A Catholic Catechism, Chapter 10
CAP. X. Of the Officers appointed by Chriſt in his Church.
Queſt. CAn there be either an Orderly, or an Effectual Actuation of the Truth, by the Church as a Congregation, without diſtinct and ſeparate Offices and Officers that may attend continually on this very thing?
Anſw. It is impoſible; for, an Aſſembly without Order, would ceaſe to be an Aſſembly, and fall into a Confuſion, or Rude Multitude. All Wiſe and Prudent Aſſemblies have always had Elders to preſide over them; and our Lord hath ordained ſuch to moderate throughout his Congregation or Church, to conduct all the Publick Services of Religion: For all things therein are actually adminiſtred by the Miniſters of Chriſt, the Nobleſt Organical Parts of the Church, like thoſe Senſes that attend upon the Underſtanding moſt immediately; Seeing Eyes, and Hearing Ears; ſo theſe upon the Word of Chriſt. And that they may be moſt fitted, ingaged, and provoked hereunto, they are, even according to the very Laws of Nature, ſeparated to their Offices, and unto all Preparations for them, by Reading and Meditation, as to their Proper Calling and Buſineſs of Life, ſeeing they do not pretend to Immediate and Extraordinary Inablements, or Excitations to their Service.
Queſt. What Titles or Characters does the New Teſtament place upon theſe Officers?
Anſw. Thoſe that we have eſpecial Reſpect to (for in the Deacons, if ſtrictly taken, we are leſs concerned) receive Denominations either from their Work and Service, or from that Honour and Eſtimation due to the Faithful Diſcharge of ſuch a Service. From their Work they are ſtiled Apoſtles, Evangeliſts, Paſtors, Teachers, Miniſters, Servants of God and Chriſt, and in a juſt ſenſe, of the Church alſo. From the Eſtimation and Honour due to the Diſcharge of their Work, and the Authority it ought to carry in the Hearts and Conſciences of Chriſtians, they are ſtyled Biſhops, Elders, Rulers, Guides, and Enſamples, as alſo, Embaſſadours: And the Work and the Honour do ſo encloſe one another, that they ought not to be ſeparated, and are in their Inſtitution the Meaſure one of another, extending both to Obedience, and Support of them in their Work; and the Titles are ſo prepared by the Wiſdom of the Holy Ghoſt, that they ought not to be changed for any other, nor the Scripture-Language herein to be altered, for any Words not importing the ſame proper Senſe.
Queſt. How ſhall the True Miniſters of Chriſt be known, that there may be that Obedience and Submiſſion paid to them that is commanded?
Anſw. There can be no other Means to diſcern them, but by the Word of Righteouſneſs, of which all True Miniſters are the Miniſters, on account of which alone, Obedience and Submiſſion to them is due: Their bringing that Word in its own Life, Evidence, and Power, is their beſt Commiſſion.
Queſt. But how are they moſt orderly enſtall'd into ſo high a Function?
Anſw. Chriſt as the Head of the Church, hath aſcended up on high, and given gifts to Men, and as the Lord of the Harveſt takes it upon him, as his Supreme Care, to thruſt forth Labourers into his Harveſt. The ſeveral Congregations of Chriſtians, obſerving Miniſterial Abilities, and Meetneſs to Teach, call out to ſuch to help them; and herein, in the Ceſſation of Extraordinary Gifts, the Schools of Learning and Religious Education, like the Schools of the Prophets, do beſt prepare; and the Judgment of thoſe that have been Paſtors and Teachers before them, does moſt orderly recommend to Choice and Acceptance, in the great Service, ſuch as are Scribes, inſtructed to the Kingdom of Heaven, and commits to them the Charge of Teaching others: For in this, as in all other Acts, the Elders of the Church are to preſide, with due Reſpect to the Congregation.
Queſt. Is the Lord Chriſt pleaſed then to act generally by the Elders and Officers of the Church?
Anſw. Generally and ordinarily he does ſo; the Officers are therefore more particularly entruſted by Chriſt with the Keys, even as the Church in general is. Thus eminently, by the Miniſtry of the Apoſtles, our Lord founded his Church, and ſo edifies and builds it up in After-ages, by Paſtors and Teachers; and when great Defections have prevailed upon it, ſummons it to Reformation, by ſome rais'd up among thoſe Officers, and whom he ſends out, as ſuch, to reform and recover his Church: Yet ſtill all this Power is in and according to his Word, and no other; and ſo, that in all things, as much as may be, the Knowledge, Judgment and Approbation of the Church is to be joyn'd in all the Officers do, as having their Intereſt in the Keys alſo; becauſe they have their Intereſt in the Word of God, in the Underſtanding, Opening and Applying of which to Particular Caſes, the whole Power of the Keys reſts. The Apoſtles, Elders, and the Brethren, or whole Church, were together pleaſed, and together joyn'd in that Famous Conciliary Epiſtle, Acts 15. 22.
Queſt. I deſire your more full Explanation of the Publick Offices of the Chriſtian Church, and the Power accompanying it?
Anſw. I will very willingly do as you deſire, and begin with the Apoſtles.
Queſt. Wherein ſtood their Power?
Anſw. It ſtood in their Preaching, Acting, Directing, Governing, by that Immediate and Infallible Aſſiſtance of the Divine Spirit, by which they writ and ſealed Scripture, and by which they were ſo guarded every way, that they could turn neither to the Right Hand nor to the left, in any thing wherein they exerciſed this Power.
Queſt. How was this Power Juſtified?
Anſw. By the Divineneſs, ſubſtantial Goodneſs, and Reaſonableneſs of all their Preſcriptions, propos'd in all the Methods of Rational Diſcourſe, and manifeſtation of themſelves in Mens Conſciences, witneſs'd to by the Holy Spirit, and authoriſed by a Power of Miracles, generally of Beneficence, or doing good; and in ſome, but ſparing Inſtances, of infliction of Bodily Pains, or Death.
Queſt. Did the Apoſtles never err in their Adminiſtration?
Anſw. Whenever that Infallible Guidance was not preſent to them, they might err, as was before obſerved in the Apoſtle Peter's Miſcarriage, which no doubt was recorded to ſhew their Power was not in themſelves, but in the Divine Spirit acting by them; that none in After-ages, might pretend to dictate as their Succeſſors, having not their Power, and yet requiring Obedience, as if they had it; whereas even the Apoſtles themſelves might err, and ſo loſe their Power, if never ſo little deſerted by the Holy Spirit: And therefore what they conſigned over to After-ages, was winnowed from every thing Humane and Fallible, that both Officers and People might know the one Common Rule, by which one is to Govern, the other, in the Application of it, is to be Governed.
Queſt. Who were next to the Apoſtles in this Office and Power?
Anſw. Evangeliſts, ſuch as were Timothy and Titus, who having a Portion of the Apoſtolick Work, to plant and ſettle Churches, and Ordinary Officers in them, had alſo a Portion of their Power to enable them to it, it being abſolutely neceſſary there ſhould be ſuch, till the General Rule was fully ſettled and fixed.
Queſt. Were not the Apoſtles and Evangeliſts above Ordinary Paſtors and Teachers?
Anſw. They were, in this great Point of Difference, that they had the Word of God by Immediate and Infallible Revelation committed to them, to commit the ſame to others, by direction from the ſame Spirit, who gave them Diſcerning to whom to entruſt it, till all things relating to the Kingdom of God in the Church were ſealed in the Canon of the New Teſtament; elſe they owned themſelves Compresbyters, as the Apoſtle Peter ſtiles himſelf, A Presbyter with Presbyters.
Queſt. From all that hath been ſpoken, we are to conclude, That the whole Power in the Church, and in all things pertaining to Religion, is retained in the Word of God.
Anſw. It is ſo: For Chriſt in his Word is the only King and Lawgiver of his Church, which Glory he will not give to another: Whatever Power can be ſuppoſed reſident in the whole Church together, is no other than in that Word of Truth publickly offered by it. The Apoſtles Power was only the preſence of that Word to them, by the Immediate Revelation, and infallible Guidance of the Holy Spirit, for the Preaching it throughout the World, and thereby founding the Chriſtian Church: Such was the ordinary Power of any extraordinary Miniſters under them. The and conſtant Rulerſhip of the Elders of the Church remains unmoveably in the Word, which it is their Office to ſpeak.
Queſt. Are not thoſe we diſtinguiſhingly call Biſhops, Succeſſours to the Apoſtles, in that Preeminency they had over other Paſtors and Elders?
Anſw. That Succeſſors to the preeminency of the Apoſtles may be well eſtabliſhed, Three things are neceſſary,
1. That there be found, and produced Diſtinct Commands given in Scripture to the Inferior Miniſters of the New Teſtament to obey Superior Miniſters, or Biſhops; Commands to Chriſtians to obey Inferior Miniſters, or Ordinary Presbyters, as Inferior Miniſters, with reſpect to Superior Miniſters, and thoſe Superior Miniſters, as Superiors. We muſt find the Apoſtle diſtinguiſhing, ordinary Presbyters, as Inferior Miniſters, with reſpect to Superior Miniſters; and thoſe Superior Miniſters, as Superiors; as we find him diſtinguiſhing Civil Magiſtrates into the King, as Supreme; and Governors, as thoſe that are ſent by him.
2. Seeing it is very clear, and apparent, there is nothing more diſtant from the Deſign of the Goſpel, than to Conſtitute any thing for the ſake of making a great Figure, without as great an Uſe, or End; and that Chriſt hath not given Power to his Rulers to Command the very leaſt thing, but as Commanded by himſelf firſt, for then they would be Lords, which he plainly declares againſt, and abſolutely denies to them, and that what they do as Commanded by him, they ſhould do ſo in Duty and Service to the Supreme Lord, and Subordinately to his Church, as not to be called, or eſteem'd Benefactors for their Services; ſo that it muſt be evident, what their Superior Service is; it muſt be plainly expreſſed in the Word of God, and there at leaſt ſo determinately ſet down, as to be deduced with greateſt clearneſs to the Underſtanding and Conſcience of Chriſtians, and diſtinguiſhingly from the Service of other Subordinate Rulers appointed by Chriſt, that ſo it may be waited for, and received according to his Ordinance with Faith and Obedience.
3. Seeing Chriſt appoints none to an Eminency of Service, without a ſuitable Eminency of Abilities, as is plain in the Apoſtles, and Evangeliſts; it is therefore reaſonable to expect ſome extraordinary promiſes of the preſence of Chriſt to thoſe Superior Miniſters, to aſſiſt them in the Conduct of their Superiority, wherein they might, above any other Miniſters of the Goſpel, Viſibly and Experimentally make ſome approaches to the Eminent Aſſiſtances the Apoſtles and Evangeliſts had in the time of their Miniſtry, and that they have continued, and ſucceeded in their High Function in the Church of Chriſt, ſo, that the Hiſtory of the Real, Subſtantial Services of Biſhops to Chriſtianity, hath come near to the Acts of Apoſtles, and as much excelled that of Common Presbyters, as the Order it ſelf is ſuppoſed to do: Now without theſe three ſelf evident concurrent marks of Superiority, ſecret inviſible Characters are of no ſignification.
Queſt. How then is ſuch a Succeſſion of Biſhops, in a Superiority over Presbyters, ſo uncontrolably deduced from Antiquity?
Anſw. Beſides all other Coincident Accounts, there is this to be given. After the Apoſtles, there was but a Gradual Ceſſation of Apoſtolick Men, Men of Eminent Graces and Extraordinary Gifts, though not of the Infallible Guidance of the Divine Spirit for the Revelation of the Goſpel, or the writing of Scripture; yet of more immediate Divine Aſſiſtances, in reſemblance of Timothy and Titus, for the Confirmation of the Churches planted by the Apoſtles, Superviſal over them, and Care for them; and alſo for the further propagation of Chriſtianity, which being but newly ſet out, had not arrived many places, where it was to come, and ſo needed ſome more than ordinary Aſſiſtances: Even as Miracles did not immediately Ceaſe, no more did theſe Perſonages extraordinary in their Endowments: Such as theſe were worthily in a Degree of Superiority over thoſe that had not the ſame miraculous Inablements, nor Knowledge as yet in Chriſtianity. Afterwards ſuch Manifeſtations of the Divine Preſence by Degrees retiring, and Chriſtianity having fixed it ſelf where it was then to go, and the Churches ſettled, the beſt accounts of the continuing Diſtinction between thoſe that were upon the ſame level, in regard of their Gifts and Graces were but Humane Prudence and Order, which oblige no Man's Conſcience beyond the valuableneſs of the Reaſons of that Prudence and Order. Except undeniable Holineſs, Induſtry, and Improv'd Underſtanding recommend any Perſon to ſuch Eminency. For Eminency, and being Taller than others in thoſe Qualifications, will make any Perſon a Biſhop, in the true ſenſe of one, whether ſo ordinated or not; and cannot make him that is a Dwarf in theſe, truly a Biſhop; however for Orders ſake he may ſtand in the place of that Figure.
He that excels in his Knowledge of, Obedience to, Zeal for, and Authority in the Word of God, ſeeing that Word conveys all this kind of Power from it ſelf, muſt needs have more of that kind of Power ſo conveyed than others; for the more purely this Word is underſtood and Preached, the more Power goes out of it, and along with thoſe that diſplay it, and ſo they become Paſtors of a higher Character, whether of a higher Order, or not.