1 Cor. vi.

1 Pet. ii. 5.

v. 10.

Deut. vii.

6. xiv. 2.

xxvi. 18.

Exod. xix.

5, 6.

(from profane and vain converfation,) and wholly devoted 1Pet. ii. 18. to God's fervice; chofen to be faints, and without blemish 20. vii. 23. before God in love; perfons confecrated and conftituted Eph. i. 4. priefs, to offer fpiritual facrifices, acceptable to God, Rev. i. 6. through Jefus Chrift. Holy, as in many respects peculiarly related to God; as his chofen people, (in which refpect the Jews were anciently called a holy, which is interpreted a chofen, fpecial, peculiar, precious, feparate people,) as his house and temple; wherein he in a special manner doth 1 Cor. iii. refide, wherein he is continually worshipped; Now the temple of God is holy, whofe temple are you, faith St. Paul; as oixo TOU OOU, his domeftics and familiars; as his children. Holy, as redeemed by Chrift, cleanfed by Heb. iii. 1. his blood, fanctified by his Spirit; as profeffing a holy Rom. xii. faith; as partakers of a holy and heavenly calling; as 1Pet. i. 15. endued with holy graces and difpofitions, performing holy fervices, obliged to holy converfation.

17.

Jude 20.

2 Tim. i. 9.

1, &c.

The belief and confideration of which point doth serve, 1. To engage us to perfift in the truth of Chriftian doctrine, delivered by our Saviour and his Apoftles, attested unto by the general confent of Chriftians; avoiding all Heb. xiii. 9. novelties of opinion; not being carried about with various Eph. iv. 14. and firange doctrines; not being like children toffed with waves, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, in the cozenage of men, in craft, according to the method (or artifice) of deceit; (not being deluded with fine words, or fair pretences of many innovators;) but åλndivovtes èv ayány, holding the truth in love: 2. In love; that is another duty we are hence obliged to; to maintain a hearty charity and good affection toward all good Chriftians; charity, which is the band that unites the Church, which preferves it in a sweet order and unity: consequently, 3. Readily to correfpond and communicate with all good Christians, (all focieties fincerely profeffing and practifing faith, charity, and obedience to our Lord,) communicating, I fay, in all offices of piety: 4. Submitting to all lawful order and discipline; ftudying peace, and to our power promoting concord among them: confequently, 5. To difavow and fhun all factious combinations what

ever of men corrupting the truth, or disturbing the peace of the Church. In fine, fincerely to wifh in our hearts, to pray earnestly for, to promote by our beft endeavours, the peace and profperity of that holy Catholic Church, whereof we should be members and children: all which things St. Paul directs us to in those few words, Purfue 2 Tim. ii. righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with those that call 22. upon (or are called by the name of) the Lord, with a pure heart. I proceed.

The Communion of Saints.

*

THE words were not extant in any of the ancient Creeds, but were afterwards inserted: nor (as I conceive) doth the meaning of them much differ from what was intended in the precedent article, concerning the Catholic Church; and perhaps it was adjoined thereto, by way of appofition, for interpretation thereof. For it seems the meaning of them is this; that all the faints (those which are fo either in outward efteem, as profeffing Christian faith and obedience; or those which are fo in heart and inward difpofition; those which either now converse upon earth, or which are received into heaven; all the faints) either in obligation fhould, or in effect do, communicate, partake, join together, confent, and agree in what concerns faints or members of the fame body; in believing and acknowledging the same heavenly truth; in performance of devotions and offices of piety toward God, with and for one another; in charitable affection and goodwill toward each other; in affording mutual affistance and fupplies toward each other's either temporal or fpiritual good; in mutual condolency and compaffion of each other's evil; congratulation and complacency in each other's good; in minding, according to St. Paul's words, 1 Cor. xii. with care the fame thing for one another: fo that if one member fuffers, all the members fuffer together with it; or if one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. This briefly feems to be the meaning of this point; and I need not farther labour to fhew the uses thereof; the doctrine fo plainly carrying its obligation and use in its face,

25, 26.

CONCERNING THE POWER OF THE KEYS.

I TREATED laft upon the Catholic Church and Communion of Saints: between that article and that which immediately follows concerning the remiffion of fins, I think it convenient to interpofe a brief confideration upon the Power of the Keys; the which we are directed and enjoined sometime to discourse on, and may do it, as it feems, here most seasonably, it having fo near a relation to the matter of both those articles; the Church, in which, by which, for which it is exercised, (by it also the communion of faints being maintained and preferved,) and the remiffion of fins, which (efpecially as to be understood here) is a partial and most confiderable effect or confequent of its ufe. For though remiffion of fins may be taken in its utmost latitude for all remiffion indulged by God, and by what means, in what manner, upon what account soever difpenfed; yet according to the intention of those who compiled the Creed, it feems principally to defign that formal remiffion of fins which was configned by the Church's miniftry; this being performed by virtue of a power imparted by Chrift to the Church, called, as we fhall fee, the Power of the Keys; concerning which, therefore, it will be not unfeasonable for us here briefly to dif course.

As God Almighty, being King and Sovereign Lord of the world, doth govern it partly by his own immediate hand of providence, partly by the mediation of visible deputies and vicegerents conftituted by him in feveral provinces of that his kingdom, who, receiving authority from him, are obliged under him to govern in their refpective places, according to rules of juftice and equity prescribed by him, to the promotion of his honour and praise of his name, to the procurement of his fubjects' benefit and welfare, (confifting chiefly in their leading a fafe, quiet, and commodious life here, with enjoyment of those comforts which are fuitable to men's nature,) each in his province most particularly regarding the welfare of those

fubjects committed to their charge, yet fo as withal to respect the common peace and profperity of mankind, maintaining (fo far as may be) good correspondency with the reft, observing the rules of juftice and humanity toward all this authority committed to them by God containing all powers neceffary or conducible to those purposes; the power of making and impofing laws; of propounding and bestowing rewards; of appointing and inflicting punishments; with obligation on the subjects' part to entire obedience and fubmiffion.

In the fame (or in a very like) manner doth Chrift, the Head and fupreme Governor of the Church, administer his spiritual kingdom; partly by the immediate direction and governance of his Holy Spirit, partly by his prefidency of governors appointed by him in several provinces and focieties thereof, to manage things in fuch order as may best conduce first to his glory and fervice, (as well by the propagation and enlargement of this empire, as preservation and maintenance thereof in good condition, by procuring due reverence to his person and obedience to his laws,) as may also confer to the best advantage of his subjects, and their spiritual welfare; (confifting in their being inftructed in duty, and difpofed to perform it, their being purified from fin, and perfected in holiness, and fitted for the poffeffion of that eternal happiness to which they are called, defigned for them ;) each in his province and fociety (yet fo as withal to respect the good of the whole body, maintaining charitable affection toward, and peaceable commerce with, the reft) being particularly obliged to promote thofe ends; fuch authority including all power requifite to that purpose; of establishing fit orders and rules to be observed in their respective focieties; of difpenfing encouragements and inflicting penalties, agreeable to the nature of their office, and conducible to their defignment ; the fubjects of this kingdom being obliged to obedience and compliance with those orders, to submit to those penalties and cenfures. Now this authority (either all or a great part of it) is commonly called Poteftas Clavium, by a name taken from those words of our Saviour, wherein

19.

14.

Matt. xvi. he promiseth St. Peter that he would give him the keys of the kingdom of heaven: concerning which promise we must first observe, that however it was made to St. Peter upon a special occafion, yet the matter thereof was not peculiar and restrained to his person; for the particulars conjoined therewith, and which explain the meaning thereof, are otherwhere affigned to others, as well as him. Eph. ii. 20. Chrift there declares, that upon him he will build his Church; and otherwhere we are informed, that the Church Rev. xxi. is built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles: Matt. xviii, he promises that what he fhall bind or loofe upon earth Shall be bound or loofed in heaven; and the fame privilege is promised otherwhere, in exprefs terms, to any congregation or fociety of Christians, and in terms equivalent to a certain meeting of difciples. This privilege therefore, and authority, was by our Saviour committed to the Claves illas Church; and if to the Church, then (as to its use and exregni cœlorum in bea-ercife) to the governors thereof, who act in behalf thereof; to whom its preservation is commended, upon whom the cepimus care of its welfare, its peace, its honour is incumbent: the Sacerdotes. which we fhall at prefent fuppofe, and which by the naAmbrof. Ep. 83. ture, practice, end, and defign of this power, will farther

18.

John xx.23..

to Petro cun&ti fuf

appear.

At prefent, for the better understanding the nature and extent of this power, we will confider, 1. Its name. 2. Its object, or correlative term. 3. The equivalent phrases by which it is expreffed or explained. 4. The practice and exercise thereof. 5. The rife and occafion of its inftitution. 6. The neceffity and usefulness thereof. From the confideration of which particulars we may collect wherein it confists, to what it tends, how far it extends. We will touch them briefly.

1. The name Keys, being metaphorical, implies the thing thereby defigned in its nature, or fome chief property, (most obvious and conspicuous,) to resemble keys. Now they (as being inftruments defigned to no other purpose) have no other nature or property than opening or fhutting the avenues or paffages from one place to another; and confequently their effects being either to give entrance and