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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	bind_v	church_n	loose_v	4,001	5	10.0884	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A73751	The rocke of religion. Christ, not Peter As it was deliuered in certaine sermons vpon Math. 16. ver. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, & 20. Summarily contracted out of that which was more largely handled in the parish of S. Anthonline by George Close the younger, one of the readers there.	Close, George.	1624 (1624)	STC 5433.5; ESTC S124804	70,602	246

the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ u 1 Cor. 3. 12. in whom only consisteth the whole strength of the building though weake wood and timber be built thereupon so as looking into our selues and the examples of Gods best beloued Children yea Peter himselfe after this promise how foulely they haue falne we may euer finde cause of feare and distrust but lifting vp our eyes vnto God the stablenesse of his counsels and certaintie of his promises we may rest safely in confidence of his word which hath said w Ios 1. 5. I will not leaue thee nor forsake thee x Iohn 5. 24. hee that beleeueth in him shall not perish for euer He it is that doth nourish the holy fire in vs and keepes vs vnto the end y Iohn 13. 1. for whom hee loueth he loueth euerlastingly z 1 Ioh. 3. 9. and the seede of God abideth in the elect that being borne of God they sinne not vnto condemnation a Rom. 8. 1. for there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus which walke not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Christ prayed for b Luke 22 31. Peter and he prayed also for vs c Ioh 17. 2. 12. 20 24. and for all that should beleeue in his name that none of his might be lost neither is any able to take them out of his Fathers hand which is stronger and greater then all and loueth vs in Christ as hee loued him before the foundations of the world were laid against these the gates of Hell cannot preuaile for they haue the Lords priuie Seale not seene nor knowne to men but d 2. Tim. 2. 19 the Lord knoweth his Vse 2 Secondly this Doctrine iustly impugneth that error of the Romanists holding opinion that the visible Church and the pretended successors of Peter cannot erre whereas the contrary is apparantly verified in the Scriptures that Peter himselfe did erre and therefore though it bee true that the inuisible Church that is the elect of GOD cannot erre finally yet the visible Church consisting both of good and bad may erre as appeareth through the whole History of the Bible and in the primatiue times particular Churches haue erred witnesse Corinth Galatia Philadelphia Pergamus c yea the Church of Rome it selfe whether wee regard the Head or the Body hath grieuously erred First as touching the Head Romish Bishops haue erred and diuers of them became Heretickes Scismaticks Antipopes Negromancers Sodomites and what not Marcellinus sacrificed to the Idols of the Gentiles Leberius was an Arrian Nicholas changed the decrees of Iohn the two and twentieth Gregory of Pelagius Innocentius of Gregory yea in those things which belong to faith Cardinall Ragusanus proueth that the Pope may erre and did in the great Schisme at Rome Cardinall Cusanus affirmeth the Pope may fall from the faith the Councell of Basill auoucheth that the priuiledge of not erring belongeth not to the Popes more then other Bishops Secondly and as for generall Councels which haue a more liuely representation of the whole Church and where the Bishops of Rome haue been present may yea they haue erred one repealed the Actes and Decrees of another and there can bee no correction without errour the Councell of Nice defended Images that of Constantinople was against them the third Councel of Carthage saith that he is Antichrist that calleth himselfe an vniuersall Bishop the Councell of Rome and Trent say and maintaine the contrary therefore except there be more Truths then one Councels may erre and the Pope may erre and consequently the whole visible Church may erre and the truth is e Isa 9 17. many hypocrites making a great shew of godlinesse haue fallen away from grace and the truth of the Gospell become Apostatates in faith and Satanists in conuersation and yet the Church standeth For f Rom 3. 4. Psal 116. 1● Titus 1. 2. Hebr 6. 18. let God be true and all men lyers in his truth it standeth and Satan a lyer from the beginning cannot ouerthrow it g 2 Thess 2. 9. Antichrists deceiueable delusions and lying wonders cannot preuaile against it Verse 19. And I wil giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt bind vpon earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heauen Vpon such a sure and grounded confession of Peter proceedeth a twofold promise of Christ 1. as is formerly laid down that hereupon he will lay an vnmoueable foundation of his Church that the gates of h●ll should not bee able to preuaile against it 2. that he would for the gouernment thereof commit to his Apostles and Ministers the Spirituall keyes of the kingdome of heauen with a power to bind and loose in such manner as he would ratifie in heauen their proceedings in earth according to the tenure of his Commission wherby hee had so authorized them to execute his power in his Church In these wordes obserue two things First Datum The donation wherein consider 1. who is the giuer 2. to whom 3. what was giuen Secondly Applicaum The Application in these wordes whatsoeuer thou shalt bind on earth c. Doct. Concerning the first in as much as hee saith I will giue it teacheth vs That Christ is the giuer of the keyes who onely had this power from heauen as the heire of God the Messiah and Mediatour betwixt man and God who h Heb. 2. 3. Psal 8 6. 1 Cor. 15. 27. Iohn 17. 2. Phil. 2. 9 10. put all thinges in subiection vnder him in heauen and earth and so the Apostle affirmeth that Christ first receiued this power from God his Father to bee made the head of his Church and onely had right to giue and communicate such power vnto his Church thus Christ expresseth it in the Gospel i Math. 11. 27. 28. 18 19. All power saith he is giuen me in heauen and in earth and thereupon he groundeth his commission to send his Apostles into all the world this point is not onely verified by apparant and plentifull texts of holy Scriptures but euen our aduersaries in words not greatly contradict it howsoeuer in their practice and in effect they haue paralelled sundry of the Saints with him as the Turkes and Infidels haue wholly dethroned him and placed their false prophet and abominable idole Mahomet before him and aboue him but because they deny the principles of faith and religion wee will not contend nor spend much time in disputing with them but willingly acknowledge and subscribe to the Soueraignty and absolute power of Christ as disposer of all things in heauen and earth Vse And let the true Church and Spouse of Christ heare and obey his voyce and deriue her subordinate power from him alone which hee then promised and afterward gaue vnto her to execute for him for wee must note that he then instantly gaue not Note 1 but speaking in the future

tense I will promiseth to giue that power vnto his Apostles there were many things reserued till after his ascention and the Disciples were appointed k Luke 24. 49 Acts 1. 4. to wait and attend at Ierusalem for the accomplishment of Gods promise in sending downe the holy l Iohn 14. 26 15. 26. 16. 7. Ghost after the ascention of the Sonne of God to enable and furnish them with meet gifts for the execution of that charge which hee had imposed vpon them It is also further to bee obserued Note 2 that it was Christs free gift I will giue saith he not sell hire out o● lend but as it is with God in all things m Math. 10. 8. freely to giue that those which receiue his gifts should not sell or re●ayle them as n 2 King 5. 20 26. Gehazi and o Act. 8. 18. 19 Simon Magus for gaine as is too too apparant the Peters pretended successours make great and abominable trafique in merchandizing the church keyes in pardoning and retaining sinnes for money excommunicating absoluing for their best aduantage but leauing them to sell what Christ freely gaue let vs proceed to the consideration of the second particular circumstance namely to whom these keyes were giuen I will giue to thee Quest Here a question may bee mooued whether the keyes were giuen to Peter alone or to him with the rest of the Apostles Sol. This doubt I haue already in part resolued hauing largelie prooued that as Christ propounded the question to them all in generall and as Peter made confession in the name of all so Christ made this promise in the name of all as is most liuely exemplified Matth. 18 verse 18. where it is euident that what he doth here promise vnto Peter he doth there make good vnto all the Church saying whatsoeuer you bind on earth shall bee bound ● heauen c. Wherupon Aretius Bonum hoc commune non personale quod hereditario iure ad certos pertineat The donation of the keyes and exercise of that spirituall power is not personally tied to one man but is a gift common to the whole Church as also Origen Chrysostome Cyril and many others affirme especiallie Augustine Qui Petrum ecclesia typum facit quae in Petro claues acceperit Whose opinion is that the power of the keyes was not a personall gift neither promised to Peter alone much lesse that these keyes should be tyed by an hereditary succession vnto one particular Sea or Seat as the Papists dreame but to omit these friuolous disputes seeing the Apostles receiue the keyes from Christ we may thence obserue Doct. That the authority of the Ministers calling is deriued from Christ as from the head and the Lord of the Prophets vnto his Apostles and Ministers Matth. 23. 34. Luke 11. 49. Ephes 4. 11. 1. Pet. 1. 11. Reuel 22. 6. Isaiah 6. 8. 9. Matth. 28. 19. Gal. 1. 10 11 12. Vse Vnto the Ministers of God it sufficeth for an exceeding consolation p 2 Cor. 5. 18 19 20. that they haue God the author of their calling whose Ambassadours they are and though the world neither regard them nor reward them yet they being found faithfull dispensers of Gods diuine mysteries shall expect their reward from him that put them in office and sent them who will one day say to euery faithfull Steward q Math. 25. 21 23. Come thou good and faithfull seruant enter thou into thy Masters ioy I doubt not but the Ambassadours of Princes which are messengers of peace finde such acceptance of those to whom they are sent of such a gratefull message that they are not sent away empty and vnrewarded of the common enemy for their message sake which is r Rom. 10. 1 5. Isai 52. 7. so ioyfull to heare of peace after a long and wearysome warfare but because their places require them oftentimes to denounce warre it is no maru●ile if their message bee vngratefully accepted and rewarded Yet is their reward with God their king that sent them whose subiects they are and must execute his designes whether they be good or euill vnto men and what indignity soeuer is done or offered vnto them their mightie King will shew himselfe a mightie reuenger thereof who in one sense and sentence hath said ſ Psal 105. 15 Touch not mine annoynted and doe my Prophets no harme for the iniury done vnto Dauids Embassadours when they came peaceably to the King of Ammon was reuenged as done vnto the king himselfe this is a principle which the Law of Nature all Nations allow and ought to maintaine If t 1 Kin. 13 4 6 Ieroboam dare stretch out his hand to strike Gods Prophet and Messenger God will smite him that hee shall not bee able to pull in his arme againe without the Prayer of the Prophet which was stretched out against the Prophet and persecuting Iezabel which u 1 Kings 19. 2 vowed to haue the Prophets head w 2 Kings 9. 33 37. was made dogs meat and cast out as a carion carkeise her selfe For such vengeance is Gods iudgement threatned and foretold aforehand by the Prophets and howsoeuer Iehu be Gods Executioner to performe it yet it is euer annexed that it came so to passe according to the word of the Lord which hee spake by the mouth of his Prophets And so much for the second branch wee come now to shew what was giuen which is here said to be The keyes of the kingdome of heauen The metaphor of Keyes which in part hath bin formerly handled is diuersly taken yea rested and drawen by constrained Interpretations to the aduantage of that cause which diuers haue diuersly fancyed to make for them and for the building of their Hierarchy euen an earthly Tabernacle which x Math. 17. 4 Peter sometimes would haue made rather then an heauenly kingdome which God himselfe hath appoynted to be y Mat. 6. 33. aboue all things sought for and established First they that by Keyes vnderstand Principalitie to be giuen to Peter aboue the rest and ouer the whole Church and would crowne him and his Successors with an Emperiall Diadem to exercise as well spirituall iurisdiction as to haue ciuill and temporall authoritie ouer Kings and Princes haue much mistaken the word Keyes which are not vsuall for Kings but Porters to carry and vsurpingly inlarged Christs commission z Luke 12. 13 14. who himselfe would neither be made a King nor intermeddle so much in secular affaires as to diuide Inheritances betwixt two brethren much lesse giue away kingdomes from the right heires and owners to strangers and bastards So the vsurper Satan from whom the Pope-kings or King-popes may more rightly claime that power doth falsely affirme that a Mat. 4. 9. Luke 4. 6 7. all the kingdomes of the world are his and giuen vnto him and he giueth them to whom he will which yet he will not giue nor promise to giue vnto

the binding and loosing which God in all ages hath exercised in his Church by the Ministery of Moses and all the Prophets as by his Apostles in the time of grace and of the Gospell so we safely conclude that the power to forgiue or retaine sinnes is not properly giuen to men k 1 Cor. 9. 18. cap. 2. 5. 3. 6 7. but to the word of God and his diuine Sacraments whereof men are but the Ministers to plant and water to teach exhort reproue and correct but the effect is of God which giueth power to his Word and Sacraments as the Sunne to mollifie waxe and harden clay to minister the l Acts 10. 44. 2 Cor. 3. 3 6 8. spirit of grace or Satan to possesse reprobates And to conclude and close vp this poynt of the Keyes whether we vnderstand the Doctrine or Discipline of the Church or both as it may bee safely so extended yet wee ascribe vnto God the effectuall power onely to loose or retaine sinnes Vse 1 But let no man despise the Ordinance of God in the administration of his Word and Sacraments or the iust censures of the Church for the contempt of any of them God himselfe reuengeth as an indignitie done vnto himselfe and so the excommunicate person shut out of the Church by Paul and the Congregation was sayd to be deliuered to Satan who hath great dominion ouer vnbeleeuers and contemners of Gods word and holy Ordinances and there were many fearefull examples in the Primitiue Church of diuers excommunicate persons taken with frenzy and ouertaken with strange iudgments wherby God wrought a feare in the Church to offend presumptuously against his Ordinances So m Actes 5. 3 5 11. Ananias and Saphira censured by Peter for their hypocrisie were immediately strucken to death and cut off by a consteruation of the body from the grace of life and by an eternall malediction of the soule from the life of grace And also n Act. 8. 20 21 Simon Magus being discouered and cut off from the Church was filled with all iniquitie and returned to his Sorceries and the Deuils seruices againe o 2 Sam. 7. 15 1 Sam. 13. 14. and 15. 26. and 16. 14. and 19. 23. Saul being denounced by Samuel to be cut off by the sentence of God an euill spirit possessed him who notwithstanding when he was in the Assemblies of the Church Prophets did also prophesie with them It is safe therefore to bee in the Assemblies of Gods Saints where the Spirit of God hath his residence on the contrary it is a fearefull thing to bee in the Congregations of the wicked p Num. 16. 21 24 30 32. 27. 3. as the complices of Corah Dathan and Abiram which were swallowed vp into destruction and went downe quicke to hell with them To be cast off from God which raigneth in the Assembly of the Saints q 1 Cor. 5. 4 5 11. is to bee cast vnto Satan which rageth out of the Church Let such as neglect the publique Assemblies of Christian Congregations or reiect the word of God or his diuine Sacraments there ministred consider how fearefully they offend against God and their owne soules which refuse to vse that Key whereby the kingdome of grace heere and of glory hereafter is so effectually opened vnto them The Keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen Doct. In that the Word of God is called the key of the kingdome of Heauen it teacheth vs the great power and efficacie thereof being as Augustine affirmeth Potens Instrumentum the powerfull Instrument for the encrease of Gods Church and Kingdome It is most true that this great power promised was as graciously performed by Christ vnto his Apostles which brought greater workes to passe by this their Ministery in conquering the whole world and subduing the consciences of men to the obedience of God than all the Potentates and prudent men of the earth were able by their power and policie to performe Demosthenes among the Greekes and Cicero among the Latines renowned for their Eloquence Solon for his wisedome Aristides for his Iustice Plato for his diuine Philosophy Aristotle for his profound knowledge Alexander for his Prowesse Caesar and Pompey for their power famous in their generations in all the world yet neuer attayned any such conquest ouer Satan or the world as these poore Preachers Fishermen and Fishers of men brought to passe by the vertue of these Keyes and Commission of Christ wherby they surpassed all Conquerours for the vniuersall largenesse and constant continuance of Christs kingdome vpon earth Let Tamberlaine the Tartar and the Turkish Ottomans boast of their great Atchieuements yet they came short of the bounds of their Territories as Christes Kingdome was inlarged from Sea vnto Sea vnto the endes of the earth of these it was prophesied and by these it was performed r Psal 19. 4. Luke 1. 3● Rom. 10. 18. Their sound went out into all the world and their voyce vnto the endes of the earth It is a false bragge of Turkish or Romish Emperours Iupiter in Coelis Caesar regit omnia terris for they neuer had any Empire of comparable extent with this nor of answerable subiection themselues were Lords of men and slaues of vices and it was truely verified which the dogged Diogenes tolde Alexander That he was not a Conquerour but a drudge of the world hee ouercame not the world but the world ouercame him and hee was a slaue to so many Lords as hee was subiect to vices Pride Excesse and Drunkennesse ouerthrew him and his kingdomes were diuided and fayled in the next Generation but of this King and Kingdome it is sayd ſ Isai 53. 8. Act. 8. 33. Who can tell his Generation Mans Lawes and subiection extended but to the body goods and estates of men in this world t 2 Cor. 10. 4 5 Christes Kingdome is ouer Satan Sinne Death Hell and Damnation and ouer the Soules and Consciences of men u Hebr. 4. 12. to bring euen the most rebellious thoughts of the heart into subiection vnto God yea it preuailed mightily against all the powers of the world w Apoc. 17. 14. which by most grieuous persecutions set themselues against it but it was no more possible for them to suppresse it then x Apoc 7. 1 to stay the winds that they should not blow vpon the face of the earth or that the breath of God should be restrayned It is recorded by Ruffinus Ruffin lib. 2. Cap. 5. that when the Christians in Edessa a Citie of Mesopotamia were banished by the Emperors commaundement yet they had their meetings in the Fields Woods and by the Riuers to heare and practise the Word of God wherewithall the Emperour being enraged strucke the Captaine with his fist in fury demaunding why he did so permit them the Exercise of their Religion contrary to his Edict and Commaundement Wherevpon the Captaine vpon the next day resolued to dispatch them but beholding