Church discerns the same and hath no just exception against it but condescendeth thereto it is a further act of the Elders power to give sentence against the offender Both these acts of power in the Ministers of the Gospel are foretold by Ezekiel Chap. 44.23 24. They shall teach my people the difference between holy and prophane and cause them to discerne between the uncleane and the cleane And in controversie they shall stand in judgement and they shall judge it according to my judgement c. 8. The Elders have power to dismisse the Church with a blessing in the name of the Lord Num. 6.23 to 26. Heb. 7.7 9. The Elders have received power to charge any of the people in private that none of them live either inordinately without a calling or idlely in their calling or scandalously in any sort 2 Thes 3.6 ver 8 10 11 12. The Apostles command argueth a power in the Elders to charge these duties upon the people effectually 10. What power belongeth to the Elders in a Synod is more fitly to be spoken to in the Chapter of Synods 11. In case the Church should fall away to blasphemy against Christ and obstinate rejection and persecution of the way of grace and either no Synod to be hoped for or no helpe by a Synod the Elders have power to withdraw or separate the Disciples from them and to carry away the Ordinances with them and therewithall sadly to denounce the just judgement of God against them Act. 19.9 Exod. 33.7 Mark 6.11 Luk. 10 11. Act. 13.46 Obj. But if Elders have all this power to exercise all these acts of Rule partly over the private members partly over the whole Church how are they then called the servants of the Church 2 Cor. 4.5 Answ The Elders to be both servants and Rulers of the Church may both of them stand well together For their rule is not lordly as if they ruled of themselves or for themselves but stewardly and ministeriall as ruling the Church from Christ and also from their call and withall ruling the Church for Christ and for the Church even for their spirituall everlasting good A Queene may call her servants her mariners to pilot and conduct her over the Sea to such an Haven yet they being called by her to such an office shee must not rule them in steering their course but must submit her selfe to be ruled by them till they have brought her to her desired Haven So is the case between the Church and her Elders CHAP. VI. Of the Power and Authoritie given to Synods SYnods wee acknowledge being rightly ordered as an Ordinance of Christ Of their Assembly wee find three just causes in Scripture 1. When a Church wanting light or peace at home desireth the counsell and helpe of other Churches few or moe Thus the Church of Antioch being annoyed with corrupt teachers who darkned the light of the truth and bred no small dissension amongst them in the Church they sent Paul and Barnabas and other messengers unto the Apostles and Elders at Hierusalem for the establishment of Truth and Peace In joyning the Elders to the Apostles and that doubtlesse by the advise of Paul and Barnabas it argueth that they sent not to the Apostles as extraordinary and infallible and authenticall Oracles of God for then what need the advise and helpe of Elders but as wise and holy guides of the Church who might not onely relieve them by some wise counsell and holy order but also set a Precedent to succeeding ages how errours and dissensions in Churches might be removed and healed And the course which the Apostles and Elders tooke for clearing the matter was not by publishing the counsell of God with Apostolick authoritie from immediate revelation but by searching out the truth in an ordinary way of free disputation Act. 15. v. 7. which is as fit a course for imitation in after ages as it was seasonable for practice then 2. Just consequence from Scripture giveth us another ground for the assembly of many churches or of their messengers into a Synod when any church lyeth under scandall through corruption in doctrine and practice and will not be healed by more private advertisements of their own members or of their neighbour Ministers or Brethren For there is a brotherly communion as between the members of the same church so between the churches We have a little sister saith one church to another Cant. 8.8 therefore churches have a brotherly communion amongst themselves Look then as one brother being offended with another and not able to heal him by the mouth of two or three brethren privately it behooveth him to carry it to the whole church so by proportion if one church see matter of offence in another and be not able to heal it in a more private way it will hehove them to procure the Assembly of many churches that the offence may be orderly heard and judged and removed 3. It may so fall out that the state of all the churches in the countrey may be corrupted and beginning to discern their corruption may desire the concurse and counsell of one another for a speedy and safe and generall reformation And then so meeting and conferring together may renew their covenant with God and conclude and determine upon a course that may tend to the publike healing and salvation of them all This was a frequent practice in the old Testament in the time of Asa 2 Cron. 15.10 to 15. in the time of Hezekiah 2 Chron. 29.4 to 19. In the time of Josiah 2 Chron. 34.29 to 33. and in the time of Ezra Ezra 10.1 to 5. These and the like examples were not peculiar to the Israelites as one intire nationall church For in that respect they appealed from every Synagogue and Court in Israel to the nationall high Priest and Court at Jerusalem as being all of them subordinate thereunto and therefore that precedent is usually waved by our best Divines as not appliable to Christian churches but these examples hold forth no superiority in one church or court over another but all of them in an equall manner give advice in common and take one common course for redresse of all And therefore such examples are fit precedents for churches of equall power within themselves to assemble togegether and take order with one accord for the reformation of them all Now a Synod being assembled three questions arise about their power 1. What is that power they have received 2. How far the fraternity concurreth with the Presbyterie in it the brotherhood with the Eldership 3. Whether the power they have recieved reacheth to the injoyning of things both in their nature and in their use indifferent For the first we dare not say that their power reacheth no farther then giving counsell for such as their ends be for which according to God they do assemble such is the power given them of God as may attain those ends As they meet to minister light
misconstructions which not the obscurity of the words but the eminency of the gifts and worth of Expositors hath made difficult Let us adde an argument or two more to the same purpose to prove that the Church of a particular Congregation fully furnished with officers and rightly walking in judgement and peace is the first subject of all Church-authority needfull to be exercised within their own body 3. A third argument to prove this is usually and justly taken from the practice and example of the Church of Corinth in the excommunication of the incestuous Corinthian 1 Cor. 5.1 to 5. Obj. 1. The excommunication of the incestuous Corinthian was not an act of judiciall authority in the church of Corinth whether Elders or Brethren but rather an act of subjection to the Apostle publishing the sentence which the Apostle had before decreed and judged for saith the Apostle I though absent in body yet present in spirit have judged already concerning him that hath done this deed c. Answ 1. Though Paul as a chiefe Officer of every church judged before-hand the excommunication of the incestuous Corinthian yet his judgement was not a judiciall sentence delivering him to Satan but a judicious doctrine and instruction teaching the Church what they ought to do in that case 2. The act of the church in Corinth in censuring the incestuous person was indeed an act of subjection to the Apostles divine doctrine and direction as all church-censures by whomsoever administred ought to be acts of subjection to the word of Christ but yet their act was a compleat act of just power even an act of all that liberty and authority which is to be put forth in any censure For first they delivered him to Satan in the name of the Lord Jesus and with the power of the Lord Jesus v. 4. and that is the highest power in the Church Secondly the spirit of Paul that is his Apostolike spirit was gathered together with them in delivering and publishing the sentence which argueth both his power and theirs was co-incident and concurrent in this sentence Thirdly the holy end and use of this sentence argueth the heavenly power from whence it proceeded They delivered him to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that is for the mortifying of his corruption that his soul might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Fourthly when his soul came to be humble and penitent by the means of this sentence Paul intreateth the church to release and forgive him 2 Cor. 2.6 to 10. Now ejusdem potestatis est ligare solvere claudere aperire Object 2. All this argueth no more but that some in the church of Corinth had this power to wit the Presbytery of the church but not the whole body of the people to excommunicate the offender Answ 1. If the Presbyterie alone had put forth this power yet that sufficeth to make good the Proposition that every church furnished with a presbyterie and proceeding righteously and peaceably they have within themselves so much power as is requisite to be exercised within their own body Answ 2. It is apparent by the Text that the Brethren concurred also in this sentence and that with some act of power to wit such power as the want of putting it forth retarded the sentence and the putting of it forth was requisite to the administration of the sentence For first the reproofe for not proceeding to sentence sooner is directed to the whole church as well as to the Presbyterie They are all blamed for not mourning for not putting him away for being puffed up rather 1 Cor. 5.2 2. The commandment is directed to them all when they are gathered together and what is that but to a Church meeting to proceed against him 1 Cor. 5.4 In like sort in the end of the Chapter he commandeth them all Put away therefore from among you that wieked person v. 13. 3. He declareth this act of theirs in putting him out to be a judiciall act v. 12. Do you not judge them that are within Say that the judgement of authoritie be proper onely to the Presbytery yet the judgement of discretion which as concurring in this act with the Presbytery hath a power in it as was said may not be denyed to the Brethren for here is an act of judgement ascribed to them all which judgement in the Brethren he esteemeth of it so highly that from thence he taketh occasion to advise the members of the Church to refer their differences even in civill matters to the judgement of the Saints or Brethren Know ye not saith he that the Saints shall judge the world yea the Angels 1 Cor. 6.1 2 3. how much more the things of this life Yea rather then they should go to Law and that before Infidels in any case depending betweene Brethren he adviseth them rather to set up the meanest in the Church to hear and judge between them 1 Cor. 6.4 4. When the Apostle directeth them upon the repentance of an offender to forgive him 2 Cor. 2.4 to 10. he speaketh to the Brethren as well as to their elders to forgive him As they were all the Brethren as well as the Elders offended with his sin so it was meet they should all a like be satisfied and being satisfied should forgive him the Brethren in a way of brotherly love and Church-consent as well as the Elders by sentencing his absolution and restitution to the Church 3. Obj. But was not this Church of Corinth who had all this power a metropolis a mother Church of Achaia in which many Presbyteries from many Churches in the villages were assembled to administer this censure Ans No such thing appeareth from the story of the Church of Corinth neither in the Acts Act. 18. nor from either of the Epistles 〈…〉 Corinthians True it is Corinth was a mother-city but not a Mother-Church to all Achaia and yet it is not unlikely that other Churches in that region might borrow much light from their gifts for they abounded and were enriched with variety of all gifts 1 Cor. ◠〈◊〉 But yet that which the Apostle calleth the Church of Corinth 〈◊〉 the whole Church was no larger then was wont to meet together in one place one congregation 1 Conrinth 14.23 A fourth and last Argument to prove the Proposition that every Church so furnished with officers as hath been said and so carried on in truth and peace hath all Church power needfull to be exercised within themselves is taken from the guilt of offence which lieth upon every Church when any offence committed by their members lyeth uncensured and unremoved Christ hath something against the Church of Pergamus for suffering Balaam and the Nicolaitans Revel 2.14 15. and something against the Church of Thyatira for suffering Jezabel Now if these Churches had not either of them sufficient power to purge out their own offenders why are they blamed for toleration of them yea why are not the neighbour Churches blamed 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