The Cure of Church Divisions, Directions · Direction 11
DIRECT. XI.
Understand well what is the power of the Keys, and what the Pastoral offiae is, as they are the Governours of the Church entrusted by Christ with the power of admission and rejection; that so you may know how far you are to rest in the judgement of the Pastors, and may not attempt to take any part of their office to your selves.
THe power of the Keyes, is the power of taking into the Church, and of Governing it, and of casting out: Both in respect to present Order, and in respect to future happiness, by a Ministerial declaration of the sense of the Gospel, concerning the state of such as they.
The power of Baptizing, is the power of the Keyes for reception into the Church. The private members have not the power of baptizing, nor were the Pastors ever appointed to do it, by their advise, consent or vote. Therefore the private members have not the power of the Keyes for admission, And it is most apparent in the Gospel, that the Keyes for admission and for exclusion are given into the same hands, and not one to the Ministers and another to the Flock: Therefore the people that have not the first, have not the later.
For full proof of this observe the meaning of these Texts. Isa. 22. 22. And the Key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open and none shall shut: and he shall shut and none shall open. Isa. 9. 6. The Government shall be upon his shoulder. Mat. 16. 19. I will give thee the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, &c. Mat. 18. 18. Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye bind on earth shall be bound, &c. Joh. 20. 23. Whose soever sins ye do remit, they are remitted to them; and whose soever sins ye retain they are retained. Math. 28. 19. Go and teach all Nations baptizing them, &c. Joh. 20. 21. As my Father hath sent me, euen so send I you. Acts 1. 16, 17. Judas was numbred with us, and had obtained part of this Ministry. Acts 20. 28. Take heed to your selves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers, to feed the Church of God—Rom. 1. 1. Paul a Minister of Iesus Christ, called an Apostle, separated to the Gospel of God. 1 Cor. 4. 1. Let a man so esteem of us as of the Ministers of Christ, and Stewards of the mysteries of God. Acts 14. 23. They ordained them Elders in every Church. Tit. 1. 3. Ordain Elders in every City, as I appointed thee. V. 7. A Bishop must be blameless as the Steward of God. 1 Tim. 3. 5. For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God? 1 Tim. 5. 17. Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour—1 Pet. 5. 2. Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof— Heb. 13. 7, 17, 24. Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken to you the word of God—Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves; for they watch for your souls—salute them that have the rule over you—1 Thes. 5. 12, 13. We beseech you brethren to know them (that is, acknowledge their power and labours) that labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake, and to be at peace among your selves.
Read these with judgement, and then believe if you can, that the power of the Keys or Government is in the People. Shew us what text doth give them that power? and where the Scripture calleth them to exercise it by Votes? Or where God requireth ability in them for Church-government? or where he calleth them to leave their Callings and attend this work? When those that must perform it, he separateth to it as by office, and calleth them to give themselves wholly thereunto. 1 Tim. 4. 15, 16. Tell us when the people were authorized to baptize? or to rule the Church, that is, themselves.
Obj. Mat. 18. 15. Tell the Church: if he hear not the Church, &c. Answ. Many Expositors think that by the Church there is meant the Ministers only, by this reason: The Church that m…st teach m…st be heard: the Church that must be heard must be told: But that is only the Pastors and not the People: Ergo—But I easily grant you, that the word [Church] there signifieth the whole Congregation (as Dr. Taylor in his Second Disswasive hath well shewed) But it is as an Organized body only. And so the Office is to be performed only by the Organical part; and not by any of the rest. When I say to a man [Hear me] I do not mean that he should hear me with his eyes, but only with his ears: And when I bid him See or Read. I bid him not do it with his ears but with his eyes. Nor do the eyes receive this power from the feet or hands, but immediately from the Head: Though if they were separated from the body they could not retain it. So if another Kingdome send to England, to desire an Army of Men to help them, they mean the King only as the Commander of them, and the people as the executors of his Command. So when you are bid to tell the Church, it is qu…t…nus aurita, that it must be told; And when you are bid to hear it, it is as Teaching that it must be heard. So that this talketh not of any Government in the people, either to use or to give.
Obj. 1 Cor. 5. Paul biddeth all the Church to put from among them that wicked person.
Answ. Note; that Paul passeth the sentence first himself [I have judged as if I were present (not that you deliver, but) to deliver such an one to Satan: And therefore he doth this in himself [in the name of the Lord Iesus] and supposeth himself among them in spirit and power when they do it [and my spirit with the power of our Lord Iesus Christ.] 2. And I have said, He speaketh to an organized Church, which had two parts, and accordingly two works to do: The Ruling part was to put away the Offender by Iudgement, or Sentence; And the people were all to put him away, by actual shunning his Communion, which is but the obeying of that sentence. If the King send to a Corporation to execute any Law, he meaneth not that all persons must do it in the like manner; but the Magistrates by Command, and the people by obeying them, and executing their Commands. If I desire a man to transcribe me a Book and bring it me; I mean not that every part of him shall herein have the same office; But that he read it only with his eyes, and understand it with his reason, and transcribe it with his hand, and travel with his feet. The Pastors only excommunicate by Judgement or Sentence; and the people by obedient execution of it.
Obj. Who then shall cast out an Heretick or pernicious Pastor, if he himself must be rejected?
Answ. 1. The Neighbour Pastors shall renounce Communion with him, and reject him from their neighbour Communion. And they shall warn that people to avoid him (by virtue of the common relation which they have to the universal Church of Christ.) 2. The people (as Cyprian determineth) are bound to forsake him: not by an act of Government over him or themselves; but by an act of obedience to God, and of self-preservation; As Souldiers must forsake a trayterous General, or Seamen a perfidious or desperately unskilful Pilot that would cast them all away. As the people did always choose their Pastors to Govern them, so may they in such a case refuse them, without usurping any Government themselves.
Well! Now let us see what influence this truth should have upon your Church-Communion.
Do you say that your neighbours are not to be accounted members of the Church, nor to be communicated with? Who took them into the Church by Baptism? Was it not a Minister of Christ? If you say no, you must prove your accusation. If you grant it, was it not his Office so to do? Hath not God made his Ministers Judges whom they are to baptize? And afterward also whom to catechise and instruct and admit to the communion of the Church? There is no doubt of it. If then they are admitted by an entrusted Officer, will you venture to usurp the place, yea and to do them the wrong to say that they are no members? Is it any of your trust or work? I pray you mark what a mercy it is to you, that the Officers and not the private members are entrusted with this work. First, if it were your work, you must study and be able to perform it. Secondly, you must watch for it, and constantly attend it. If a Heretick pervert the Text of Scripture, you must convince him by your skil in the Originals or in the sense. How many hundred or thousand persons are there in a Parish to be tried? The worst of them must have a hearing and just trial at least, before you can refuse him lawfully: And how accurately must this difficult work be done, that the weakest be not denied his right, nor the unfit admitted? How long must a sinner be admonished and exhorted to repentance? And are you able and willing to leave all your callings, to do all this?
If the Minister that doth it, must lay by the business of the world, how think you that you can do the same without laying by your worldly business? If he must have so many years learning and preparation, can you do it without? Mistake not, it is not for Sermons only that Ministers need all their learning and labour; but also for the discipline and guidance of the flocks. Thirdly, and if it be your work, you must be accountable for it before God. And do you not fear such a reckoning? And if these busie people had their wish, would they not be in a worse case than the most dumb and lazy Minister?
Consider it well, and you will find that you are not at all bound to know what the spiritual state of any man is, as he is to joyn in Church-communion with you, but upon your Pastors trust and word. Whether their understanding be sufficient at their admittance, you are not any where called to try: but the Pastor is: And if he have admitted them, you are to rest in his judgment (unless you would undertake the office your selves) whether their profession of faith and repentance be serious and credible, you are not called to try and judge: But if your Pastor have admitted them, he hath numbred them with the visible Christians: And it is the credibility of the Pastor that you have to consider; and by him you must judge of the credibility of the professour, and not immediately by your own trial. Who are the persons that you shall meet at a Sacrament or in publike Communion, you are not at all required to try; And if you never saw them before or heard them speak, you may perform your duty nevertheless: Indeed if as a neighbour you are called to instruct or counsel or comfort them; you must do it: But there may be five thousand in one Church with you, whose names or faces you are not bound to know; but to rest in the knowledge of them to whom the keyes are committed, who according to their office take them in.
Obj. But what if they are notoriously wicked? Must I be blind?
Answ. No▪ you must do your best by neighbo…rly watchfulness and help (though not by Pastoral Government) to reform all about you whom you are able to do good to. And if you know them to be so bad, you must privately admonish them, as is proved; and then if they hear not, tell the Church: But if you see a man in the Church at the Sacrament, or a thousand men, who are unreformed, and you know it not, you have no reason to avoid the communion of such: And if there be a thousand in the Church whose case you are strangers to, th…s may be no sin of yours, and should be no impediment of your communion.
Obj. But what if c…rn…l neglig…nt Ministers will let in … into the Church by Baptism and give them the Lords Supper? Shall it be thus in their power to corrupt the Church: And must we joyn with them and take no care of it?
Answ. There is no person in any office or trust, but may too easily abuse it: And the more noble the work and trust is, the greater is the si… and calamity of such abuse. And no doubt but a bad unfaithful Minister is one of the greatest sin…ers on earth, and one of the most pernicious plag…es to the Church. Which could not be, unless it were in his power to do very much hurt. But it will not follow that therefore you must take his place, and become the Church Governours, or try all the peoples fitness your selves. If a Judge be bad, you may say what an intollerable thing is it, that one man shall have power to give away mens estates, and take away the liv…s of the innocent, and to acquit the guilty.] But for all that you must not mend it, by stepping up into the judgement seat your self, and saying, that you or the rest of the people will do it better. Some body must be trusted with it. If you are fittest, offer your self to the office. The thing that you must do is, to do your best to deliver the Church from so bad a Pastor: Use all your wisdome and diligence to amend him: And if you cannot do that, use all your interest to get him out, and get a better: And if you cannot do that, deliver your own soul from him, by removing to a better, if you are free; But if as servants or children or wives you are under another Government which restraineth you, be patient, and use such means as God provideth for you. This is the true way of your Church-duty, and not to think that you must have a knowledge of the Godliness of all that you communicate with; or that you must refuse communion if the P…stor he remiss and negligent.
Obj. But will it not be my sin if I communicate with such as I know to be notoriously wicked? when a little leaven, leaveneth the lump.
Answ. It will be your sin if you obey not Christ, Mat. 18. 15. in admonishing them; and so if it be long of you, that they are not removed: or if you do not your duty to reform the Pastor or remove him: But otherwise if they be there without your fault, it is no more your sin to communicate with such men, than it is to live and converse with fellow servants that are wicked; when it is not you, but your Master that hath the choice of them.
And the leavening of the lump which the Text speaketh of, is the tempting of others to the like sin; and not that the innocent shall be held guilty of it: nor were the words spoken to the people to perswade them to do the Pastors work, or to separate from the Church; but to the Pastors to perswade them to cast out the sinner; and to the people to perswade them to execute their Sentence, (and the Apostles in particular.)
It would rule and quiet people, if they knew the trust and work of the Pastors, from their own.