circumstances thereof yea and in these cases of the ordinary conversation of the person offending We need not inlarge in the application of this Although a greater Assembly of Elders are to be reverenced as more wise and able than a few Elders with their single Congregations and accordingly may have an higher doctrinall power a power properly and peculiarly suited to their Abilities in cases of difficulty to determine and direct Congregations in their way yet Christ hath not betrusted them with that power Hee hath done the Congregations because they are abstracted from the people And so one Tribe of men concerned in all the forementioned respects is wanting which Christ would have personally concurring not by delegation or representation alone not to the execution only but even to the legall sentence also of cutting men off as in the former paralell and instance may bee observed Yea and the higher and the greater the association of the Presbyteries are the further are they removed from the people and although you might have thereby a greater helpe in that Juridicall knowledge of the Rule to be proceeded by yet they are in a further distance and disinabled therby from that Precise practique knowledge of the Fact and frame of spirit in the person transgressing And Cases may be as truely difficult and hard to bee decided from obscuritie and want of light into the Circumstantiation of the Fact and person in which it was committed and by him obstinately persisted in as of the Law it self Other considerations 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 also to demonstrate that that other way of proceeding by withdrawing communion is most sutable to the relation that by Christs endowment all Churches stand in one towards another yea and wherein the least being a body to Christ doth stand unto all But we should too much exceed the bounds of an Epistle and too long detayne the Reader from the fruitfull and pregnant labours of the worthy Authour The God of peace and truth sanctifie all the truths in it to all those holy ends and through his grace much more which the holy and peaceable spirit of the Author did intend THO GOODVVIN PHILIP NYE Of the Keys of the Kingdome of HEAVEN and the Power thereof according to the WORD of GOD c. CHAP. I. What the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven be and what their Power THe Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven are promised by the Lord Jesus the head and King of his Church unto Peter Mat. 16.19 To thee saith Christ will I give the keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt binde on earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven The words being Allegoricall are therfore somewhat obscure and holding forth honor power in the Church are therefore controversall Prov. 15.1 For where there is no honour nor pride to pursue it there is no contention It will not therefore be amisse for opening of the Doctrine of the Power of the keyes somewhat to open the words of this Text whereon that power is built Five words require a little clearing 1. What is here meant by the Kingdome of Heaven 2. What are the keys of this kingdom and the giving of them 3. What are the acts of these Keyes which are said to be binding and loosing 4. What is the object of these acts to be bound or loosed here put under a generall name Whatsoever 5. Who is the subject recipient of this power or to whom is this power given To thee will I give the Keyes c. 1. For the first 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 highest heavens For Christ giving to Peter 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 kingdome of Christ is not of this world but he gives him also this priviledge That what he bound on earth should be bound in heaven And heaven being distinguished from the Church on earth must needs be meant the kingdome of Glory 2. For the second What the keys of the kingdom of heaven be The keys of the kingdom are the Ordinances which Christ hath instituted to be administred in his Church as the preaching of the Word which is the opening and applying of it also the administring of the Seals and censures For by the opening and applying of these both the gates of the Church here and of heaven hereafter are opened or shut to the sons of men And the giving of these keyes implyeth that Christ investeth those to whom he giveth them with a power to open and shut the gates of both And this power lyeth partly in their spirituall calling whether it be their office or their place and order in the Church and partly in the concurse and co-operation of the Spirit of Christ accompanying the right dispensation of these keyes that is of these Ordinances according to his will Moreover these keys are neither Sword nor Scepter No Sword for they convey not civill power of bodily life and death nor Scepter for they convey not Soveraigne or Legislative power over the Church but stewardly and ministeriall As the key of the House of David was given to Hilkiah Isa 22.22 who succeeded Shebna in his office and his office was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over the house v. 15. and the same word over the house is translated steward in the house Gen. 43.19 3. Touching the third thing what are the acts of these keys The acts of these keys are said here to be binding and loosing which are not the proper acts of materiall keys for their acts be opening and shutting which argueth the keys here spoken of be not materiall keys but metaphoricall and y t being keys they have a power also of opening and shutting for Christ who hath the soveraigne power of these keys hee is said to have the key of David to open and no man to shut to shut and no man to open Rev. 3.7 which implyeth that these keys of Christs Kingdome have such a power of opening and shutting as that they do thereby binde and loose retain and remit in opening they loose and remit in shutting they binde and retain which will more appeare in opening the fourth point 4. The fourth point then is What is the subject to be bound and loosed The Text in Mat. 16.9 saith whatsoever which reacheth not so far as the Papists would stretch it to whatsoever oathes or covenants or contracts or counsels or lawes as if whatsoever oathes of allegiance covenants of lease or marriage c. the Pope ratifieth or dissolveth on earth should be ratified or dissolved in heaven No this
officers in the due censure of offenders and the like This libertie and the acts thereof are often exemplified in the Acts of the Apostles and the Apostle Paul calleth it expresly by the name of libertie Brethren saith he you have been called unto LIBERTY onely use not your liberty as an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another Galath 5.13 that the Apostle by that libertie meaneth Church libertie or power in ordering Church affaires will evidently appeare if we consult with the context rather then with Commenters For the Apostle having spent the former part of the Epistle partly in the confirmation of his calling partly in disputation against justification by the works of the Law to the end of v. 8. of Chap. 5. in the ninth Verse he descendeth not to exhort unto bonos more 's in generall as usually Commenters take it but to instruct in Church Discipline in which he giveth three or foure directions to the tenth v. of Chap. 6. 1 Touching the censure of those corrupt Teachers who had perverted and troubled them with that corrupt Doctrine of justification by works Chap. 5. ver 9. to the end of the Chapter 2. Touching the gentle admonition and restoring of a brother fallen by infirmitie Chap. 6. ver 1. to 5. 3. Touching the maintenance of their Ministers ver 6 7 8. and beneficence to others ver 9 10. Touching the first the censure of their corrupt teachers 1 He layeth for the ground of it that which himself gave for the ground of the excommunication of the incestuous Corinth 1 Cor. 5.6 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump vers 9. 2 He presumeth the Church will be of the same mind with him and concur in the censure of him that troubled them with corrupt doctrine v. 10. from fellowship with which corrupt doctrine he cleareth himself v. 11. 3 He proceedeth to declare what censure he wisheth might be dispensed against him and the rest of those corrupt teachers I would saith he they were even cut off that trouble you cut off to wit by excommunication ver 12. Now lest it should be objected by the brethren of the Church But what power have we to cut them off The Apostle answereth they have a power and libertie to wit to joyn with the sounder part of the Presbyterie in casting them out or cutting them off For brethren saith he you are called unto liberty If it should be further objected Yea but give the people this power and libertie in some cases either to cast off their teachers or to cut them off the people will soon take advantage to abuse this libertie unto much carnall licentiousnesse The Apostle preventeth that with a word of wholsome counsell Brethren saith he you have been called unto libertie onely use not your libertie as an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another v. 13. and thereupon seasonably pursueth this counsell with a caveat to beware of abusing this liberty to carnall contention an usuall disease of popular liberty and withall dehorteth them from all other fruits of the flesh to the end of the Chapter Evident therefore it is that there is a key of power or libertie given to the Church to the Brethren with the Elders as to open a doore of entrance to the Ministers calling so to shut the doore of entrance against them in some cases as when through corrupt and pernicious doctrine they turn from Shepherds to become ravenous wolves Having spoken then of that first key of order namely the key of power in a more large sense or liberty in the Church there remaineth the other key of order which is the key of Authority or of Rule in a more strict sense which is in the Elders of the Church Authoritie is a morall power in a superiour order or state binding or releasing an inferious in point of subjection This key when it was promised to Peter Matth. 16.19 and given to him with the rest of the Apostles Ioh. 20.23 they thereby had power to bind and loose and it is the same Authority which is given to their successours the Elders whereby they are called to feed and rule the Church of God as the Apostles had done before them Act. 20.28 And indeed by opening and applying the Law the spirit of bondage accompanying the same they bind sinners under the curse and their consciences under guilt of sin and fear of wrath and shut the kingdom of heaven against them And by opening and applying the Gospel the Spirit of Adoption accompanying the same they remit sin and loose the consciences of beleeving repenting souls from guilt of sin and open to them the doores of heaven By vertue of this key as they preach with all authoritie not onely the doctrine of the Law but also the Covenant of the Gospel so they administer the seals thereof Baptisme and the Lords Supper By virtue also of this key they with the Church do bind an obstinate offender under excommunication Matth. 18.17 18. and release and forgive him upon his repentance 2 Cor. 2.7 This Distribution of the keyes and so of spirituall power in the things of Christs 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 Distribution as there be who are as loath to change Antiquos terminos verborum as agrorum we would not stick upon the words rightly explained out of desire both to judge and speak the same things with fellow-brethren Onely then let them allow some spirituall power to the key of knowledge though not Church-power And in Church power let them put in as well a key of liberty that is a power and priviledge of interest as a key of Authoritie And by their key of order as they do understand the key of office so let them not divide from it the key of jurisdiction for Christ hath given no jurisdiction but to whom he hath given office and so we willingly consent with them CHAP. III. Of the subject of the power of the keyes to whom they are committed and first of the key of knowledge and Order AS the keyes of the kingdom of heaven be divers so are the subjects to whom they are committed divers as in the naturall body diversitie of functions belongeth to diversity of members 1. The key of knowledge 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 first called and converted to the faith before they were received into the Church And even now an Indian or Pagan may not be received into the Church till he have first received the faith and have made profession of it before the Lord and the Church which argueth that the key of knowledge is given not onely to the Church but to some before they enter into the Church And yet to Christians for
is not the key of the kingdome of heaven but the key of the bottomelesse pit Rev. 9.1 But this word whatsoever is here put in the Neuter Gender not in the Masculine whomsoever to imply both things and persons Things as sins Persons as those that commit them For so when our Saviour speaketh of the same acts of the same keys Ioh. 20.21 he explaineth himself thus Whose sins soever yee remit they are remitted and whose sins soever yee retain they are retained Whatsoever you binde on earth is as much therefore as whose sins soever you retain on earth and whatsoever you loose on earth is as much as whose sins soever you loose on earth Now this binding and loosing of whatsoever sins in whosever commit them is partly in the conscience of the sinner and partly in his outward estate in the Church which is wont to be expressed in other terms either in foro interiori or in foro exteriori As when in the dispensation of the Ordinances of God a sinner is convinced to lie under the guilt of sin then his sin is retained his conscience is bound under the guilt of it and himself bound under some Church-censure according to the quality and desert of his offence and if his sin be the more hainous himself is shut out from the communion of the Church But when a sinner repenteth of his sin and confesseth it before the Lord and if it be known before his people also and then in the ministery of the Doctrine and Discipline of the Gospel his sin is remitted and his conscience loosed from the guilt of it and himself hath open and free entrance both unto the promise of the Gospel and into the gates of the holy communion of the Church 5. The fifth point to be explained is To whom is this power of the keyes given The Text saith To thee Simon Peter the sonne of Jona whom Christ blesseth and pronounceth blessed upon his holy confession of Christ the Sonne of the living God and upon the same occasion promiseth both to use him and his confession as an Instrument to lay the foundation of his Church and also to give him the keys of his Church for the well ordering and governing of it But it hath proved abusie Question How Peter is to be considered in receiving this power of the keys whether as an Apostle or as an Elder for an Elder also he was 1 Pet. 5.1 or as a Believer professing his faith before the Lord Jesus and his fellow Brethren Now because wee are as well studious of peace as of truth wee will not leane to one of these interpretations more than to another Take any of them it will not hinder our purpose in this ensuing Discourse though to speake ingenuously and without offence what we conceive the sense of the words will be most full if all the severall considerations be taken joyntly together Take Peter considered not onely as an Apostle but an Elder also yea and a Beleever too professing his faith all may well stand together For there is a different power given to all these to an Apostle to an Elder to a Beleever and Peter was all these and received all the power which was given by Christ to any of these or to all of these together For as the Father sent Christ so Christ sent Peter as well as any Apostle cum amplitudine plenitudine potestatis so far as either any Church-Officer or the whole Church it selfe was capable of it John 20.21 So that Austin did not mistake when he said Peter received the keys in the name of the Church Neverthelesse wee from this place in Mat. 16.19 will challenge no further power either to the Presbytery or to the Fraternitie of the Church then is more expresly granted to them in other Scriptures Now in other Scriptures it appeareth First That Christ gave the power of retaining or remitting of sins that is the power of binding and loosing the whole power of the keys to all the Apostles as well as to Peter Joh. 20.21.23 Secondly It appeareth also that the Apostles commended the rule and government of every particular Church to the Elders the Presbytery of that Church Heb. 13.17 1 Tim. 5.17 And therefore Christ gave the power of the Keys to them also Thirdly It appeareth farther that Christ gave the power of the keys to the Body likewise of the Church even to the Fraternitie with the Presbytery For the Lord Jesus communicateth the power of binding and loosing to the Apostles or Elders together with the whole Church when they are met in his Name and agree together in the censure of an offender Mat. 18.17 18. If an offender saith he neglect to heare the Church let him be to thee as an Heathen or a Publican that is let him be excommunicated Which censure administred by them with the whole Church he ratifieth with this promise of the power of the keys Verily I say unto you whatsoever you shall binde on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven In which place howsoever there be some difference between Classicall and Congregationall Divines what should be meant by the Church Tell the Church whether the Presbytery or the Congregation yet all agree in this and it is agreement in the truth which wee seek for That no offender is to be excommunicated but with some concurse of the Congregation at least by way 1. Of consent to the sentence 2. Of actuall execution of it by withdrawing themselves from the offender so convicted and censured Now this consent and concurse of the Congregation which is requisite to the power and validitie of the censure we conceive is some part of the exercise of the power of the keys So that when Christ said to Peter To thee will I give the keys of the kingdome of heaven If Peter then received the whole power of the keys then he stood in the roome and name of all such as have received any part of the power of the keys whether Apostles or Elders or Churches Or if he stood in the roome of an Apostle onely yet that hindreth not but that as he there received the power of an Apostle so the rest of the Apostles received the same power either there or elsewhere and the Presbytery of each Church received if not there yet elsewhere the power belonging to their office and in like sort each Church or Congregation of professed Believers received that portion also of Church-power which belonged to them CHAP. II. Of the Distribution of the Keys and their power or of the severall sorts thereof THe ordinary Distribution of the keys is wont to be thus delivered There is clavis 1. Scientiae A key of knowledge and a clavis 2. Potestatis key of power and the key of power is 1. Ordinis Either a key of order or a key of 2. Jurisdictionis Jurisdiction This distribution though it goe for current both amongst
Protestants and Papists yet wee crave leave to expresse what in it doth not fully satisfie us Foure things in it seeme defective to us 1. That any key of the kingdome of heaven should be left without power For here in this distribution the key of knowledge is contradistinguished from a key of power 2. There is a reall defect in omitting an integrall part of the keys which is that key of power or liberty which belongeth to the Church it self But no marvell though the Popish Clergie omitted it who have oppressed all Church-libertie and Protestant Churches having recovered the libertie of preaching the Gospel and ministery of the Sacraments have been well satisfied therewith so as some of them have looked no farther nor so much as discerned their defect of Church-power or liberty due unto them in point of discipline and others finding themselves wronged in withholding a key or power which belongs to them have wrested to themselves an undue power which belongs not to them the key of authority 3. There is another defect in the Distribution in dividing the key of order from the key of Jurisdiction of purpose to make way for the power of Chancellours and Commissaries in foro exteriori who though they want the key of order having never entred into holy orders as they are called or at most into the order of Deacons onely whereof our Lord spake nothing touching Jurisdiction yet they have been invested with Jurisdiction yea and more then ministeriall authoritie even above those Elders who labour in word and doctrine By this sacrilegious 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 Churches and of all the Ordinances of Christ in them 4. A fourth defect but yet the least which we observe in this distribution is that order is appropriated to the Officers of the Church onely For though wee be far from allowing that sacrilegious usurpation of the Ministers office which we heare of to our griefe to be practised in some places that private Christians ordinarily take upon them to preach the Gospel publickly and to minister Sacraments Yet we put a difference between Office and Order Office we looke at as peculiar to those who are set apart for some peculiar function in the Church who are either Elders or Deacons But order speaking of Church-order properly taken is common to all the members of the Church whether Officers or private brethren There is an order as well in them that are subject as in them that rule There is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The maid in Athenaeus is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well as her Mistresse Yet if any man be willing to make office and order aequipollent we will not contend about words so there be no erroneous apprehension wrapt into the matter To come therefore to such a distribution of the keyes as is more suitable to Scripture phrase For it becomes true Israelites rather to speak the language of Canaan then the language of Ashdod When Paul beheld and rejoyced to behold how the Church of Colosse had received the Lord Iesus and walked in him he summeth up all their Church estate to wit their beautie and power in these two Faith and order Col. 2.5 6. There is therefore a key of Faith and a key of Order The key of Faith is the same which the Lord Iesus calleth the key of knowledge Luke 11.52 and which he complaineth the Lawyers had taken away Now that key of knowledge Christ speaketh of was such that if it had not been taken away they that had it had power by it to enter into the kingdom of heaven themselves and it may be to open the doore to others to enter also Now such a knowledge whereby a man hath power to enter into heaven is onely faith which is often therefore called knowledge as Isa 53.11 By the knowledge of him shall my righteous servant justifie many that is by the faith of Christ And Ioh. 17.3 This is eternall life to know thee that is to beleeve on thee This key therefore the key of knowledge saving knowledge or which is all one the key of faith is common to all beleevers A faithfull soul knowing the Scriptures and Christ in them receiveth Christ and entreth through him into the kingdom of heaven both here and hereafter Here he entreth into a state of grace through faith * Heb. 4.3 and by the profession of his faith he entreth also into the fellowship of the Church which is the kingdom of heaven upon earth and by the same faith as he beleeveth to justification so he maketh confession to salvation which is perfected in the kingdom of glory Rom. 10.10 The key of Order is the power whereby every member of the Church walketh orderly himself according to his place in the Church and helpeth his brethren to walk orderly also It was that which the Apostles and Elders called upon Paul so to carrie himself before the Jews in the Temple that he might make it appear to all men that he walked orderly Act. 21.18.24 Orderly to wit according to the orders of the Iewish Church with whom he then conversed And it was the commandment which Paul gave to the whole Church of Thessalonica and to all the members of it to withdraw themselves from every brother that walketh disorderly 2 Thes 3.6 This their withdrawing from him that walked disorderly was the exercise of their key of order And it was a like exercise of the same key of order when he requireth the Brethren to warne the unruly which is in the originall the same word to admonish the disorderly 1 Thes 5.14 And this key of order to wit order understood in this sense is common to all the members of the Church whether Elders or brethren Furthermore of Order there be two keyes a key of power or interest And the key of Authority or Rule The first of these is termed in the Scriptures Liberty So distinguishing it from that part of Rule and Authority in the officers of the Church We speak not here of that spirituall liberty whether of impunitie whereby the children of God are set free by the blood of Christ from Satan hell bondage of sin curse of the Morall Law and service of the Ceremoniall Law nor of immunitie whereby we have power to be called the sons of God 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 externall libertie or interest which Christ also hath purchased for his people as libertie to enter into the fellowship of his Church libertie to chuse and call well gifted men to office in that his Church libertie to partake in Sacraments or seals of the Covenant of the Churchs libertie and interest to joyn with