A93091:675
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.
Reply. Amongst them that hold the power of the Keys to be given to the Church, some (as Fenner, Parker, I. D.) distinguish between the power it self which they give to the Church, and the execution which they confine to the Presbytery, others give the power of the Keys with the exercise thereof to the whole body of the Church; or if in the dispensation they attribute any thing to the Officers, it is but as servants of the Church from whom they derive their authority, and here lies the stone at which the Separation stumble, and which we conceive to be your judgement and practise, wherein we required your plain answer, but have received no satisfaction. You refer us to Mr. Parkers Reasons to prove the power of the Keys belong to the whole Church, who are of far differing judgement from him in the point it self, and if your judgement and practise be as the Separation (as we fear) you dissent from him and we from you in these considerations.
Reply. Amongst them that hold the power of the Keyes to bee given to the Church, some (as Fenner, Parker, I. D.) distinguish between the power it selfe which they give to the Church, and the execution which they confine to the Presbytery, others give the power of the Keyes with the exercise thereof to the whole body of the Church; or if in the dispensation they attribute any thing to the Officers, it is but as servants of the Church from whom they derive their authority, and here lies the stone at which the Separation stumble, and which wee conceive to bee your judgement and practise, wherein wee required your plaine answer, but have received no satisfaction. You referre us to Mr. Parkers Reasons to prove the power of the Keyes belong to the whole Church, who are of farre differing judgement from him in the point it selfe, and if your judgement and practise bee as the Separation (as wee feare) you dissent from him and wee from you in these considerations.
Answ. We are sorry to see this Reverend man of God so strongly possessed with a prejudicate opinion and fear of our concurrence with the Separation: (upon what grounds it is not said, nor can we apprehend) That neither our flat negation of the position, nor our reference to Mr. Parker as concurring with him, should give him any satisfaction to the contrary. But if that be the judgement, and practise of the Separation which is here imputed unto them, viz. That the power and exercise of the Keys is in the body of the Church, and what the Officers do therein is but as servants of the Church from whom they derive their authority; if our profession may be of any use to satisfy, we do freely, and heartily profess to the contrary: affirming that the authoritative power of transacting all things in the Church, is in the hands of the Officers who minister in the name and power of Christ to and over the Church, and that the power or liberty of the community whereby they may and ought to concur with their guides, so long as they rule in the Lord, is to be carried in a way of obedience