A93091:376
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.
2 The Church which is the Body of Christ existing in this age, the Keys are given to it primarily, in comparison of particular Churches coexisting with it, as to the chief object and end; but not to it as a political Body, in respect of actual and immediate dispensation thereof: for (as we have oft said) if in respect of Political dispensation the Keys belong firstly to the Body of Christ as his Spouse and redeemed ones; then the Church invisible as invisible, rather then visible, must have the dispensation of the Keys primarily.
2 The Church which is the Body of Christ existing in this age, the Keys are given to it primarily, in comparison of particular Churches coexisting with it, as to the chief object and end; but not to it as a politicall Body, in respect of actuall and immediate dispensation thereof: for (as we have oft said) if in respect of Politicall dispensation the Keys belong firstly to the Body of Christ as his Spouse and redeemed ones; then the Church invisible as invisible, rather then visible, must have the dispensation of the Keys primarily.
3 It is not said, that the Keys are immediately given to a particular Church abstractly, as a number of redeemed, but as consociated and politically combined: And in this respect that may be attributed to the part, a particular Congregation of redeemed ones, which cannot be attributed to the whole. Ex. gr. such a Congregation is combined, so is not the whole, nor can be; such a Church may choose a Pastor over it, but so cannot the whole; so a man may tell the particular Church, who may convene together, not so the whole.
Thus far (through the help of Christ) we have endeavoured to clear the first Point propounded concerning a Catholic instituted Church. We come now to prove the second Point, viz. That Jesus Christ hath instituted in the Gospel a particular Church ⟨p. 106⟩