Of the Power of the Keys, Chapter 1
CAP. I.
Sect. 1 ANd then the firſt thing obſerveable will be, that the three onelyonly places to be met with in the Goſpel concerning this inſtitution (Matth. 16.19. Matth. 18.18. Joh. 20.23.) are no two of them fully parallel to one another, or coincident; I meane, no two of them narrations of the ſame one ſpeech of Chriſt, but (as by the occaſion and circumſtances of time and place it will appear) each delivered by Chriſt at a ſeverall time; the firſt Matth. 16.19. was (upon occaſion of Peters confeſſion) a promiſe of what ſhould be conferred afterwards upon him by way of reward and encouragement [I will (not yet de preſenti, I do; but de futuro, I will) give thee the Keyes, &c. and then foreign, whatſoever thou ſhalt &c.] The ſecond Matth. 18.18. was an exemplifying of that glorious truth ver. 11. that Chriſt came foreign, to ſave that that was loſt: upon the heeles of which bare aſſertion, followes firſt a Parable, ver. 12.13.14. (a ſpeciall piece of Chriſts Logick and Rhetorick to prove popularly, and ſo to perſwade) and then v. 15. the inſtitution of a piece of diſcipline perpetually to continue in the Church of his plantation, as moſt eminently inſtrumentall to that deſigne, the reducing obſtinate ſinners to repentance. The conſideration of which one thing, that theſe Keyes, when Chriſt was gone, were to continue imployed on that ſame great work, or deſigne, which brought Chriſt into the world, the ſaving of ſuch as were loſt, will be able to ſet a competent value on this Inſtitution, and reſcue it from the contempts and ſcornes, which the impious world is pleaſed to make its portion; very agreeable to that greater ſtratagem of Satan, who by complying with our wiſhes and our intereſts, eaſily prevailes with vitious men, to believe neither reſurrection, nor judgement to come; and this, as it is noted by the Fathers, the foreign, the only beloved doctrine of the effeminate and voluptuous. The third place Joh. 20.23. is apparently part of Chriſts ſpeech to all his diſciples (after his reſurrection, and his having confirm'd them all but Thomas, in the truth of it, v. 20.) and was a kind of farewell to his Church, and an actuall inauguration, or conſecration of them from diſciples into Apoſtles, as foreign diſciples, v. 20. and foreign ſent, v. 21. put together do import, (and the foreign they that were with them, Luke 24.33. doth not contradict, for there is no mention of theſe words, of Binding and Looſing in that Goſpel, and if there were, it would not follow that the power of binding was delivered to that mixt company, any more then the power from on high was promiſed to them v. 49. which ſurely belonged onelyonly to the Apoſtles, as will appear by the words immediately precedent, foreign, being rightly interpreted, [and be ye witneſſes of theſe things] i. e. of his death and reſurrection, which we know was peculiarly the office of the Apoſtles;) which being a ſolemne donation was ſet out by a ſpeciall ceremony, viz. that of Chriſts breathing upon them, a ſignificant one to expreſſe the foreign, the eternall breath or Spirit of God, which he would ſuddenly poure on them, and for it *foreign. Theoph. in Joh. 20. The words [receive the holy Ghoſt▪] ſignifie, be you ready to receive him.prepares them by this foreign, receive the holy Ghoſt (which were the words annext to that ceremony, the words of Conſecration, the ſame that we now retain in the Ordination of a Prieſt) whoſe ſins you do remit, (or foreign, if you doe remit any mens ſins) they are remitted to them, and if you do retain any, they are retained.
From all which Three places thus compared, the firſt generall Sect. 2 reſult is this, that the power of binding and looſing is a ſolemn priviledge or aforeign. Theoph. in Mat. 16. in the ſenſe of foreign Joh. 1.12. for priv… lege, or right, or power.Prerogative of the Church of Chriſt, thrice inſiſted on by our Saviour. 1. By way of Prediction, that he would conferre it, Matth. 16. then ſecondly, by way of a more particular deſcription of the manner, and direction for the end and uſe of it, Matth. 18. And thirdly, by a preparatory …ind of inſtating them in this power, an initial inveſting them with this ſacred ghoſtly authority, Joh. 20. (immediately before his final departure from the world) which ſeemeth to have been bforeign. Theo. in Joh. 20. The perfect gift of the holy Ghoſt was diſtributed to them in the Pentecost, a preparative only administred to them in that breathing.throughly perfected and compleated, when after his aſcenſion the holy Ghoſt did viſibly deſcend upon thoſe to whom theſe words were by Chriſt then delivered, [Receive the Holy Ghoſt, &c.] This formal compleat inſtating of this power (of binding and looſing) upon them, and not only the giving of thoſe gifts of tongues, &c. being a main branch and effect of this deſcending, and their receiving of the Holy Ghoſt, according to that of Iſa. 32. if you compare ver. 1. of the [King and Princes ruling in judgment, prophetically intimating Chriſt and his Apoſtles] with ver. 15. & 16. where the deſcent of the Spirit is mentioned as a preparative to the exerciſe of that judicative power. And ſo Epheſ. 4. He gave gifts unto men, v. 8. and gave ſome Apoſtles, &c. v. 11. And this I conceive will direct us to the importance of thoſe words, Luke 24.49. [I ſend the promiſe of my Father upon you] ſo as they may be parallel with this place, Joh. 20.23. receive the Holy Ghoſt. No doubt that promiſe of the Father was the Holy Ghoſt, Joh. 15.26. and the [I ſend upon you] (both as a verbum …olenne, I ſend, i. e. I inſtate on you; and that in the preſent, I ſend, not in the future, I will ſend) all one with the [foreign, receive him] and ſo the power from on high, in the end of the verſe, clearly ſignifies that viſible miſſion of the Holy Ghoſt, which they were to expect, as the means of compleating this donation: and ſo 'tis clear by comparing it with Act. 1.4. & 8. where the ſame phraſe are uſed. And therefore Joh. 20.21. immediately before the [Receive the Holy Ghoſt] he ſaith, As my Father ſent me, ſo ſend I you; intimating that as at his miſſion to his office he was anointed with the Holy Ghoſt, Act. 10.38. viz. upon his Baptiſme, Luk. 3.23. (whereupon 'tis ſaid, that he by the Spirit caſt out devils, Mat. 12.18. which is clearly ſymbolical, and parallel to his looſing, or remiſſion of ſinnes) ſo the Apoſtles at their miſſion, or entrance on their power, ſhould be anointed alſo.