ate, court, parliament, prince, or potentate
whatsoever, as all secular civil power is; no, nor in the name of
saints, ministers, or the churches: but in a spiritual manner, in the
name of the Lord Jesus, from whom alone all his officers receive their
commissions. The word is to be _preached in his name_, Acts xvii. 18:
seals dispensed in his name, Matt. xxviii. 19; Acts xix. 5: censures
inflicted in his name, 1 Cor. v. 4, &c. (See chap. V.)

5. Spiritual in the subject intrusted with this power; which is not any
civil, political, or secular magistrate, (as after will more fully
appear, in chap. IX.) but spiritual officers, which Christ himself hath
instituted and bestowed upon his Church, _apostles_, &c., _pastors,
teachers, elders_, Eph. iv. 7, 8, 10, 11. To these only he hath given
the _keys of the kingdom of heaven_, Matt. xvi. 19, and xviii. 18,19,
and xxviii. 18, 19; John xx. 21-23; 2 Cor. x. 8, _authority which the
Lord hath given us_. These he hath made _governments in his Church_, 1
Cor. xii. 28. To these he will have _obedience and subjection_
performed, Heb. xiii. 17, and _double honor_ allowed, 1 Tim. v. 17.

6. Spiritual in respect of the object about which this power is to be
put forth and exercised, viz. not about things, actions, or persons
civil, as such; but spiritual and ecclesiastical, as such. Thus
injurious actions, not as trespasses against any statute or law
political; but as scandalous to our brethren, or the Church of God,
Matt, xviii. 18, 19; are considered and punished by this power. Thus the
incestuous person was cast out, because a wicked person in himself, and
likely to leaven others by his bad example, 1 Cor. v. 6. Thus the
persons whom the Church may judge are not the men of the world without
the Church, but those that are in some sense spiritual, and within the
Church, 1 Cor. v. 12.

7. Spiritual also is this power in the scope and end of it. This the
Scripture frequently inculcates: e.g. a brother is to be admonished
privately, publicly, &c., not for the gaining of our private interests,
advantages, &c., but for _the gaining of our brother_, that his soul and
conscience may be gained to God and to his duty, and he be reformed,
Matt, xviii. 15. The incestuous person is to be "delivered to Satan, for
the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of
our Lord Jesus," 1 Cor. v. 5; yea, the whole authority given to church
guides from the Lord was given to this end,