The glory of a true church, and its discipline display'd wherein a true gospel-church is described : together with the power of the keys, and who are to be let in, and who to be shut out / by Benjamin Keach.
About this Item
Title
The glory of a true church, and its discipline display'd wherein a true gospel-church is described : together with the power of the keys, and who are to be let in, and who to be shut out / by Benjamin Keach.
Author
Keach, Benjamin, 1640-1704.
Publication
London :: [s.n.],
1697.
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Subject terms
Church discipline -- Early works to 1800.
Baptists -- Government.
Baptists -- Doctrines.
Cite this Item
"The glory of a true church, and its discipline display'd wherein a true gospel-church is described : together with the power of the keys, and who are to be let in, and who to be shut out / by Benjamin Keach." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A47522.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 30, 2024.
Pages
The Power of the Keys, with Church — Discipline, and Members Duties one to a∣nother.
1. WE judg it necessary that a Day monthly be appoint∣ed particularly for Discipline, and not to manage such Affairs on the Lord's-day, which should be spent ••n the publick Worship of God, of •• different nature: besides, such ••hings may (on the account of Discipline) come before the Church which may not be expedient to be ••eard on the Lord's-day, lest it ••isturb the Spirits of any Mem∣bers, and hinder their Meditation ••n the Word which they have ••ewly heard: tho in small Con∣gregations
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perhaps a day in two or three Months may be sufficient.
2. The Power of the Keys, or to receive in and shut out of the Congregation, is committed unto the Church: The Political Power of Christ, saith Dr. Chauncy, is in the Church, whereby it is exercised in the Name of Christ, having all lawful Rule and Government with∣in it self, which he thus proves, viz.
1. The Church essential is the first Subject of the Keys.
2. They must of necessity to their Preservation, purge them∣selves from all pernicious Mem∣bers.
3. They have Power to orga∣nize themselves with Officers. Yet I humbly conceive I may add, that the Concurrence of the Pres∣bytery is needful hereunto.
4. If need be that they call an Officer from without, or one of another Church, they must first admit him a Member, that they may ordain their Officer from among themselves.
5. They have Power to reject a scandalous Pastor from Office and Membership.
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'This Power of Christ is ex∣erted as committed to them by the Hands of the Elder appoint∣ed by Christ, the due manage∣ment whereof is in and with the Church to be his Care and Trust, as a Steward, whereof he is ac∣countable to Christ and the Church, not lording it over God's Heritage. And that the Power of the Keys is in the Church, ap∣pears to me from Mat. 18. If he will not hear the Church; it is not said, if he will not hear the Elder, or Elders. As also that of the Apostle, in directing the Church to cast out the Incestuous Person, he doth not give this Counsel to the Elder or Elders of the Church, but to the Church; so he commands the Church to withdraw from e∣very Brother that walks disorder∣ly.Purge out the old Leaven, that you may be a new Lump.