A Defense of Sundry Positions of the Congregational Way, Position 20
POSITION XX.
Matth. 16.19. Chriſt directeth his Speech not to Peter alone,This ſeems to be taken out of Anſwer to 32 q p 44. but to all the Diſciples alſo; for to them all was the Queſtion propounded by Chriſt, verſ. 15. Nor to them as generall Officers of the Churches, for that Commiſſion was not yet given them, but as Diſciples and Believers.
In laying down this Poſition, Reply. and making your battery upon it, as you do fall ſhort of that ingenuity you profeſſe in your Preface, when you ſay, If any of the Brethren (amongſt whom Mr. Cotton is deſervedly the chief) ſeem in my apprehenſion to come neerer the truth then other, Cotton Keys, pag. 4.I willingly take notice of it, &c. Now Mr. Cotton muſt needs (in your judgement) come neerer the truth then the Elders: for he doth acknowledge that Peter was conſidered in the ſeverall capacitles of an Apoſtle, an Elder, a Brother; and ſo the power of the Keys was promiſed in him to Apoſtles, Elders, and Brethren, according to their ſeverall proportions of that diſperſed ſpirituall power. Now had you dealt with this doctrine (with which we concurre) and told us your thoughts of it in reference to the place; we ſhould have acknowledged your anſwerableneſſe therein to your profeſſion. Now, though you cite Mr. Cotton in the margent, yet ſo, as that the ordinary ſort of readers can hardly gueſſe what his judgement is: and the whole frame of your Diſcourſe is ſuch, that may well leave the Reader in this apprehenſion, That the Elders of New-England place all power of the Keys in Believers as ſuch, which is contrary to the very expreſſions of the Elders of New-England and to the judgement of the Congregationall men in generall: For the Elders ſay, The miniſteriall power of government is given to the Church, and conſequently not to Believers, unleſſe they become a Church; yea, they ſay expreſly, That the Keys are committed to all Believers that ſhall joyn together in the ſame confeſſion, according to the order and ordinance of Chriſt, and conſequently, except Believers joyn into Church-ſocieties (which is the Ordinance of Chriſt) they have no ſhare of the power of the Keys, much-leſſe do they aſſert any ſuch power in women, who (though Believers, yet) are excluded from any ſhare in Church-government, by a poſitive law, 1 Cor. 14.34, 35.
Peter was an Apoſtle, in Office and Commiſſion, Anſwer. though not yet ſent out into all the world: and an Elder, Matth. 10.1, 2, &c. and doubtleſſe the Key of Authority, and Rule when it was promiſed to Peter, and given to him with the reſt of the Apoſtles, Joh. 20.23. is the ſame authority which is given to their ſucceſſors, whereby they are called to feed and rule the Church of God; as the Apoſtles had done before, &c.
Let it be granted that the twelve Diſciples (ſo called, Mat. 10.1.) are not called Apoſtles (verſ. 2.) by way of anticipation, Reply. Mar. 3.13, 14.but in reference to their preſent ſtate and condition: yet it will be neceſſary ſtill to diſtinguiſh the equivocall term of Apoſtle; as noting,
1. One authorized to diſpence doctrine and diſcipline amongſt all nations, Matth. 28.19. and in this ſenſe Peter was no Apoſtle in Office and Commiſſion, as your ſelf confeſſe: And what the Elders affirm is true, That the Keys were not given to Peter in this capacity; i.e. not as to one that was actually in that eſtate and condition; or was hereby put into that eſtate and condition.
2. As one ſent forth by a temporary Commiſſion to preach and work miracles amongſt the Jews only.(a)Mat. 10.23. Now the Promiſe of the Keys, was not made to Peter under this capacity, neither was he an Elder inveſted with authoritative power of government at this time; he could neither vote in Synagogues, nor in the Sanhedrin, but only preach authoritatively, and work miracles to confirm his Doctrine: and in caſe that they did not receive him, he could not excommunicate them by himſelf, or with all the reſt of the twelve with him; but muſt ſhake(a)Mat. 10 14, 15. off the duſt of his feet againſt them, and leave them to the great day of Gods immediate judgement; for ſo runs the tenour of his Commiſſion, and there is deep ſilence of any other, then meerly a doctrinall power of the Keyes. So that the iſſue is this; that though what you ſay be true, in the ſenſe expreſſed, yet it is nothing to the purpoſe for which it is brought; for ſtill the aſſertion of the Elders may be true, that Chriſt ſpeake not to them as Apoſtles in Office and Commiſſion, whether limited to the Jewes (as you would inſinuate) or extended to all Nations; but as Diſciples or Believers.
2. Neither will it follow, the Key of authority promiſed to Peter, and given to him with the reſt of the Apoſtles, Joh. 20.23. is the ſame which is given to their ſucceſſors; therefore Chriſt directeth his Speech to Peter, not as a Believer, but as an Apoſtle in Office and Commiſſion; for what ever the import of the thing promiſed may be, yet that hinders not but the promiſe may be made to Peter under the reſpect and conſideration of a Believer. For the thing promiſed in this place may be conſidered two wayes:
Firſt, as a reward in generall of grace and mercy.
Secondly, as ſuch a reward which importeth a power of opening and ſhutting the Kingdome of heaven.
Now the Power of the Keys conſidered as a reward of grace and mercy, is promiſed to Peter as making ſuch a glorious confeſſion foreign, and I ſay unto thee, q. d. thou haſt made ſuch a holy confeſſion of me, that I ſay unto thee, I will not ſuffer thee to go unrewarded: but I do promiſe that I will give thee the Keys of the Kingdome of heaven, &c. Now Peter did not confeſſe Chriſt as a generall Officer, but as a Believer; and therefore the reward which is the promiſe, is made to him, not as a generall Officer, but as a Believer.
2. As importing a power of opening and ſhutting, and ſo though it be promiſed to Peter as a Believer, and in him to all thoſe that ſhall make the ſame holy confeſſion of Chriſt that he did; yet is it not to be executed either by Peter himſelf, or any other, under the notion and conſideration of a Believer only; but imports alſo an Office, or State under the capacity and conſideration of which it is to be executed. Thus, when Chriſt ſaith to Peter, I will give to thee Keys, &c. he doth thereby promiſe, that Peter ſhall be as a Member, as an Elder, as an Apoſtle in the Goſpel-churches; and in all theſe capacities ſhou'd have ſome ſhare in the diſpenſation of the power of the Keys. The conſequent whereof is this; No Believer at this day, meerly as a Believer; nay, nor yet as a Believer externally confeſſing Chriſt with the mouth, may have any ſhare in executing the power of the Keys, unleſſe he be a Brother, joyned to ſome Church, or an Elder ſet over ſome Church; (for children for their weakneſſe, and women for their ſex, are excluded by a poſitive law) For as the power of the Keys is promiſed; ſo the State under the conſideration of which they ſhall exerciſe ſuch power, yea, and a Commiſſion from Chriſt, by which they ſhall exerciſe that power, is alſo promiſed. And thus Mr. Cotton may ſay, that Peter may he conſidered as an Apoſtle, an Elder, a Brother; becauſe together with the power of the Keys, the ſtate of an Apoſtle, of an Elder, of a Brother is promiſed; and yet not claſh with the Elders of New-England, who affirm, that the power of the Keys is promiſed to Peter (i. e. as a reward of grace and mercy) as a Believer. Neither need the Elders of New-England dread your three-fold conſequence, viz.
Firſt, That the Keys are not given to any viſible Church: And,
Secondly, That they are given to all Believers, in covenant or no; whether males or females.
Thirdly, That Apoſtles and Paſtors have no more power of the Keys, then ordinary Believers: which, as they are falſe and abſurd; ſo it may eaſily appear by that which hath been ſaid, that they cannot ſhelter themſelves under any thing in the Poſition of the Elders of New-England. Neither will that Axiom, à quatenus ad omnevalet conſequentia, (i. from as ſuch, to all ſuch, a conſequence is of force: how?) beare you out in ſo unjuſt a charge. For though it be true in ſuch Propoſitions, where the ſpecificall difference is predicated of the Species, or proper Accident of the Subject, the proper effect of the immediate cauſe; yet it will not hold when you ſpeak of a Soveraign Lord, acting in a tranſcendent way of liberty; no, nor of a rationall creature moving according to choyce and election Suppoſe you ſhould have a ſervant that ſhould prove faithfull in his place (though one of the meaneſt places;) and therefore you ſhould promiſe to give into his hand all the Keys of the houſe, that he ſhould open and ſhut to all the reſt; and this you ſhould do, looking upon him as faithfull; A quatenus ad omne non valet conſequentia, in ſuch a caſe; it will not follow, that every faithfull ſervant in your houſe, hath the power of the Keys; neither will it follow, that the faithfull ſervant, to whom the promiſe of the Keys, much leſſe every other faithfull ſervant, as ſuch, may execute the power of the Keys: For though the promiſe be made to that ſervant under the capacity of a faithfull ſervant; yet the promiſe it ſelf carries an Office by implication, viz. the office of Steward; under which conſideration, and not under the conſideration of a faithfull ſervant, he is to manage the power of the Keys. Phineas the ſon of Eleazar, the ſon of Aaron was zealous for God, Numb. 25. and God gives him the covenant of an everlaſting Prieſthood, becauſe he was zealous; will you ſay, that A quatenus ad omnia valebat conſequentia, in this caſe, i. e. becauſe an everlaſting Prieſthood was promiſed to Phineas, becauſe he was zealous, therefore every zealous perſon hath an everlaſting Prieſthood?
Laſtly, that it was far from the purpoſe of the Elders of New-England to aſſert any ſuch Doctrine as you would draw from their words, may appeare in this Anſwer, and elſewhere in this booke, wherein they place the power of the Keys, not in the body as contradiſtinct to the guides; but in the whole, conſiſting of Rulers, and ruled; giving to the Rulers an authoritative power, which they give not to the ruled.