in an ordinary way Surv. par 2. 83. Then it follows by M. C. his doctrine that the Apostles who were Officers of all Churches were ordained in a particular Church or that Officers of one Church may be ordained in another Church which he said was unwarrantable The Way p. 50. 15. What if the whole Presbytery offend The readiest course is to bring the matter to a Synod The Keys p. 43. 15. There is a readier and nearer way The brethren may censure them all The Way p. 45. If the Congregation be found faithfull and willing to remove an offence by due censure why should the offence be called up to more publike judicature c. Keys p. 42.  16. It belongs to the civill Magistrate to establish pure Religion in doctrine worship and government partly by civil punishments upon the wilful opposers and disturbers of the same The Keys p. 50. 16. Yet the Brethren here call for or tolerate toleration of all opinions and deny the Magistrate power to punish any pretending conscience Bartlets Modell 128. 16. See M. Bartl Modell p. 25. contra 17. Visible Saints though they be hypocrites inwardly are the matter of a visible Church M. H. Sur. par 1. p. 14 15. 17. You say Saints in outward profession is the matter of a Congregational Church We judge that reall Saints uttering in discourse the breathings of the holy Spirit and experiences of conversion witnessed in a stricter conversation to be the matter D. Holmes Ep. to Way cleared p. 4 17. M. Bartlet speaks something this language Can there ba ability for spirituall and holy services where the spirit is not yet given Can there be communion between light and darknesse can they edifie one another in the faith that have not yet the work of faith wrought in them Mod. p. 57. See more p. 103. 18. The forme of the visible Church is the Covenant either explicit or implicit and the latter is sometimes fully sufficient M. H. Sur. par 1. pag. 47 48. and others 18. You say an implicit uniting viz. a walking and communicating with you is a sufficient evidencing of the Form we say their solemn confession of their faith and expresse open covenanting with the Lord to walk with such a body of Saints in all the waies of Christ c. to be the manifest form D. Holm Ib. 18. It is not generall profession will serve the turn but there must be a peculiar engagement and appropriation to this or that particular body M. H. Sur. p. 63. yet he said an implicit covenant was sufficient 19. We crave leave of the Reverend Author of the Keys to declare that we assent not to all expressions or all and every assertion in it As in these particulars 1. About prophecying by gifted brethren 2. That the Assembly Act. 15. was a formal Synod 3. That the Apostles acted in it as ordinary Elders Praef. to the Keys p. 6. 19. We do in this Epistle certifie our assent unto the way of the Churches in New-England saving that we do not yet fully close with some expressions in the book before some of which ten at least belike there are more we minded to note a star in the Margent This we could not but say and do pace tanti Authoris or we could not assent Ep. to the Way p. 2. f. 19. Yet they are angry we call for a fuller Declaration of themselves Ep. to the Way p. 1. and Ep. to Way cleared p. 2. 20. It is generally asserted by them that one Church hath not power to censure another 20. A Synod hath power to determine to withdraw communion from them if they cannot heal them The Keys p. 25. 20. A sentence of Non-communion denounced against whole Churches Apol. Nar. p. 18 19. If a sentence denounced it is a censure 21. We say Instituted priviledges and ordinances doe not immediatly flow from spiritual union and relation to Christ and his members c. Def. or 9. portions p. 76. He must come at them in a right order i. e. the party must be a member pf a particular Congregation Surv. par 2. p. 65. 21. Then it follows that Hearing the Word preached Singing of Psalms and Baptism belong not to any but to such as are members of a particular Congregation And yet they say ordinary hearing is no sign of a Church-member Sur. par 1. p. 18. 21. A person hath his first right to a Sacrament and so to other Ordinances because he hath an interest in the Covenant of the Gospel Survey par 2. 65.
distinction of heaven and earth respects the whole Church rather then any particular Church 2. And this your second Answer implies You did not mean it in any one single Congregation on earth but generally and indefinitely in every particular Church on earth for every Apostle had transcendent power in every particular Church on earth But 1. why may you not say as well generally in the whole Catholike Church on earth seeing Peter received power to binde and loose in the whole Church primarily being an Apostle and secondarily in particular Congregations 2. If Peter as an Apostle received such power in the whole Church what is that to Elders and Beleevers to challenge power of the Keys from this Text in all particular Congregations Sure they have not transcendent power indefinitely much lesse generally in every particular Church on earth 3. How did Peter receive the Keys in every particular Church indefinitely As an Apostle or as an Elder or as a beleever Not as an Apostle or Elder that you denied in the way Not as a Beleever for if they have any power in the Keys it is in the particular Congregation Whence I conclude by Kingdom of heaven there is not meant a particular but the Catholike visible Church as contra-distinguished to the Kingdome of glory Obj. 3 That Church is meant said I whereof Peter was one but Peter was not a member of a particular Congregation for there was none such then extant You are pleased to jeer me with your Logick and tell me there is a fallacy in such arguing to be left to Sophisters or used when I will refresh my wit with young scholars But I pray Sir where lies the fallacy The major is your own the minor cannot be denied Peter was not a member of a particular Congregation The proof of this last Proposition is because there was none extant at that time This is also true and partly confessed by your self where then lies the fallacy The Copula doth connotate Time which it ought not to do c. You instance in a Sophism fit indeed for young scholars But nothing parallel to my arguing And your other Argument from resurrection is far wide you say The Proposition is true because the subject and praedicate have true connexion in the nature of the thing though not in the present order of time But so it is not in my arguing For Peter was not at any time a member of a particular Congregation neither then nor afterwards There was then no fallacy or sophism in my arguing The weaknesse was in the proof For whereas I said Peter was not a member of a particular Congregation because there was none extant at that time I should have said Peter being an Apostle was never a member of a particular Congregation Therefore the Church there mean could not be a particular Congregation Obj. 4 I said Fourthly That Church whereof Peter received the Keys was such whereto an offended brother might tell an offence and have it censured but that was never done in a Church of Saints without Officers c. This say you is another passage of Sophistry Here are quatuor termini in this Syllogism might tell an offence and did tell an offence make two different Mediums Make you the Syllogism right as you would have it you make the minor thus But the Church of Saints without Officers was not such to whom an offended brother might tell an offence and have it censured And this you deny But I shall prove it thus 1. From the judgement of your brethren here who say The brethren cannot proceed to any publike censures without Officers Therefore it is to no purpose to tell an offence to a Church of beleevers without Officers 2. From your self who expresly say Excommunication is one of the highest Acts of Rule and therefore cannot be performed but by some Rulers The Keys pag. 16. though I confesse you flatly contradict your self in the way pag. 101. And now my Syllogism may easily be defended and cleared from a Sophism by adding the minor more explicitly thus But a Church of Saints without Officers is not such a Church This is proved by what I say That was never done in a Church of Saints without Officers that is no example can be brought from Scripture or History of such a practice where a Church of Saints without Officers did censure an offence Therefore the Church of Corinth which you instance in was not such a Church for it had Officers who as I said might authoritatively censure offenders What of that say you if a Church of Saints without Officers have power from Christ to elect Officers then also to admit members And if to admit without Officers then to exclude them without Officers Surely whatever mine was this is a fallacy and a Sophism called petitio principij For you know we deny that a Church of Saints without Officers have power to elect that is ordain and make Officers and you ought not to beg it And what mean you by power to admit members Admission of members is either at their first conversion which is done by baptism and so your self say None but Officers can admit for none but Officers can baptize or it is at the removall of a member from one Church to another to admit into the communion of another Church but this either is no part of the power of the Keys or if it be it belongs to a Church with Officers Nay your argument will recoil upon your self It is the same power to open and shut to admit and exclude But a Church of Saints without Officers cannot exclude or shut out therefore nor can they admit or open The minor is your own a little above and your brethrens also Excommunication being an Act of Rule cannot be performed but by some Rulers And here I desire you to take notice That a great gâ—ound of your mistakes lies in the misapplication or attribution of the power of the Keys to the brethren to elect that is to make and ordain their own Officers making election the principall and ordination but a circumstance or solemnity not necessary by the Institution of Christ to belong to the Officers Indeed it seems to follow rationally They that may ordain their own Officers may de-ordain them or cast them out for it is the same power instituere destituere as you say And then if the brethren may ordain and de-ordain their Officers much more may they admit or exclude members But me thinks the Antecedent is to be denied and we prove it thus They that may ordain Officers to such employments may in case of necessity at least formally themselves perform them But you constantly deny The Way pag. 44. and then par 2. p. 3. Par. 2. pag. 33. that any but Officers can administer Sacraments The major is also your own Assertion in this last book of yours thus you speak I confesse I do not well understand how a man in case of necessity
the gates of the Church here and of heaven hereafter are opened or shut to the sons of men Would not any man think these were all the Keys necessary and alsufficient for those ends on earth and in heaven But say you In instancing these I supposed no man would be of so narrow apprehension as not to conceive those things to be included without which these cannot duely be performed As vocation unto such administrations and some who have power from Christ to give such a vocation But I pray Sir are these any part of the Keys themselves If a Steward be trusted with the Keys of the Family as Peter with the Keys of the Church there must be doors and locks and servants to be let in or shut out but are those any part of the Keys Mend your distribution of the Keys and will you say The Keyes are vocation and some that have power to give such a vocation We such is the narrownesse of our apprehension think your distribution afore-given is full enough nor can we tell pardon our dulnesse how you can mend it but you will make it worse We have been accustomed so long to that ancient distribution of Clavis Scientiae which you call preaching of the Word and Clavis potestatis which you call Administration of Seals and Censures that we wonder at your new pick-locks presented to the world as Keys of the kingdom of heaven And I yet think your new distribution labour under so many Incongruities as Vind. Clav. hath given you to understand though you are not pleased to take notice of them or to vindicate them that it is far worse then the old one so long received in the Churches of Christ I had thought to have added your own words appliable enough to your new distribution in end of Sect. 3. pag. 6. of the Keys but I forbear It seems to me though you insinuate the contrary to be of great weight for the expediting of many controversies about the Keys and your new Way to know what those Keys be and what Ordinances they include Is not one main controversie betwixt you and us about the nature and extent of the Keys and who are the Key-bearers which cannot be decided unlesse we know what be those Keys But let us hear your new definition of the Keys Keys of the kingdom of heaven are spirituall powers to dispense the Treasures of his Kingdom c. Is not this almost the same with that afore Keys are the Ordinances of Christ to be administred in his Church for opening and shutting the gates of the Church here and of heaven hereafter But what mean you by spirituall powers you mean Spirituall callings and spirituall gifts fitting for them enabling to some spirituall Acts for these are Ordinances I pray Sir is every spirituall calling and every spirituall gift fitting for them a Key intended in the text to be given to Peter callings and gifts help to dispense the Keys but they are no Keys But they are Ordinances Be it so is every Ordinance a Key The Deacons office is an Ordinance and the Widows too say you and spirituall gifts are requisite to fit for that calling but is a Deacon or his office a Key and a Key given to Peter in that Text Prayer and singing are Ordinances but who ever numbred them among the Keys Well what are the Treasures dispensed by those powers or Keys I mean by them say you the Word Seals and censures c. Before you said the preaching of the word and Administration of the Seals and Censures were these Keys and now you call them the Treasurers to be dispensed by the Keys What incongruity is here Now let us hear your Distribution of the Keys according to this your definition Keys spirituall powers are either the Key of Knowledge or Faith both one wâ—th you or the Key of Order The Key of Order is either the Key of power or the Key of Authority or Rule Is not this an accurate distribution The spirituall powers are either Keys of power or of Authority And is not the Key of knowledge a key of order an Ordinance peculiar to some order or office of men what confusion is here In a word your new definition of the Keys better fits the Key-bearers then the Keys themselves ver 9. A Pastor or Teacher is a spirituall power given by Christ to his Church to dispense the Treasures of his kingdom c. And your own Exposition fits it better By spirituall powers is meant spirituall callings such is the calling of a Pastor and spiritual gifts are requisite for the fitting of them to spiritual Acts But no man ever said that a Pastor was a Key but a Steward to dispense the Keys New waies must coin new notions and distinctions to make them as amiable as strange But the old way is the good way 1. And now you come to animadvert upon my animadversions 1 I said you confuted your scope in the whole book which is to give the people a share in the government of the Church This you peremptorily deny to be your scope and say I mistake your meaning Let your Praefacers speak first Praef. to Keys pag. 3. His scope is to demonstrate a distinct and several state and interest of power in matters of common concernment vouchsafed to each of these the Officers and people and dispersed among both by charter from the Lord as in some corporate Towns the Aldermen as Rulers and a Common Counsell a body of the people which that it amounts to a share in the Ruling power is demonstrated in my Vind. Clav. in answer to that preface and in the Tract it self But you take no notice of it Next let your own books speak wherein you often give the brethren without Officers power to ordain Officers and to censure them all without Officers which if they be not the highest acts of Rule and so the brethren have the greatest share in the government I shall still professe my Ignorance in this controversie And upon my observation you deny them power in nothing but administration of Sacraments You allow them power in jurisdiction by giving them power in admission and ejection of members and Officers You allow them liberty in preaching the Word only not ordinarily nor so authoritatively as to Pastor or Teacher what can you give them more but administration of Sacraments and that being lesse an Act of Rule then the former you may go on and grant them that too or they will take it and so they do I said in prosecution of my charge of your confuting the scope of your book If the Keys be the Ordinances of Christ there by you specified preaching and administration of Sacraments and Censures they are given for the Church of beleevers objectivè but are never in Scripture or all antiquity said to be given to the Church subjectivè You are pleased to deride me as if I had not read all Antiquity which I professe I have
of others And I can sincerely professe I consulted with none or very few books of this controversie but comparing your books one with another my own reason and judgement suggested to me those contradictions in them that left me altogether unsatisfied in your way and at this day I am left so still if not more confirmed that the Independent way is not the way of God that is so inconsistent with the Scriptures and with it self That others have more elaborately disputed this cause I shall easily yeeld but I think I may truly say without vanity none have more distinctly discovered the weaknesses of your proofs and your contradictions to your selves in holding out your Way then I have done Nor am I at all troubled that you chuse rather to consider what hath been written by Learned and Reverend M. Rutherford and M. Baily though you sere M. Baily as you doe me never name him more in all your following discourse had you but made good your promises to consider also what I had said to vindicate your self from your contradictions and to clear the truth in question But seeing you are pleased so to neglect me I hope you will not be troubled if I conceive it losse of time and labour to follow you any further and consider what Learned and Reverend M. Hooker hath elaborately written in this controversie Only give me leave to present you with a Scheme of your remaining contradictions or contrarieties at least noted in Vind. Clav. out of your own books and then leave you to your choise whether you will reconcile them or confesse them A Scheme of Contradictions and Contrarieties in the Independent way 1. THe Keys were given to Peter as an Apostle as an Elder and as a beleever So the sense most fill The Keys pag. 4. It appears that Christ gave the Keys to the fraternity with the Presbytery Ib. See also the Way cleared par 2. pag. 22. 1. The power of the Keys is given to Peter not as an Apostle nor as as Elder but as a profest believer The way pag. 27. 1. Peter received no◠the Keys meerly as a beleever but as a beleeve publikely professing hi◠faith c. The Way cleared par 2. f. 39. Not beleevers as beleevers but as beleevers covenanting and fitly capable according to Christ appointment M. Hooker Surv. par 1. p. 203. 2. The Keys are given to the Church of beleevers The Way p. 1. that is a combination of faithful men as M. Hooker 2. The Key of knowledge belongeth to all the faithfull whether joyned to any particular Church or no. The Keys pag. 11. 2. The Key of Knowledge is given not only to the Church but to some before they ente◠into the Church Th◠Keyes p. 11. 3. The Key of order is common to all the members of the Church Keys p. 8. Then say we to women and children 3. It is not every place or order in the Church that giveth power to receive Ordinances much lesse to dispense them as children and women Way cleared par 2. pag. 19.  4. Ordination is a work of Rule The way p. 49. Ordination and jurisdiction both acts of Rule pertain indifferently to all the Presbysers Ib. 49. 4. As for election and Ordination of Officers c. these things they the brethren may doe if need be without Officers The way p. 45. 101. 4. Ordination is not an Act of supream jurisdidiction but of order rather in H. Survey part 2.75 5. The Key of authority or Rule is committed to the Elders of the Church and so the Act of Rule is the proper Act of their Office The Keys p. 20. The people discerning and approving the justice of the censure give consent and obedience to the Will and Rule of Christ The Keys pag. 15. 37. 41. The brethren stand in an order even an orderly subjection according to the order of the Gospel p. 11. 5. In case the Officers do erre and commit offence they shall be governed by the whole body of the brethren The Way pag. 100. The Church exerciseth severall acts of authority over the Elders The way p. 101. The people have some stock of power and Authority in government of the Church the Keys pag. 36. They rule the Church by appointing their own Officers Ib. p. 16.  6. Excommunication is one of the highest Acts of Rule and therefore cannot be performed but by some Rulers the Keys p. 16. The Church cannot excommunicate the whole presbytery because they have not received from Christ an office of Rule without their Officers Ibid. No act of the peoples power doth properly binde unlesse the authority of the Presbytery joyn with it Ibid. 36. 6. If all their Officers were sound culpable either in hereticall doctrine or scandalous crime the Church hath lawful Authority to proceed to censure of them all The Way p. 45. In case of offence given by an Elder or whole Eldership together the Church hath authority to require satisfaction and if they give it not to proceed to censure Ibid. p. 101. 6. Excommunication is not an act of power of office but of judgement nor an act of highest rule but of supream judgement seated in the fraternity Survey par 3. p. 45. As a Church of brethren cannot proceed to any publike censures without Elders so nor the Elders without concurrence of the people c. Pref. to the Keys pag. 4. 7. It was a sacrilegious breach of order that Commissaries and Chancellors wanting the key of Order no Ministers have been invested with jurisdiction yea and more then ministerial authority above those Elders who labour in the word and doctrine The Keys p 6. 7. There is a Key of power given to the Church with the Elders as to open a door of entrance to the Ministers calling so to shut the door of entrance against them in some cases c. The Keys pag. 9. yea to censure all their Elders without Elders the way p. 45. c. as afore  8. We are far from allowing that sacrilegious usurpation of the Ministers office practised in some places that private Christians ordinarily take upon them to preach the Gospel publikely The Keys pag. 6. 8. This is ordinarily practised in old England and allowed by the Independent brethren Yea they being but in the notion of gifted brethren no Ministers to other Congregations do it ordinarily themselves  9. A particular Church of Saints professing the faith that is members without Officers is the first subject of all the Church Offices with all their spirituall gifts and power The Keys p. 31. 9. As the Keys of the Kingdom of heaven be divers so are the subjects to whom they are committed divers The Keys p. 11. The Apostle were the first subject of Apostolical power Ib. p. 32. A Synod is the first subject of that power whereby error is convinced and condemned c. ib. p. 47. 9. The power of the Keys belongs firstly to a Congregation of Covenanting beleevers Surv.
members both at once So soon as there were members enough to make a Church they ordained them Elders and made them a politicall Church If not so yet the Apostles Paul and Barnabas were Officers to them before Catholick Officers to them as yet members only of the Catholick Church and now they being to depart ordained them Elders in their stead and made them particular politicall Churches If those members were not confederate by consent whereof the Scripture saies nothing they themselves say they were not a Church but only Materials of a Church and so members of the Catholike Church only or of none I shall say something more to this in another place I prescribe not to any mans judgement but submit it to consideration and proceed 2. The Officers of the Church 2. As a Congregation is called a Church as afore so sometimes the Officers not only distinguished but as separated into a Court are called the Church Our Saviour alluding to that custome amongst the Jews and not relating to a Congregationall Church not yet known nor yet in being And now the question returns upon us To what Church of all these the keys were committed Some say one thing some another you say to the particular Congregation which we shall consider when we have added that 3. How the Keys are given to the Church whether 3. It is to be considered in this question when the Keys are said to be given to the Church which is never said expresly in Scripture how they are understood to be given to the Church Whether 1. Objectivè 1. Objectivè that the Church is the object of the exercise of the Keys that is they are given for the good and benefit of the Church Or 2. Subjectivè 2. Subjectivè that the Church is the Subject Recipient to imploy and exercise the Keys and this either immediatly by her self in whole or in part without Officers or mediatly by her Officers that is whether the Church be the next and first subject of the Keys to convey them or any part of them to her Officers Or that she is said to be the remote subject as including the Officers to whom primarily and immediatly Christ hath committed the Keys for the good of the Church as sight is immediatly intrusted with the eyes for the good and benefit of the whole body And if it should happen that any power of the Keys should appear to be given to the Church as distinct from her Officers whether it belong first to the Catholike visible Church or to a particular Congregation The Question then is clearly this Whether the Keys of the Kingdom of heaven be given subjectivè to the Church-Catholike in her Officers on the particular Congregation without or with her Officers And now we shall consider what you resolve upon this question Thus you assert The Church to which the Lord Jesus committed the Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 16.29 is caetus Fidelium commonly called a particular visible Church c. To which I answered not as an Avenger there is not the least colour of that but as an Assertor giving also my reasons Of all the rest this is the most improbable sense of our Saviours words if by the Kingdom of Heaven on earth he meaneth that Church of which he spake in vers 18. But that was either the Catholike visible Church or rather the Invisible mysticall Church c. That one or both of these for by my word rather I do not exclude the other is meant and that primarily is to me still most probable upon these reasons 1. This being the first time that the Church my Church the evangelical Church is named it is not probable that our Saviour would intend it onely of a particular Congregation but of the Catholike Church for that is primarily Christs Church and that is properly built upon the rock and against that the gates of hell shall never prevail whereas as I say afterwards particular Churches may fail and have failed There is farre more colour for a particular Church to be meant Matth. 18.17 Tell the Church because excommunication is executed in a particular Church first and consequently in the Catholike Church but there is not any shadow for it in the text in hand Did Christ mean I will build my Church that is a particular Church onely upon this rock and not rather the Catholike Church and the particular secondarily as a member thereof It may be a question between the Invisible and Visible Catholike Church which is meant there as after but none till of late so much as made the question betwixt the Catholike and particular Church 2. Peter was an Apostle and had given to him the Keyes of the Catholike Church not of any particular Church for he and so his fellow-Apostles were never Pastors of any particular Church therefore it seems more reasonable that the Catholike Church is there meant They had habitually the Keyes of particular Churches in the Catholike as Pastors have habitually the Keyes of the Catholike Church in a particular They were actually Elders of the whole Church as Pastors are actually Elders of a particular Church 3. The Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven that is the Church are given to Peter as distinguished from the Church therefore they are not there given to the Church As if a Lord should say to him whom he constitutes his Steward I give to thee the Keyes of the Family to open and shut the doors of the House could the servants or children or any for them conclude from this grant the Keyes were given to the Family was Peter the Church to whom the Keyes of the Church were given And therefore as distrusting this sense of this Scripture you say as you had said of the other Apostles and Elders The Church or Congregation of professed believers received that portion also of Church-power The Keys pag. 5. which belonged unto them if not there that is in this text in hand yet elsewhere Not here for certain whether elsewhere or no shall be tried hereafter It is not a reasonable construction of this text to say I give to thee the Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven that is of the Church and to mean I give to the Church the Keyes of the Church I said therefore and I think truly that of all the rest this is the most improbable sense of our Saviours words that it is a particular Church to which the Keyes were given Matth. 26.19 It must then be taken of the Catholike Church either Invisible or Visible or none But you are pleased to take away the subject of this question denying any Catholike visible Church For say you I do not read that the Scripture any where acknowledges a Catholike visible Church at all It is supposed by very Judicious Divines that you may read of it often in Scripture and in this place for one It cannot be denied but the Church is often put for the