From that power of Government, and key of Discipline, committed by Jesus Christ, to Church-Officers, under the New Testament. For Christ hath given to them the keys of the Kingdom of heaven, which imply not only a key of doctrine, but of discipline, and that both to keep out such as Christ would not have received in, and to shut out such as Christ would not have to continue in; The use of a key being for both these purposes. For shutting out those that should not be continued in, as is granted on all hands from divers Scriptures[82]. And consequently, for keeping out those that should not be received in, there being the same reason of both. For to what purpose should such be received in, as are by Christs command immediately to be cast out again.
2. That divers ill consequences will otherwise ensue, if grosly ignorant, and scandalous persons be not kept away, is plain.
1. Church-Governours should be very unfaithfull Stewards of the Mysteries of Christ, and perverters of his Ordinance. If a Steward to whom his Lord hath committed his goods to be carefully distributed, to such as are honest, faithfull, and diligent in his field or Vineyard, shall not only admit of Loyterers, and such as by their evill example discourage others, but also shall give to such the bread and wages which belongs to them who are faithfull and industrious, should he not be accounted a very unjust and unfaithfull Steward, and an abuser of his trust?
2. They should be guilty of polluting and prophaning the Sacrament. If a Minister should give this Sacrament to an Infant, or to a Mad-man, or to a meer fool; or to a Swine, or a Dog, would not all men say this were a horrible prophanation thereof? Shall it then seem a small prophanation to give it unto one who is as ignorant as an Infant, and walloweth as a Swine in the mire of sin and uncleanness?
3. They should express a great deal of cruelty and inhumanity to the soul of him to whom they give the Sacrament; because they give it to one who will eat and drink his own damnation.
4. They will hereby make themselves accessary to his sin of unworthy receiving; For it is a certain Rule in Divinity; [83]He that suffers a man to commit sin, when it is in his power to hinder him, is accessory to the sin that that man commits; as appears by the [84]example of Eli: And therefore, if the Officers of the Church that are deputed by Christ to keep grosly ignorant, or scandalous, from the Sacrament, shall yet notwithstanding suffer them to come, and can hinder them, but will not, they themselves become guilty of his sin.
5. They do hereby grieve the Godly, that are members of the same Congregation, and as much as in them lies, they pollute & defile the whole Congregation: For know you not, saith the Apostle, that a little Leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
6. Adde lastly, that hereby they bring down the judgments of God upon the Congregation; according to that text, 1 Cor. 11.30. For this cause many are sick.
From all this, we argue thus; If Church-Officers under the Old Testament had an authoritative power to separate between the holy and prophane; and if under the New Testament they have a power to keep out from the Sacrament, such as are grosly ignorant, or scandalously wicked; and if it be the Will of Christ, that the Officers of the Church should be faithful Stewards of the Mysteries of Christ, that they should not pervert, nor pollute his Ordinance; that they should not be cruel to the souls of their Brethren, or be partakers of other mens sins, that they should not grieve the Godly, nor bring guilt and judgment upon the Congregation of which they are Officers: Then it is the Will of Christ, that they should not give the Sacrament to such, who are grosly ignorant, and scandalously wicked.
3. Proposition.