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moral quality, making it to be good or bad, lawful or unlawful,) and binds the perfons concerned to obfervation or abstinence; he that permits the fame thing to be done, or difpenfes with its doing, may be faid to loofe: thus all laws are bonds, and are faid to oblige; and the removing or fufpending their force, in whole or in part, (by abrogation, or difpenfation, or exception,) is consequently a loofing, or relaxation; and the power of binding and loofing thus would be a power legislative, of making and repealing laws and rules of action; and in fome analogy hereto, the power (with authority and by office) of interpreting laws, that is, of determining and declaring what is com manded, what prohibited, what permitted, may be called a power of binding and loofing, (and if we believe Mr. Selden, and Grotius perhaps from him, in Matt. xvi. is fo commonly termed among Jewish writers :) alfo the exercife of any jurisdiction, the decifion of any cafe, the warding any amends to be done, any mulet to be imposed, any punishment to be inflicted, is a binding; to which kind of Matt. xviii. binding it seems plain that place doth more particularly refer, wherein our Saviour pronounces valid the arbitration between perfons in difference made by one or two friends; or (if that cannot terminate the controverfy) the final judgment of the Church, concerning which he with affeveration pronounces, Amen, (verily,) I fay unto you, that whatsoever ye (a Church of you my disciples) shall (viz. in this manner, by way of jurisdiction or arbitration) bind upon earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose upon earth shall be loofed in heaven: all your fentences and decifions (duly and impartially made) fhall be valid and ratified by God himfelf. Alfo the refult of any contract is an obligation, and they who make or enter into it do bind the parties concerned, (themselves and others.) Moreover, the detaining any how under one's power or disposal, is binding; and the setting free thence, Luke xiii. a loofing anfwerable thereto; (Ought not, faith our Saviour, this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound thefe eighteen years, to be loofed from this bond on the fabbath day? That which is here called bound by Satan is

18.

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otherwhere expreffed by καταδυναςεύεσθαι ὑπὸ τῆ διαβόλω, Ας π. 38, (being under the power and dominion of the devil.) Alfo binding may imply detaining in any present condition, (as fuppofe a condition of guilt, of disfavour, of obnoxioufnefs to wrath and punishment, either pofitively, by keeping on the fhackles which hold them, or negatively, by withdrawing the means of getting out ;) and correspondently, loofing is a freeing from fuch a state, by removing the causes which hindered, or applying the means which procure liberty. And to this laft fenfe the other equivalent phrafe (used in St. John, of retaining and remitting of fins) doth feem to refer; Whofefoever fins ye remit, they John xx, are remitted unto them; and whofefoever fins ye retain, 23. they are retained; that is, whomfoever ye fhall think fit to detain in a ftate of guilt, to refufe pardon and reconcilement unto, they fhall continue in fuch state, they shall reft deprived of those benefits; whomfoever ye fhall judge worthy to be abfolved from guilt, and received unto favour, they fhall effectually be pardoned and reconciled in God's fight; your act, in respect to that remiffion or retention, fhall be approved and ratified in heaven. Now from these confiderations concerning the name of this power, and the term or object thereof, and of the phrases in fome measure equivalent to that whereby it is expreffed, although we may probably infer fomewhat concerning the nature thereof, yet the perfect nature and full extent thereof feems beft deducible from that which we muft next confider. ·

4. The practice and exercise of this power; which being by our Saviour committed to his Church, and to the Apoftles as governors thereof, and acting in its behalf, we cannot suppose they would act beyond or befide it. What we fee them (in way of office and authority) doing, applicable and agreeable to the meaning of thofe words, as hitherto in fome fort explained, we may well believe done by virtue of this power fo exprefsly by our Lord bestowed on them; and the like we may reasonably fuppofe concerning the Church's nearly fucceeding to their times, that what they generally practifed in way of government

was by authority, not arbitrarily affumed to themselves, but derived from Chrift's donation and appointment, declared to be fo, directed and determined to particular ufe

by the Apoftles, when they planted and fettled each Acts ii. 14, church. Now for the Apoftles' practice; we find, as &c. xx. 18, (firft) to the opening part of this power, that they did

&c.

with great earneftnefs and diligence labour to bring men into the kingdom of heaven by inftruction, invitation, and perfuafion, (not fparing any pains, not regarding any difficulty, not fhunning any danger for the effecting hereof;) Not (to ufe St. Paul's words in the Acts) keeping back any thing that was profitable, but fhewing and teaching them publicly from houfe to houfe, thoroughly testifying both to Jews, and alfo to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jefus Chrift. That having thus induced men, and qualified them to enter, (by entertaining the doctrine of Chrift, and refolution to live according thereto,) they did actually admit them into this ftate by a folemn act, containing a fymbolical reprefentation of the nature of this ftate, with the benefits and privileges accompanying it; declaring the perfons fo admitted to be received into a ftate of entire favour with God, to be freed from all precedent guilt, to have all their fins remitted A&ts ii. 38. and blotted out, to be redeemed from the power of darkCol. i. 12, nefs, and tranflated into the kingdom of Chrift, God's beloved Son. That by conftant exhortation to perfeverance and progrefs in faith and obedience, (againft all temptations, perfecutions, and feductions,) in St. Paul's words, Rom.iv.25. warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, Col. i. 18. they might prefent (or render) every man perfect in Chrift Jefus, they did endeavour to preferve and retain men in this ftate; that when men, being overborne by temptation of the flesh or perfecution of the world, or feduced by the cunning of falfe teachers, did decline, and were in danger of deferting the profeffion or practice agreeable to this ftate, they did labour zealously to reclaim, and refettle them therein; and that fuch having fallen from it of themselves, or having been (by reafon of their fcandalous and contagious practice) in way of cenfure and punish

iii. 19.

13, &c.

1 Cor. vi.11.

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ment removed from it, they were ready (upon their repentance fufficiently declared) to receive and restore them, reinstating them in their former condition, and remitting their offences; (If any man, faith St. Paul, be prevented Gal. vi. 1. in a tranfgreffion, ye that are spiritual, xaragrí¿ete tòv TOIŠTOV, restore (reestablish, set in a right and entire state) such an one in the Spirit of meekness; confidering thyself, left thou also be tempted: and, If any one doth not obey our words― 2 Theff. iii. mark fuch an one, and do not converfe with him, that he 14. may be ashamed: however do not account him an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.) And more plainly, St, Paul enjoins the Corinthians to account a punishment impofed upon a grievous offender fufficient; that they should 2 Cor. ii. 7, favour (or indulge with, or forgive) and comfort him, left he should be swallowed up with grief; that they should confirm love toward him; declaring, that what favour they fhould fhew in fuch cases, he should consent and comply with them therein. And he otherwhere tells us, that the 2 Cor. xiii. power he had bestowed upon him by Chrift, according to which he might, upon occafion, ufe perfons feverely, was for edification, and not for destruction; that the extremeft 1 Cor. v. 5. punishment inflicted (delivery to Satan, from whose dominion they were by entrance into Chrift's kingdom freed) was for deftruction of the flesh, that the spirit might be 1 Tim.i.20. faved in the day of judgment, and that they might learn not to blafpheme; intimating a reftitution into this state by repentance. And lastly, whereas St. Paul advises Timothy not to lay fuddenly his hands upon any man, nor iTim.v.22. (thereby) to partake with other men's fins; he seems to intimate the practice of receiving offenders into full communion of the Church, and readmittance into this ftate, fignified by that ceremonious action. Thus did the Apostles ufe the Power of the Keys on one hand; opening, and admitting, and keeping within the state of grace. We also shall find them shutting and excluding from it, by re-. fufing and rejecting fuch as were not worthy and well difpofed for it; withdrawing the means of inftruction and perfuafion; not cafting their pearls to fwine; shaking duft off their feet, when men (as it is in the Acts)

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Luke ix. 62.

the Matt. vii. 6. did Acts xiii.

46,51.xviii.

thruft away the word of God, and did not judge themselves worthy of eternal life. We find them also exercifing authority upon fuch as were admitted; dealing feverely with perfons walking diforderly in any kind of lewd and vicious practice, difobeying their words and orders, making divifions and fcandals, breathing falfe and bad doc. trines, contrary to that which they had taught; fuch they enjoin Chriftians to decline from, and avoid all comRom. xvi. munion and conversation with them; fuch, as bad leaven, Theff. ii.a. they command to be purged out from the Christian con1 Cor. v. 7. gregations, to be taken from among them, to be delivered up to Satan. Thus did they shut the kingdom of heavens and fo, according to their example and order, (as we should in reason suppose,) did the governors of the Chriftian Church after them both open and fhut it; opening it Baf. Naz. by baptifm, (which the Fathers fometime exprefsly call

17, &c.

ii. 11.

&c.

Cap. 38.

xλeìs ovpavæv, the key of heaven,) and receiving perfons well inftructed and well difpofed into it; opening it again by receiving persons who had been for heinous offences put out, upon due teftification and reasonable affurance of their amendment and repentance; and fhutting it upon perfons unfit to enter, feparating and excluding from it fuch as notoriously misbehaved themselves therein, to the dishonour, disturbance, and detriment of the Church. I cannot infist upon particulars, nor ftand to produce teftimonies concerning them; let one clear paffage (as to the latter part, shutting) out of Tertullian's Apologetic, wherein he declares the manner commonly practised in the Christian Churches, fuffice. Certe, faith he, fidem fanclis vocibus pafcimus, fpem erigimus, fiduciam figimus, difciplinam præceptorum nihilominus inculcationibus denfamus; ibidem etiam exhortationes, caftigationes, et cenfura divina; nam et judicatur magno cum pondere, ut apud certos de Dei confpectu, fummumque futuri judicii præjudicium eft, fi quis ita deliquerit, ut a communicatione orationis, et conventus, et omnis fancti commercii relegetur.

5. As for the rife and occafion of this power, (befide the neceffity and utility thereof, which might cause it to be appointed,) we may confider, that as all, or the greater

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