A93091:676
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.
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 ⟨p. 170⟩unto them, and when upon just cause they dissent from them, still they are to walk respectfully towards them, and we think our brethren are not ignorant that Mr. Parker and Fenner give as much to the Church in excommunication, as we have pleaded for in any of our public writings. But seeing we are led by this learned author from this particular question about excommunication to that beaten controversy of the power of the Keys in general, and the first subject thereof, whereby we are forced to declare our selves herein; we shall briefly glean up some few of our scattered apprehensions, as may most concern the case in hand.
Answ. Wee are sorry to see this Reverend man of God so strongly possessed with a prejudicate opinion and feare of our concurrence with the Separation: (upon what grounds it is not said, nor can wee 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 bee 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 doe therein is but as servants of the Church from whom they derive their authority; if our profession may bee of any use to satisfie, wee doe freely, and heartily professe 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 concurre with their guides, so long as they rule in the Lord, is to bee carried in a way of obedience