Survey of the Survey of that Sum of Church Discipline by Hooker, Book 3 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
Mr. Ruthurfurd's Arguments that prove that the People are not the first subject of the Keyes, are vindicated from the unsatisfying Answers of Mr. Hooker.
MR. H. That is not to be held, that is neither in Scripture Sect. 3, p. 199, 200.directly, nor by consequence:
But that belivers lay hands on men for the Ministery, or receive witness, or have in them any such power of Government, is such. So Mr. R. &c.
Ans. The first three Arguments touch not the question, for office-power is formally in some select persons, who have a Ministerial spirit and gifts. Mr. Robinson saith, The Government before and under the Law, and in the Apostles time, and still now, is not in the multitude, but in some chief men: But it follows not because office-power, which is a little part of the power of the Keyes, is in officers, therefore the power of the Keyes is firstly in the officers, but firstly in them who gave both the power and the office, and therefore had a power before they gave it, and therefore can take it away.
Ans. Mr. H. hath quickly expeded my Arguments with Due right of Presb. c. 1. sect. 2. p. 9, 10, 11, 12.Veni, vidi, vici; It is a scorn to say, without all proof, that the office-power is a little part of the power of the Keys: For the includent by no Logick is a part of the thing included, the City is not a part of the House which is a part of the City; but the contrary: now the office-power in Rulers includes preaching, The office power is not a part, but the whole power of the keys.administrating of the seals, as Mr. H. grants, and also it includes a power of binding and loosing, and of ordaining, since the holy Ghost gives rules of right ordaining of Elders to Timothy, and to Teachers, 1 Tim. 3. 1, 2, 3, & 10. 1 Tim. 5. 17, 18, 22. 2 Tim. 2. 2. Tit. 1. 5, 6, 7, &c. as to Pastors, not as to Believers, and by this to rebuke, censure, shall be no ruling at all, if Mr. H. deny ruling power to agree to Pastors as Pastors, or to be a part of office-power, because ruling power in officers is common to both officers and brethren.
1. He begs what is in question, for the brethren are ruled and to obey, and not Rulers.
2. If it be said ruling power is not office-power; its replied that Mr. H. saith that the Elders are superiour to the Brethren or male-Church in regard of office, rule, act and exercise. Now if ruling Page 191.be common to both officers, and the Brethren, or such a male-Church of the redeemed; then are not the officers as officers superiour to this Church in rule; yea, this Church giveth power, and taketh away the power of governing by way of censure, from the officers: and so the brethren in ruling must be above the Officers, as for the superiority official in preciding and managing the actual dispensing of censures, as Mr. H violently alledges Heb. 13. 17. to this purpose, it is a ruling over the ruling of the Brethren, the like whereof was never heard, the mouth of a Judicature ordereth, but judgeth not the ruling, and judging of the Judges. Again, if officers be both officers in teaching, administrating the seals, watching over the manners of the people, and also in dispensing censures with the Elders, then must officepower take up and include both official acts, and also judicial acts and power in governing; Ergo, the power of office is not a part of the power of the Keys, but the whole power of the Keys.
2. It is not to the purpose, to say that Government is not in the multitude, as in the first subject; for then the multitude and The Church Mat. 18. binding & loosing is not a church of selected persons, by our brethrens way.Church of Redeemed, that meets in the same place, for all the ordinances is not the instituted Church, to which the offended must complain by Mat. 18. nor is it the first subject of the keys. Expound to us then Matth. T…ll the Church, i. e. tell some select persons, the Church of some males, only excluding women, aged children, servants: alas that is not the Church Mat. 18. nor the New England instituted Church, which is defined to us in the first words of their Book of Discipline; for that is not a Church of selected persons, but includes men, women, servants, children of age, as I demonstrate from their words.Way of the Churches of Christ in N. E. c. 1. pro sect. 1. p. 1, 2.
1. The Church which Christ in his Gospel hath instituted, to which he hath committed the Keys of his Kingdom, the power of binding and loosing, the tables and seals of the covenant, the officers and censures of his Church, the administration of all his publique worship and ordinances, Is costus fidelium, a company of believers? These are their words. But I assume some select Brethren only is no Church.
1. To whom Word and Sacraments onelyonly are due.
2. Such only are not such a Church as the Church of Corinth, justified, sanctified.
3. Such only is not the company that meets in the same place to partake of all ordinances, as they teach; for women, aged children, servants were justified, sanctified, partakers of ordinances, as well as select Brethren: Ergo, the visible Church instituted by Christ, is not the first subject of the power of the Keys, except you mean the virtual subject, then it is not the first formal subject, as fire is of heat, nor is the complete virtual subject.
But Mr. H. saith cap. 11. sect. 2. page 192. The power of the Keyes is committed to the Church of confederate believers, as the first and the proper subject thereof. Pro. 1. page 193. That the power of the Keyes is seated in the Church as the proper subject is no novel opinion. …b. We will suffer years to speak a little in this place, The place of those that Peter sustained in Mat. 16. to them the keys were given. But Peter speaks in the name and sustained the place of the Church: as the Antients, Origen, Hillary, Augustine, frequently—troops of our Divines say.
Ans. I pray our Brethren, do the Fathers mean the Church of visible Saints, the multitude of Believers? or go our Divines The church of believers built on the rock is not the formal first, and proper subject of the keys.in troops along with them in the formal, first and proper subject of the Keys, as fire is the first formal subject of heat. As Mr. H. page 193. Now I judge Mr. H. means his own only instituted visible Church in the new Testament, that meets together in one place for the ordinances; if I should say the whole element of fire is the first proper and formal subject of heat, and yet exclude four quarters or parts of this body, as utterly uncapable of heat, were I worthy to be called a Philosopher? But the same way Mr. H. maketh the Church confessing as Peter, Mat. 16. such a formal subject, and saith the fourth part of this subject, women, children of age, &c. are not capable of the Keys; if it be said, the organical body is the proper subject of seeing, of hearing, &c. yet neither legs nor hands are capable of either seeing or hearing.
I answer: Then 1. the organical body is not the first and formal subject of seeing, but Arms and Legs are capable of touching; but women, aged children, servants, though essential parts of the visibly confessing Church, Mat. 16. are formally capable of no power, of no exercise of the Keyes at all.
2. If God give the power of seeing to the eye, as to such a watching member, then gives he not the power of seeing to the organical body; but if God give the power of seeing to the eye, as to a member and part of the body: Ergo, he gives the power of seeing to all the members, Quod convenit, qua tale, convenit omnibus; Ergo, he must give the power of watchers to women who are members.
Mr. H. Office-power is but a little part of the power of the Keys, and therefore it may be in Officers, and yet the power of the Keyes not be firstly in them, but in them who gave Office-power.
Ans. This is, as if one would say, the power of a Masterhoushold and of a Steward, is a part and a little part of the power of the Keys of a family; when these only under the Lord of the house have the Keys committed to them, shew in all Oeconomies in state, a family where the Keyes are committed to any but to those in office, and such as are subject of the power of the Keyes, a part and a little part of the power of the Keys, is not the Key, the nible of a Key is not the Key. Yes, but it may be said, the Queen and Mistress of the Royal Family is above the Officers of the Royal House, since they are her Servants, no less then the Kings Servants.
Ans. The officers are the believers servants objectively and finaliter, for the building of their souls, Eph. 4. 11. but the question now is, whether they be subjectively sent Potestate missionis, by ordination, and laying on of hands (the ceremony to How the officers are above the Church of Believers, and the Church of Believers above them.me is Oeconomy not to be despised, but for the thing it selfe I contend) of Elders, or people, and in an official power of the Keys to shut or open Heaven, either by preaching, seals or discipline; there is not any above the officers, not the Church of believers in an authoritative way; as for a way of Christian dignity, believers are, without all doubt, above all the officers on earth. And when the Mistress is a society of sinners, that she hath the power of the Keys in any authoritative way, over her selfe, or any other way committed to her, but by a whole consent, or godly withdrawing when the Rulers turn Wolves, is against Scripture and all Reason.
Mr. H. Not only the Officers, but Offices also are included in the Keys, as being of that ministerial power by which Heaven is opened and shut; and Officers and Offices are ordinances, and Christs gift to the Church, Eph. 4. 11. He gave some to be Pastors, &c. As Mr. K. with Chrysostom acknowledge.
Ans. To say the Officers and the Offices are included in the The offices & officers are with as little sense included in the keys, as if we would say, the King and the royal office are included in the royal power.Keys, is to say …eedless, that both the Stewards and the office of Steward included in the power of the Keys; or the King himselfe, and the royal office are included in the royal power: what sense or rather non-sense is here? Its true, the office and officers, Ephes. 4. 11, 12. are given to the Church of men, women, children, servants, to the multitude of red…emed, for the perfecting of the Saints, for edifying of the body of Christ, vers. 12. finaliter and objective, even till the coming of Christ; but Mr. H. must prove by that Text (I doubt if he can, or any for him) That Offices and Officers are given to the Church subjectively, that is, not to the multitude, but to some select persons, the male-Church of the Fraternity; that this new power may shuffle the power of the Keys from her, to some officers. But,
1. Who gives our brother leave to leap from one signification There is no Church of only believing males wanting officers in Scripture.of the Church Catholick of the visible Saints to the new male Church?
2. From the gift given objectively for the Church, as clear it is in the Text, to the Church subjective of his owne devising.
3. Why contends Mr. H. for the accidents, or gifts, or priviledges of nothing, or a non …, for in Old or New Testament he cannot give us a Redeemed Church of onelyonly believing males.
Mr. R. The offices that include both the power of the Keys, and and the exercise of them are given, Mat. 16. to some select persons, to Peter.
Ans. Therefore they must be given to some that are not officers, for how unpleasant is the sense to thee who bearest the place and person of an office, I will give an office, thou that hast an office, to thee will I give an office.
Ans. This quirk (for an objection it is not worthy the light) is not against me, but against the Scripture, and Beza, Bullenger, Pareus, Calvin, and all the Fathers, who say there is promised to Peter who now was an Apostle confined, as yet to Beza foreign, non dedit, sed dare promittit. Bull. non dicit dedi. Pareus promittit in futurum. How Christ gives to Peter the Keys, as representing the officers.Iudea, the power of the Keys as an Apostle all the world over, and in him to all the officers. As when a Prince gives a confirmation of the office of Sheriff with larger priviledges, then he had before. He saith, I give to thee who bearest the place and person of an Officer, and Magistrate, that same Magistracy with more ample priviledges. And doth not Mr H. speak as unpleasantly? I create thee Peter, who wast a visible Saint before, now a visible Saint. Beside that he ties so the Apostles to be fixed members of one single congregation, which he knew their Apostolick office could never permit them with a good conscience to discharge.
Mr. H. Arg. 4. This complete power of binding and loosing is given Page 201.to the officer: firstly, either as teaching, or as ruling in a special work or as officers ruling in general; if the first, then the power must be given to teachers only foreign, as Mr. R. and so only Teacher, shall be Rulers. If this power be given to them as Rulers, in regard of the common or general nature of ruling, then is their equal power of ruling in both Teachers and Elders.
Ans. The K…yes are given, Non uni divi…, sed unitati conjuncti…, Mr. H. with no better Logick may prove the General and Councel of War, the Major and Aldermen are not the first formal subject of their respective powers, as Pastors & Elders cannot be the same formal subject of the Keys.to all in the Colledge of the Judicature. The ruling Elders vote, if according to the rule, is of as much weight as the teaching Elders vote; and it is not absurd, but necessary that all be alike here, except Mr. H. hold a sort of Episcopacy of Rulers over Rulers in the same Judicature. This conceit (for there is no solidity of reason here) might prove that the King and Parliament, the General and Councel of War, the Major and the Aldermen are not the first subject formal (for of the virtual subject we speak not) of their respective military power, or civil State powers. Yea, the Pastor as a labourer in the Word and Doctrine, is in honour and power above the ruling Elder; the King and General acting severally, are above their general Councels. A Child in Logick may answer such arguments.
Mr. H. If the faithful may not lay on hands, nor receive witnesses, as Paul, Titus, Timothy, then are they not the first subject of the power of the Keys.
Ans. The consequence is false, for ruling Elders cannot so lay on hands, nor so receive witnesses as teaching Elders do, yet they have the power of the Keys.
Ans. The Argument is not mine, in that place. I neither call Pauls Presb. c. 1. p. 9, 10.the organick Church the subject, nor the first subject; but only say, since the world was, the people are never Key-bearers, nor so called; the Presbytery layes on hands, 1 Tim. 4. 14. the Apostles, Act, 6. 6. Timothy a Pastor, 1 Tim 5. 22. for to bear the Keys is borrowed from a Steward, Oeconomus; as all agree, Because the bre…hren lay not hands on nor ordaine Ministers at all, therefore they do not so lay on hands, and ordain as the officers do.both Fathers and latter Divines. As to bind and loose is borrowed from such as command G…ols, as Pareus observeth, Ps. 105. 18, 20. 2 Kings 25. 27. Ps 149. 8. Act 12. 6. but no official power nor act of office, as of a Steward or Jaylor is given to the people. And it is like much Logick I have here met with; the ruling Elders cannot so lay on hands, and so receive witnesses as the teaching Elders; Ergo, teaching and ruling Elders for all that may well be the first subject of the Keys; my meaning is, they lay not on hands so, that is, by any pastoral teaching power. But as for the people, they bear not the Keys at all over themselves, nor are they in any sort Stewards to feed themselves; and therefore they are no more the subject of the Keys then private servants of the house, to exercise the Keys authoritatively: the Ethiopian is not white at all, Ergo, he is not so white as a Raven.
Mr. H. To whomsoever Christ giveth the Keys, to them he gives Page 401.a ministerial spirit by way of special Embassage to remit or retain sin.
Ans. This is unsound, for the Keys are given to ruling Elders, who have no such ministerial spirit; it is not enough to say, that power of preaching is not formally given to ruling Elders; yet it is effective given in the fruit to them, as Mr. R. saith: for they who receive the same commission, or equal power of the same commission, must receive the power of the keys formally.
Ans. The Keys in a ministerial way of special Embassage, to remit and retain sins, are given to teachers by a concional way of remitting and retaining sins, and to both teachers and ruling Elders effectually (saith Mr. R,) in the judicial and authoritative Pauls Presb. c. 1. p. 9, 10. The ministerial spirit of forgiving and retaining sins in the external Court, though not in a concional way, is due to the ruling, as to the teaching Elder.application in the external Court of Christs Church: but believers as believers, and as visible Saints confederate, have no such power judiciall formally, or effectively. Let Mr. H. prove this, and it shall be seen there it sticks, hic haeret ei aqua: nor is it denied, but ruling Elders have the same power of the Keys formally, as touching the judicial application of the word preached in the external Court: For the whole Court, Teachers and Elders, do formally, in a judicial way, apply to the conscience of the incestuous Corinthian his sin, thus; Thou by name hast committed incest, we, by the formal power and ministerial spirit given to us by Christ, deliver thee to Satan, &c. All have alike formal and effective, and so causal influence in this sentence. 2. I also thus frame the Argument:
To whatsoever society Christ hath given the Keys, to some of that society he hath given the spirit to remit and to retain sin by way of concional preaching the Gospel, Iohn 20. 21, 22. Matth. 28. 20. Mark 16. 15, 16. for there is a binding and loosing chiefly in the preached Word, and to all of them he hath given a formal power of binding and loosing in the Court of Christ, conjoyned with the former binding, and not to be separated from it. Give us in the word Excommunication separated from the preaching of the Word. But Christ hath given no power judicial of this kinde to excommunicate all the officers, to ordain all the officers, to the society of brethren destitute of Pastors. And give us leave to keep this ground of vantage, we can produce Scripture for this practise, that the Elders laid on hands, and ordained Elders, Act. 6. 6. 1 Tim. 4. 14. & 5. 22. 2 Tim. 2. 2. Tit. 1. 5. Let our Brethren shew, where the male-Church of onelyonly unofficed brethren did the like, and give precept or promise, and we are silent.
We may justly ask, By what power unofficed men may make The male-Churches ordaining wanteth an institution of Christ. Pag. 202. Pauls Presbyt. c. 1. p. 10.officers; there must be an institution for this, and its hard to prove positive institutions by far off consequences.
Mr. H. Ruling Elders do not effectually (he should say effectively, as I do, which is a far other term) apply the word in the external Court: why? because the application of the word thus dispensed, implies that it is issued and ended.
Ans. If the meaning be, the Sermon is closed and done, and Its childish to say, because a Sermon is closed before the censure be dispensed, therefore there is no application of the word made to the conscience of delinquents in excommunication.the incestuous man repents not, therefore all place for judicial application of the Word to the conscience of the scandalous man in the Court of Discipline, is ended: How weak and watery is such a consequence? except we say that the whole Court of Teachers and Elders do not apply medicinally to the man in the externall Court the Word preached; which to say, were to destroy all Church-discipline.
Mr. H. There is a Iudicial power in making application of the word preached by any of the members who have power to admonish judicially.
Ans. That is to beg the question: for none have power to admonish judicially as the Church, but the officers, and those that are stewards, who bear the Keyes; otherwise women have power to apply the Word, and to rebuke, and to exhort.
2. This contradicts the former just now spoken. The Elders cannot effectively apply in the Court the Word preached; why? the Word dispensed and preached is ended: But here every member may judicially apply out of the Court, though the Word dispensed be ended.
Mr. H. Mr. R. Arg. 4. The government of the Church is complete in officers, their number, their dispensed censures of binding and loosing without any power of the keyes in the people, and therefore it is superfluous; yea, if the believers have power there alone to excommunicate all the officers, as Mr. H. saith, the Elders in governing must be as superfluous as the sixth finger in the hand. Ans. Though the people have power of judging, yet they have not power of office, which is necessary.
Ans. Power of office is necessary to the preaching of the Officers are superfluous in dispensing censure, by M. H. his way.Word, and to the administrating of the Seals, of which we now speak not. I hope Mr. H. questions not the necessity of a standing Ministery to the end; but since officers are created, and all the officers may be excommunicated by the onelyonly brethren, as Mr H. saith, contrary to Mr. Cotton and the Word (now ordaining of pastors, and excommunicating of them are the highest acts of Rule) then the Elders are as superfluous as the sixth finger to the hand, in the highest point of Ruling, and officers must be onelyonly necessary ad bene ess…, for the better directing and managing of censures, as Mr. H. saith, onelyonly for authoritative ordering and counselling; as Mr. Goodwyn and Mr. Nye: But they may be wanting, and censures well administred without officers.
M. H. Mr. R. Arg. 5. The multitude of believers must have this power either from heaven or from men; if from heaven, either from the Law of Nature, or a positive Law of God.
Ans. There is a positive Institution, Mat. 18. Mat. 16. Mr. R. saith, God hath not made all Rulers, and have left none over other in the Lord. Ans. To have the power of the Keyes is one thing, and to be Rulers another. The Court of Aldermen can proceed against a delinquent Major, yet not one of them is Major. The members by covenant, not as officers and foreign, censure one ano…her, though in the manner of dispensing the censure, they need of ficers as guides. And so the seven…h is answered.
Ans. Mr. H. grapples with my Arguments by two's, but answers them all with a begging of the Conclusion. Its good that these two onelyonly places, which are sometimes expounded of the Way of the Churches, c. 1. sect. 1. prop. 1. p. 1, 2. Survey, ch. 10. arg. 5. p. 133.Church of believers meeting in one place for the Ordinances, and that includes all Saints visible male and female, as your Discipline; sometimes Mr. H. expounds Matth. 18. the Church, firstly, as it is an integral body of both people and Elders; and 3. Mr. H. takes it for the Church of the Redeemed, and offends that Mr. Rall and Mr. R. takes Mat. 18. for the governing Survey, ch. 11. par. 1. p. 186. Mr. H. takes the word Church in the Magna Charta, Matth. 18. & 16. sometimes for visible Saints, male and female. 2. Sometimes for the Church of Elders. And 3. here, for the male-Church without officers and women, and other visible Saints.Church. Now 4. here the Magna Charta of the word Church from Mat. 18. & 16. must not onelyonly he the male-Church of selected brethren; so doth the sick man love to change his bed. Now Ted the Church, must be, Tell the male-Church, Mat. 18. which is built on a Rock, against which the gates of Hell shall not prevail; as if there were no fixedness on the Rock for women, aged children, and believing servants, but they must all turn Apostates, and onelyonly the male-Church, Mat. 16. persevere in grace, and dwell finally upon the Rock.
2. To have the Keyes, and to be Rulers, are so one thing to us, as twice three and six are one thing. And its a wide mockery to say, that members covenanting are to submit to one another; and, in a Church-way, judge one another, by rebuking, Members judg and censure, & excommunicate one another, and yet they bear not rule over one another, as M. H.exhorting and gaining one another, and yet are not made rulers and key-bearers to one another; that is, they exercise the keyes and power of ruling over one another, and yet they rule not one another foreign, this is to distinguish between Isaac and the son of Abraham. 2. Do not women covenant to gain the younger women in their way, by rebuking, by Mat. 18. 15. Lov. 19. 17. 1 Sam. 25. 25, 26, 27. Tit. 2. 3, 4. both men and women? and do they for that rule, as the male-Church? and by what Oracle? am I not to rebuke a trespassing offender of another congregation dwelling within twenty cubits to my door, and being my beloved brother in Christ? are not the brethren If all be rulers mutually one to another, as M. H. must say that word, obey them that are over you in the Lord, must be spoken only to women and children.both rulers and ruled, both the stewards using the Keyes, and members of the house, both shepherds and flock; and what sense can that have? Obey them that are over you in the Lord, &c. 2 Thess. 5. 12. Heb. 13. 17. except it be a speech to onelyonly women, and children, and servants, whereas he wrices to all, and directs such exhortations to all, except to officers, in the judgment of all Divines whoever before our brethren so expounded Scripture; yea, he should have said, Obey one another, for ye are all over one another in the Lord.
3. The comparison of Major and Aldermen halts, except Mr. H. say, the Citizens have power of ruling authoritatively over, and to depose from office both Major and Aldermen, if delinquents.
Mr. H. There is a peculiar office-power in the officers that is not in the flock.
Ans. In order to preaching there is, but in order to juridical ruling there is none at all; and so the eighth Argument stands untouched.
Mr. H. The 6 and 11 Arg. of Mr. R. If the power of the Keys be given to believers as believers under that reduplication, then all believing men and women and children have authority over the congregation, for à quatenus ad omne valet consequentia, and all should be pastors.
Ans. Its strange that Mr. R. so often acknowledges, that we require onelyonly charitable Saintship in members, yet he frequently supposeth that we require sincerity: 2. The believers as believers scattered, are not the first subject, but as covenanting and fitly capable, and counted so; which women are not.
Ans. To this I before answered: Nor is it strange that I should charge real contradictions, which by good consequence follow, upon my Adversaries repugnant principles.
2. The question is now, What is the first subject of the power of the Keys? but whether the place Mat. 18. proves (as Mr. H. saith) that the first subject is not believers as believers, but believers with three limitations. 1. As visible to judicious charity. 2. As covenanting Church-wise. 3. As capable to Rule, excluding women and children: but all the three are forgedly added to the Text, Mat. 16. The first is added; for Peter in this confession represents not Saints as visibly to mens account, but real Saints. For,
1. Christ pronounces Peter, and all that confess truly and Peter was not visibly blessed, as Magus, Mat. 16. nor did he represent hypocrites like Iudas, who are M. H. his saints and make the same confessiōreally (though visibly, for these are not here supposed) Christ to be the Son of the living God, really and truly blessed, as Peter, whose heart the Lord saw. But Peter is not blessed, nor all whom he represents blessed, by Mr. H. his way, and by his wresting of the Text onelyonly in a visible way, as Iudas, who might give the same consession with other rotten hypocrites, and not be blessed, but cursed.
2. All who give this confession, as Peter, have received the Spirit of revelation from the Father, wh…ch is neither visible nor audible, but is as the hidden Manna, known to the man himself, and to God onelyonly.
3. All that so confessed, are really upon the matter differenced from all the false Religions and Sects, of which, some said Christ was Iohn Baptist; some, that he was Elias, &c. as is clear otherwayes, if Christ speak of a visible confession, which Magus and other Church members like him may give; the so confessors were no more blessed, than the wretched Herodians, who said Christ was Iohn the Baptist risen from the dead, and denied him to be the Son of the living God.
4. The so visible confessors are the Church, whom Christ builds on the Rock, that shall prevail against all temptations of Hell, and be saved, but such are the really and eternally saved onelyonly, not the so built on the Rock, as Iudas and Magus were, and therefore that is but sand, not a rock, which is given to believers in charity combined, and who are counted fit by Christ and capable, which women, children, deaf and dumb are not. So Mr. H. doth make the Text or our Saviour say, I charitably judge Peter, and Judas, and Magus are blessed, are built upon the Rock.
2. The other two limitations are as blasphemous, and contrary M. H. deprives all women & believing children of age of all comfort from confessing Christ as Peter did, and of being built on the Rock, because they are not capable of the Keyes.to the scope of the Text: for our Saviours scope is to furnish solid consolations of sound faith not to Peter onelyonly, not to seeming believers onelyonly, not to Church-members onelyonly as such, but to all persons who renounce false Religions, such as Heredians were, and others, v. 13, 14. men and women, Mary Magdalen and others, who by this very Scripture do really, and with the reality of saving faith, from the Spirit of the Father of Christ, confess Jesus to be the living God, as v. 17, 18. And I appeal to the consciences of our brethren (I say not any thing to those that are asleep in the Lord) whether Magdalen and others should in sincerity confess, that Christ is the Son of the living God, and had received the anointing, and had received no Keyes, no visible membership like to what they say, may not as well claim to this place and blessedness as Peter. And if Christ should answer them, Ye women, who by the Spirit of the Father of Christ confess me to be the Son of the living God, and for that suffer death from Herod and other persecutors, are blessed; but ye have no right to real blessing by Mat. 16. 15, 16, 17, &c. for I count you women not capable of the Keys. O what perverting Mr. H. gives to none the benefit of the faith, joy of believing, peace, con solation in the like confession of Peter, Mat. 16. but only in & through visible membership of a single congregation, which is as due to Magus the forcerer, as to all real believers. Pag. 104.of the Word of God is this! Surely Mr. Smith in his Parallels hath more reason for him to prove that women share of the honour of the Keyes as well as men, from Mat 18. and Mat 16. But of this hereafter. Shew me a place in all the Scripture where Christ saith, I give the Keys to the Church of Redeemed ones. 2. Shew me where in Scripture the blessing of real and sincere confession of Christ from the teaching Spirit of revelation, and ano…nting, is hampered and confined to male-believers, and to male-believers onelyonly, members by marriagecovenant of one single congregation. Sure the brethren fail here, as the Popists, who retrench it to the onelyonly Church of their Pope and Clergy.
Mr. H. The rule of Mr. R. faileth much against the fundamentals of Logick, quod convenit foreign, convenit foreign, yet visible Saints and believers accounted according to the rules of charity, are the subject matter of the Church, and therefore though they be justly excommunicated, yet in Gods account they may be inwardly Saints. And again, close hypocrites, as Judas, may be real unbelievers, and therefore the profession is sufficient to keep such in their office, and to evidence that all their actions Ministerial are valid.
Ans. As Mr. R. hath, following Aristotle, expounded foreign, that which agrees as the ultimate specifick form, or as a A contraction in M. H. his first and proper & formal subject of the Keys.proper passion, agrees to the subject reciprocally; as rationale foreign, resibile, foreign homini, See the medi foreign above expounded: But make fundamental or superstructure Logick of these two, except the Logick of contradiction, and I am silent. Mr. H. Survey, cap. 11. pro. 2. p. 194. Subordinate power (of the Keys) onelyonly such, and all such have, (a perfect reciprocation) who are combined in a special corporation, and come under the external Government of the Scepter of Christ in the Gospel. If women, servants, aged children be excluded, they being combined in a special corporation, and under the …xtern l Government of the Scepter of Christ, judge, Reader; and yet believers as believers (saith Mr. H. Survey, cap. 11. pag. 203, 204.) are not the first subject of the Keys, but believers, as 1. Combined by Church-covenant: 2. As counted in charity believers: 3. And counted capable men, not women. Any man remove that contradiction.
3. I ask, If profession be enough (according to our Brethrens way) to evidence the ministerial actions, Baptizing, &c. for example, of Iudas, to be valid, why saith not Mr. H. profession is Mr. H. must hide somthing under that, That professiō is enough to evidence the ministerial actions of Judas and such to be valid.enough to render their ministerial actions to be valid, but onelyonly to evidence that they are valid? If profession do onelyonly evidence them to be valid, they may be, in se, in themselves null and invalid. What is under this, I know not: If Mr. H. his sense be, that Iudas was blessed, and had a Spirit of revelation to teach him to give Peters confession, and upon this account of a profession though rotten, yea to Christs charity apparently fair, yet Christ for his seeming confession gave the Keys to Peter as to Iudas. If Mr. H. would cause the Text speak this, Mat. 16. he should gain much upon me: But no wit of men, but our Brethrens, shall throw this out of the Text. What a poor comfort is it, this profession keeps Peter in office? yea, it makes him blessed above men.