The Remains of John Corbet, Section 22 – Section 2
§ 22. What is, and what is not of Divine Right in Eccleſiaſtical Polity.
WE muſt diſtinguiſh between things that belong to the church as a church, or a Society divers in kind from all other Societies; and thoſe things that belong to it extrinſecally, & upon a reaſon common to it with other regular ſocieties. The former wholly reſt upon Divine Right; the latter are in genere requiſite by the Law of Nature, which requires decency and order, and whatſoever is convenient in all ſocieties; and ſo far they reſt upon Divine Right; but in ſpecie they are left to human determination, according to the general Rules given of God in Nature or Scripture. And it is to be noted, That ſuch is the ſulneſs of Scripture, that it contains all the general Rules of the Law of Nature.
What ſoever in matter of Church government doth go to the formal conſtitution of a church of Chriſt, is of Divine Right.
The frame of the Church catholick as one ſpiritual ſociety under Chriſt the head (as before deſcribed) wholly reſts upon Divine Right; and ſo the frame of particular churches as ſeveral ſpiritual Polities and integral parts of the Catholick church (as before deſcribed) is alſo of Divine Right, if ſuch Right be ſufficiently ſignified by the Precepts and Rules given by the Apoſtles for the framing of them, and by their practiſe therein. Moreover the parcelling of that one great Society the Church-catholick into particular Political Societies under their proper ſpiritual Guides and Rulers, is ſo neceſſary in nature to the good of the whole, that the Law of Nature hath made it unalterable.
It is intrinſick to all particular ſtated Churches, and ſo of Divine Right, that there be publick Aſſemblies thereof for the ſolemn Worſhip of God; that there be Biſhops, Elders, or ſpiritual Paſtors therein, and that theſe as Chriſts Officers guide the ſaid Aſſemblies in publick Worſhip, that therein they authoritatively preach the Word, and in Chriſts Name offer the mercies of the Goſpel upon his terms, and denounce the threatnings of the Goſpel againſt thoſe that deſpiſe the mercies thereof; that they diſpence the Sacraments to the meet partakers, and the ſpiritual cenſures upon thoſe that juſtly fall under them; that the members of theſe Societies explicitely or implicitely conſent to their relation to their Paſtors, and one towards another. It doth alſo intrinſecally belong to particular churches as they are integral parts of one Catholick church (of which all the particular Chriſtians contained in them are members) and conſequently it appears to be of Divine Right, that they hold communion one with another, and that they be imbodied according to their capacities in ſuch Aſſociations as have been before deſcribed.
As for all circumſtantial variation, and accidental modification of the things aforeſaid, with reſpect to meer decency, order, and convenience, according to time and occaſion, being extrinſick to the ſpiritual frame and Polity of the Church as ſuch, and belonging in common to it with all orderly Societies, they are of Divine Right only in genere, but in ſpecie they are left to thoſe to whom the conduct and government of the church is committed, to be determined according to the general Rules of Gods word.
Much of the controverſie of this Age about ſeveral forms of Church-government, is about things extrinſick to the churchſtate, and but accidental modes thereof, tho the ſeveral parties in the controverſie make thoſe Forms to which they adhere to be of Divine Right, and neceſſary to a Church-ſtate, or (as ſome ſpeak) a Church-organical. Now in the ſaid controverted Forms of Government there may be a great difference: for ſome may be congruous to the divine and conſtitutive frame of the Church, and advantageous to its ends; others may be incongruous to it, and deſtructive to its ends.
§ 23. Of a True or Falſe Church.
MANY notes of a true Church are contentiouſly brought in by thoſe that would darken the truth by words without knowledg. But without more ado the true and real being of a Church ſtands in its conformity to that Law of Chriſt upon which his Church is founded. This Law is compleatly written in the Holy Scriptures.
The more of the aforeſaid Conformity is ſound in any Church, the more true and ſound it is; and the leſs of it is found in any church, the more corrupt and falſe it is, and the more it declines from truth and ſoundneſs.
A Church may bear ſo much conformity to its Rule, as is ſufficient to the real being, or eſſential ſtate of a Chriſtian church, and yet withall bear ſuch diſconformity to its Rule, as renders it very enormous.
A church holding all the eſſentials of Faith, Worſhip, Miniſtry and Government, together with the addition of ſuch Doctrine, Worſhip, Miniſtry and Government, as is by conſequence a denial of thoſe eſſentials, and a ſubverting of the foundation, is a true church as to the eſſentials, tho very enormous and dangerous. And they that are of the communion of ſuch a church, who hold the eſſentials of Religion more prevalently in their judgment and practice, in their hearts and lives, than the ſuperadded errors and corruptions; and are ready to Renounce thoſe errors and corruptions, if they ſaw their inconſiſtence with the eſſentials, are true Chriſtians, otherwiſe they are not ſuch.
The ſame church may be a true and a falſe church in different reſpects, or formal conſiderations: In reſpect of the eſſentials of Chriſtian Faith, Worſhip and Miniſtry, it may be a true church; and in reſpect of ſome deviſed Church-form ſuperadded, by which over and above the ſaid Eſſentials it is conſtituted and denominated, it may be in that diſtinct formal conſideration a falſe church.
OF THE MINISTRY.
§ 1. The Nature of the holy Miniſtry in general.
THE Holy Miniſtry is a ſtate of Authority and Obligation to perform ſome ſpecial Holy Works and Services in the Name of Chriſt for the edifying of the church: So that whoſoever is in a holy order or office, is qua talis authorized and obliged to the work and ſervice that is appropriated to it; and whoſoever ſtatedly and de jure doth the work and ſervice appropriated to a holy order, is really in or of that order, altho men may not give him the name thereof.
Whether the Magiſtratical and Miniſterial Offices may reſide together in the ſame perſon, is not here conſidered; but if it were granted that they may, they would eſſentially differ from each other: For the Magiſtrate as ſuch hath received no authority formally miniſterial; nor hath any miniſter as ſuch the power of a civil magiſtrate.
Some thus diſtinguiſh between the magiſtratical and miniſterial authority, that the one is directive, and the other imperative. I take not this to be a competent diſtinction; for that authority that infers an obligation on the ſubject to obey, is properly imperative, and the miniſterial authority doth ſo; as the Scripture ſpeaks expreſly, Heb. 13.17. Paul was no Magiſtrate, but as a Miniſter he ſpeaks, 2 Cor. 10.6. Having in readineſs to revenge all diſobedience; and he expreſly declares his miniſterial authority to be imperative, Phil. v. 8. The I might make hold in Chriſt to injoyn thee that which is convenient, &c. and v. 21. having confidence in thine obedience, I wrote unto thee. Now they had rightly diſtinguiſhed, if inſtead of imperative they had put coercive, coactive or imperial; For all directive authority by ſpecial office is imperative. Whoſoever doth by ſpecial office direct unto duty in the name of his King, and according to his will (as a Miniſter doth in the name of Chriſt) doth therein command. But a coactive power is ſomething more and belongs not to a Miniſter as ſuch. The Magiſtrate rules by the Sword, and the Miniſter by the Word.
§ 2. Of the efficient cauſe of the Miniſtry and its Authority.
AS Chriſt alone hath the power of appointing the work or works of the holy miniſtry to be done in his name either towards believers, or the unbelieving; towards the church jointly, or toward particular perſons ſeverally; ſo he alone hath the power of appointing the holy orders or offices that contain an authority and obligation to perform the ſame: And ſeeing Chriſt hath already appointed all the miniſterial works, and appropriated the ſame to certain miniſterial orders, no new order or office of the holy miniſtry can be inſtituted by men, for they cannot inſtitute other miniſterial work to be done in Chriſts Name, than what he hath appointed.
But the circumſtances and accidental modes, and ſubſervient offices about the work of the miniſtry are of that nature, as that they well may be appointed by men; and accordingly the officers for the management thereof may be ſo appointed: and ſuch modes and circumſtances being neceſſarily ſubject to great variation in regard of the great diverſity of occaſion, cannot well be pre-defined.
The holy miniſtry and power belonging to it, is conferred neither by Magiſtrate, nor by Prelate, nor by any ſpiritual officer or officers as the proper givers thereof, but by Chriſt alone: And tho Chriſt give it in ſome reſpect by the mediation of men, yet not by them as giving the office power, but as inſtruments either of deſigning the perſon to whom he gives it, or of the ſolemn inveſtiture of that perſon therein; as the King is the immediate giver of the power of a Mayor in a Town corporate, when he gives it by the mediation of the Electors, not as giving the power, but deſigning the perſon to be inveſted with it, or by the mediation of ſome other officers as inſtruments of the ſolemn inveſtiture.
Neither Magiſtrate nor Prelate, nor any ſpiritual officer or officers can dſiannul or take away that ſpiritual office, whereof they are not the authors, nor in proper ſence the givers. Nor can they inlarge or leſſen it as to its eſſential ſtate, or define it otherwiſe than Chriſt hath defined it: And if the ordainer in conveying the holy office or order ſhould uſe any any words or actions that import the leſſening thereof in its eſſential ſtate, they are void and null; as if a Miniſter that joyns a Man and Woman in marriage according to the true intent of that ordinance, ſhall add ſome words that forbid the Husband the government of his Wife, that addition is a nullity.