en are hers, Matt. xvi. 19, and
xviii. 18, &c.; John xx. 21, 23, &c.: these things the Church may
challenge without wrong to any. 2. About actions. As when it is to be
determined by the word, what the Church of divine right may do, or not
do: as, the Church may not _bear with them that are evil_, Rev. ii. 2;
_nor tolerate women to teach_, or false doctrine to be broached, Rev.
ii. 20, &c. The Church may _warn the unruly_, 1 Thess. v. 14:
excommunicate the obstinate and incorrigible, Matt, xviii. 17, 18; 1
Cor. v. 4, 5, 13: receive again penitent persons to the communion of the
faithful, 2 Cor. ii. 7, 8: make binding decrees in synods, even to the
restraining of the outward exercise of due Christian liberty for a time,
for prevention of scandal, Acts xv. 3. About persons. The Church also
hath a power to be exercised, for calling them to their duty, and
keeping them in their duty according to the word of God: as, to _rebuke
them before all_, that sin before all, 1 Tim. v. 20: to prove deacons,
Acts vi. 2, 3, &c.; 1 Tim. iii. 10: _to ordain elders_, Tit. i. 5; Acts
xiv. 23: to use the _keys of the kingdom of heaven_, in the dispensing
of all ordinances, Matt, xviii. 18-20, and John xx. 21, 23, with Matt,
xxviii. 18-20: and, in a word, (as the cause shall require,) to judge of
all them that are within the Church, 1 Cor. v. 12.

This is the power and authority wherein the nature of church government
generally doth consist.

2. That all governments in Scripture are styled by the common names of
power or authority: e.g. the absolute government of God over all things,
is power, Acts i. 7: the supreme government of Jesus Christ, is power,
Matt, xxviii. 18; Rev. xii. 10: the political government of the
magistrate in commonwealths, is power, as John xix. 10; Rom. xiii. 1-3;
Luke xxiii. 7: the military government of soldiers under superior
commanders, is power, &c., Matt. viii. 9: the family government that the
master of a family hath over his household, is power, 1 Tim. iii. 5, "If
any man know not how to rule his own house." Yea, the very tyrannical
rule that sin and Satan exercise over carnal men, is styled power, Acts
xxvi. 18; Col. i. 13. Thus, generally, all sorts of government are
commonly called power or authority.

3. That thus the Scripture also styles church government, viz. power or
authority, as 2 Cor. x. 8, "Of our authority" (or power) "which the Lord
hath given us for your edification." Paul speaks it of this powe