Church here, and of heaven hereafter, are opened or shut to believers or
unbelievers; and Christ promising or giving these _keys_ to Peter and
the apostles, and their successors _to the end of the world_, Matt.
xxviii. 20, doth intrust and invest them with power and authority of
dispensing these ordinances for this end, and so makes them _stewards_
in his house _of the mysteries of God_, 1 Cor. iv. 1, so that we may
conclude:

_Conclusion_. Therefore the church guides are the immediate subject and
receptacle of that ecclesiastical power, and of the exercise thereof.

_Argum_. II. Jesus Christ our Mediator did institute ecclesiastical
offices for church government under the New Testament before any
Christian Church under the New Testament was gathered or constituted.
Therefore those persons that were intrusted with those offices must
needs be the first and immediate receptacle or subject of the power of
the keys. Thus we may argue:

_Major_. All those whose ecclesiastical offices for church government,
under the New Testament, were instituted by Christ, before any formal
visible Christian Church was gathered or constituted, are the first and
immediate receptacle or subject of the power of the keys from Jesus
Christ.

_Minor_. But the ecclesiastical offices of Christ's own officers for
governing of the Church, now under the New Testament, were instituted by
Christ before any formal visible Christian Church was gathered or
constituted.

_Conclusion_. Therefore Christ's own officers for governing of the