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
her is but simply the power of her own act in which her own concernement which doth intrest her free by an intrinsecall right The like difference would appeare if we had seene a Governement tempered of an Aristocracy and democracy in which suppose the people have a share and their actuall consent is necessary to all lawes and sentences c. whereas a few Nobles that are set over them whose concernement is lesse generall in whom the formall sanction of all should lye in these it were Rule and Authority in that multitude but Power and intrest and such an Authority is to be given to a Presbytry of Elders in a particular Congregation or else as wee have long since beene resolved all that is said in the New Testament about their Rule and of the peoples Obedience to them is to be look't upon but as Metaphors and to hold no porportion with any substantiall reallity of Rule and Governement And in this Distribution of power Christ hath had a sutable and due regard unto the estate and condition of his Church as now under the New Testament He hath qualified and dignified it Vnder the Old Testament it was in its infancy but it is comparatively come forth of its nonage growen up to a riper age both as the tenure of the Covenant of grace in difference from the old runs in the Prophets as Paul to the Galatians expresseth it They are therefore more generally able if visible Saints which is to be the subject matter of Churches under the N. Testāent to joyn with their Guides Leaders in judging discerning what concernes their own their Brethrens consciences And therefore Christ hath not now lodged the sole power of all Church matters solely intirely in the Churches Tutors Governors as of old when it was under age He did But yet because of their weaknes unskilfulnes for the generality of them in comparison to those whō He hath ascended to give gifts unto on purpose for their guidance the Government of thē He hath therefore placed a Rule and Authority in those Officers over them not directing onely but binding so as not onely nothing in an ordinary way of Church government should be done without them but not esteemed validly done unlesse done by them And thus by meanes of this due and golden ballancing and poysing of power and interest Authority and Priviledge in Elders and the Brethren this Government might neither degenerate into Lordlynesse and oppression in Rulers over the Flocke as not having all power in their hands alone nor yet into Anarchy and confusion in the Flocke among themselves so as all things belonging to mens consciences might be transacted to common edification satisfaction For the second Let it not seeme a paradoxe that a Ministeriall Doctrinall Authority should be found severed from that power of Excommunication to second it if not obeyed Every Minister and Pastour hath in himselfe alone a Ministeriall Doctrinall authority over the whole Church that is his charge and every person in it to instruct rebuke exhort with all authority By reason of which those under him are bound to obey him in the Lord not only vi Materiae by vertue of the matter of the commands in that they are the commands of Christ for so he should speake with no more authority then any other man yea a Child who speaking a truth out of the word should leade us as the prophet speakes But further by reason of that Ministeriall authority which Christ hath endowed him withall he is to be look't at by them as an Ordinance of His over them and towards them And yet he alone hath not the authority of Excommunication in him to inforce his Doctrine if any doe gainesay it Neither therefore is this authority as in him considered to be judged vaine and fruitlesse and ineffectuall to draw men to obedience Neither let it seeme strange that the power of this Censure of cutting men off and delivering them to Satan in which the positive part and indeed the controversie betwixt us others of Excommunication lyes should be inseperably linked by Christ unto a particular Congregation as the proper native priviledge hereof so as that no Assembly or company of Elders justly presumed and granted to be more wise judicious should assume it to themselves or sever the formall power thereof from the particular Congregations For though it be hard to give the reason of Christs institutions Yet there is usually in the wayes of humane wisedom and reason something analogous thereunto which may serve to illustorate if not to justifie this dispersion of intrests And so if we mistake not there may be found even of this in the wisedome of our Ancestours in the constitutions of this Kingdome The sentencing to death of any subject in the Kingdome as it is the highest civill punishment so of all other the neerest and exactest paralell to this in spiritualls of cutting a soule off and delivering it to Satan yet the power of this high judgement is not put into the hands of an Assembly of Lawyers onely no not of all the Judges themselves men selected for wisedome faithfullnesse and gravity who yet are by office designed to have an inerest herein But when they upon any speciall Cause of difficulty for councell and direction in such judgements doe all meete as sometimes they doe Yet they have not power to pronounce this sentence of death upon any man without the concurrence of a Jury of his Peeres which are of his owne ranke and in Corporations of such as are Inhabitants of the same place And with a Jury of these men of themselves not supposed to be so skilfull in the Lawes c. two Judges yea one with other Justices on the Bench hath power to adjudge and pronounce that which all of them and all the Lawyers in this Kingdome together have not without a Jury And we of this Nation use to admire the care and wisedom of our Ancestors herein do esteeme this priviledge of the Subject in this particular peculiar to our Nation as one of the glories of our Lawes and doe make beast of it as such a liberty and security to each persons life as we thinke no Nation about us can shew the like And what should be the reason of such a constitution but this which in the beginning we insisted on the dispersion of power into severall hands which in capitall matters every mans tryall should runne through whereof the one should have the tye of like common intrest to oblige them unto faithfullnesse as the other should have skill and wisedome to guide them and direct therein And besids that intrest that is in any kind of Association fraternity yea or neighbourhood or like wise that which is from the common case of men alike subjected to an Authority set over them to sentence them there is also the speciall advantage of an exact knowledge of the fact in the hainous
and peace to such churches as through want of light and peace lye in error or doubt at least and variance so they have power by the grace of Christ not only to give light and counsell in matter of Truth and Practice but also to command and enjoyn the things to be believed and done The expresse words of the Synodall letter imply no lesse It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and unto us to lay upon you no other burthen Act. 15.27 This burthen therefore to observe those necessary things which they speak of they had power to impose It is an act of the binding power of the keys to bind burthens And this binding power ariseth not only materially from the weight of the matters imposed which are necessary necessitate praecepti from the word but also formally from the authority of the Synod which being an Ordinance of Christ bindeth the more for the Synods sake As a truth of the Gospel taught by a Minister of the Gospel it bindeth to faith an obedience not only because it is Gospel but also because it is taught by a Minister for his callings sake seeing Christ hath said Who so receiveth you receiveth me And seeing also a Synod sometime meeteth to convince and admonish an offending church or Presbyterie they have power therefore if they cannot heal the offenders to determine to withdraw communion from them And further seeing they meet likewise sometimes for generall reformation they have power to decree and publish such Ordinances as may conduce according to God unto such reformation Examples whereof wee read Neh. 10.32 to 39. 2 Chron. 15.12 13. For the second question How far the Fraternity or the Brethren of the church may concurre with the Elders in exercising the power of the Synod The Answer is The power which they have received is a power of liberty As 1. They have liberty to dispute their doubts modestly and Christanly amongst the Elders For in that Synod at Jerusalem as there was much disputation Act. 15.7 so the multitude had a part in the Disputation v. 12. For after Peters speech it is said the whole multitude kept silence and silence from what to wit from the speech last in hand amongst them and that was from Disputation 2. The Brethren of the church had liberty to joyn with the Apostles and Elders in approving of the sentence of James and determining the same as the common sentence of them all 3. They had liberty to joyn with the Apostles and Elders in choosing and sending messengers and in writing Synodall Letters in the names of all for the publishing of the sentence of the Synod Both these points are expressed in the Text v. 22.23 to 29. Then pleased it the Apostles and Elders with the whole Church to send chosen men and to write Letters by them See the whole church distinguished from the Apostles and Elders and those whom he called the whole Church v. 22. he calleth the Brethren v. 23. The Apostles and Elders and Brethren c. But though it may not be denyed that the Brethren of the church present in the Synod had all this power of liberty to joyn with the Apostles and Elders in all these acts of the Synod yet the authority of the Decrees lay chiefly if not only in the Apostles and Elders And therefore it is said Act. 16.4 That Paul and Silas delivered to the Churches for to keep the Decrees that were ordained of the Apostles and Elders So then it will be most safe to preserve to the Church of Brethren their due liberties and to reserve to the Elders their due authority If it be said The Elders assembled in a Synod have no authority to determine or conclude any act that shall binde the Churches but according to the instructions which before they have received from the Churches Answ Wee do not so apprehend it For what need Churches send to a Synod for light and direction in ways of truth and peace if they be resolved afore-hand how far they will go It is true if the Elders of Churches shall conclude in a Synod any thing prejujudiciall to the truth and peace of the Gospel they may justly expostulate with them at their return and refuse such sanctions as the Lord hath not sancited But if the Elders be gathered in the name of Christ in a Synod and proceed according to the rule the word or Christ they may consider and conclude sundry points expedient for the estate of their Churches which the Churches were either ignorant or doubtfull of before As for the third Question whether the Synod have power to injoyn such things as are both in their nature and their use indifferent We should answer it negatively and our reasons be 1. From the pattern of that precedent of Synods Act. 15.28 They laid upon the Churches no other burthen but those necessary things necessary though not all of them in their own nature yet for present use to avoid the offence both of Jew and Gentile of the Jew by eating things strangled and blood of the Gentile and Jew both by eating things sacrificed to Idols as Paul expoundeth that Article of the Synod 1 Cor. 8.10 11 12. and Chap. 10.28 This ea ing with offence was a murther of a weak brothers soule and a sin against Christ 1 Cor. 8.11 12. and therefore necessary to be forborn necessiâ—ate praecepti by the necessity of Gods Commandement 2. A second reason may be from the latitude of the Apostolicall commission which was given to them Mat. 28.19 20. where the Apâ—stles are commanded to teach the people to observe all things which Christ had commanded If then the Apostles teach the people to observe more then Christ hath commanded they go beyond the bounds of their commission and a larger commission then that given to the Apostles nor Elders nor Synods nor churches can challenge If it be said Christ speaketh only of teaching such things which he had commanded as necessary to salvation Answ If the Apostles or their successors should hereupon usurpe an authority to teach the people things indifferent they must plead this their authority from some other commission given them elsewhere for in this place there is no foot step for any such power That much urged and much abused place in 1 Cor. 14.40 will not reach it For though Paul requiring in that place all the duties of Gods worship whether Prayer or Prophesying or Psalmes or Tongues c. that they should be performed decently and orderly he thereby forbiddeth any performance thereof undecently as for men with long hayre and women to speak in open assemblies especially to pray with their hair loose about them And though he forbiddeth also men speaking two or three at once which to do were not order but confusion yet he doth not at all neither himself injoyn nor allow the Church of Corinth to injoyn such things as decent whose want or whose contrary is not undecent nor such orders whose want or
be also betrusted by the civill State with the preservation and protection of the Lawes and Liberties peace and safety of the same state and shall meet together in a publike civill assembly whether in Councell or Camp they may there provide by civill power according to the wholsome lawes and liberties of the countrey Ne quid Ecclesia ne quid Respublica detrimenti capiat If King Saul swear to put Ionathan to death the Leaders of the people may by strong hands rescue him from his fathers unjust and illegall fury 1 Sam. 14.44 45. But if Saul persecute David though as unjustly as Ionathan yet if the Princes and Leaders of the people will not rescue him from the wrath of the King David a private man will not draw out his sword in his own defence so much as to touch the Lords anoynted 1 Sam. 24.4 to 7. To conclude this Corollary touching the subjection of churches to the civill State in matters which concern the civill peace this may not be omitted that as the Church is subject to the sword of the Magistrate in things which concern the civill peace so the Magistrate if Christian is subject to the keys of the Church in matters which concern the peace of his conscience and the kingdome of heaven Hence it is prophesied by Isaiah that Kings and Queens who are nursing fathers and mothers to the church shall bow down to the Church with their faces to the earth Isai 49.23 that is they shall walk in professed subjection to the Ordinances of Christ in his Church Hence also it is that David prophesieth of a two-edged sword that is the sword of the Spirit the word of Christ put into the hands of the Saints who are by calling the Members of the Church as to subdue the nations by the ministery of the Word to the obedience of the Gospel Psal 149.6 7. so to binde their Kings with chains and their Nobles with fetters of iron to execute upon them the judgement written that is written in the Word Psal 149. v. 8 9. 3. A third Corollary touching the independency of churches is this That a church of a particular Congregation consisting of Elders and Brethren and walking in the truth and peace of the Gospel as it is the First subject of all Church-power needfull to be exercised within it selfe so it is independent upon any other Church or Synod for the exercise of the same That such a Church is the first subject of all church-power hath been cleered above in the opening the third Proposition of the first subject of the power of the keys And such a church being the first subject of church-power is unavoidably independent upon any other church or body for the exercise therof for as hath been said afore the first subject of any Accident or Adjunct is independent upon any other either for the injoying or for the imploying the having or the using of the same 4. A fourth Corollary touching the independency of churches is That a Church fallen into any offence whether it be the whole church or a strong party in it is not independent in the exercise of church-power but is subject both to the admonition of any other church and to the determination and judiciall sentence of a Synod for direction into a way of truth and peace And this also ariseth from the former discourse For if clavis errans non ligat Ecclesia litigans non ligat that is if Christ hath not given to a particular church a promise to binde and loose in heaven what they binde and loose on earth unlesse they agree together and agree in his name then such a church is not independent in their proceedings as do fail in either For all the independency that can be claimed is founded upon that promise What yee binde on earth shall be bound in heaven what yee loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Matth. 18.18 On that promise is founded both the independency and security and parity also of all churches But if that promise be cut off from them they are like Samson when his haire was cut off weak and subject to fall under other men and yet they fall softer then hee did hee fell into the hands of his enemies but they fall under the censure of their friends As the false Prophet recanting his error did acknowledge so may they Thus was I wounded in the house of my friends Zach. 13.6 In the house of a neighbour-church or two I was friendly smitten with a brotherly admonition which like a precious oyle did not break mine head and in the house of a Synod of churches I was friendly yea brotherly censured and healed 5. A fifth and last Corollary arising from the former discourse touching the independency of churches may be this Though the church of a particular Congregation consisting of Elders and Brethren and walking with a right foot in the truth and peace of the Gospel be the first subject of all church-power needfull to be exercised within it selfe and consequently be independent from any other church or Synod in the use of it yet it is a safe and whole some and holy Ordinance of Christ for such particular churches to joyn together in holy Covenant or Communion and consolation amongst themselves to administer all their church affairs which are of weighty and difficult and common concernment not without common consultation and consent of other churches about them Now church-affaires of weighty and difficult and common concernment wee account to be the election and ordination of Elders excommunication of an Elder or any person of publick note and employment the translation of an Elder from one Church to another or the like In which case we conceive it safe and wholsome and an holy ordinance to proceed with common consultation and consent Safe for in multitude of counsellers there is safetie as in civill so in Church affairs Prov. 11.14 And though this or that Church may be of a good and strong constitution and walk with a right foot in the truth and peace of the Gospel yet all Churches are not in a like athletick plight and they will be Ioath to call in or look out for help as much or more then others though they have more need then others yea and the best Churches may soon degenerate and stand in as much need of help as others and for want of it may sink and fall into deep Apostasie which other Churches might have prevented had they discerned it at first It is also wholsome as tending to maintain brotherly love and soundnesse of doctrine in Churches and to prevent many offences which may grow up in this or that particular Church when it transacteth all such things within it self without consent It is likewise an holy ordinance of Christ as having just warrant from a like precedent The Apostles were as much independent from one another and stood in as little need of one anothers help as Churches do one of