B20727:223
The keys of the kingdom of heaven and power thereof according to the word…The keyes of the kingdom of heaven and power thereof according to the word…
The keys of the kingdom of heaven and power thereof according to the word of God / by Mr. John Cotton ...The keyes of the kingdom of heaven and power thereof according to the word of God / by Mr. Iohn Cotton ...
London: printed by M. Simmons for Henry Overton, 1644
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. The contentions in the Church of Corinth were not the offence of a private brother, but of the whole church. And who can tell whether they had not spoken of it to the Church before? But whether they had or no, the example only argueth, that Brethren offended with the sins of their brethren, may tell an Elder of the church of it, that he may tell it to the Church, which no man denieth. Paul was an Elder of every church of Christ, as the other Apostles were, as having the government of all the churches committed to them all.
Answ. The contentions in the Church of Corinth were not the offence of a private brother, but of the whole church. And who can tell whether they had not spoken of it to the Church before? But whether thay had or no, the example only argueth, that Brethren offended with the sins of their brethren, may tell an Elder of the church of it, that he may tell it to the Church, which no man denyeth. Paul was an Elder of every church of Christ, as the other Apostles were, as having the government of all the churches committed to them all.
Having thus (by the help of Christ) cleared this Text in Mat. 18.17. from variety of misconstructions, (which not the obscurity of the words, but the eminency of the gifts, and worth of Expositors hath made difficult) Let us add an argument or two more to the same purpose, to prove, that the Church of a particular Congregation, fully furnished with officers, and rightly walking in judgement and peace, is the first subject of all Church-authority, needful to be exercised within their own body.
Having thus (by the help of Christ) cleered this Text in Mat. 18.17. from variety of misconstructions, (which not the obscurity of the words, but the eminency of the gifts, and worth of Expositors hath made difficult) Let us adde an argument or two more to the same purpose, to prove, that the Church of a particular Congregation, fully furnished with officers, and rightly walking in judgement and peace, is the first subject of all Church-authority, needfull to be exercised within their own body.