3 Now one may say, what profit then is the Church, if he that confesses comes forth, at once raised to life again by the voice of the Lord? What profit to Him that confesses, is the Church, to which the Lord said, “Whatsoever you shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven.” Consider this very case of Lazarus: he comes forth, but with his bands. He was alive already through confession, but he did not yet walk free, entangled as he was in his bands. What then does the Church to which it was said, “Whatsoever you shall loose, shall be loosed;” but what the Lord said immediately to His disciples, “Loose him, and let him go”?
Source: Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament (New Advent)