Certain disputations of right to sacraments, and the true nature of visible Christianity defending…

It may be thought that it is a very great power that Christ hath herein conferred on his Officers; and that it may be easily abused to tyranny, while every Minister shall have power to refuse persons their visible Christianity, or the badge of it, and so to make Christians as they please. But first, they are tied up themselves by certain Rules, as we are further to show in this Dispute: and secondly, if one should tyrannize, there are enow more to relieve us; thirdly, there is no power but may be abused; but yet it must be trusted somewhere; and into what hands should Christ have fitlier put it, than into theirs that are by ⟨p. 3⟩Gifts and Offices fitted for the trust? I have marvelled sometime, when I have heard secular Rulers on one side, and the People on the other side, cry down the Ministerial power of excommunicating, or so much as keeping from the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, that they did not as much or more contend against their Power of Baptizing and Judging who should be admitted into the Church. But I think the reason is, because Ministers admitted all so generally, that they were not awakened to the observation of their power herein, nor to any jealousy of them, left they should (as they call it) tyrannize. But undoubtedly they might as fairly say, that it belongeth either to the Magistrate, or to the Bishop alone, or to the Major Vote of the Congregation, to Baptize, or Judge who shall or shall not be baptized, and so admitted into the honour of visible Christianity and Church-membership, as to say that it belongeth to the Magistrate or the Bishop alone, or the people to excommunicate, or to judge who shall be excommunicated. For the Power of taking into the Church Universal, is as great as that of putting out of a particular Congregation. And Christ gave the Keys conjunctly and not dividedly; and therefore he that hath the admitting Key, hath the Excluding Key.

It may be thought that it is a very great power that Christ hath herein conferred on his Officers; and that it may be easily abused to tyranny, while every Minister shall have power to refuse persons their visible Christianity, or the badge of it, and so to make Christians as they please. But first, they are tyed up themselves by certain Rules, as we are further to shew in this Dispute: and second•y, if one should tyrannize, there are enow more to relieve us; thirdly, there is no power but may be abused; but yet it must be trusted somewhere; and into what hands should Christ have fitlier put it, than into theirs that are by