Propositions and Principles of Divinity Disputed, Section 73
PRINCIPLES TOVCHING THE MINISTERS OF THE WORDE VNDERUNDER THE GOSPEL. LXXIII.
1 BEcauſe God, by means of his Miniſters, from the beginning of the world vntounto this day, hath with the word of life ſuſtained man being fallen: the order both of time and doctrine requireth, that ſeeing we hauehave in the former Principles, ſpoken of the Miniſterie which God ordained in his Church, both before and after the law: We now deale with that Miniſtery, which Chriſt after the aboliſhing of the law, appointed in theſe laſt times, to be in the Chriſtian Church.
2 And to the end that the ſumme and the truth of the whole matter may be more clearely ſet downe: we affirme firſt of all, that there are three ſortes of Eccleſiaſticall functions to be gathered out of the holie Scriptures. For ſome doe attend vponupon the preaching of the word; of which ſort, were Apoſtles, prophets, Euangeliſts, and at this day Paſtors and Teachers: Others hauehave the ouerſight of the gathering and right diſtribution of the Church goods. The third ſort, doe watch ouer the manners of men in preuenting offences, and preſeruing the right gouernement of the Church.
3 Chriſt therefore, as the Son and the ſoueraigne Lord and gouernor of his Fathers houſe; did not only perfectlie ſet downe the doctrine of the couenant, but alſo declared, by what callings hee would hauehave his Fathers houſe, that is, the Church to be gouerned.
4 And therefore he himſelfe, as PAVLE ſaith, gaue for the worke of the Miniſterie, and the knitting togeather of the Saints, ſome Apoſtles, ſome Prophets, ſome Euangeliſts, ſome Paſtors and Teachers.
5 Neither is it to bee inferred, either that all theſe callings were ordained to bee perpetually in the Church: or yet on the other ſide, that all of them were to continue, but onelyonly for a time.
6 Now all theſe names, as alſo the name of Elders and Deacons, are ſometimes in a general ſignification, attributed vntounto al thoſe who hauehave the miniſtery of the word committed vntounto them: and ſometimes they do declare dictinct and peculiar functions, in which ſenſe we take them in the treatiſe following.
7 Of theſe fiue, the three firſt were temporarie, hauing alſo eueryevery one of them a diſtinct Miniſterie, and they were peculiarlie called Apoſtles, Euangeliſtes, and Prophets, as being appointed for the planting of the Church throughout the worlde, by the publiſhing of the newe couenant. The other two callinges were perpetuallie to remaine vntounto the laſt comming of Chriſt.
8 The chiefe and moſt excellent of all theſe, were the twelue Apoſtles, (vntounto whoſe number, PAVLE was afterward called) as it were the embaſſadors of God, who were elected and admitted neither of men, neither by men, but of Chriſt immediatlie, that all of them being of equall authoritie amongſt themſelues, ſhould become the Maiſter-workman of the building, whereabout they were to be imployed, beeing ſtrictlie tied vntounto no certaine congregation.
9 They therefore, as they were lead by the inſpiration of the holie Ghoſt, or by ſome peculiar commaundement of God, traueling thorow many countries, preached the grace of Chriſt euerie where vntounto all men, the which, they both confirmed with miracles, and ſealed by the adminiſtration of the Sacraments. They alſo committed the churches which they had planted, to be gouerned by their Paſtors and Doctors, as time and place would permit: this office being faithfullie performed by them, and they being called out of this life, the Apoſtolicall calling alſo ceaſed.
10 Hence it appeareth, how vaine and deteſtable in all godlie eares, is that voice of the Romiſhe Prelate, who is not affraid to profeſſe himſelfe an Apoſtle, by vertue of his tyrannicall ſucceſsion, and is not aſhamed vnderunder the fayned pretence of PETERS Primacie, to call himſelfe, chief or Prince of the Apoſtles, (amongſt whome there was none either greater or leſſer then other) and euen the heade of the whole Church.
11 It is out of controuerſie, that all thoſe were called Prophetes, who by the inſpiration of Gods Spirit, forſawe and fore-told things to come: whoſe calling before the comming of Chriſt, was (when the Prieſts grew negligent) to direct the faith of the Saints vntounto the promiſed ſaluation, and alſo both to raiſe vp the godlie, & to beat down the diſobedient, by their diuine reuelations. So alſo at the beginning of the preaching of the Goſpell, they were called Prophets, who were indued with a peculiar gift of reuelation or diuine wiſdome, wherwith God would at that time adorne his Church: of this ſort was AGABVS, & the foure daughters of PHILIP the Euangeliſt, mentioned in the Acts of the Apoſtles, and others vndoubtedlie not a few.
12 Sometimes notwithſtanding the woorde PROPHET and Propheſying in the Scriptures, are taken in a manifold ſenſe, and ſignifie all thoſe in generall who execute the function of the Paſtor. For in this ſenſe the Apoſtle ſaith, He that propheſieth aedifieth the Church, exhorteth, comforteth, reproueth the contrarie doctrine.
13 VnderUnder the name EVANGELISTS are vnderſtood thoſe whome the Apoſtles vſed as their companions and fellow labourers, becauſe they themſelues were not ſufficientlie able to performe euerie work in all the Churches, of this ſort was TIMOTHIE and TITVS, SILVANVS and others.
14 Now their office was to performe the worke begun or otherwiſe committed vntounto them by the Apoſtles, as it is manifeſt eſpeciallie out of the Epiſtles of PAVLE to TIMOTHY, and TITVS: whoſe calling was alſo temporarie. Thoſe foure in like ſort are called Euangeliſts in a more ſtrict ſignification, whoſe ſeruice the Lord vſed for the writing of the ſtorie of the Goſpell, and deſcribing the beginning of the Chriſtian Church.
15 There remaine two callings belonging to the Miniſterie of the word: to wit, Paſtors and Doctors; who are diſtinguiſhed from the former, in a three-fold reſpect: firſt in that they are not immediatlie, but hauehave bene euer ſince the time of the Apoſtles, ordained by the miniſtery of men according vntounto that forme whereof wee ſhall ſpeake. Secondlie, in that they are tied vntounto a certain congregation: laſtlie, becauſe the Lord hath ordained both theſe functions to be perpetuall in the Church.
16 The proper & the peculiar function of the Doctor, is to teach the doctrine of true Religion, by the faithfull interpreting of the Scriptures, to defend the ſame againſt the gainſayers, and to gouerne the Eccleſiaſticall ſchooles.
17 Nowe the Miniſterie of Paſtors, as of the Prieſt in times paſt, conſiſteth in three points: Firſt not onlie in the ſimple laying open of the propheticall and appoſtolicall doctrine which wee ſayd to bee the office of the Doctors, but alſo both in the priuate and publick aplication therof by ſinceare and diligent teaching, reproouing, correcting, and inſtructing: Next in the adminiſtration of the Sacraments, which are come in place of the legall rites; brieflie, in conceauing publick prayers, which is not the leſt part of the Eccleſiaſticall miniſterie.
18 The adminiſtration of the worde alſo is committed vntounto the Elders peculiarlie ſoe called, (whome Paul doeth eſpecially expreſſe by the name of gouerners) but not ſimply to that end, for the which it is committed vntounto the Paſtors and doctors. For they doe not adminiſter the worde either publicklie vntounto the whole congregation, or priuatlie vntounto ſome: but hauehave authoritie to adminiſter the eccleſiaſticall cenſures together with the Paſtors, by reprouing, rebuking and binding, if necesſitie ſo require, thoſe, who by due tryal are found to walk inordinatly in the Church, being ſuch as cannot be otherwiſe amended; which is don not that ſinners ſhould periſh, but contrariwiſe that being humbled at leaſt by ſhame, they may returne into the right way.
19 Theſe together with the Paſtors (though diſtinguiſhed by their function as wee ſaid) are ſome times called by a generall and common name of Biſhoppes, overſeers rulers; and that in reſpect of the flocke, which they are to rule and gouerne.
20 DEACONS peculiarlie ſo called, are thoſe, who hauehave the charge both of the receauing and alſo of the orderlie diſtribution of the almes, and the adminiſtration of the reſt of the Church-goods: and the applying of them to the neceſsitie of the poore, & other holie vſes: amongſt which number in times paſt were reckoned the companie of widdowes, beeing appointed eſpeciallie for the manifold neceſsities of the poore.
21 Nowe, it is vnlawfull for anie man to intermeddle with theſe holie functions, except he be rightlie called: & a lawfull calling is that, whereby (according to the order inſtituted by Chriſt) anie man, of whoſe life and doctrine there hath bene a diligent and a preciſe examination had, is by the Church whereunto he is appointed, (the name of God beeing in all ſingleneſſe and ſinceritie called vponupon) choſen, as it were, by the voice of the holie Ghoſt, ſpeaking in the mouth of the Church.
22 In theſe kindes of elections, whether they be done at once in the ſame tenour, time and place, (which vſe being at the firſt in a holie ſort practiſed in the Church, was afterwarde made dangerous by couetouſneſſe and ambition) or in diuers actions, times and places: it is meet, as it hath bene the continuall practiſe of all well ordered churches, that firſt the Paſtors, Doctors and Elders, ſhuld hauehave the chief dealing, as being thoſe who both hauehave the ouerſight of the flocke, and are likelie to bee of ſounder judgement in diſcerning the doctrine. Next vntounto them, the chief and eſpeciall men, both in godlineſſe and authoritie as the Magiſtrate (if hee be a Chriſtian) are to hauehave place. Laſtlie, the conſent of the people is to be had, in ſuch ſort as no man is to bee admitted vntounto anie Eccleſiaſticall function, but by the knowledge and conſent of the whole Church.
23 Election being lawfullie finiſhed, publiſhed, and ratified, impoſition of hands or ordination, that is, the placing of a man, as it were, in the poſſeſsion of the holie miniſterie, is to be done of Paſtors, in name of the whole Elderſhip.
24 The Lord hath ordained theſe callings to continue in his church, to the end of the world: neither indeed hath the church, or euer ſhall altogether want the miniſterie of the word, ſeeing faith is by hearing. Yet we ſee (the ſinns of men enforcing the Lord thereunto, and his juſt iudgement which beginneth at his owne houſe, requiring the ſame) that it hath often come to paſſe, as it was expreſlie foretolde by the Spirit of God, that the publick miniſtery was for the moſt part, not in the handes of carefull Sheepheards, but of the moſt forlorne ſpoilers and waſters of the Church, Antichriſt him ſelfe alſo, ſitting in the very Temple of God.
25 Nowe, when this hath come to paſſe, the Lord, in merciemercy towards his Church, hath bene accuſtomed, either extraordinarilie (as he did to the Prophets in times paſt) without anie conſideration of that election whereof wee hauehave now ſpoken, or ordinarilie out of their nomber who lurked amongſt thoſe robbers, to endue with his Spirit & wonderfull power, whome hee thought good to chuſe for the building vp of his decaied houſe: whoſe vocation appeareth by their fruits: that is, both by the truth of their doctrine drawn out of the pure word of God, and alſo by the example of their true Chriſtian life.
26 So it commeth to paſſe, that the vocation of theſe men, which at the firſt was extraordinarie, is (after that the right order is reſtored by them) become lawfull and ordinarie: and they are farre vnlike vntounto them, who neglecting the right order that is in force, are drawne either by ambition, couetouſneſſe, or ſome other affection to inuade the functions of the miniſterie: of whome the Lord ſaith, [They ran, but I ſent them not.]
Defended by ABRAHAM HENRIE a Normane.