A chronological discourse touching, 1 The Church. 2 Christ. 3 Anti-Christ. 4 Gog & Magog. &c. The substaunce whereof, was collected about some 10. or 11. yeares since (as may be gathered by an epistle prefixed before a tractate, called, The visible Christian) but now digested into better order; and first published, by the author himselfe, H. Cl.

CHAP. x. (Book 10)

Touching the Churches Keyes. (Book 10)

THE Churches Keyes, is a certaine power of shut∣ting the dore of mercie to the impenitent, and of opening the dore of mercie to the soule that is penitent. This power our Sauiour promiseth to S. Peter in Math. 16. 19. And is giuen to that Apostle and the whole Church in S. Iohn 20. 21. when as the Lord breatheth vpon them, saying; Receiue the Holy Ghost, whose sinnes soeuer you remit, they are remitted vnto them; and whose sinnes ye retaine, they are retayned. Whereby appea∣reth, that this power is stinted; that is, is not giuen to the Church to be exercised, otherwise then she shall therein be led by the* 1.1 Holy Ghost. The Phrase seemeth to allude vnto Eliakim and Shebnah, Stewards to Iudahs

king, vpon whose shoulders, the Key of Dauid was layd, for opening and shutting the treasurie, at and for the Kinges pleasure. All which is expounded in Reuel. 3. 7. to appertaine in the first place, to Christ our Lord; who is the true Eliakim (which soundeth in English) My God standing vp; or, My strong God of Resurrection.

The Rule of proceeding in this businesse, is layde downe in Mat. 18. where for finding vp the lost Sheepe, (or sinner) the Lord enioyneth, first, priuate brother∣ly admonishment (specially in a case priuate;) And not so preuayling, then by communicating the case to one or two moe; which neither preuayling, then to bring it to the Church. And if the Church cannot preuaile for bringing the sinner to repentance, he is thencefoorth while he so continues impenitent, to be held as an hea∣then person, and as a Puplicane. As a meere heathen man might not enter into the Temple, there to commu∣nicate with Israel; so neither must this impenitent soule be admitted to the Churches communion in prayer and Sacraments. But as an heathen might for his cōuersion heare the Prophets preach; so these may pertake in a Sermon seuered from the ordinarie Communion. As a Publicane likewise he is to be held, that is; not easily to be admitted to our fellowship for eating and drinking, as the Iewish Church walked towardes the Publicane; who, in all probabilitie was a* 1.2 Iew, ready (for pleasu∣ring the vncircumcised Romaines) to make a diuorce from his breathren, and their lawfull discipline.

By all which it is euident, that vpon an humble con∣fession of his fault, with promise to forsake it, mercy and forgiuenesse was preached vnto him. But contemning finally the Churches motherly admonishment, he was to haue the dore of Mercie shut against him. Which latter censure, the Apostle in 1. Cor. 5. calleth, A giuing

vp to Satan, and we commonly tearme it, Excommuni∣cation. If the sinner should not onely, not repent, but proceed to a Not louing Christ Iesus, (which I take to be * 1.3 the sinne of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost; con∣sisting, first, of a willing desertion from the Groundes of Christian Fayth: Secondly, from fellowship with the Church in that Fayth,) there then remayneth to him the Maranatha (1. Cor. 16. 22.) which is, an absolute de∣claration of the Lord, comming to quit him with ven∣geaunce, as a soule despayred of. But as this is a sinner (happily extraordinary) and the rule in Math. 18. is giuen for ordinarie vse: so I will adde the iudgements of some Aun••ients for the Ordinarie.

Origen in Math.* 1.4 16. Petra est omnis, qui imitat••r est Christi— —Si autem s••per vnum illum Petrum arbitraris vniuersam Ecclesiam edificari a Deo, quid dicas de Iacobo & Iohanne filijs tonitrui, vel de singulis Apostolis?—Apud Iohanne•• enim dans SS. Iesus discipulis suis per insufflationem, sic dicit, Accipite SS. &c. quasi omnibus talibus constitutis qualis erat et Petrus.

Ambrose in 1.* 1.5 Cor. 5. Perfides, Episcopus non potést iudicare▪ Cum fratre autem in quo vitia haec reperiuntur, non solum sacramenta non edenda, sed ne communem escam docet, vt erubescat Cum vitatur & se corrigat.

Theodoret.* 1.6 in 1 Cor. 5. Si non oportet eos communis esse cibi part••ci∣pes, nec mystici quidem & Diuini.

Chrysostome in English,* 1.7 may helpe to stay some in their precipitate zeale against their infirme Brother: His speach runneth thus. It behoo∣ueth not a man priuily to calumniate his Brother, but as Christ com∣maunded, to take him apart and correct him. The reprehensions that are giuen publiquely, doe oftentimes make men impudent. And very many sinners, while they perceiue that their sinne may be concealed, haue their mindes easily resolued to returne into the way. But if once they perceiue their credite to be lost with many, not a few, such doe thence-foorth fall into desperation, and tumble downe into shamelesnesse. So farre hee. And indeed,* 1.8 Origen calleth such preposterous dealing with a Brother, the action of an Infamer, not of a Corrector.

Aquinas vpon 1.* 1.9 Cor. 5. giues this Verse for a rule towardes him that is excommunicate: Os, orare, vale, communio, mensa negatur.

For Mother Zion, shee for certaine pollutions did suspend the partie a while (till they were cleansed) and for Leaprosie did put them out of the hoste for euer, ex∣cept they were cured. The first signified smaller euils, for which the Pastor in holy discretion is to barre them some thinges for a season. The other signified deeper sinne, as Contumacie; for which the sinner was further to be secluded.* 1.10 Hereupon it is, that Nyss••nus hath this, Vetus est haec Eccl••siae regula, quae cepit a lege & fuit confir∣mata in Gratia.

And so the Auncient and new Church, still are at vnitie in the substaunce of their Ordinaunces. If infe∣riour Presbyters doe not of themselues exercise this power for Casting out; but haue ioyned with them, the chiefest Super-intendentes: this is a good way to pre∣uent such, in playing Popes ouer Gods heritage; and the likelyer course also of bringing the sinner to repen∣taunce. Maliciously foolish therefore must they bee, that call such ioynt exercise of that heauie censure, by the name of Antichristian. Virtus vnita, fortior; sed quis Schismatico stolidior?

Notes

• * 1.1

  Quum ipsi remi••tūt, aut detinent, Spi∣ritus qui habi∣••at in eis, per ••o•• remitter & de••inet. Cyril. in Ioh. 20. Isa. 22.
• * 1.2

  1. The di∣stinction of Publicanes & sinners, argu∣eth he was not an ordinarie kind of sinner. 2. Zacheus is an Hebrew name, which Gen∣tiles would not beare. 3. The Publi∣cane might enter into the Temple, so not the Heathen. 4. The tearme Publicane in Math. 18. 17. seemeth to be opposite to the Heahen.
• * 1.3

  Hebr. 6. 1. 2. 3. 4. compared with ch. 10. 25. 26. &c.
• * 1.4

  Origen.
• * 1.5

  Ambrose.
• * 1.6

  Theodoret.
• * 1.7

  Chrys. vpon Psal. 50. Non oportebat ergo clanculum. &c.
• * 1.8

  Vpon Leuit. 6. 3.
• * 1.9

  Aquinas.
• * 1.10

  Nyss. in Orat. de ijs qui ••o∣lint reprehen∣di.