A30189:532
An answer to two treatises of Mr. John Can, the leader of the English…An answer to two treatises of Mr. Iohn Can, the leader of the English…
An answer to two treatises of Mr. John Can, the leader of the English Brownists in Amsterdam the former called, A necessity of separation from the Church of England, proved by the Nonconformists principles : the other, A stay against straying : wherein in opposition to M. John Robinson, he undertakes to prove the unlawfulness of hearing the ministers of the Church of England ... / by the late learned, laborious and faithful servant of Jesus Christ, John Ball.An answer to two treatises of Mr. Iohn Can, the leader of the English Brownists in Amsterdam the former called, A necessitie of separation from the Church of England, proved by the Nonconformists principles : the other, A stay against straying : wherein in opposition to M. Iohn Robinson, he undertakes to prove the unlawfulnesse of hearing the ministers of the Church of England ... / by the late learned, laborious and faithfull servant of Jesus Christ, John Ball.
London: printed by R.B., 1642
Chapter 3 › Section 2 › ANSWER.Chapter 3 › Section 2 › ANSVVER.
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.
The power of the keys is twofold, Conciovalis & Judicialis, as it is usually called. The first consists in the preaching of the Gospel, wherein the kingdom of heaven is opened to the penitent, sins remitted, life promised, and heaven shut to the obstinate: which is the sword and the sceptre of Christ, whereby he saveth his people, 1and conquereth his enemies, beateth down every strong hold, p•ireeth to the division of foul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and judgeth the very cogitations and thoughts of the heart. These effects Christ executeth by his Word, even when it is not assisted by the cdiscipline spoken of. Now if it be rightly understood, the Church of God cannot be without this key. For the Church is gathered by the Word, and is a company or society which hath received the Word in profession at least, and doth possess it, and amongst whom it dwelleth. The Judicial power of the dkeys is the power of government, which consisteth principally in the right ordering and dispensation of Church censures, and so of the manners and necessities of all men: which agreeth not to any one member, nor to the community of the faithful, nor to any one singular governor, but to the Ecclesiastical Senate, yet with due respect had to the community of the faithful. In the first sense, the Church of England hath the power of the keys, enot so much as is to be desired, but in an eminent sort; and that with Gods blessing upon the labour of his servants, if any other Church under Heaven. In the second signification, the power of the keys for substance is in our Church, but the manner of ordering and administration of them is corrupt and faulty. But this power of the keys is not of absolute necessity to the being of the Church, but to the well-being only. Here is a fit place to answer your Question: Whether to hide from the people the knowledge of all the main truths, which concern the outward regiment of Christs visible church, make a false Prophet.
The power of the keyes is twofold, Concioualis & Judicialis, as it is usually called. The first consists in the preaching of the Gospell, wherein the kingdome of heaven is opened to the penitent, sinnes remitted, life promised, and heaven shut to the obstinate: which is the sword and the scepter of Christ, whereby he saveth his people,