act, because united with the most solemn naming of the Name of God, as He has in these last days revealed Himself to man; "In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost;" and S. Paul does not hesitate to say, "By one Spirit are we all baptized into one Body" (1 Cor. xii. 13). The other question arising out of some words of our Lord, which we conclude was discussed and answered by Him during this time, was the difficult one about the meaning of "the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven." He had once said, after S. Peter had confessed Him as the Christ, "I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven[12]" (S. Matt. xvi. 19). And the same words about binding and loosing were repeated shortly afterwards to all the Apostles (S. Matt. xviii. 18). We can hardly doubt but that the question must have arisen in their minds what the keys of the Kingdom could be whereby the power of binding and loosing was given them. And although no discourse is recorded, it seems that this was another of "the things pertaining to the Kingdom" of which He spoke. For S. John, in the brief record which he has given of His first appearance to the Apostles after His Resurrection, has thus described what occurred:--Suddenly the Lord was in their midst, and said, "Peace be unto you. And He showed unto them His Hands and His Side" in proof that it was He Himself. And He said again "Peace be unto you. As My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you." And "He breathed on them, and said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained" (S. John xx. 19-23). And ever since there has been this practical interpretation of the meaning of "the keys." Christ's ministers have confidently acted, as having been entrusted by their Lord with His authority to admit men into "The Kingdom of Heaven" by Holy Baptism, or to defer the act of admission until after longer probation; to exercise the judicial power of excommunication, or expulsion from the Kingdom, for notorious sin and unbelief, as in the case of the incestuous Corinthian (1 Cor. v. 3-7), or to re-admit after repentance, as S. Paul decided to do in the same case (2 Cor. ii. 6-10); and to assure all men that in the holy Ordinances of the Church of Christ free and full remission of sins may be certainly gained. We can readily imagine that many other matters were discussed amongst "the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God." If disciples were to be made in all parts of the world, and were then to be taught "to observe all things commanded" (S. Matt. xxviii. 20) by the King, the question must have arisen, Who were to be appointed to teach them? And thus the whole subject of the government of "The Kingdom of Heaven," and the Orders and duties of the King's Ministers, would be opened.