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	heaven_n	loose_v	3,925	5	11.0027	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37205	The power of Congregational churches asserted and vindicated in answer to a treatise of Mr. J. Paget intituled The defence of church-government exercised in classes and synods / by John Davenport.	Davenport, John, 1597-1670.	1672 (1672)	Wing D362; ESTC R24876	69,647	176

Synagogue of the infallibility of their Popes as Peter's successors and of the indeficiency of their Church as built upon Peter when as neither had Peter himself any such priviledge as to be infallible The next story in this 16th of Matthew evinceth the contrary v. 23. Nor by the Rock whereupon Christ builds his Church is meant the person of Peter or Peter's confession personally as it had relation to him but as it is considered really in it self and is common to all the Disciples and to all visible Believers which may be thus confirmed 1. Because Peters confession must have relation to the matter which he confessed But Peter confessed not himself but Christ saying Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God Therefore his confession had relation to Christ not to himself 2. Because Peter confessed no more than that which he knew the other Disciples believed before he speake For Christ's question being general What say ye Peter answered as the mouth of the rest but the Apostles before he speak believed Christ confessed and not Peter confessing 3. Because this Rock is that confession whereupon Christ saith he will build his Church But whosoever shall truly believe that which Peter confessed viz. Christ the Son of the living God and confess or profess it in due order is accordingly built on this Rock though he had never heard of Peter's name Therefore the confession rightly understood had relation unto Christ and not to the person of Peter 4. Because the Rock signifieth that which is immoveable and impregnable such as is Christ and his truth But Peter's confession was movable and shaken at one time thrice denying this confession of his Lord. Therefore this confession which Christ calls the Rock had not relation to Peter but only to Christ Coroll 2 Then they that would have a particular Church to be impregnable stable and firm against the prevailing of the gates of Hell must see that it be built upon this Rock and not upon humane formes 1. That Christ himself be the builder of it according to his own institutions not the policies or customs of men 2. * Ex quo patet quòd Ecclesia non consistit in hominibus ratione potestatis vel dignitatis Ecclesiasticae vel saecularis c. sed in illis personis in quibus est notitia vera confessio fidei veritatis Lyra in loc That the materials of which it consists be such as believe and profess their Faith in Christ publickly before the Lord and his People 3. That they be firmly joyned together in one Congregation by an holy Covenant of subjection and submission to the Lord Jesus Christ and to one another in him and accordingly walk together in obedience to Christ and his Rules resisting Satan in all his Temptations and Machinations through Christ strengthning them without whom they can do nothing Joh. 15.5 and that they improve carefully and faithfully the power which Christ hath given them viz. the Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven in opening and shutting binding and loosing according to Christ his appointment for the preserving of his Church safe in the purity of their Faith and Order against the gates of Hell which is the next thing to be handled The Second Part. CHAP. VI. Concerning the power given of Christ unto such a Church as the first and proper subject of it THe second branch or part of the Charter is concerning the Power given by Christ unto such Churches to have and use all the means appointed by him for their establishment against the the gates of Hell Mat. 16.19 And I will give unto thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven These words contain 1. A grant of Power 2. A ratification of that Grant We shall speak to them distinctly 1. To Christ his grant of Power and therein 1. Explicate the terms by shewing what is meant 1 by the Kingdom of Heaven 2. by the Keys of it 3 What this appropriation or application of them imports To thee I will give 1. By the Kingdom of Heaven is meant both the Kingdom of Grace Glory and that the Kingdom of Glory is also meant the following words shew when he saith What you bind on Earth is bound in Heaven c. 2. By the Keys which are a sign of Power and are put by a Metonimy for the Subject the Power it self is meant Church-power which is either Supreme and Soveraign in Christ only as Lord and Head of his Church who alone hath the Key of David which openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth in Rev. 3.7 or subordinate and delegate such as is in Christ's Stewards This is noted by Keys in the Plural number in this place which signifie all power delegated from Christ to dispense and administer all the holy things of his House according to Christ's will and in the order prescribed by him to that end For all power wherewith the Lord Jesus betrusteth his Church aims at this which is here expressed to open and shut to bind and loose 3. To thee I will give The Application of this Grant is to Peter in the name of the Church which Christ promised to build upon himself believed on and publickly professed as Peter did before him and his fellow-Disciples in Christs School at this time And the promise is more fitly given to Peter in the name of the Church than to the Church by name because it was not the Church that made this confession but Peter in the name of the Church But here we must make a little stand to examine the sundry claims which have been made to this Right upon several pretences from this Text. 1. Some looking at Peter as representing the Catholick visible-Church conceive that a general Council which they say is the Catholick Church representatively is the Church here meant to which Christ gives the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven But that cannot be For particular visible Churches in the Apostles dayes had and exercised the Keyes compleatly within themselves yet was there no general Council till the time of Constantine which was three hundred years after Christ 2. Others look at this Grant as peculiar to Peter considered as the Prince and chief of the Apostles and to the Popes of Rome as his successors But this Papal usurpation the Councils of Constance and Basil strongly and justly opposed shewing that the Keys which are here given to Peter are in Joh. 20.21 22 23. given to all the Apostles and that Peter himself is enjoyned in Mat. 18. to tell the Church 3. Others think that the Catholick Church considered not representatively but in it self is the first subject of the Keys Yet these differ among themselves For some affirm it of the invisible others of the visible Catholick Church As for the terms we know that visible invisible

Church-Communion by Believers joyning to a particular Congregation and walking in a Memberlike affection and fellowship with their Brethren unto mutual edification but they speak nothing for the subjection of particular Churches to Classes and Synods in re propriâ but rather intimate the contrary For the Apostle by comparing a Congregational-Church compleated with its Officers unto the Body of a man intire in all its Members sheweth that as the Body of a man being intire and sound hath compleat power within it self for all bodily actions so a particular Church being organized and governed by Christ the Head from whom the whole Body fitly joyned and compacted together by Joynts of supply according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of it self in love Ephes 4.15 16. without the influence of any Jurisdiction out of it self to supply a Superior Church-power which was wanting in this Body of Chirist a Congregational-Church and as the Body Natural being sound and of a good constitution hath sufficient ability in it self to purge out of it self Malignant Humors so such a Church hath sufficient power in it self to cast out vicious and hurtful Members without the intervention of Classical Jurisdiction over them 2. It is a sin against the second Commandment in such as having means and opportunity neglect to joyn as Members in a particular Congregation because it is God's Ordinance and revealed Will 2 Cor. 8.5 But Classical Jurisdiction over particular Churches and their subjection thereunto is no Ordinance of Christ and therefore it is so far from being necessary that it is not lawful but against the second Commandment which forbiddeth mens inventions in God's worship that it may establish only God's Ordinances therein Others argue thus As though a Town or Family being alone may govern as a compleat Body yet when it stands in a Common-wealth it may not be so independent but must submit to Combinations So though when a particular Congregation is alone it may govern as compleat yet not so when it is among other Churches Answ 1. There is not a like reason of Churches and of Towns or Families in this respect For civil Societies are more left to Rules of Humane prudence by the great Ru●●● of the World than Churches are Therefore civil Societies may be of several constitutions have different Laws and Priviledges and admit various forms of Government provided that they be not against Moral Rules and the good of the People But in this Spiritual Kingdom of Christ men may not alter the kind or Form of Church which Christ hath Instituted but must preserve inviolate the Laws Administrations Priviledges and Church-Government ordained by him without Addition Diminution or alteration Hence a particular Church may not alienate from it self in whole or part any Right Power or Priviledge given it by Christ 2. If such a Town or Family hath compleat power and Officers within it self it is not bound to submit to such Combinations in a Common-wealth except it be under a Superiour Power that can command the same Abraham having a compleat Family was not bound to combine with the Governments he dwelt amongst nor did he though he joyned in a League of amity and for mutual help with Aner Eschol and Mamre yet not to submit to their Government So neither is a particular Organical Church bound to submit to such Classical Combinations till it can be proved by Scripture that a Superior Power of other Churches can command the same 3. Though several Families not having compleat Government within themselves must combine in a Common-wealth yet not to yield up their Family-Government over their Wives Children and Servants respectively to rule them in common with other Masters of Families Much less may several Congregational-Churches give up the Government of themselves to Pastors of sundry Churches combined in a Classis to govern them in their proper Affairs such as Admission of Members Election and Ordination of Officers Administration of Seals and Censures 1. Corollary Then the censure of Excommunication is not a light matter but to be looked at as very weighty and formidable You see 1. That it is the Soveraign Remedy prescribde by Christ against the many Diseases whereunto the Body is subject the great preservative of the Churches peace and safety against the gates of Hell 2. That it is such a Power given by Christ to his Church as proveth Church-Societies to be the visible Suburbs of Heaven yea the Kingdom of Heaven begun on Earth seeing such an Heavenly Power is committed to them This is a greater work than Elijah did when he shut up Heaven that it rained not Jam. 5.17 For that was but an outward and temporal Judgment for three years and six moneths But this is Spiritual and for ever upon impenitent persons It is greater than Earthly Kings and Magistrates can do they can bind a Malefactor hand and foot and deliver him to the Jaylor and sentence him to banishment out of their Dominions but this Censure binds the Soul and Conscience delivers them to Satan and excludes obstinate impenitent sinners from the Kingdom of God that when this Censure is applyed by the Church according to Scripture-Rules Jesus Christ is with them to ratifie his Censure according to this Promise What you shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and to bless it to the attainment of its end the destruction of the flesh that the Spirit may be saved This is a singular Priviledge of Church-Members If they that are out of Church-fellowship bless themselves in their Liberty because they cannot be touched with Church-censures they shew their extream folly therein for they are left to the Sword of the Magistrate or to the immediate judgment of God as forlorn Creatures excluded from Spiritual helps suitable to their needs They are as Sheep whom no man taketh up or careth for in a Spiritual way Isa 3.13 14. It is therefore a special priviledge of Church-Members and much for the furtherance of their eternal Salvation if they improve it aright to the mortifying of those corruptions in them which could not be purged out and healed by easier means And this is the proper end of it that seeing themselves as Adam driven from the Tree of Life by the flaming Sword of a Cherubim or as Cain cast out from Gods face or as the Leper shut out from the fellowship of God's people or as that Incestuous Corinthian delivered up to Satan they may be ashamed humbled and effectually brought to Repentance and to hold it forth according to God's Rules If it work not this effect the fault is their own Yet it will not be without effect For as the Gospel is the savour of Death unto Death when it is not the savour of Life unto Life so this Gospel-Ordinance shall not be in vain but shall work one way or t'other either the destruction of the impenitent or the salvation of those that repent