A Vindication of the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, Imprimatur – To the reader 1
I Have diligently peruſed this Treatiſe, (called Vindiciae Clavium) and perceiving that the judicious Authour hath exactly performed what he undertakes, I cannot but conceive it will conduce very much to the ending of our Vnchriſtian Contentions concerning Church-Government, the ſetling of ſome that waver, and reclaiming of ſome that are miſ-lead, and appoſe
Imprimatur
IA. CRANFORD, July 4, 1645.
VINDICIAE CLAVIVM:
OR, A Vindication of the KEYES of the Kingdome of Heaven, into the hands of the right Owners.
Being ſome Animadverſions upon a Tract of Mr. I. C. called, The Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven.
As alſo upon another Tract of his, called, The way of the Churches of NEVV-ENGLAND.
Manifeſting;
1. The weakneſſe of his proofes.
2. The Contradictions to himſelfe, and others
3. The Middle-way (ſo called) of Independents, to be the Extreme, or By-way of the Browniſts.
By an earneſt well-wiſher to the Truth.
IER. 6.16. Stand ye in the wayes, ſee and aske for the old pathes, where is the good way, and walke therein.
LONDON, Printed by T.H. for Peter Whaley, and are to be ſold in Ivy-Lane, at the Signe of the Gun. 1645.
To the READER.
IT is true, which the Prefacers to the Tract, called, The way of the Churches of Chriſt in New-England, do ſay, That we have long called for a fuller Declaration of themſelves. For all that hath as yet bin publiſhed, hath not ſatisfied our expectation, Nor do we think them able to ſatisfie any unprejudiced man. The 32. Queſtions, The Apologeticall Narration, The Reaſons of the diſſenting Brethren, The way of the Churches, &c. Now by them publiſhed, have all been anſwered; which yet theſe Brethren take no notice of. The Keyes are now in queſtion, in the following diſcourſe; how well they doe fit the words in The way deſcribed, or how ſutable they are to the parties allowed to weare them. There is one thing very ſuſpicious, That the Brethren doe not agree among themſelves, in the uſe and application of them: For thoſe two Brethren tell us in their Epiſtle, That they hold with the Churches of New-England, yet it is evident they agree not with their Author, in The way: For they profeſſe, That they doe not yet fully cloſe with ſome expreſſions, paſsim, (frequent) in the Booke, before ſome of which, (belike there are more) they minded it, to note a Star in the Margin. This they could not but ſay and doe (pace tanti Authoris) or they could not aſſert the Booke. And will this ſatisfie any indifferent Reader? In the Title page, they promiſe us a full declaration of the Church-way in all particulars. But in the ſecond page of their Epiſtle, they tell us, They doe not cloſe with ſome expreſsions in the Book; And there are no leſſe than ten Stars affixed in the margine of the Booke; wherein they intimate, they cannot aſſert the Booke. Of the ſame minde are the other two Brethren, Ep. p. 6.the Prefacers to the Keyes; and that not in bare expreſsions, but in Doctrinall aſſertions. How ſhould ſuch Tracts ſatisfie us, when themſelves are not ſatisfied? And no marv…ll, for thoſe Brethren, in their Apologeticall Narration, doe (wiſely) profeſſe, they keep a reſerve open, to alter their judgements, upon occaſion of New-light. Beſides this, its evident, that the Author of the Keyes, does directly contradict the Authour, of The way, that is, himſelf, which, when I have pleaded to ſome friends of his, I have been told, that he hath altered his judgement, ſince he writ The way, in many particulars. I have heard indeed he hath often altered his judgement ſince he went to New-England: But I cannot well beleeve it in this; becauſe the Prefacers to The way, Ep. p. 3.bring us his owne words, in a Letter newly written, comming to their hands, when their Epiſtle was in the Preſſe; wherein he affirmes, That there is not a jot of difference in any Doctrine of Divinity, or Church practiſe. So Mr. Cotton, in his Letter to Mr. R.M. If it be true, that he hath altered his opinion ſince he writ the Way, they have done him wrong to publiſh it, after the Keyes, wherein the alteration is; If he have not, they would be requeſted to reconcile him to himſelfe. For I find he doth as flatly contradict himſelfe, as ever any man did. I will inſtance but in one place (and leave the rest to the following Diſcourſe.) In the Keyes, page 4. he ſayes, The Keyes were delivered to Peter, as an Apoſtle, as an Elder, and as a Beleever. The ſenſe of the words (ſayes he) will be moſt full, if all the ſeverall conſiderations be taken joyntly together. But in The way, page 27, he ſayes, The power of the Keyes is given to the Church, to Peter, not as an Apoſtle, not as an Elder, but as a profeſt Beleever, in the name of Beleevers, &c. Is not this a flat contradiction? and yet the Prefacers ſeeme to approve it, for they ſet no Starre in the margine. I ſhall leave it to them to reconcile. How juſtly then may we call for a fuller Declaration? and how unjuſtly doe the Brethren quarrell us for calling for it?Ep. p. 5. Doe not they themſelves promiſe us yet a fuller Treatiſe of the ſame Subject, with amplier demonſtrations, by joynt conſent of the Churches of Old and New-England? Thats it that we expect, the joynt-conſent of the Churches and Brethren; for their inconſtancy, and difference in judgement, hath cauſed, as our non-ſatisfaction, ſo our juſt lamentation, That they ſhould rend a poore-rent-already-Church into peeces, by ſetting up the practiſe of a New way, and not be agreed of the platforme whereby they practiſe. There are (as I touched before) no leſſe then ten ſeverall Stars, affixed by theſe Brethren; wherein, I ſhould conceive, they differ from their Authour (if not their Maſter) not in bare expreſsions but in the Doctrine there delivered, as page 45. VVhether the Church hath power to proceed againſt all her Officers, if they be culpable in hereticall Doctrine, or ſcandalous crime: The Authour holds the affirmative; they ſeeme to hold the Negative. Againe, page 53. VVhether a Church may conſiſt of leſſe than ſeven, p. 55: VVhether confeſsion of ſinnes, and profeſsion of faith be neceſſary for a member admitted, page 68. VVhether ſitting at the Sacrament, have a Symbolicall uſe (made by Chriſt himſelfe) to teach the Church their Majority over their Miniſters in ſome caſes, &c In theſe and the reſt, we are unſatisfied, and theſe Brethren may doe well to declare their judgement in their fuller Treatiſe promiſed. This diſagreement amongſt themſelves, is prejudicious to their cauſe and way, to thoſe that are judicious, that are not ſworn to the words of any Maſter, but Chriſt; much more, when the ſame perſon is not at agreement with himſelf; which, if it be not the caſe of the Authour of the Keyes, I referre to the judgement of the indifferent Reader, when he hath read the following Diſcourſe.