The Sum of Christian Religion

Fifthly, That without the right use this receiving of bread and wine is no sacrament, neither any thing, but an empty and vain ceremony and spectacle, and such as men abuse to their own damnation.

Fiftly, That without the right vse this receiuing of bread and wine is no sacrament, neither anie thing, but an emptie and vaine ceremonie and spectacle, and such as men abuse to their own damnation.

Sixthly, That there is no other true and lawful use of the supper, ⟨p. 791⟩besides that, which Christ himself hath instituted, and commanded to be kept, namely this: that this bread and this wine be eaten and drunken in remembrance of him, and to show forth his death.

Sixtly, That there is no other true and lawful vse of the supper, ⟨p. 791⟩besides that, which Christ himselfe hath instituted, and commaunded to be kept, namelie this: that this bread and this wine be eaten and drunken in remembrance of him, and to shew forth his death.

Seventhly, that Christ in his supper doth not command and require a dissembled and hypocritical remembrance of him and publishing of his death: but such as embraceth his passion and death, and all his benefits obtained by these for us, by a true and lively faith, and with earnest and ardent thankfulness, and applieth them unto those which eat and drink as proper unto them.

Seuenthly, that Christ in his supper dooth not commaund and require a dissembled and hypocritical remembraunce of him and publishing of his death: but such as embraceth his passion and death, and all his benefites obtained by these for vs, by a true and liuelie faith, and with earnest and ardent thankefulnesse, and applieth them vnto those which eate and drink as proper vnto them.

They disagree in these points.

They disagree in these pointes.

FIRST, that one part contendeth, that these words of Christ, This is my body, must be understood, as the words sound, which yet that part it self doth not: but the other part, that those words must be understood sacramentally, according to the declaration of Christ and Paul, according to the most certain and unfallible rule and level of the articles of our christian faith.

FIRST, that one part contendeth, that these woordes of Christ, This is my bodie, must be vnderstood, as the words sound, which yet that part it selfe doth not: but the other part, that those words must be vnderstoode sacramentallie, according to the declaration of Christ and Paul, according to the most certaine and vnfallible rule and leuil of the articles of our christian faith.

Secondly, that one part will have the body & blood of christ to be essentially In or With the bread & wine, & so to be eaten, as that together with the bread & the wine, out of the hand of the minister, it entereth by the mouth of the receivers into their bodies: but the other part will have the body of christ, which in the first supper sate at the table by the disciples, now to be & continue, not here on earth, but above in the heavens, above and without this visible world and heaven, until he descend thence again to judgement: and yet that we notwithstanding here on earth, as oft as we eat this bread with a true faith, are so fed with his body, and made to drink of his blood, that not only through his Passion and bloodshed we are cleansed from our sins, but are also in such sort coupled, knit and incorporated into his true, essential, humane body, by his spirit dwelling both in him and us, as that we are flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bones, and are more nearly, and firmly knit and united with him, than the members of our body are united with our head, and so we draw and have in him and from him everlasting life.

Secōdly, that one part wil haue the bodie & bloud of christ to be essentiallie Jn or With the bread & wine, & so to be eaten, as that together with the bread & the wine, out of the hād of the minister, it entereth by the mouth of the receiuers into their bodies: but the other part wil haue the body of christ, which in the first supper sate at the table by the disciples, now to be & cōtinue, not here on earth, but aboue in the heauens, aboue and without this visible world and heauen, vntill hee descend thence againe to iudgement: and yet that we notwithstanding here on earth, as oft as wee eate this bread with a true faith, are so fed with his bodie, and made to drink of his bloud, that not onlie through his Passion and bloudshed we are cleansed from our sinnes, but are also in such sort coupled, knit and incorporated into his true, essential, humane bodie, by his spirit dwelling both in him and vs, as that we are flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bones, and are more neerly, and firmlie knit and vnited with him, than the members of our bodie are vnited with our head, and so wee drawe and haue in him and from him euerlasting life.

Thirdly, That one part will have all whosoever come to the Lords supper and eat and drink that bread and wine, whether they be believers, or unbelievers, to eat and drink corporally and with their bodily mouth the flesh and blood of Christ; believers, to life and salvation; unbelievers to damnation and death: the other holdeth, that unbelievers abuse indeed the outward signs, bread and wine, to their own damnation: but that the faithful only can eat and drink by a true faith, and the fore alleged working of •he holy Ghost, the body and blood of Christ unto eternal life.

Thirdly, That one part will haue all whosoeuer come to the Lordes supper and eate and drinke that breade and wine, whether they bee beleeuers, or vnbeleeuers, to eate and drinke corporallie and with their bodilie mouth the flesh and bloud of Christ; beleeuers, to life and saluation; vnbeleeuers to damnation and death: the other holdeth, that vnbeleeuers abuse indeede the outwarde signs, bread and wine, to their own damnation: but that the faithful onelie can eate and drinke by a true faith, and the fore alleaged working of •he holie Ghost, the bodie and bloud of Christ vnto eternal life.

OF THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, AND OF EXCOMMUNICATION.

OF THE KEIES OF THE KINGDOME OF HEAVEN, AND OF EXCOMMVNICATION.

SEEING it hath been showed in the treatise next going before, who are to be admitted by the church unto the Lords Supper: very commodiously and fitly shall this doctrine follow, concerning the power of the keys, wherein besides other things this chiefly is taught, How they who are not to be admitted, must be restrained and excluded from the Sacraments, least approaching unto them they profane them.

SEEING it hath beene shewed in the treatise next going before, who are to bee admitted by the church vnto the Lords Supper: very commodiously and fitly shall this doctrine follow, concerning the power of the keies, wherein besides other things this chiefly is taught, How they who are not to be admitted, must bee restrained and excluded from the Sacraments, least approching vnto them they prophane them.

The chief questions.

The chiefe questions.

1 What the power is of the keys given unto the church. 2 Unto whom that power is committed. 3 Why the power of the keys is necessary. 4 What that power of the keys committed unto the church differeth from the civil power. 5 What order ought to be observed in exercising the power of the keys.

1 What the power is of the keies giuen vnto the church. 2 Vnto whom that power is committed. 3 Why the power of the keies is necessarie. 4 What that power of the keies committed vnto the church differeth from the ciuil power. 5 What order ought to be obserued in exercising the power of the keies.

1 WHAT THE POWER OF THE KEYS GIVEN UNTO THE CHURCH IS.

1 WHAT THE POWER OF THE KEIES GIVEN VNTO THE CHVRCH IS.

THE power of the keys of the kingdom of heaven, which CHRIST gave unto his church, is the office or charge imposed on the church by Christ, of denouncing, by the preaching of the gospel and church-discipline, Gods will; and even of declaring the grace of God and remission of sins unto the penitent, that is, to them who live in true faith and repentance: but of denouncing unto the wicked the wrath of God, and exclusion or banishment from the kingdom of christ, and of casting such out of the church ⟨p. 793⟩as long as they shall show themselves in doctrine and life estranged from christ; and of receiving them again into the church when afterwards they shall repent. Hereby it appeareth, that the chief and principal parts of this power of the keys given unto the Saints are, the preaching of the gospel, or ministry of the word, and church-judgement, which is called also spiritual Discipline or jurisdiction. And verily, necessarily is Ecclesiastical Discipline joined and linked with the ministry of Gods word. Of the ministry of the word, there is no doubt but all the Prophets, Christ, and the Apostles have preached. Of the jurisdiction of the church likewise it is not to be doubted: in as much as Christ himself and the Apostle have both by precepts and practise confirmed and established it. Now in both is contained that power of shutting and opening, which the Lord noteth out by the name of the keys, saying, J will give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; the keys, that is, the office or power of shutting and opening the kingdom of God. It is a Metaphor or borrowed speech taken from the stewards of mens houses;¹ because the steward of the house is said to have the key of it to open and to shut it.

THE power of the keies of the kingdome of heauen, which CHRIST gaue vnto his church, is the office or charge imposed on the church by Christ, of denouncing, by the preaching of the gospel and church-discipline, Gods will; and euen of declaring the grace of God and remission of sinnes vnto the penitent, that is, to them who liue in true faith and repentance: but of denouncing vnto the wicked the wrath of God, and exclusion or banishment from the kingdome of christ, and of casting such out of the church ⟨p. 793⟩as long as they shall shew themselues in doctrine and life estranged from christ; and of receiuing them againe into the church when afterwardes they shall repent. Hereby it appeareth, that the chiefe and principall parts of this power of the keies giuen vnto the Saints are, the preaching of the gospel, or ministerie of the word, and church-iudgement, which is called also spirituall Discipline or iurisdiction. And verily, necessarilie is Ecclesiasticall Discipline ioined and linked with the ministerie of Gods word. Of the ministerie of the word, there is no doubt but all the Prophets, Christ, and the Apostles haue preached. Of the iurisdiction of the church likewise it is not to be doubted: in as much as Christ himselfe and the Apostle haue both by precepts and practise confirmed and established it. Now in both is conteined that power of shutting and opening, which the Lord noteth out by the name of the keies, saying, J will giue thee the keies of the kingdome of heauen; the keies, that is, the office or power of shutting and opening the kingdome of God. It is a Metaphour or borrowed speech taken from the stewardes of mens houses;

2 Unto whom the power of the keys is committed.

2 Vnto whom the power of the keies is committed.

Unto whom the declaration and denouncing of Gods word is committed, to them also is committed the power of the keys. The denouncing and publishing of the anger and favour of god, which is performed in the preaching of the gospel, is committed unto the Ministers. For the preaching it self also of the gospel is committed to them alone. But that denouncing which is exercised in church discipline belongeth to the whole church. For unto the whole church doth Discipline & spiritual jurisdiction belong. But the denouncing and declaration which is used in the ministry of Gods word is done after another manner, than in church discipline In the ministry of the word, the anger of god, the word going before, is by every Pastor alone or Minister of the word privately denounced against all ungodly, unbelieving, and unrepenting persons: namely that they are exiled from the kingdom of Christ, as long as they repent not, neither live according to the prescript rule of the Gospel: And again, if they repent, the grace and favour of God, and remission of sins is by the same ⟨p. 794⟩Pastors and Ministers signified and declared out of the word of God unto them. Objection. Then have men power to condemn. Answer. They have ministerial power, that is, the charge and-function of denouncing unto men, according to Gods word, that God remitteth or not remitteth their sins: and this is done two ways. First, and in general, when in the preaching of the Gospel they declare, That all believers are saved, and that all unbelievers are condemned. Secondly, when as they exercise this function of declaring Gods will privately unto particular men, and towards every one in several: as when remission of sins is promised to some certain person repenting, and when likewise the anger and displeasure of God is denounced against any one person not repenting, as long as he continueth in that mind. So was it said to Simon Magus; Thou hast neither part nor fellowship in this business. The same is to be said in particular to every one, as often as need requireth; neither must we do it at our own pleasure, but according to the word of God. And this is the power of the keys granted unto Pastors, and annexed to the ministry of the word. But to execute this sentence declared belongeth to God alone.

VNto whom the declaration and denouncing of Gods worde is committed, to them also is committed the power of the keies. The denouncing and publishing of the anger and fauour of god, which is perfourmed in the preaching of the gospel, is committed vnto the Ministers. For the preaching it selfe also of the gospel is committed to them alone. But that denouncing which is exercised in church discipline belongeth to the whole church. For vnto the whole church doth Discipline & spiritual iurisdiction belong. But the denouncing and declaration which is vsed in the ministerie of Gods word is done after another manner, than in church discipline Jn the ministerie of the word, the anger of god, the word going before, is by euery Pastor alone or Minister of the word priuately denounced against al vngodly, vnbeleeuing, and vnrepenting persons: namely that they are exiled from the kingdome of Christ, as long as they repent not, neither liue according to the prescript rule of the Gospel: And againe, if they repent, the grace and fauour of God, and remission of sinnes is by the same