Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	bind_v	church_n	key_n	2,078	5	10.0076	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66932	A little stone, pretended to be out of the mountain, tried, and found to be a counterfeit, or, An examination & refutation of Mr. Lockyers lecture, preached at Edinburgh, anno 1651, concerning the mater of the visible church and afterwards printed with an appendix for popular government of single congregations : together with an examination, in two appendices, of what is said on these same purposes in a letter of some in Aberdene, who lately have departed from the communion and government of this church / by James Wood ...	Wood, James, 1608-1664.	1654 (1654)	Wing W3399; ESTC R206983	330,782	402

of Government but particular Congregations where they can conveniently associate together they are oblidged by the rule and warrand of Gods Word to associate under common Presbyteries Classicall and Synodicall and in this case that a particular Congregation ought not nor may by warrand of Gods Word exercise these acts of Government of publike and common concernment as Ordination and Deposition of Ministers Excommunication of persons by it self alone But these acts ought to be done by the common Presbytery Classicall or Synodicall And that a particular Congregation ought not nor may not by warrand of Gods Word perform any act in maters particularly concerning themselves so without the common Presbytery of the association but that there should be liberty of appeal to the common Presbytery And that the common Presbytery may juridically and authoritatively cognosce and judge upon their proceedings and actings In a word it may do things of Government particularly belonging to it self in and by it self but with subordination to the larger and common Presbyteries these things have been abundantly proven by sundry learned men as Mr Gill●sp in his Assert of the Government c. Mr. Rutherfurd Gull Apollon in his consideration of sundry controversies Jus Divin The Ass of Divines come we to see what Mr. Lockier bringeth for the contrair section 3 First It is granted by our Brethren sayeth he that such a Church hath this sufficiency in the exercise of some Ordinances as Preaching Administration of Sacraments without seeking the consent or help of the Classes Nor were the Church to neglect these Whence he concludeth that it may also exercise the other Ordination and Excommunication And gives for a proof of the consequence upon that grant If they may do the greater surely they may do the lesser and there is no dispensation of so choise an excellency as Preaching as Paul witnesseth making it the chief part of his errand I was sent to Preach the Gospel not to Baptize Answ 1. 'T is true we grant that such a Church i. e. a particular Congregation having all its Officers hath sufficiency in it to exercise these Ordinances of Preaching and Administration of Sacraments i. e. the Pastors of a particular Congregation may Preach the Word and Administer the Sacraments without speciall consent or help and concurrence of the Classicall Presbytery to every act nor were he to neglect or cease from these if the Classis should forbid I mean without just cause Yet it may be and it is so indeed by the warrand of Gods Word that the particular Congregation cannot have in the ordinary way of the Church in a setled and constitute state the Pastor to exercise these Ordinances but by the consent and potestative mission and Ordination of the Classis or some associate Presbyterie and tho the Pastor of the particular Congregation his exercising these Ordinances be not dependent upon the actuall concurrence in the severall individuall acts Yet therein he is subordinate to their Ministeriall Authority to try and judge his Preaching according to the Word of God and if they find just cause may forbid him to preach and they forbidding he must obey But 2. It s a grosse non-sequitur a particular Church or the Pastors in a particular Church have sufficiency or power to preach the Gospel and administer Sacraments without the help or concurrence of the Classicall Presbyterie Ergo they may also exercise these other Ordinances Ordination and Excommunication without their concurrence And the proof of it is invalide because that is greater and if they may do the greater alone by themselves they may also do the lesser For by that same reason it should follow A Pastor hath sufficiency and power by himself alone to preach the Gospel to Baptize without the help and concurrence of his fellow-Elders in the Congregation Ergo he may also by himself alone Ordain and Excommunicate without their help and concurrence Why That is the greater and if he may do the greater alone he may also do the lesser The Author himself will not I conceive admit the Consequence here The truth is the interest of persons to exercise this or that or the other Ordinance is not to be attended or determined according to the greater or lesser excellency of the work But according to Christs commission institution and grant of power to them The exercise of Ecclesiasticall power in some things which is commonly called power of order as Preaching of the Word Administration of Sacraments is given to Christs Ministers severally and a part considered as single Pastors So a Pastor may preach the Word and administer Sacraments alone without concurrence or speciall consent either of the whole Church or other Rulers to every act But in other things these of the power called the power of jurisdiction the exercise and power thereof is not given to one but to an unity To the community of Governours of the Church united together not any single Rulers severally Therefore tho a Pastor may preach and baptize alone yet he may not Censure nor Excommunicate alone And if he should do this the act were invalide both in foro Dei and in foro Ecclesiastico Now the power of Ordination and Excommunication being given to a community the Question is whether this community be a particular Congregation having an intire particular Eldership or the Eldership of a particular Congregation by it self and independent from a larger Presbyterie this Mr. Lockier saith but his Argument grounded upon our grant to prove it is impertinent as we have seen section 4 But further he would prove that a particular Congregation hath power to exercise all Ordinances as well as any thus Sect. 41. The Keyes are not divided The Keyes are all given to Peter as personating the Church of beleevers in the Gospel that Kingdom of which Christ said he would build And I will give unto thee the Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth Mat. 16. 19. Surely this particular here used is not in vain but to set forth that every gospel-Gospel-Church every particular Congregation of beleevers united as a visible organicall body for Gods Worship have ability a power given to it as to such an end he means to exercise all the Keyes alone and by themselves which he expresseth thus they have not a lame commission part of the Keyes at their girdle and strangers and forrainers carrying another part Answ 1. As to that of dividing the Keyes we have said sufficient before 2. As to that alledged the Keyes were all given to Peter as personating the Church of Believers c. we have spoken also before in the Examination of his first proof of the first Assertion Now we adde but these things here 1. I would ask Mr. Lockier what he means by the Church of Believers in the Gospel Whether the universall Church Visible of Believers Then he must acknowledge a Church Universall Visible individually one For certainly the article the denotateth

subjoyned to his vindiciae vindiciarum I shall here note some few of them to this purpose for the Reader who may be has not the book at hand 1. The keyes were given to Peter as an Apostle as an Elder and as a Believer So the sense is most sit the Keyes pag. 4. The power of the keys is given to Peter not as an Apostle nor as an Elder but as a professed believer The way Peter received not the Keys meerly as a Beleever but as a Beleever publickly professing his faith The way cleared P. 2. fol. 39 9. It appears that Christ gave the Keys to the fraternitie with the Presbytery ibid. and the way cleared Part. 2. pag. 22. A particular Church of Saints professing the faith i. members without Offificers is the first subject of all the Church Offices with all their spirituall gifts and power The keys pag. 31. 9. As the keys of the Kingdom of heaven be diverse so are the subjects to whom they are cōmitted diverse The Keyes pag. 11. So Lockier here but that he addeth not professed The Apostles were the first subject of Apostolicall power ibid. 32. A Synod is the first subject of that power whereby error is convinced and condemned ibid. pag. 47. Not believers as believers but believers Convenanting and fitly capable according to Christs appointment Hook Surv. P. 1. p. 203. 9. The power of the Keyes belongs first to a Congregation of Covenanting beleevers Hook Surv. Part. 1. pag. 219. The power of the Keyes is in the Church of beleevers as the first subject ibid p. 195. That conceit 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. section 3 Now see the Authors Argument upon the confession of his faith had he this trust bequeathed to him Mat. 16. 16. Therefore to the Church of Believers and believing with such a faith as flesh and blood cannot reveal was the Keyes of power primarily given and to the Elders in the second place as exerted out of this first estate and as Officers and Servants of it Answ And first note somewhat upon the consequent section 4 1. The consequent as here inferred is much different from that which is propounded in the beginning of the paragraph there it was propounded thus the power of the Keyes was not first given to Peter as c. but as a beleever here it is the Keyes of power the former expression supposing there were such a distinction of Keyes as Keyes of power and another sort of Keyes different from these being indefinite may import both but the latter importeth a specification of a definite sort of Key●s What means this variation That the Reader may understand this mystery the better 't is to be observed that when as hitherto in the Church of God by the Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven being understood the Ordinances of Jesus Christ which he hath appointed to be administrate in his Church or the power of administring these Ordinances under himself these Keyes have been distributed unto the Key of Knowledge or Doctrine which is the preaching of the Gospel taking in therewith the Sacraments as the Appendicles and seals of the Gospel and the Key of Jurisdiction or Discipline which consists in Censures and absolution from Censures Independents of late have forged new sorts of the Keyes whereby they have confounded themselves and wound confound the whole Church of Christ in the mater of its Government They tell us there is 1. a Key of Knowledge or Faith the first subject whereof is every Believer whether joined to a particular Congregation or not 2. A Key of interest power or liberty which is in all the Brethren of a particular Congregation And 3. a Key of Rule and Authority which they say is in the Elders of a particular Church or Congregation The meaning and refutation of these new forged Keyes see in Jus Divin of Church Govern part 2. c. 10. pag. 108 109. c. and Mr. Caudreys Vindiciae clav c. 2. per tot Now when Mr. Lockier in the consequent of his Argument speaks of the Keyes of power it would seem he must understand that second kinde of Keyes For I know no other going under that name amongst Independents Yet may be by a new conception of his own he means that all power of government distinguished from the Preaching of the Word and Administration of Sacraments exercised in ordination of Ministers and dispensation of censures Again see another great variation At first he propounds that the Keyes were given to Peter first as a beleever This may import and as spoken there by the Author without any explication cannot be otherwise understood but that it doth import that they were given to him as a single beleever but now in the consequent inferred in the pretended proof he sayeth thus they were given first to the Church of beleevers this is a society of persons collectively and unitedly taken and not persons singly 2. Where shall we ever read the Elders or Ministers called the Officers and Servants of the Church that is as Mr. Lockier meaneth by way of relation to the Church as a Superiour or Mistresse deputing and imploying them to officiat and act in her place We find indeed they are called the servants of the Church of beleevers by way of relation of a means to an end for their good 2 Cor. 4 5. 1 Cor. 3. 22. as Angels or Ministring Spirits sent forth to Minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation Heb. 1. ult But they are only Christs Officers and Servants by way of relation of Deputs to officiat and imployed to serve unto a Superior and Master deputing to officiat and imploying to serve in his place and are set over the Church by him section 5 But now consider we how this consequent is proven The Argugument as propounded by the Author is Enthymematick and must suppose another premisse beside that which is expressed which must be true as well as that expressed to make the consequence good Now I humbly desire him to give us that suppressed and supposed premisse Verily keep him to one syllogisme and it is impossible to do it observing the rules of good Logick and reason But it may be done may be by two processes Well then they must be these for ought that I can conceive if he can do it otherwise and better let him do it and we shall consider of it the first is this that which was given to Peter upon the confession of his faith was given to him as a Beleever But the Power of the Keyes were given to Peter upon the confession of his faith Ergo c. then taking this conclusion for a ground of the second it must be thus That which was given to Peter as a Beleever was given to the Church believing with such a faith as Peter believed But to Peter as a