III. By whom, against whom, and in what order is the power of the keys to be?

The declaration of the word of God is committed to those to whom the power of the keys is committed. The denunciation of the wrath of God, and the declaration of his grace which is accomplished by the preaching of the gospel is committed to the ministers of Christ. The preaching of the gospel is committed to them alone. But the denunciation of the wrath of God, included in Christian discipline, belongs to the whole church; for the whole church exercises discipline, and spiritual jurisdiction. Yet the denunciation which is included in the ministry of the word, is after a different manner from what it is in Christian discipline. In the ministry of the word the wrath of God is, by all and every minister, and by them alone, denounced, the word of God going before, against all the impenitent and unbelieving, viz: that they are excluded from the kingdom of Christ so long as they do not repent, and live according to the teachings of the gospel. And if they repent, the grace of God and the remission of sins is declared and testified to them from the word of God by the same ministers.

Obj. Therefore ministers have power to condemn.

Ans. They have ministerial power; by which we mean, the office to declare and testify to men according to the command of God, that God remits or does not remit their sins. This is done in two ways. First, and in general, when they declare that all those who believe are saved, and that all those who do not believe are condemned. Secondly, when in the exercise of this office they declare and testify privately to particular persons, and to every one in particular, that their sins are forgiven them of God for the sake of Christ’s merits, whenever they receive the promise of the gospel by a true faith, and that the wrath of God is denounced against every one so long as he does not repent. So Peter declared to Simon Magus: “Thou hast neither part, nor lot in this matter.” (Acts 8:21.) The same thing must be declared to every one in particular, as often as there is a necessity for it; not indeed according to our own pleasure or will, but according to the command of God. This is the power of the keys granted to the pastors of the church, and connected with the ministry of the word. The execution of this sentence however belongs to God alone. As it respects ecclesiastical jurisdiction or Christian discipline, the case is somewhat different; for the declaration of the favor and wrath of God is not made by anyone privately, but by the whole church, or at least in the name of the whole church, by those who have been chosen for this purpose by the common consent of all. This declaration is made for certain causes, and with reference to particular persons, and includes an exclusion from the use of the sacraments, when necessity requires it.

But who are to be excluded from the Christian church, and from the use of the sacraments? An answer to this Question may be anticipated from what we have already said upon this subject; which is, that those who either obstinately deny some article of faith, or show themselves unwilling to repent and to submit themselves to the will of God according to all his commandments, and who do not hesitate to declare their intention to persist in a course of open wickedness, all such are not to be admitted to the church; and if they have been admitted into the church by baptism, they must, nevertheless, not be permitted to approach the Lord’s supper until they renounce their errors and show amendment of life.

The order which is to be observed in executing the power of the keys, is that which Christ himself has prescribed in Matt. 18. If anyone has committed a private offence, he must first be kindly admonished by someone, according to the command of Christ: “If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.” (Matt. 18:15.) Then, if he does not repent after having been admonished by one, he must be again privately admonished, by taking with thee one or two more. Such admonitions, however, must be delivered according to the word of God, and with proper evidence of goodwill towards the offender; and must also be based upon causes which are just, grievous and necessary. And if he will not repent when thus admonished by one or two, he must then be corrected by the whole church, concerning which Christ has also given commandment, saying: “If he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church.” When anyone sins by committing an offence publicly against the whole church, he must also be publicly corrected by the church according to the nature of the offence. And if he will not repent when thus admonished and reproved by the church, whether it be he that committed a private offence, or he that committed a public offence, excommunication must at length be inflicted by the church, as the last remedy for the purpose of correcting obstinate and unrepenting sinners, according to the command of Christ: “If he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.”

This, therefore, is the course which should always be pursued for the purpose of correcting and reclaiming those who err, and become refractory in the church: observing the different steps which Christ has prescribed in the passage just quoted. The steps to be taken are four in number:

1. Private brotherly admonition.

2. Admonition by many.

3. Admonition by the church.

4. The public sentence of the church. The first and second steps are to be observed in private offences; the third in notorious and grievous sins or offences; the fourth in the case of contumacy, or of obstinate and determined wickedness, in which only the church proceeds to the act of excommunication, regarding the offender as an heathen and publican an alien from the church and kingdom of Christ, until he repent of his wickedness. Hence, before excommunication can be inflicted upon any one, there must necessarily be a knowledge of some error or sin, which is accompanied with obstinacy and determined wickedness on the part of the offender; so that if any one becomes a Papist, or an Arian, or a Davidian, or any other apostate, he must not be held and recognized as a member of the church, even though he may declare himself to be such; and may desire to remain in the church, unless he renounce and detest his error, and live according to the gospel. The reason is, because, God will have his church separate and distinct from all the various sects and adherents of the devil. Those, now, who reverse or disregard their baptismal vows, are members of the devil. Therefore they are to be cut off from the church, even though they may declare that they are Christians; for they deny by their works what they profess with their mouths, and so give plain evidence that they lie. Faith and a Christian life cannot exist separately. Those therefore who separate them, mock God and his church. An apostate is not one who occasionally, or even often offends in doctrine and life, and repents again of his sin; but is such anyone who, being convicted of error and open wickedness, is still unwilling to abandon his sins, and to renounce his errors. Yet if any one professes repentance, and makes an outward declaration to this effect, giving some evidence thereof in his life, the church, even though he be inwardly a hypocrite, is bound to receive him, until his true character becomes apparent; for the church is not to judge of things secret and hidden.