Christ's ministers have power to admit into the Church:
in Christ's name, they act according to this authority of binding and loosing.
But the keys of the kingdom are, secondly, the key of discipline. This is an application of the former to particular persons, upon a right estimate of their characters and actions. It is not a legislative power that is hereby conferred, but judicial. The judge does not make the law. He only declares what is the law, and upon an impartial inquiry into the merits of the cause gives sentence accordingly. Such is the power of the keys, wherever it is lodged, with reference to Church membership, and the privileges thereof.
7. THE CHURCH'S MISSION
Christ's ministers have power to admit into the Church: "Go, disciple all nations, baptising them, you who profess faith in Christ, and obedience to Him, admit them and their seed members of the Church by baptism."' Ministers are to let in to the wedding feast those that are bidden, and to keep out such as are apparently unfit for so holy a communion. They have power to expel and cast out such as have forfeited their church membership. They have a power to restore, and to receive in again, upon their repentance such as had been thrown out. They can loose those whom they had bound.
8. THe CuHurRcH's DISCIPLINE And yet this authority for discipline seems to belong to the Church as a whole (Matt. xviit. 17f.). 'The Church must receive the complaints of the offended, and rebuke the sins of the offenders, and judge between them, after an impartial inquiry made into the merits of the cause. 'Tell it to the Church." It is a thousand pities that this appointment of Christ which was designed to end differences and remove offences should itself be so much a matter of debate and occasion differences and offences through the corruption of men's hearts. What Church must be told? is the great question. The civil magistrates, say some. 'The Jewish Sanhedrim, then in being, say others. But by what follows it is plain He means a Christian Church, which though not yet formed, was now in the embryo. 'Tell the Church." That is, that particular Church in whose communion the offender lives. Make the matter known to that congregation who are by consent appointed to receive information