Of the Power of the Keys, Chapter 6
CAP. VI.
THere is but one enquiry now behind, i. e. what is the real Sect. 1 effect of binding and looſing, or what conjunction it hath with binding and looſing in heaven. Which though it be the weightieſt conſideration of all the four, yet ſhall I have occaſion to ſay leaſt to it, and indeed only this, That a cenſure of the Church is a venerable thing, not only caſting a Chriſtian out of the Church, wherein he is appointed to ſeek ſalvation, and of which as long as he is thought unworthy, he is uncapable of heaven; but withall a ſuperaddition to the band in heaven, by which that ſin is made indiſſoluble before God, til… it be abſolved on earth, or that abſolution duly ſought from the Church; Chriſt having affirmed of him, that in this caſe his ſins ſhall not be pardoned there; as on the other ſide, that being by repentance return'd to that capacity, heaven ſhall return again to be his portion, and that pardon by the promiſe of Chriſt become due to him.
The plain reaſon of it is, The denunciation is irreverſible, and Sect. 2 indiſpenſably univerſal, [Except you repent you ſhall all periſh] and the promiſe as infallible and immutable [He that confeſſeth and forſaketh, ſhall have mercy.] Now the binding, if it be as it ſhould be (clave non errante) ſuppoſeth the man impenitent and refractory, and ſo to continue till he uſe means to return to the peace of the Church again; and then without controverſie, whoſoever is ſo bound on earth, (caſt out of the Church for an impenitent and refractorie, and continuing ſo) is bound in heaven, caſt out from all title to that by God alſo. To which purpoſe is that known ancient paſſage in Tertullians Apol. ſpeaking of theſe cenſures. Judicatur cum magno pondere ut apud certos de Dei conſpectu. Summumque futuri judicii praejudicium eſt, ſi quis ita deliquerit, ut à communicatione orationis & conventus, & omnis ſancti commercii relegetur. c. 39. The judgements of the Church are exerciſed with great weight, as being among them that are certainly reſolved that they are in the ſight of God. And it is but a preparative pronouncing or paſſing of the future judgement, if any man offend ſo highly, that he be baniſh't from communication or partaking of prayer, of Church-meetings, and all holy commerce.
Sect. 3 But on the other ſide, he that upon his repentance, and approbation of that to be ſincere, is (clave non errante, ſtill) let into the Church again, is ipſo facto ſuppoſed to have right, (and by his abſolution that right ſealed to him viſibly, and Chriſts promiſe particular for it) to heaven.
Sect. 4 Now if it be demanded, Whether a true repentant ſinner once bound by the Church be not preſently looſed in heaven, i. e. pardoned and forgiven at the firſt minute of his repentance, without (or before he receive) abſolution from the Church? I anſwer, that in caſe of publique or ſcandalous crimes, the reformation muſt be publique and notorious alſo. And to that purpoſe confeſſion and ſatisfaction before the congregation, and him that bound, i. e. the Governour of the Church (to repair the injury done to the former by the ill example, and to teſtifie the ſincerity of the repentance to the latter) is neceſſarily requir'd to the approving of this repentance even to God, without which non remittetur peccatum, there is no more poſſibility of looſing in Heaven, then hope of abſolution on earth. But on the ſincere performance of this, as there is no doubt but God will have mercy, will looſe in Heaven, will juſtifie and pardon that (ſuch a) penitent ſinner; ſo is the Church-ruler on earth bound to looſe him here below, to reſtore him to the Church alſo, as ſoon as by his ſubmiſſion to his penance he approves himſelfe to him to be ſuch; and though 'tis poſſible he may be ſincerely penitent in Gods ſight, before he appear ſo to the Church, yet is he obliged to ſeek thus to approve himſelf to the Church, if his caſe have come under her cognizance, or in caſe he deſire to have any of that aſſurance which is to be had from the Church, or by title to the promiſe in thoſe texts.
Sect. 5 And yet this exerciſe of the keyes is not to be conceived ſo abſolutely neceſſary, that none can be damned without that ſeal of damnation, or binding, or non-forgiveneſſe, nor again that none can be ſaved, or forgiven without the ſeal of remiſſion; For ſure the neglect of the Biſhop in the firſt caſe, his not-performing his office of exciſion, is no way able to reſcue the impenitent from the eternal guilt and puniſhment of his ſins, but rather a means to leave him remedileſſe unto it (his binding being indeed ſuch a remedy, if it be made uſe of) and the bare want of the remiſſion or abſolution, ſo it be joyned with readineſs to perform all that is preparative to it, and an hearty deſire to be partaker of it, is in the merciful, gracious court of Gods audience ſure to be accepted, when there is no ſpace or room for more. For the words of Chriſt (whatſoever you ſhall bind, &c.) though they be univerſal, binding all in Heaven that are bound on earth, yet are they not excluſive, ſo as none ſhall be bound in Heaven, but ſuch as are bound on Earth, or in the Church below. Nor on the other ſide, [whatſoever you ſhall looſe on Earth, ſhall be looſed in Heaven.] 'Tis [Whatſoever ye, that I] but not [Whatſoever not ye, that I] and conſequently, this double affirmation of Chriſt may be perfectly true; Whoſoever ſtands bound here, ſtands bound there, and whoſoever are abſolved here, are abſolved there; and yet for all that, are many bound in Heaven which are not bound in the Church, & looſed in Heaven which are not abſolved by the Church. And if the phraſe uſed in Saint John, [whatſoever ye retained, it is retained] ſeem to any to have an excluſive ſenſe, thus, that what we abſolve not here, we do retain; and conſequently, that whom we abſolve not, God will not abſolve. I anſwer, that this is a miſtake, ariſing from the equivocalneſſe of the word [retain] which in the Greek foreign (as we ſhewed) ſignifies no more in this place then foreign, or binding in the other Goſpels; in which, becauſe that intimates not any excluſive power, neither will it be reaſonable that this ſhall. And ſo much for the fourth particular alſo.
To which, before we part from it, it will not perhaps be unſeaſonable (though I hope I ſhall not be obliged to juſtifie the truth of the relations) to annex a paſſage or two out of the latter ſtories of the Greek Church, (believed generally by them, & mentioned on affirmation of particular knowledge by ſome which have come from them to this place, & lived amongſt us) which will acquaint us with the awe, and ſignifie the opinion which it ſeems they have of the real efficacie of theſe cenſures of the Church. It is related (ſaith Crucius in Turco-graecia) in the Conſtantinopolitan hiſtories, that the Sultan Mahomet among other things concerning the Chriſtian Religion, asked the Patriarch Maxims, foreign concerning Excommunication of which he had heard foreign, That if the high Prieſts, and Prieſts of the Chriſtians ſhould excommunicate any perſon upon juſt cauſe, the body of that man diſſolves not into the earth, but remains entire and whole; and when the ſepulchre of any ſuch is opened, they appear like drums or timbrels, and black, i. e. the body ſwell'd, but whole, and withal much diſcoloured: And that upon abſolution the body is diſſolved to duſt. In the truth of which tradition the Sultan deſired to be confirmed by the Patriarch, who upon ſearch made, found (ſaith he) that a certain looſe woman having defamed a former Patriarch, Genadius Scholarius, was by him excommunicate, and ſo dyed. Her Sepulchre Maximus cauſed to be opened, and (foreign, O the wonders of God, ſaith he) foreign, She was found as ſhe was at the time of her buriall, only ſwell…a and black. This (ſaith he) was certified to the Sultan, who ſent ſome of his Nobles to view it, which they did with admiration, and cauſed the corps to be ſealed up in a Coffin with the Imperial Seal, and returned at a ſet day Then the Patriarch opened it, and foreign, officiated and read the prayer of abſolution: Whereupon the joynts of her hands and feet were immediately looſed. They ſealed it up again, and returning after three dayes found all turn'd to duſt. This they reported to the Sultan, who wondred, and was aſtoniſhed, and ſaid, foreign, That this Religion and faith of the Chriſtians was wonderful and true. This ſame ſtory is related again at large, l. 2. Turco Gr. §. 32. In the Patriarchial Hiſtory of Emanuel Malaxus in vulgar Greek. A like example there is alſo of one Arſenius, who dyed excommunicate, l. 2. §. 43. p. 151. and alſo of Johannicius, a Pſeudo-patriarch, l. 2. p. 156. of whom, ſaith he, foreign the excommunicate was found hard and ſwelled as a drum or timbrel. The truth of the paſſages, I hope it will not be expected of me to aſſert or confirm (nor can I any further then the fore-mentioned authority will bear) I ſhal rather give the reader …y conjecture how this perſwaſion became ſo general, & theſe ſtories ſo confid…ntly reported among them. It was, I ſuppoſe, from the obſerving, but not underſtanding in the Goſpel the phraſes of binding and looſing, which not knowing to what they belong'd (for the modern Graecians are far from being very learned) they may have applied them to the diſſolving, or not diſſolving of mens bodies in the earth, which they there expreſſe by foreign, & foreign, and foreign, the word of the Evangeliſt. If this be not it, I have no more to ſay of it, but that it was a foreign.
And now having taken this licence a little to expatiate, I ſhal Sect. 6 enlarge …y teather a little wider; and having ſaid thus much of this cuſtome of excommunication among Jews and Chriſtians, proceed yet farther, ex abundanti, and by way of appendix, ſhew the conſent of others, even of Heathen people in this matter, by that means (if not to confirm, as by an inſtance, that ancient truth of Clemens ſo oft repeated by him, foreign, The Grecians knowledge and ſolemn practices are generally ſtoln from the Jews, yet) to ſhew the opinion of other men, imbued with other principles of Theologie, by which the deſign of this former Treatiſe may with a rational man, who is not a Divine, be ſomewhat eſtabliſhed, I ſhall inſtance but in two particulars (becauſe it is but foreign, or as ex abundanti, that I ſay any thing of it.) The firſt, of the ancient Grecians, as I find it mentioned by Diod. Si…ulus. Bibl. 16. in the diſcourſe of the foreign,Edit. Rhodoman p. 425. the ſacred War betwixt the Phocenſes and Lacedaemonians on one ſide, and the Thebans, &c. on the other; of which there is mention in Thucydides, L. 1. p. 73. p. 425.but a full narration in Diodorus Siculus in the place fore-cited. From that one Author in one Page theſe few things may be learnt by way of ſtory. 1. That on occaſion of ſacriledge or invaſion of the rights of their gods, (foreign) as the plowing up a peice of ſacred ground call'd Cirrhaea (which was the crime of the Phocenſes) or the taking in War, and ſeizing on the like place call'd Cadmea (which was the Lacedemonians fault) the Senate of the Amphictyones upon complaint of the foreign or recorders of holy things, did devote or Anathematize even a whole Country or Region at once, as that of the Lacedemonians, and that other of the Phocenſes. 2. That what was thus done, was confirm'd by the Grecians generally, foreign, &c. 3. That though Sacriledge was the occaſion of this devoting, yet was it not the immediate cauſe or crime wherein it was founded, but their not ſubmitting to ſome former puniſhments, not paying the mulcts which had been inflicted on them by the ſame Judges for that crime. The puniſhments of thoſe firſt crimes are there mentioned to have been great ſummes of money laid on the offenders, (foreign) and upon the not paying of that, this devoting follows. 4. The nature of this puniſhment conſiſted, 1. In the ſhame that it brought upon the offenders, ſuch as Philomelus tels his Phocenſes, foreign, 'tis the part of unmanly perſons not to lay it to heart, or conſider it. 2. In the conſequents of it, in that it would foreign, bring danger and ſubverſion to all their lives, & that in two reſpects. 1. In reſpect of God, to whoſe vengeance they were thus devoted, (anſwerable to the foreign forementioned, added to the foreign) in which reſpect it is, in order to the Phocenſes, called there foreign, being conſecrated or devoted. 2. In reſpect of men, to whoſe miſchief alſo they were expoſed, (parallel to what we read of Cain when he was caſt out of Gods preſence; Any man, ſaith he, that meets me, will kill me) and therefore in order to the Spartans, it is call'd there foreign, an expoſing them to the common hatred of all men. 5. That for them that were under any ſuch ſentence, there was no way, but to obey the mulct that was formerly inflicted on them, i. e. to reform their contumacie, which they that were not able to do, or not willing, and therefore pretend they were not able (foreign) have no way left, but endeavour to nul the ſentence, by proving it unjuſt, (foreign) by ſhewing that it was no fault, on which the former puniſhment, (to which their contumacie had been expreſt) was inflicted. And to make good this plea, their beſt & indeed only way was that of force, viz. to make Philomelus their General, & to provide him an Army, which was accordingly done, and after ſome three or four proſperous ſights on that ſide, the concluſion was, that at laſt agreeably to the cauſe, in the ſight of his proſperous impiety he was routed and ſlain. Pag. 432.And ſo you have a brief of the firſt paſſage. The other is that known one of the Druids among the ancient Galls, mentioned by Caeſar de Bell. Gal. l. 6. the ſumme of it is this. Among the Galls two onelyonly ſorts of men there are, ſaith he, qui in aliquo ſunt numero & honore, which are of account and honour among them, The Druids, and the Equites, or Noblemen, all the reſt being pezants and ſlaves. The former of theſe are thus deſcribed, by their offices or imployments, Illi rebus divinis interſunt, ſacrificia publica & privata procurant, religiones interpretantur, ad hos magnus adoleſcentium numerus diſciplinae cauſâ concurrit, magnóque ii ſunt apud eos honore; nam ferè de omnibus controverſiis publicis privatiſ que conſtituunt, & ſi quid eſt admiſſum facinus, ſi caedes facta, de haereditate, de finibus controverſia eſt, iidem decernunt, praemia poenaſ que conſtituunt: Si quis aut privatus, aut populus, eorum decreto non ſteterit, ſacrificiis interdicunt. Haec poena apud eos eſt graviſſima; Quibus ita eſt interdictum, ii numero impiorum ac ſceleratorum habentur, ab iis omnes decedunt, aditum eorum ſermonem que defugiunt, ne quid ex contagione incommodi accipiant, neque iis petentibus jus redditur, neque ullus honos communicatur. His omnibus Druidibus praeeſt unus, &c. They are the men employed in all the ſervice of God, perform the publike and private ſacrifices, inſtruct the youth, and are honoured by them, are the Judges in wel-nigh all both publique and private controverſies; if any outrage or murder be committed, any difficulty about bounds or inheritance, they decree and determine both rewards and puniſhments; If any private perſon or people ſtand not to their decrees, they forbid him their ſacrifices. This is of all other the moſt grievous puniſhment, they that are under this interdict, are accounted as impious and enormous perſons, all men refuſe their company, come not neer them, nor diſcourſe with them, leſt the contagion hurt them; they receive no advantage by the Lawes of the Kingdom, nor are capable of any honour in it. Of all theſe Druids there is one Prefect or Preſident, &c. And it ſeems this cuſtome and inſtitution among them was conceived to have had its original from Britain. Diſciplina in Britanniâ reperta, atque inde in Galliam tranſlata eſſe exiſtimatur, & nunc qui diligentiùs eam rem cognoſcere volunt, plerun que illò diſcendi cauſâ proficiſcuntur. This diſcipline was found in Britain, and thence brought unto the Galls, and they that are willing to have any exact knowledge of it, do now ordinarily go thither to learn it. The ſtory being in it ſelf thus clear and full, will have little need of my comment or obſervation on it; all that I meant to do was to ſhew you the conſent of other Religions, & Nations, and by that to conclude, that the heathens thought not that unreaſonable, which now Chriſt hath by ſtanding law eſtabliſht in his Church, and many that are called Chriſtians, are ſo willing to caſt out of it. And ſo much ſo this foreign alſo.