An harmony of the confessions of the faith of the Christian and Reformed Churches which purelie professe the holy doctrine of the Gospell in all the chiefe kingdomes, nations, and prouinces of Europe: the catologue and order whereof the pages following will declare. There are added in the ende verie shorte notes: in which both the obscure thinges are made plaine, & those thinges which maie in shew seeme to be contrarie each to other, are plainelie and verie modestlie reconciled, and if anie points doe as yet hang in doubt, they are sincerelie pointed at. All which things, in the name of the Churches of Fraunce and Belgia, are submitted to the free and discrete iudgement of all other Churches. Newlie translated out of Latine into English. Also in the end is added the confession of the Church of Scotland. Alowed by publique authoritie.

Of the keies of Christ. CHAP. 14.

THe fourteenth Chapter of Ecclesiastical doctrine is of the Lords keies, of which he saith to Peter, I will * 1.1giue thee the keies of the kingdome of heauen, and these keyes are

the peculiar function or ministerie and administration of Christ his power, and his holie spirit, which power is com∣mitted to the Church of Christ, and to the ministers there∣of, vnto the end of the world: that they should not onelie by preaching publish the holie gospel, although they should do this especiallie, that is, should shew forth that word of true comfort, and the ioyfull message▪ of peace, and new ti∣dings of that fauour which god offereth: but also that to the beleuing and vnbeleeuing they should publikelie or priuate∣lie denounce and make knowen, to wit, to them his fauour, to these his wrath, & that to al in general, or to euery one in particular, that they may wisely receiue some into the house of God, to the communion of saintes and driue some out from thence, and maie so through the performance of their ministerie, holde in their hand the scepter of Christ his kingdome, and vse the same to the gouernment of Christ his sheepe.

Therfore the condition, and proper office of the keies is, first to open and loose, that is, in Christ to appease and still the conscience of the faithfull ones, and of those that turne againe by repentance: to make it knowne vnto them that their sins be forgiuen, & to strengthen thē in a sure hope of saluation: & by this meanes to open the kingdome of heaué vnto them, to giue them courage against all temptations, & to stirre vp stedfastnes and chearefullnes in them. And all these thinges are done by the faithfull Shepheards of soules in the Lords stead, not dooing this of them selues, but vpon Christ his commaundement, not by their owne and proper vertue, but by Christes, and by the efficacie of his word and sacraments, as those that are stewards and dispensers of the mysteries of God, and ministers onelie. In the administra∣tion of which thinges, they maie vse some semelie and in∣different ceremonies, that is which are no waie necessarie, such as are * 1.2to lay on hands, or to reach out the right hand, or els they maie omit them.

On the other side the office and proper work of the keies of Christ is, to shut and binde, that is, by the commaunde∣ment of Christ, and the authoritie of this office giuen by him to the Church, which is his power and scepter, to de∣nounce against all stubborne impenitent, vnbeleeuing, and

other such like sinners, Gods horrible iudgement and his intollerable wrath, which no nature can abide, and his se∣uere sentence: and so by the word of Christ, according to the qualitie of the offence to reprooue sinne, to seuer them from the fellowship of Christ our sauiour, and from the fruit and participation of the sacraments, and to cast them out of the christian Church, and in a worde to shut the kingdom of heauen vpon them, and at the length to deliuer them to Sathan.

This power of his scepter and spirit hath the Lord graun∣ted and deliuered to the holie Apostles and in them to all ministers of Churches, lawfullie ordained that they might exercise it in his stead: and he graunted it to them by these words, As the Father hath sent me, so do I send you also. And by & * 1.3by he addeth these words, Rec••••ue ye the holie Ghost. If ye for∣giue anie men their sins, they are forgiuen them, and if ye 〈◊〉〈◊〉 any mans sinnes, they are retained. Moreouer a manifest exam∣ple of vsing the power of the keies is laied out in that sin∣ner * 1.4of Corinth and others, whome Saint Paull, together with the Church of that place, by the power and authoritie of our Lord Ies•• Christ and of his spirit, threw out from thence and deliuered to Sathan: and contrariwise, after * 1.5that God gaue him grace to repent, he absolued him from his sinnes, he toke him againe into the Church to the com∣munion of saints and sacraments, and so opened to him the kingdome of heauen againe. By this we maie vnderstand that these keies, or this diuine function of the Lordes is committed and graunted to those, that haue charge of soules and * 1.6to each seuerall Ecclesiastic all societies, whether they besmal, or great. Of which thing the Lord saith to the Chur¦ches, Verely I saie vnto you, whatsoeuer thinges ye binde on earth, shal be bound in heauen. And straight after: For where two or three * 1.7be gathered together in my name, there am I in the middest of them. Moreouer this is likewise taught * 1.8that euerie Christian, so often as he needeth these keies of the Lord, ought to require them particularly for himselfe of the pastors of soules of that Church or fellowship, of which himselfe is a parte, & to which he belongeth, & that he vse them with full confidence, no other wise then if he receiued them of Christ himselfe, see∣ing that Christ hath deliuered them vnto the Pastours and

that he by no meanes doubt, that by the ministerie of these * 1.9keies, through the vertue and power of Christ his sinnes are forgiuen him, and that he is freed from them, according to Christ his owne saying, whose sinnes you forgiue, &c. And, He that heareth you, heareth me: and he that receiueth you (in the be halfe, to wit, of the Ecclesiasticall ministerie, and in his time of neeed) receiueth me: and contrarilie, He that despiseth you, despiseth me.

This is also taught and handled, * that the Priests ought * 1.10not to vse these keies of the Lord otherwise, then according to the meaning and will of Christ, which is declared ex∣presselie in his word, and according to the sure, flat, and ex∣presse determinations of his iudgement: and that they doe not any manner of waie, according to mens opinions, much lesse after their owne minde or lust, abuse these keies: for so it would come to passe, that the keies should swa••ue from their office. And this is to be taken heed of, that it be not by this meanes fulfilled in the misusing of them, which the Lorde hath saide by the Prophet: For you, saith he, is this com∣maundement, * 1.11O ye Priestes, if you will not heare it, nor consider it in your heartes, to giue glorie to my name, saith the Lorde of hoastes, I will send a curse vpon you, and will curse your blessings, as I haue cursed them alreadie, because you regarde not in your heartes the feare of the Lorde.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Math. 16.
• * 1.2

  looke the 6. obseruat. 1. Cor. 4. ••. Co. 3. & 5.
• * 1.3

  Iohn 20.
• * 1.4

  1. Cor. 5.
• * 1.5

  2. Cor. 2.
• * 1.6

  Looke the 7. obseru.
• * 1.7

  Mat. 18.
• * 1.8

  looke the 8. obseru.
• * 1.9

  Ioh. 20. Luc. 10. Mat. 10. Ioh. 13.
• * 1.10

  Looke the ••. obseru.
• * 1.11

  Mâlac. 2.