The Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, Tract · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Of the ſubject to whom the key of Authority is committed.
THe key of Authoritie or Rule, is committed to the Elders of the Church, and ſo the act of Rule is made the proper act of their office. The Elders that rule well, &c. 1 Tim. 5.17. Heb. 13.7.17.
The ſpeciall acts of this rule are many.
The firſt and principall is that which the Elders who labour in the Word and Doctrine, are chiefly to attend unto, that is, the preaching of the Word with all Authoritie, and that which is annexed thereto, the adminiſtration of the Sacraments or ſeals. Speak, rebuke and exhort (ſaith Paul to Titus) with all authoritie. Tit. 2.15. And that the adminiſtration of the ſeals is annexed thereto, is plain from Matth. 28.19, 20. Go (ſaith Chriſt to the Apoſtles) make Diſciples, and baptize them, &c.
If it be objected, private members may all of them prophecie publiquely, 1 Cor. 14 31. and therefore alſo baptize: and ſo this act of Authority is not peculiar to preaching Elders.
Anſ. 1. The place in the Corinths doth not ſpeak of ordinarie private members, but of men furniſhed with extraordinary gifts. Kings at the time of their firſt Coronation give many extraordinary large gifts, which they do not daily poure out in like ſort in their ordinary government. Chriſt ſoon after his aſcenfion poured out a larger meaſure of his ſpirit then in times ſucceeding. The members of the Church of Corinth (as of many other in thoſe primitive times) were inriched with all knowledge, and in all utterance. I Cor. 1.5. And the ſame perſons that had the gift of propheſie in the Church of Corinth, had alſo the gift of tongues, which put upon the Apoſtle a neceſſitie to take them off from their frequent ſpeaking with tongues, by preferring propheſie before it, 1 Cor. 14.2. to 24. So that though all they might propheſie (as having extraordinary gifts for it) yet the like libertie is not allowed to them that want the like gifts. In the Church of Iſrael, none beſides the Prieſts and Levites, did ordinarily propheſie, either in the Temple, or in the Synagogues, unleſſe they were either furniſhed with extraordinatie gifts of propheſie, (as the Prophets of Iſrael) or were ſet apart, and trained up, to prepare for ſuch a calling, as the ſons of the Prophets. When Amos was forbidden by the high Prieſt of Bethel, to propheſie at Bethel, Amos doth not alledge nor plead the libertie of any Iſraelite to propheſie in the holy Aſſemblies, but alledgeth onelyonly his extraordinarie calling, Amos 7.14, 15. It appeareth alſo that the ſons of the Prophets, that is, men ſet apart, and trained up to prepare for that calling, were allowed the like libertie, 1 Sam. 19.20.
Anſw. 2. But neither the ſons of the Prophets, nor the Prophets themſelves, were wont to offer ſacrifices in Iſrael, (except Samuel and Eliah by ſpeciall direction) nor did the extraordinarie Prophets in Corinth take upon them to adminiſter Sacraments.
If any reply, That if the Prophets in the Church at Corinth had been endued with extraordinarie giſts of prophefie, they had not been ſubject to the judgement of the Prophets, which theſe are directed to be. 1 Cor. 14.22.
Anſ. It followeth not. For the people of God were to examine all propheſies, by the Law and teſtimonie, and not to receive them but according to that rule. Pſal. 8.20. Yea, and Paul himſelf referreth all his Doctrine to the Law and Prophets. Act. 26.22. And the Bereans are commended for examining Pauls doctrine according to the Scriptures. Act. 17.11, 12.
2. A ſecond act of Authoritie common to the Elders, is, they have power, as any weighty occaſion ſhall require, to call the Church together, as the Apoſtles called the Church together for the election of Deacons, Act. 6.2. And in like ſort are the Prieſts of the old Teſtament ſtirred up to call a ſolemne Aſſembly, to gather the Elders, and all the inhabitants of the land, to ſanctifie a Faſt. Joel 1.13, 14.
3. It is an act of their power, to examine, if Apoſtles, then any others (whether officers or members) before they be received of the Church. Rev. 2.2.
A fourth act of their rule is, the Ordination of officers (whom the people have choſen) whether Elders or Deacons. 1 Tim. 4.14. Act. 6.6.
5. It is an act of the key of Authoritie, that the Elders open the doores of ſpeech and ſilence in the Aſſembly. They were the Rulers of the Synagogue, who ſent to Paul and Barnabas to open their mouthes in a word of exhortation, Act. 13.15. and it is the ſame power which calleth men to ſpeak, to put men to ſilence when they ſpeak amiſſe. And yet when the Elders themſelves do lie under offence, or under ſuſpition of it, the Brethren have liberty to require ſatisfaction, in a modeſt manner, concerning any publick breach of rule, as hath been mentioned above out of Act. 11.2, 3, &c.
6. It belongeth to the Elders to prepare matters beforehand, which are to be tranſacted by themſelves, or others in the face of the Congregation, as the Apoſtles and Elders being met at the houſe of Iames, gave direction to Paul, how to carry himſelf, that he might prevent the offence of the Church, when he ſhould appear before them. Act. 21.18. Hence when the offence of a brother is (according to the rule in Matth. 18.17.) to be brought to the Church, they are beforehand to conſider and enquire whether the offence be really given or no, whether duely proved, and orderly proceeded in by the Brethren, according to rule, and not duly ſatisfied by the offender: leſt themſelves and the Church, be openly cumbred with unneceſſary and tedious agitations: but that all things tranſacted before the Church, be carried along with moſt expedition and beſt edification. In which reſpect they have power to reject cauſleſſe and diſorderly complaints, as well as to propound and handle juſt complaints before the Congregation.
7. In the handling of an offence before the Church, the Elders have authoritie both Jus dicere, and Sententiam ſerre; When the offence appeareth truly ſcandalous; the Elders have power from God to informe the Church, what the Law (or Rule and will) of Chriſt is for the cenſure of ſuch an offence: And when the Church diſcerns the ſame, and hath no juſt exception againſt it, but condeſcendeth thereto, it is a further act of the Elders power, to give ſentence againſt the offender. Both theſe acts of power in the Miniſters of the Goſpel, are foretold by Ezekiel, Chap. 44.23, 24. They ſhall teach my people the difference between holy and prophane, and cauſe them to diſcerne between the uncleane and the cleane. And in controverſie they ſhall ſtand in judgement, and they ſhall judge it according to my judgement, &c.
8. The Elders have power to diſmiſſe the Church, with a bleſſing in the name of the Lord, Num. 6.23. to 26. Heb. 7.7.
9. The Elders have received power, to charge any of the people in private, that none of them live either inordinately without a calling, or idlely in their calling, or ſcandalouſly in any ſort, 2 Theſ. 3.6. & ver. 8, 10, 11, 12. The Apoſtles command argueth a power in the Elders, to charge theſe duties upon the people effectually.
10. What power belongeth to the Elders in a Synod; is more fitly to be ſpoken to in the Chapter of Synods.
11. In caſe the Church ſhould fall away to blaſphemy againſt Chriſt, and obſtinate rejection and perſecution of the way of grace, and either no Synod to be hoped for, or no helpe by a Synod, the Elders have power to withdraw (or ſeparate) the Diſciples from them, and to carry away the Ordinances with them, and therewithall ſadly to denounce the juſt judgement of God againſt them, Act. 19.9 Exod. 33.7. Mark. 6.11. Luk. 10, 11. Act. 13.46.
Obj. But if Elders have all this power to exerciſe all theſe acts of Rule, partly over the private members, partly over the whole Church, how are they then called the ſervants of the Church? 2 Cor. 4.5.
Anſw. The Elders to be both ſervants and Rulers of the Church, may both of them ſtand well together. For their rule is not lordly, as if they ruled of themſelves, or for themſelves, but ſtewardly and miniſteriall, as ruling the Church from Chriſt, and alſo from their call: and withall, ruling the Church for Chriſt; and for the Church, even for their ſpirituall everlaſting good. A Queene may call her ſervants, her mariners, to pilot and conduct her over the Sea to ſuch an Haven: yet they being called by her to ſuch an office, ſhee muſt not rule them in ſteering their courſe, but muſt ſubmit her ſelfe to be ruled by them, till they have brought her to her deſired Haven. So is the caſe between the Church and her Elders.