A93091:247
A treatise of liturgies, power of the keys, and of matter of the visible…A treatise of liturgies, power of the keyes, and of matter of the visible…
A treatise of liturgies, power of the keys, and of matter of the visible church. In answer to the reverend servant of Christ, Mr. John Ball. By Thomas Shepherd, sometimes fellow of Emanuel-College in Cambridge, and late pastor of Cambridge in New-England.A treatise of liturgies, power of the keyes, and of matter of the visible church. In answer to the reverend servant of Christ, Mr. John Ball. By Thomas Shephard, sometimes fellow of Emanuel-Colledge in Cambridge, and late pastour of Cambridge in New-England.
London: printed by E. Cotes for Andrew Crooke, 1652
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Secondly, we acknowledge a visible communion of all the true Churches of the Lord Jesus, in all offices of brotherly love, and in the holy things of Christ, so far as may appear, the Lord have ordained and commanded, and by his Providence called them to exercise one with another.
Thirdly, we grant that all true believers, where-ever they be, have by faith in Christ, a true right and interest unto Jesus Christ and all his benefits, whatsoever he hath purchased for them; but here we must first distinguish of these benefits of Christ, whereof some are merely spiritual, inward, and flowing immediately from Christ unto them; and therefore peculiar to true believers, as justification, sanctification, adoption, access to God in prayer, &c. some are outward and tending to the help and furtherance of our spiritual communion with Christ, being outward and visible means thereof; and therefore are also extended to ⟨p. 73⟩hypocrites being visible believers, as the Ministry of the Word, Seals, Church-discipline, &c. And these cannot be dispensed by Christ immediately nor ordinarily, but by means of a visible Church. 2. We distinguish of right to these outward benefits of Christ; which is either remote, called, jus ad rem; or near, and immediate, called, jus in r•; right to the enjoyment and fruition of it. Now in the first sense we grant, all visible believers have a right to seals, &c. But the immediate fruition of them, they must have mediante Ecclesiâ visibili: now here lies the true state of the question, Whether the Lord Jesus have ordained an universal visible Church, in which, and unto which, by the Officers thereof all these outward visible privileges and means of Grace, are to be dispensed and immediately enjoyed of the faithful; or whether (not the remote right, but) the immediate fruition and administration of all these ordinances by the institution of Christ, be given to particular visible Churches; and surely to whom one of these is given, all are given: For there is the same nature, reason, and use of all, Ministry of the Word, Seals, Discipline, all are outward ordinances, privileges, means of Grace, belonging to the visible Church, where Christ hath given one, he hath given all. But we must confess, however you call this, A new Church way, it is new to us to read so much of late, of such a Catholic Church, to which administration of Seals, Censures, &c. belong. We are yet of the opinion of Baynes, Parker, and Cartwright, &c. that have against Papists and Prelates maintained, that in the new Testament there is no instituted Catholic, National, or Provincial Church;