tense I will promiseth to giue that power vnto his Apostles there were many things reserued till after his ascention and the Disciples were appointed k Luke 24. 49 Acts 1. 4. to wait and attend at Ierusalem for the accomplishment of Gods promise in sending downe the holy l Iohn 14. 26 15. 26. 16. 7. Ghost after the ascention of the Sonne of God to enable and furnish them with meet gifts for the execution of that charge which hee had imposed vpon them It is also further to bee obserued Note 2 that it was Christs free gift I will giue saith he not sell hire out oâ— lend but as it is with God in all things m Math. 10. 8. freely to giue that those which receiue his gifts should not sell or reâ—ayle them as n 2 King 5. 20 26. Gehazi and o Act. 8. 18. 19 Simon Magus for gaine as is too too apparant the Peters pretended successours make great and abominable trafique in merchandizing the church keyes in pardoning and retaining sinnes for money excommunicating absoluing for their best aduantage but leauing them to sell what Christ freely gaue let vs proceed to the consideration of the second particular circumstance namely to whom these keyes were giuen I will giue to thee Quest Here a question may bee mooued whether the keyes were giuen to Peter alone or to him with the rest of the Apostles Sol. This doubt I haue already in part resolued hauing largelie prooued that as Christ propounded the question to them all in generall and as Peter made confession in the name of all so Christ made this promise in the name of all as is most liuely exemplified Matth. 18 verse 18. where it is euident that what he doth here promise vnto Peter he doth there make good vnto all the Church saying whatsoeuer you bind on earth shall bee bound â— heauen c. Wherupon Aretius Bonum hoc commune non personale quod hereditario iure ad certos pertineat The donation of the keyes and exercise of that spirituall power is not personally tied to one man but is a gift common to the whole Church as also Origen Chrysostome Cyril and many others affirme especiallie Augustine Qui Petrum ecclesia typum facit quae in Petro claues acceperit Whose opinion is that the power of the keyes was not a personall gift neither promised to Peter alone much lesse that these keyes should be tyed by an hereditary succession vnto one particular Sea or Seat as the Papists dreame but to omit these friuolous disputes seeing the Apostles receiue the keyes from Christ we may thence obserue Doct. That the authority of the Ministers calling is deriued from Christ as from the head and the Lord of the Prophets vnto his Apostles and Ministers Matth. 23. 34. Luke 11. 49. Ephes 4. 11. 1. Pet. 1. 11. Reuel 22. 6. Isaiah 6. 8. 9. Matth. 28. 19. Gal. 1. 10 11 12. Vse Vnto the Ministers of God it sufficeth for an exceeding consolation p 2 Cor. 5. 18 19 20. that they haue God the author of their calling whose Ambassadours they are and though the world neither regard them nor reward them yet they being found faithfull dispensers of Gods diuine mysteries shall expect their reward from him that put them in office and sent them who will one day say to euery faithfull Steward q Math. 25. 21 23. Come thou good and faithfull seruant enter thou into thy Masters ioy I doubt not but the Ambassadours of Princes which are messengers of peace finde such acceptance of those to whom they are sent of such a gratefull message that they are not sent away empty and vnrewarded of the common enemy for their message sake which is r Rom. 10. 1 5. Isai 52. 7. so ioyfull to heare of peace after a long and wearysome warfare but because their places require them oftentimes to denounce warre it is no maruâ—ile if their message bee vngratefully accepted and rewarded Yet is their reward with God their king that sent them whose subiects they are and must execute his designes whether they be good or euill vnto men and what indignity soeuer is done or offered vnto them their mightie King will shew himselfe a mightie reuenger thereof who in one sense and sentence hath said Å¿ Psal 105. 15 Touch not mine annoynted and doe my Prophets no harme for the iniury done vnto Dauids Embassadours when they came peaceably to the King of Ammon was reuenged as done vnto the king himselfe this is a principle which the Law of Nature all Nations allow and ought to maintaine If t 1 Kin. 13 4 6 Ieroboam dare stretch out his hand to strike Gods Prophet and Messenger God will smite him that hee shall not bee able to pull in his arme againe without the Prayer of the Prophet which was stretched out against the Prophet and persecuting Iezabel which u 1 Kings 19. 2 vowed to haue the Prophets head w 2 Kings 9. 33 37. was made dogs meat and cast out as a carion carkeise her selfe For such vengeance is Gods iudgement threatned and foretold aforehand by the Prophets and howsoeuer Iehu be Gods Executioner to performe it yet it is euer annexed that it came so to passe according to the word of the Lord which hee spake by the mouth of his Prophets And so much for the second branch wee come now to shew what was giuen which is here said to be The keyes of the kingdome of heauen The metaphor of Keyes which in part hath bin formerly handled is diuersly taken yea rested and drawen by constrained Interpretations to the aduantage of that cause which diuers haue diuersly fancyed to make for them and for the building of their Hierarchy euen an earthly Tabernacle which x Math. 17. 4 Peter sometimes would haue made rather then an heauenly kingdome which God himselfe hath appoynted to be y Mat. 6. 33. aboue all things sought for and established First they that by Keyes vnderstand Principalitie to be giuen to Peter aboue the rest and ouer the whole Church and would crowne him and his Successors with an Emperiall Diadem to exercise as well spirituall iurisdiction as to haue ciuill and temporall authoritie ouer Kings and Princes haue much mistaken the word Keyes which are not vsuall for Kings but Porters to carry and vsurpingly inlarged Christs commission z Luke 12. 13 14. who himselfe would neither be made a King nor intermeddle so much in secular affaires as to diuide Inheritances betwixt two brethren much lesse giue away kingdomes from the right heires and owners to strangers and bastards So the vsurper Satan from whom the Pope-kings or King-popes may more rightly claime that power doth falsely affirme that a Mat. 4. 9. Luke 4. 6 7. all the kingdomes of the world are his and giuen vnto him and he giueth them to whom he will which yet he will not giue nor promise to giue vnto
Secondly and that hee had also a power to subdelegate his Assignes and Successors to haue the same power but if hee had it not himselfe in his life time he could neuer communicate it being dead to any Successors and it behooueth them to bring foorth his Will and Testament if he hath bequeathed it vnto them least the Churches of Ierusalem and Antioch where we know assuredly he held long residence and exercised his Apostle-ship came in for their interest with equall if not with more reason And how much power he deriued to his Successors is another question to be warily scanned least if we grant one absurditie it beget many First as whether Saint Iohn and other Apostles suruiuing Peter were vnder the Successors controlement and whether Linus Cletus and Anacletus or any Successor in the Sea of Rome had equall power as Peter by them is intended to haue had and might claime a superioritie o ouer the suruiuing Apostles of Christ which implyeth a ridiculous and grosse absurditie that a Bishop or Pastor should beare rule ouer an Apostle which were in the first and highest degree of Ecclesiasticall Orders as Saint Paul witnesseth saying God gaue vnto his Church c Ephes 4. 11. 1 Cor 12. 28. first Apostles that is by the Romanistes owne interpretation Chiefest for so they argue Peter was chiefe because the Euangelist sayth d Mark 3. 14. 16. Math. 10. 2. Christ chose his twelue Apostles and first that is to say chiefest Peter whence we conclude that after Peters death the Church wanted an Head except we allow Saint Iohn then liuing at Pathmos in banishment to bee the chiefest man of the Church and before Peters Successors because he was an Apostle which Peters Successors were not Obiect Secondly and againe as absurdly doe they reason for the authority of the Romish Bishop before Antioch for that Peter was martyred at Rome and not at Antioch or Ierusalem Sol. which may well bring a curse and no blessing vpon that Citie where the blood of Gods Saints is shed as Christ pronounceth desolation to Ierusalem for the blood of the Apostles shedde so abundantly there as hardly any could escape or perish elsewhere out of Ierusalem iustly therefore called the bloody citie where Manasses shed blood to maintaine Idolatry in all the streetes of Ierusalem which was a principall cause of that grieuous destruction of the Temple and the Citie and captiuitie of the Citizens which shortly ensued thereupon And vndoubtedly Rome may as properly bee called the bloody Citie being first inauspiciously built vpon the blood of brothers Rhemus and Romulus and so continued the maintenance of their Idolatry in tenne ensuing persecutions by vnspeakeable blood-sheddings and to this day their strongest Arguments are fire and fagot and other tyrannicall Inquisitions of which they make bold euen already to whisper vs in the eare they may indeed boast more of Peters persecutions then of any pontificall power which he exercised in Rome But they will not easily be drawne to follow Peter as he did Christ in suffering with him e Math 19. 27 Marke 10. 28. Luke 18. 28. and forsaking all to follow him nor can they truely affirme as he did f Acts 3. 6. that gold siluer they haue none as a Pope said once to Thomas Aquinas who readily wittily and pithily replyed neither can you say truely as Peter did to the Creeple Rise vp and walke For as the pontificall Prelates increased in wealth so they decreased in worth and lost that power which Peter had of working myracles no no they neither preach as Peter nor liue as Peter nor are willing to dye as Peter neither from him can they deduce any of their pompous portlinesse or papall practises g Acts 15. 6. Hee called not Councels but with the consent of the other Apostles he inuested not Bishops nor gaue them Palls hee neither had Crowne nor Mytre Cope nor Crosier he graunted no pardon for sinnes either past or to come nor sent out his Leaden Buls or Aureas Bullas glorious and golden braggs to bring in golden and siluer bags in exchange for that trash he cited no Bishops to appeare before him nor required them to take his Inuestitures and Consecrations wee may finde in all his Epistles h 1 Pet. 1. 7. 2. 21. 3. 16 17 4. 13. 5. 3 6. paternes of patience humility and obedience to Princes but not a word of his Decrees Decretals Extrauagants and Canonicall Constitutions hee lacked his Cardinalls Auditors Chancellors Inquisitors Notaries and Prenotaries hee neuer sate in the Laterane to measure out the spaces of Purgatory nor impounded poore soules there for want of money and released them at peculiar rates and prises none kissed his feet nor swore to him homage and Canonicall Obedience hee had no Coaches of Curtizans to fill his Courts nor Bastards to make Dukes in his Territories In these things they haue succeeded and exceeded Caiphas a pretended Successor of Aaron for pernicious Counsell and false Iudgements in condemning innocents i Math. 27. 24. in Pilats Bason they would wash their hands and then sit downe in Peters Chaire and pronounce their bloodie Sentences wee should thinke it some resemblance of a Successour if all or any of them would feed the flocke of Christ as hee k Ioh 21. 15. 16. 17. commaunded and commended vnto Peters care and Peter in like sort l 1. Pet. 5. 2. to all Pastors otherwise their boasting of succession to Peter is but like the glorying of a Traytor which hath nothing to say in his Iustification but that his father was a good Subiect and his Ancestors honest men whose condemnation is the more iust hauing so degenerated from the pietie of their predecessors Text. I will build my Church Heerein two notable poynts are presented to our consideration First of the Builder Christ I will build Secondly of the building the Church my Church Indeed euery one of these words are very significant and emphaticall and afford profitable notes and worthy the paines both of my writing and your reading I will build Doct. 1 First Christ is the only builder of his Church though as in the building of Salomons Temple there were many workemen and diuers degrees yet m 2 Sam. 7. 13 Salomon is only said by his wisedome to build the Temple which n 1 Kings 5 5 6. 2. prepared the materialls and gaue direction for the worke euen so Christ the true Salomon and builder of the true Temple hath ordained diuers Ministers and workemen but hee appointeth the materials o 1 Cor. 3. â— to 13. 12. 6. Ephe. 4. 11 12 Hebr. 3. 3 4. euen his word and Gospell which are the durable gold and siluer and not the hay and stubble of mens traditions and inuentions there are three notable and speciall figures and representations of the Church propounded in the Scriptures of the old Testament in all which the worke and
Church of Christ so that wee see how that the Keyes of Hell and Death are principally committed by God vnto his Son Christ as to a Iudge and to others as Satan and Antichrist as Executioners of his Iudgements and as the Iudge hath authoritie ouer the Gaoler so hath Christ supreame power ouer the Deuill and his hellish torments as the same Authour saith Suprema est potest as in Diabolum mancipiandi eum destinatis poenis he it is that treadeth on the necke of his enemies Å¿ Gen 3. 15. bruiseth the head of the Serpent and t Pet. 2. 4. Iude ver 6. hath reserued him vnder chaines of darknesse vnto the Iudgement of the great day Fourthly but in another sense wee read that sometimes Keyes are put for the absolute authoritie which Christ hath in his Church to open and shut to put in and put out whom hee pleaseth u Apoc. 3. 7. These things saith he which hath the Key of Dauid which openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth that is which hath plenary power to rule order and dispose all things in his Church both to teach by his Word and rule them with his rod of Discipline Fiftly Knowledge is indeed a Key whereby wee come vnto God and to take away the knowledge of Gods Lawe and Gospell is to debarre and shut the people out of the kingdome of God as our blessed Sauiour vpbrayded the Interpreters of the Law w Luke 11. 52 that they had taken away the Key of knowledge and would neither enter into Gods kingdome themselues nor suffer others that would which is as much as if he had charged them to keepe backe from the people the knowledge of the Scriptures wherby they should haue accesse vnto God and his Kingdome and to erect a kingdome of darknesse like hell for the Deuils dwelling in maintaining as the Pope both Ignorance to be the Mother of Deuotion and appoynting blinde Superstitions to exercise the people in In a word to leaue the pure Fountaine of Gods Word the water of Life and to dig themselues pitts of puddle water to poyson them In all these Senses this is generally to be held that Keyes signifie Rerum aliquam potestatem A certaine power of things though not alike in all 1. But either plenary absolute and independant as it is in God the Father who hath it of himselfe receiueth it of none which he communicateth equally to his Sonne Christ x Iohn 18. 2. Rom. 6 23. who receiueth it of his Father and yet is equall and absolute in him as in the Father and none else can forgiue sinnes and giue eternall life but God onely and Christ as the Sonne of God Math. 28. 18. Cap. 11. 27. Cap. 9. 2 6. 2. But from God and Christ there is a subordinate power dederiued as well Ciuill and Politicall as Ecclesiasticall and Spirituall and so y 2 Cron. 19. 6 all Kings and Rulers haue a power from God to rule and raigne and to exeâ—ute his Lawes and Iudgments Romanes 13. 1 John 19. 11. and â—herefore called Gods Psalm 82 1 6. Iohn 10. 34. 3. And likewise such as execute Ecclesiasticall power in Preaching and punishing offendors and refractaries z Exod. 7. 1. haue that power from God and Christ And this is the power of the Keyes committed to Peter and all the Apostles this power Paul executed a 1 Cor. 5. 3 4 5 in binding and casting out to Satan the incestuous Corinthian and receiued him into the Church againe vpon his repentance and thus in sundrie places of his Epistles to the Corinthians which not onely tolerated grosse sinnes but were enclined to many factions hee laâ—oureth to approoue b 2 Cor. 10. 8. the authoritie he had receiued from Christ to the edification of his Church as well in preaching of remission of sinnes through faith as denouncing Gods Iudgements and Excommunication against enormious liuers misbeleeuers and contentious persons and puts it to their choise c 1 Cor. 4. 21. whether hee should come vnto them with his rod of Discipline or in loue and in the spirit of meekenesse hee executed no Commission nor vsed other Keyes of power and authoritie then Christ committed to all other his Apostles to preach the Gospell to all and such as beleeued should bee saued and such as beleeued not should be damned And this was his loosing and binding of sinners with these Keyes chiefely he opened and shut the gates of Heauen though in the outward Discipline of the Church hee cherished the weake and sound and cut off the stubburne and peruerse members that they should not like Leauen putrifie the whole body of the Congregation That reuerend and learned Diuine Master Caluin obserued onely two places mentioned in the Scriptures touching these Keyes and power of binding and loosing one heere in this Text and the other Iohn 20. 23. which expound one another very clearely for what he spake heere singularly to Peter who made the confession in the name of the rest verse 16 so in the other he breathed vpon them all and speaketh plurally and generally that whosoeuers sinnes they remitted should bee remitted vnto them and whosoeuers sinnes they retained should bee retained that is ratified by God in Heauen whose word they preached in the world for what thing is sinne but a d Rom. 6. 14 16 Iohn 8. 34. bondage and chaines wherein we are fast tyed and made bond-slaues of the Deuill till wee be loosed made free and set at libertie by Christ whose words doth make vs free being receiued by faith into the hearts of the beleeuers Marke 16. 16. Iohn 3. 18. 1 Cor. 1. 21. 4. 1. John 5. 24 8. 31 32 34 36. Heereunto tended that ratification of the Apostolicall Commission that who so e Math 10 7 14 15. Marke 11. 6. Acts 13. 51. and 18. 6. heard them heard Christ and such as despised them despired him and that it should bee easier for Sâ—dom and Gomorrah in the day of Iudgement then for those which despised the Messengers and reiected the Message of Christ whose word it was and not theirs f 2 Cor â— 18 19. and was committed to their dispensation and was to some g 2 Cor. 2. 15 16. the sauour of life vnto life that was the loosing and to others it was the sauour of death vnto death and that was the binding which God ratifieth in Heauen And this is answerable to the preaching of Mercie and Iudgement the cursings vpon Mount Ebal and h Deut. 11. 29 27 12 13 28. 2 58 59. the blessings vpon Mount Gerizim i Deut 30. 15. life and death which Moses propounded vnto the people as they were obedient and disobedient vnto the voyce of God and though great mercie is offered vnto vs in the Gospel of grace yet there are woes and iudgements also denounced to the impenitent and vnbeleeuers which is the vse of these Keyes and
erre or to doe euill with a multitude so neither can that Popish paradox be any warrant vnto vs that we should beleeue as the Church beleeueth except wee know the grounds of the Churches Beleefe much lesse can a generall conceit of the common multitude which is commonly full of phantasie and errour rather then truth and iudgement settle vs in any peace of Conscience touching our hope and saluation in and by Christ Vse 1 The first vse serueth for reprehension I know it is an vsuall fault of most men that they had rather erre in a generall opinion which they haue phantasied then to seeke out what is the most certaine and constant truth which they should imbrace for their owne benefit health and saluation wee are most of vs therein too ready to imitate Peter which being required by Christ to testifie his louing him more then others as hee protested by doing more duty then others but he asketh t Iohn 21. 21. 22. What Iohn shal do And so many think they make a good Apology for themselues to maintaine their errours if they can auouch one Doctor or Authour or the generalitie of the people to hold such opinions But u Heb. 2. 4. the Just shall liue by his faith that is by his owne faith And the Exorcists were rightly disgraced by the Deuill which mocked their coniurations in the name of Iesus whom Paul preached w Acts. 19. 15. 16. the euill Spirit knew Iesus to bee the powerfull Sonne of God and Paul his faithfull Seruant and Minister but what was that to them which neither knew nor followed the Doctrine of Iesus and Paul hee easily preuayled against such professors and tare them in pieces vse 2 Wee should euer therefore heare this voyce of Christ sounding in our eares Whom say yee that I am This Peter himselfe obserueth and afterwards deliuered it as a Rule to others with which I will conclude the point x 1. Pet. 3. 15. Bee readie alwayes to giue an answere to euery man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you Text. Whom doe yee say that I am Obserue heere hee doth not say Quem creditis but quem dicitis Whom doe ye beleeue but Whom say ye that I am Not that faith is not required but that it is not sufficient to beleeue vnlesse they also confesse Christ and herein there is another Doctrine of Christ and of his Apostles commended vnto vs namely Doct. That what wee haue beleeued wee must also make confession thereof According to that of the Apostle y Rom. 10. 10. With the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse anâ— with the mouth man confesseth vnto saluation Implying that the way to bee saued is to beleeue with the heart that we are saued onely by Christ and to confesse the same before the world Vse 1 The first vse serueth to crosse two contrary opinions and practises of some First of such which thinke it sufficient to keepe their consciences vnto themselues and dissemble both with God and man as hypocrites Neuters and Nulli fidians Secondly others as afterwards was exemplified in Peter himselfe z Math. 26. 22 33 34 70 7â— 74. who professed more loue and zeale to Christ then any other of his Disciples but in time of temptation his faint heart fayled him and hee fell more grieuously then any other of the Christian Professors and the offence was the greater because his Lord and Master had forewarned him and the rest of his Disciples and giuen them speciall precepts and cautions a Math. 10. 32 33. beware of denying or not confessing him before men lest hee should iustly deny them before his Father in heauen which yet not onely Nicodemus b Iohn 9. 22. 12. 42. and other faint-hearted Disciples did lest they should be excommunicated for the profession of Christ c Math. 26. 56. but Peter and all the rest forsooke him when hee went to his Passion and was conuented before the Rulers of the Iewes and Gentiles Vse 2 Hast thou faith then testifie thy faith by thy confession and for thy better direction note this distinction Confession of Christ is not onely Verball but Reall for to confesse him with thy mouth and to deny him in thy deeds is the worst deniall of all for it is a manifest abnegation of his power and goodnesse Our blessed Sauiour the paterne of all humilitie beeing sometimes demaunded to confesse of himselfe what hee was whether the Messias or the Prophet d Act. 3. 24. to whom all the Prophets from Samuel to that time gaue witnesse he chose rather to confesse and witnesse himselfe to bee Christ by his workes then by his words and therefore in the sight of such as were sent to inquire of him a Confession what he was he did many great works which no other but Christ could doe agreeably to the Prophesie of Isaiah e Isai 61. 1 c. Opening the eyes of the blinde the eares of the deafe the mouthes of the dumbe and raysing the dead f Math. 11. 2. 3 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Luc 7. 21. 22. Iohn â— 3. 6. and then concludeth that his workes testifie of him what he was and they that would not beleeue his wordes should yet beleeue him for his workes sake The testimony of the life is stronger then of the lippes and workes haue their eloquence in the silence of the tongue vse 3 Lastly seeing our Sauiour exacteth iustly an Account and Confession of the Apostles proficiencie what they had attained vnto aboue others in the knowledge of him it conuinceth the ignorance and backwardnesse of Seraphicall Doctors which not only professe to haue learned but to haue taught the sacred Theology concerning the Dignitie Authoritie and Offices of Christ when they shall find many of inferiour degrees of Learning onely professing themselues Schollers and Learners and not Masters and Teachers which yet in soundnesse of knowledge and practise of pietie shall out-strip and runne before these Church-Rabbins When g Iohn 3. 4 4. 5 10. Nicodemus a Doctor in Israel is palpably blind in the doctrine of Regeneration which the sinfull Canaanite Marie Magdalen and other silly women the followers of Christ h Iohn 7. 40. both knew and practised more then they i Act. 18. 25 26 yea Aquila and Priscilla which were Tent-makers and Mechanicks could instruct the eloquent Preacher Apollos to vnderstand more perfectly the Mysteries of Religion concerning Christ Now omitting many other obseruations which might bee drawne out of this Context and the reasons which mooued many not so freely to confesse Christ as they ought Let vs looke into that Confession which Peter in the name of the rest maketh who was not restrained with vulgar errour or feare as those which hauing k Act. 13. 27. the Prophets dayly read amongst them yet were blinded with wilfull ignorance in misapplying them or stumbled at that stone of Authoritie and Greatnesse of men that they
vnto Ieremie k Iâ—re 11. 21. 18. 1â— 44. 16 17. The word which thou hast spoken to vs in the name of the Lord we will not heare it of thee but wee will doe whatsoeuer thing goeth out of our owne mouth as to burne Incense to the Queene of heauen c. And yet these desperate Rebells against God in maintaining their Idolatries were neuer so impudent as the Papists to blot out the second Commaundement of the morall Law of God for that it left them without all excuse and could not be auoided by any glossographical Interpretations Rome had some soundnesse of Religion in the dayes of the Christian Emperours till the Imperiall Popes confounded all things Constantine the Great caused the Bible to be written out and sent it to all Kingdomes Prouinces and Cities within his Dominions as the great Apostata Iulian from whom the Papistes haue drawen this ther paradox obiected it as a great fault that their women were so expert in holy Scriptures Vse 3 Euery man or woman that hath a Legacy bequeathed vnto them in Gods Will and Testament will and ought to be carefull to reade in that Booke and to inquire out what portion it is that the Lord hath bequeathed vnto them and it is our chiefe happinesse that wee haue a written Will of God and that therefore wee goe not about to suppresse it and introduce a nuncupatiue will of vnwritten Traditions as the false Catholickes endeuour to doe who by their owne Traditions striue to make the Commaundement of God of none effect It was a great blessing which the Lord promised by the Prophet l Isai 55. 1 2. 3. That they should drinke of these pure waters freely and plentifully as also it was the threatening of a grieuous curse m Amos 8. 11 12. That hee would send a famine not of bread but of his Word and how heauie hath the wrath of God appeared in powring these forewarned Iudgments vpon the famous Churches of Asia and Greece n Apoc. 2. 5. in remoouing the Candlesticke of his Word and suffering a barbarous Mahometan Tyrant to trample them vnder his filthy feet and so the Church of o Ierem. 7. 4. Rom. 11. 21. the Iewes as well as of the Gentiles hath lost her light p 1 Cor. 10. 12. And let vs that thinke wee stand take heed lest we fall There are two remarkeable sinnes mentioned in sacred Writ which are noted to bee euer the forerunners of the forementioned iudgement namely First the barrennesse and emptinesse of good workes Secondly contempt of Gods Word and Ministers Concerning the first it is notably expressed of old as well in the parable of Isaiah as of Christ himselfe q Isai 5. 2 to 6. serem 2. 21. Mark 12. 2. to 10. Math. 21 33. to 42. Luke 20 9. to 17. of the Vineyard let out to Husbandmen which not rendring the due rent and fruits to the Lord and Owner were threatned as in short time after it came to passe both in the old Church and Temple in Jerusalem destroyed by the Assyrians and Chaldeans as lastly by the Romanes for the Lord of the vineyard the God of Israel had planted fenced and dressed it with all diligence and sent Messengers to require the fruites but it brought foorth either no fruite or naughtie fruite no wine but wilde grapes and therefore was worthily r Math. 21. 19 20. cursed for both barrennesse and badnesse Secondly the wickednesse of the Iewes was yet worse and more resembled our Romish Vineyard in killing Gods Messengers which were sent vnto them and will not haue Christ but Antichrist to raigne ouer them And this we may obserue by the way that as Christ would honour the Ministery of the Apostles by committing these Keyes of knowledge and authoritie vnto them so the Antichristian rabble contrarily cast all contempt as well on the Gospel it selfe debarring Gods people of that Key of knowledge as also persecuting the Preachers of the Gospell with all contempt And this is the occasion that Almighty God often taketh away the other Key vse of the Word for the contempt thereof and as Å¿ 1 Sam. 3. 1. Visions and diuine Reuelations were rare and the Word of God precious because it was rare in the dayes of Eli so t Numb 11. 6 men loathed Manna when it was plentifull as wee doe the Gospell complaining that wee haue too much of our Fathers blessing as if the honour of the Ministery consisted in putting downe the exercise of it for which cause the Lord threatned by the Prophet Amos u Amos 8. 11 to send a famine of his Word and this is to vs a good and necessary caueat now in the time of our plentifull haruest when the Lord hath sent such store of Labourers into his Vineyard that we bee not like the Papists who keepe no mediocritie in the due estimation of their Ministers as the Apostle w 1 Cor. 4. 1 2 requireth but either they aduaunce them too high and make them Lords ouer their faith or else cast all contempt vpon them if they preuaricate neuer so little their Traditions x Math. 15. 6. which they extoll and preferre before the precepts of the Gospell and Commaundements of God And so much may suffice to bee declared concerning the Donation of the Keyes the Application of them followeth in the last part of the verse And whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth shall bee bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose in earth shall be loosed in heauen Doct. Obserue the admirable Sympathy and the Cooperation of God with the Ministers Office man preacheth and God blesseth and establisheth his Doctrine whether hee preach Iudgement or Mercie Now for the more euident demonstration of this truth wee affirme y Ezek. 33. 7 8 9 c. that if the Minister of God see and perceiue a peruerse and obstinate sinner to walke and goe on in his wicked waies and thereupon denounceth against him Gods iust Iudgements out of his holy Word if hee yet persist impenitent the Minister may lawfully pronounce condemnation against him and he thereby so bindeth him that God in heauen ratifieth the curse which is contained and pronounced out of his Word but if such a sinner shalâ— feare and tremble and hearken vnto the Word of God and repenting himselfe confesse his sinnes to God and make it also so appeare vnto Gods Minister he may then from God pronounce vnto him remission and absolution of his sinnes which are most surely forgiuen of God in heauen and the Minister is said z Iam. 5. 19 20 to haue saued his soule which went astray though his saluation be of God alone Thus the Prophet a 2 Sam. 12. 5 11. Nathan brought Dauid to confesse himselfe the childe of death hauing continued aboue two yeares in his sinne vnrepented of but as soone as hee had drawne him to the knowledge and acknowledgement of his offence
and sawe the true and vnfallible signes of his vnfayned repentance hee doubted not to declare from God his pardon and absolution b Verse 13. and that his sinne was taken away This is the binding and loosing which the Prophet Ezekiel speaketh of in his third Chapter from the seauenteenth Verse to the two and twentyeth as also in the three and thirtieth Chapter from the first Verse vnto the tenth and and though this power of binding and loosing was apparantly heere giuen to the Ministers of the New Testament yet the effect thereof was the same in the olde Couenant in Christ and to the beleeuers in him for c Hebr. 13. 8. Hee was yesterday and to day and the same for euer d 2 Cor. 1. 20. In whom all the promises of God are Yea and Amen certaine constant vniforme and for all times and ages alwayes reseruing this power to the Ministers of his Word who are likewise restrayned of all power which is not by the Word for as the Prophet Isaiah speaketh e Isai 44. 26. Hee confirmeth the wordes of his Seruants and performeth the Counsells of his Messengers wherevnto accordeth the saying of the Iust man Iob f Iob 33. 23. If there bee a Messenger to declare vnto man his righteousnesse then will the Lord haue mercie vpon him Thus God bindes all mâ—n to himselfe and men vnto men also for men cannot saue men without God and God will not ordinarily saue men without men If hee will saue Cornelius g Act. 10. 5 22 hee must send for Peter and heare of him words whereby he may bee saued Vse 1 First this serueth to induce vs that as wee honour God so wee should reuerence his Ministers h 2 Cor. 5. 18 19 20. to whom hee hath committed the Worde of Reconciliation Vse 2 Secondly let vs here marke what a reuerend respect both Ministers and people ought to giue to the Ordinances of God exercised in his Church for if they preach Christ as they are commaunded it is not they that speake i Marke 13. 11 Math. 10. 20. But the Spirit of my Father sayeth Christ that speaketh in them And so the people ought to receiue it not as the word of man but of the euerliuing God and so for the Sacraments likewise that wee looke not so much on the outward Elements of Bread Wine and Water which otherwise are things of common vse in themselues but respect chiefly the Institution of God which maketh them holy and consecrated Mysteries by his Word to bee effectuall food vnto our Soules and meanes of Saluation howsoeuer in the things themselues and manner of administring them there seeme great simplicitie which might make them contemptible to carnall men k 2 Kings 5. 12 13 14. as Naaman esteemed nothing of the waters of Iordan to haue any more power then Abana and Pharphar Riuers of his owne Countrey Damascus but when hee did it in the Word of the Lord and by the Ministery of Gods Prophet Elisha then that word ioyned with the Element made it vnto him an holy and effectuall Sacrament and so not euery Lambes blood l Exod. 12. â— 11 13 23 27. but that of the Paschall Lambe which was ordayned by God was a true representation of Christ and a Seale vnto the Church that the Destroyer passeth ouer Gods people which passeth heauy vengeance and destruction vpon the vnbeeleeuing Egyptians and so likewise the promise is not made to euery man that God will ratifie in heauen whatsoeuer hee shall pronounce on earth but this power hee appropriateth to his Ministers which haue a lawfull Calling and Authoritie to preach his Word wherein the effect lyeth and not in the persons of the Ministers or people without the approbation of Christ to whose ordinance the whole honour and efficacie is to bee ascribed Vse 3 Thirdly let vs all heerein learne to iudge wisely betweene the Minister of the Word and the Word of God it selfe from whence the Ministers power is deriued The Ministers are men like vnto our selues sinners weake mortall and must dye but the Word of God is pure strong an immortall seed and endureth for euer It seemeth the people in the Prophet Zacharies time made such obiections against their Prophets to excuse themselues in not obeying them m Zach. 1. 5 6. The Prophets say they are dead as well as our Fathers for all were sinners to whome God answereth by the Prophet and by way of concession graunteth it to be true That their Fathers were dead and the Prophets were dead but yet his word spoken vnto them by the Prophets tooke hold of them and that was not dead but doeth abide for euer and the after Generations sawe the accomplishment thereof in the appoynted time Ieremiah was dead in the time of the Captiuitie but his Prophesie remained and at the end of seuentie yeares they found the due accomplishment thereof Let the Ministers bee weake men mortall and corruptible yet Gods Word still abideth immortall and incorruptible n 2. Tim. 2. 9. The Minister may be restrained bound and in prison but the Gospell is not bound that winde is not restrayned nor in prison o Hebr. 4. 12 but it is still mightie in operation p Apoc. 7. 1. who can stay the raine that it should not fall to moysten the earth Neither can the Word of God more than the Dewe of Heauen bee restrayned but it shall bee dispersed q Isa 55. 10 11 to accomplish his will that sendeth it or as an Arrow which a man shooteth though hee that shot it stand still or dye in the act yet the Arrow flyeth vnto the marke at which it was aymed And it is true that power is giuen vnto them Ministerially to shut Heauen r Apoc. 11. 4 5. 2 King 1. 10. and fire proceedeth out of their mouthes which destroyeth the enemies of Gods Trueth and Grace Note Yet it must alwayes bee vnderstood that this binding and retaining sinnes is onely of impenitent Transgressors of Gods Lawe Å¿ Prou 26. 2. else the Curse that is causelesse shall not come but God may and will blesse t Num. 22. 12 18. 23. 8 20. where Balaam and the false Prophets would curse God promised to Abraham to u Gene. 12. 3. curse those that cursed him whome God had blessed w Gene. 27. 29. and that hee would curse them that cursed Iaakob It shall fare with them as it did with Goliah x 1 Sam. 17. 43. which cursed Dauid in the name of his Gods but Dauids God blessed him and brought the curse vpon Goliah himselfe and all his Gods could not saue him So likewise the Apostle interpreteh his owne meaning and sheweth how Ministers absolue sinners where it is said y Actes 5. 31. That Repentance and remission of sinnes should bee preached in his Name for without repentance in the beleeuer there is no absolution to bee pronounced by the