A Christian Plea, Treatise 3 · Chapter 13
CHAPT. XIII. Touching the Ruling Elders, Deacons, or common people, miniſtring the Sacraments.
VVHether it be right and lawful for the Ruling Elders, Deacons, or private people out of office, not being Miniſters of the word, to adminiſter the Sacraments: or at the Lords ſupper in the delivery of the bread and wine, to bleſſe them; and to ſay to each of the communicants ſeverally, Take thou, and eat, &c. or, Take thou, and drink, &c. Matth 26, 26, 27. with 1 Cor 4, 1. and 10, 16. Epheſ. 4, 11, 12. Eſa. 66, 21. Ier. 33.18.21. Ezech. 43, 18 — 27. and 44.19. and 46.20. 2 Coron. 13.10.11. & 35.2 — 15. with 1 King. 12, 31. 1 Chron. 15.2. Rom. 12.3 — 8. 1 Cor. 12.4 — 28. Heb. 5.4.5.
1. Seeing that the Miniſters of Chriſt, are the houſehold ſtevvards and diſpenſers of the myſteries of God, the ambaſſadours of Chriſt, and labourers together with him. 1 Cor. 4, 1. with 3, 5, 9. and 2 Cor. 5, 20. Luke 12.42. Rev. 2.1. with Mal. 2, 7. Mat. 28, 18, 19, 20.
2. At the firſt celebration of the Lords ſupper, Chriſt himſelf (the Apoſtle and high Prieſt of our profeſſion) did miniſter it: and giving thanks bleſſed the bread & wine, & diſtributed them both, among his diſciples, ſaying to them all together at once, Take ye, eate ye, drinke ye, &c. Hebr. 3, 1. with Mat. 26, 26.27. Mar. 14, 22, 23. Luke 22, 19, 20. 1 Cor. 11.23. &c.
3. And the miniſtration of the Sacraments, and bleſſing of the bread and wine, is a vvork of the miniſterie. Mat. 28.18.19.20. and 1 Cor. 10, 16. with Epheſ. 4, 11, 12. Act. 20, 7. &c.
4. The†How the other Priſbyters or Elders that are Miniſters o… ſpoken of in auncient writers) may adminiſter the ſacraments, & as ſome think, Baptiſme more ſpecially: here I treat not: But wish that the right may be ſought out, and rightly obſerved. ruling Elders of the Chriſtian church (of vvhom I ſpeak) are ſuch as are anſwerable to thoſe Elders in the church of Iſrael, which were called†As being choſen out of the people, by the people, and for the people. &c. The Elders of the people, or the Rulers of the Synagogues, &c. and vvere diſtinct from the other miniſters, Prieſts, and Levites, vvhichwhich miniſtred the vvord and holy things of God in Iſraell. 1 Tim. 5, 17. and Rom. 12.7.8. with Jer. 19.1. Act. 13.15. and 18.8.17. and Deut. 33.8.10. Eſa. 66.21. 2 Chron. 13.10.11. Whereupon Ambroſe ſaith*Ambr. in 1. Tim. 5. Both the (Ievvish) Synagogue, and afterward the church (of the Chriſtians) had Elders, without whoſe counſell nothing was done in the church. The which by what negligence it is out of uſe, I know not, unleſſe it be by the ſloth, or rather pride of the Teachers, whiles they alone vvill ſeeme to be ſomevvhat. But now theſe Elders being (by the mercy of God) recovered again, and had in many of the reformed churches, it is for them carefully to attend upon their ovvn office and function; aſſiſting the Paſtors and miniſters of Chriſt in the miniſtration & government of the church, & procuring (vvhat in them is) the good order, peace, and benefit of the whole church, and of all the members thereof: but ſtil leaving to the Paſtors & other miniſters, the works of the miniſterie perteyning unto them: that ſo all may performe and fulfill their ovvne offices and miniſteries, according to the rule of the word of God. 1 Tim. 5.17. vvith Act. 20, 17, 28. Rev. 2.1. &c. Rom. 12.7.8. 1 Cor. 12.28. Epheſ. 4, 11, 12. Col 4.17. 1 Theſ. 5.12 13 14. Heb. 13.7.17. Iam. 5.14. 1 Pet. 5.1 — 4.
5. The Lords ſupper alſo is anſvverable to the Paſſeover & ſacrifices: vvhichwhich (after the building of the Tabernacle) were offred by the Prieſts, and not by the Elders of the people. 1 Cor. 5.7.8. vvith 2 Chron. 13.10, 11. and 35.2 — 15. alſo Ier. 19.1. and Eſa. 66.21.23. But note, that here I ſpeak not of the praeparation and other ſervice, vvhichwhich is attributed to the Levites; concerning vvhichwhich, ſee 2 Chron. 35.2 — 15. That may vvell hauehave an other conſideration, vvhichwhich in a good manner may be referred to the work of the Deacons, vvho novv make ready and prepare al things neceſſarie for the Lords Supper, and after the bleſſing or conſecration made by the Paſtor, doe in ſome churches receiue the bread and wine of him, and deliver it unto the communicants, that all things in the church may be done decently and in order. Whereabout alſo obſerue that vvhichwhich is written, Act. 6, 2, 3. with 1 Cor. 14.40. and 2 Chron. 35, 2 — 15. and vvhat by good conſequence and proportion may be gathered and inferred thereupon.
6. And touching the Deacons office it ſelf, note alſo how it is diſtinct from the office of the miniſters of the vvord: ſo as the Apoſtles thought it not to be meet or reaſon, that they should attend to the duties thereof, together vvith their miniſterie: but that others should be appointed to that function: & that they vvould giuegive themſelues continually to prayer, and to the miniſterie of the word. Act. 6.2.4. And thus alſo the offices of the Miniſters, Deacons, and Elders, are reckned as diſtinct, by the Apoſtle Paul, Rom. 12.7.8.
7. Moreover, the Lord hath joyned the adminiſtration of the Sacraments vvith the miniſterie of the word. Mat. 28.18.19.20. Act. 20.7.11. 1 Cor. 3.5.9. vvith 10.16. Novv what God hath†viz. In the ſame perſons, and things, and in the ordinarie adminiſtration, &c. joyned together, let not man put aſunder: as Chriſt taught in another caſe. Mar. 10.9. And on the contrarie, what God hath ſet aſunder, let not man joyne together. Numb. 16.9.10. and 18.1 — 7. vvith Eſa. 66.21. Ezech. 44.19. and 46.20. 1 Tim. 5.17.
8. Here alſo may be conſidered, how God was ſore diſpleaſed at Corah, though he vvere a Levite; and at Dathan and Abiram, with their company, though they vvere Princes of the aſſemblie, famous in the Congregation, and men of renovvne; alſo at Vzziah, though he were a King; vvhen they vvould hauehave offred incenſe upon the altar before the Lord: vvhichwhich God had layd upon the Prieſts. Numb. 16 ch. 2 Chron. 26, 16. &c.
9. Finally, a man can receiue or take nothing unto himſelf, except it be giuen him from heauen. Ioh. 3, 27. and 1, 25, 33. And no man taketh this honor unto himſelf, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. Heb. 5, 4, 5.
Accordingly doe the old and nevv Writers teach, about the miniſtration of the Sacraments and other holy things of God in the church, that difference should ſtil be kept, betvveen the Miniſters & the people. Their teſtimonies I need not note in particular: they are ſo wel knowen. OnelyOnly ſee more ſpecially Polanus on Ezech. 43, 18 — 27. pag. 785. 787. And Piſcator alſo, and Iunius: vvho vvrite, that to conſecrate the people to miniſter unto God, whereunto God appointed the Levites onelyonly, were againſt the right worſhip of God, and a perverting of all order. Piſcat. Schol. in Ezech. 44, 19. Juniij Annotat. in Ezech. 46, 20.