A80640:631
The way of Congregational churches cleared in two treatises. In the former, from the…
The way of Congregational churches cleared in two treatises. In the former, from the historical aspersions of Mr. Robert Baylie, in his book, called, A dissuasive from the errors of the time. In the latter, from some contradictions of Vindicæ Clavium : and from, some mis-constructions of learned Mr. Rutherford in his book entitled The due right of presbyteries. / By Mr. John Cotton, sometime preacher at Boston in Lincoln-shire, and now teacher of the Church at Boston, in New-England.The way of Congregational churches cleared in two treatises. In the former, from the historical aspersions of Mr. Robert Baylie, in his book, called, A disswasive from the errors of the time. In the latter, from some contradictions of Vindicæ Clavium : and from, some mis-constructions of learned Mr. Rutherford in his book intituled The due right of presbyteries. / By Mr. John Cotton, sometime preacher at Boston in Lincoln-shire, and now teacher of the Church at Boston, in New-England.
London: printed by Matthew Simmons for John Bellamie, 1648
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.
Ob. 2. If the Promise were given to Peter in the Name of Believers, how will that stand with the judgement of the way, who will not allow every company of Believers, because they are Believers to be an Instituted visible Church; (to whom the Keys are given) but they must be a company of Believers professing Covenant-wise, Faith in Christ and Church-Communion. But then the Keys are not given to Believers because they are Believers, and the Spouse of Christ, but because they are such Professors, and so combined in Church-Covenant.
Ob. 2. If the Promise were given to Peter in the Name of Believers, how will that stand with the judgement of the way, who will not allow every company of Believers, because they are Believers to be an Instituted visible Church; (to whom the Keyes are given) but they must be a company of Believers professing Covenant-wise, Faith in Christ and Church-Communion. But then the Keyes are not given to Believers because they are Believers, and the Spouse of Christ, but because they are such Professors, and so combined in Church-Covenant.
Answ. The Author of the Way doth no where say, That the Keys are given to a company of Believers, only because they are Believers; but because they are Believers making public confession of their faith before the Lord, and their Brethren. For Peter himself received not the Keys merely as a Believer, but as a Believer publicly professing his Faith before Christ, and his fellow Disciples in Christs School. If other Writers speak otherwise, (that ⟨p. 40⟩the Keys were given to Peter a Believer in the name of Believers) they must be understood to speak of Believers, not as keeping their Faith to themselves, but as making profession of their Faith publicly; so as they come to be received into the society of the visible Church. Faith giveth a man fellowship in the Invisible Church, and in all the inward spiritual blessings of the Church. But it is profession of Faith, that giveth a man fellowship in the visible Church. It is not a society of Believers, as such, that maketh them a Church: for a society of Christian Merchants may meet together in a ship to transport themselves to Hamburg, or Lubeck but they are not thereby a Church, nor have received Church-power. But if they do publicly profess their Faith, and their obedience of Faith to the Lord Jesus in the public ordinances of his worship, which he hath committed to his Church, and they are capable of; then indeed they are a professed visible Church of Christ, and a Body united to him, and one to another by such profession, and do also partake in the power of the Keys according to their measure.