The power of Congregational churches asserted and vindicated in answer to a treatise of…

6. Others look at the Keys as given to Peter here, in the name of a particular visible Church, indefinitely taken; not of this or that particular definite Church, that all other Churches should receive the Keys from them, or be subject to the power of the Keys in their hands: For that will not stand with the parity of Churches among themselves: for, par in parem non habet imperium. Therefore the Church, here intended, must be taken generally, and indefinitely, as comprehending in it any particular visible Church, one as well ⟨p. 85⟩as another, or the general Church as existing its particulars. If it be objected against this, that Peter was not a Member of such a Christian Congregation, when Christ spake these words unto him. I answer, It is true: for no such Church was then constituted. No more was there a Presbytery then constituted, when Christ directed Peter and the rest, in case of private offence obstinately persisted in, after proceeding in the first and second step, to tell the Church, in Mat. 18. which yet they hold, but not truly, to be the Presbytery, as we shall evince hereafter, with the assistance of Christ. But, in the mean time, all grant that that Rule serveth to order Members, how to proceed in such cases, when particular Churches should be constituted. And the same reason is of force in this Text also. Some have thought that Christ giveth the Keys in this Text, not to the Church of Believers, of which he spake in the former verse, but to the Elders; because he altereth the form of his speech: for, having spoken, in the former verse, of the Church, in the third person, saying, Upon this Rock I will build my Church, and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it; he saith not, in this verse, and I will give unto it the Keys, but ⟨p. 86⟩varying the person, he turneth his speech to Peter, saying, and unto thee I will give the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven: but this is a mistake. Here is no changing of person, nor turning of speech, in Christ's giving the promise of the Keys; but, as Christ began, so he continueth his speech to Peter, upon occasion of his confession. In v. 17. Christ pronounceth Peter blessed, from the cause of his confession. In v. 18. he giveth a promise of reward to Peters confession, that, upon this, as upon a Rock, he will build his Church, and establish it, as impregnable against the gates of Hell. In v. 19.