A93091:362
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.
To say it is natural, were too absurd; if voluntary, then neither Congregations, Classes, Provinces, Nations, have power to excommunicate without the previous consent of the whole Catholic church, which must voluntarily concur thereunto. And if the Catholic Presbytery (as is said) have no next, but a a remote power of excommunication, and this remote power be extraordinary, or raro contingens, or almost never, then the ordinary power of excommunication, (which is enough for us) is not from an intrinsical power of the Church catholic. On the other side (if it be said) this power is in the whole, but not derived from the whole to the parts, as the power of seeing is first in the man, then in the eye, yet not derived from hands, legs, shoulders, &c. and as the great body of the Sun hath intrinsical light in every part, not by derivation from one part to another; so this power of the Keys is from Christ the Head to all the integral parts in points that severally concern the same.
To say it is naturall, were too absurd; if voluntary, then neither Congregations, Classes, Provinces, Nations, have power to excommunicate without the praevious consent of the whole Catholick church, which must voluntarily concurr thereunto. And if the Catholick Presbytery (as is said) have no next, but a a remote power of excommunication, and this remote power bee extraordinary, or raro contingens, or almost never, then the ordinary power of excommunication, (which is enough for us) is not from an intrinsecall power of the Church catholick. On the other side (if it be said) this power is in the whole, but not derived from the whole to the parts, as the power of seeing is first in the man, then in the eye, yet not derived from hands, leggs, shoulders, &c. and as the great body of the Sunn hath intrinsecall light in every part, not by derivation from one part to another; so this power of the Keys is from Christ the Head to all the integral parts in points that severally concern the same.
First, if this be so, then every particular Congregation receives its power of the Keys immediately from Christ, not by derivation from any Presbytery, or the Catholic Church, and is in that respect Independent. Neither also can Congregations derive the power seated in them to Presbyteries, nor any greater bodies take it from them.