A02990:300
A friendly trial of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest…A friendly triall of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest…
A friendly trial of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest dispute touching the lawfulness of a stinted liturgy and set form of prayer, Communion in mixed assemblies, and the primitive subject and first receptacle of the power of the Keys: tending to satisfy the doubtful, recall the wandering, and to strengthen the weak: by John Ball.A friendly triall of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest dispute touching the lawfulnesse of a stinted liturgie and set form of prayer, Communion in mixed assemblies, and the primitive subject and first receptacle of the power of the Keyes: tending to satisfie the doubtfull, recall the wandering, and to strengthen the weak: by John Ball.
Cambridge: printed by Roger Daniel printer to the University of Cambridge for Edward Brewster, 1640Cambridge: printed by Roger Daniel printer to the Universitie of Cambridge for Edward Brewster, 1640
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Either this is not to the purpose,1 or the power of the keys, and so all communicated power ecclesiastical with the execution thereof, is committed to every faithful man and woman as truly ⟨p. 242⟩as to the Apostles. That private Christians, yea women and children, may exhort, rebuke, or comfort ex officio charitat is generally, out of the general office of charity, we confess; that by such exhortations people have been brought to the faith, we also believe: But that power to preach per modum legationis, by way of embassage, or power of the keys hath been committed to them, we never find: rather, this power was proper to the ministers ex Divino instituto speciali, by special Divine institution, and established upon special promise. Unto Peter making confession was the promise of the keys made, but not to him as a confessor, but to him and the rest as they should be Apostles sent forth with authority and commission to preach the Gospel, plant churches, bind and loose, &c. Otherwise not only the community of the faithful, but every faithful man or woman, might exercise those acts of feeding, binding and loosing, and ruling, implied in the power of the keys. In phrase of speech to deliver the keys unto a man, 2is to make him an officer, steward, or dispenser in the house under his lord and master, to give him authority to open and shut, bind and loose. When our Saviour said to his Disciples, Whose sins ye remit, they are remitted; As my Father sent me, so send I you; Go, teach all nations; Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: doth he not appoint them to chief offices in his house? and what doth he give them more then the keys of the kingdom? A legate or messenger is not sent without ⟨p. 243⟩authority, power and jurisdiction; nor the keys of the house committed to his trust and care who is not in office. The keys of the kingdom import not only authority and jurisdiction, but power of exercising: and for that reason some have thought Peter to be a social type of the whole church, because the church doth exercise the keys. But the community of the faithful are not officers in the house, to exercise the power of the keys, to open and to shut.