The Remains of John Corbet, Section 15 – Section 18
§ 15. That a ſingle Presbyter may put forth acts of Diſcipline in his own Church without the concurrence of Ruling Elders, that are not Miniſters.
THERE is no neceſſity of adding the above-named Ruling Elder to the Miniſters of the Goſpel in the Government of the Church: For Chriſt hath committed to his Miniſters the keys or ſtewardſhip of his houſe; and he hath committed the ſame to them not only as to a Presbytery conſtituted of many, but alſo to each of them as ſingle Presbyters. And where there is but one Presbyter in a Church, his acts of Diſcipline are as lawful and valid in his own Church as thoſe that are done by many in a Church where there are many Presbyters: And the contrary opinion is precarious, and not founded in Scripture.
As for that paſſage, 2 Cor. 2.6. Sufficient to ſuch a man is this puniſhment that was inflicted by many: from thence to infer that a Church-cenſure may not be adminiſtred by one Miniſter, is to draw a general concluſion from one inſtance; or becauſe a cenſure was inflicted by many in the Church of Corinth, where there were many Miniſters, therefore it ought to be ſo in all Churches, even where there is but one Miniſter.
Moreover, if the true nature of a Church-cenſure were conſidered, there would be no reaſon to doubt of its being lawfully or validly adminiſtred by one perſon. For it is no more than authoritative declaring and judging in Chriſts Name, that ſuch a one is unmeet for fellowſhip with Chriſt and his Church, and a charging of the Congregation in Chriſts Name to avoid him.
Indeed thoſe words of our Saviour, Mat. 16. Tell the Church, are to be conſidered and cleared: For it is from hence argued, that the Church being a collective name, betokens a number, and therefore not one but many are to hear and cenſure matters of ſcandal. To which argument it may be firſt replyed, That a Presbytery or company of Presbyters is in Scripture no more called the Church, than one Miniſter: But the anſwer is, that by the rule of interpretation words and names muſt be limited with reſpect to the matter treated of; and ſo the word Church in the ſaid text is to be underſtood of the Church as governing, and therefore reſpects not the governed, but the governing-part thereof, which is but one perſon in a Church that hath but one Biſhop or Presbyter. The Apoſtle wrote his firſt Epiſtle to the Corinthians to the whole Church, and ſaith chap. 5. v. 4, 5. When ye are gathered together to deliver ſuch a one to Satan. v. 13. Put away from yourſelves that wicked perſon. Now in theſe places he doth not explicitely direct his ſpeech to the Elders; but in all reaſon it muſt be expounded with reſpect to the governing-part of that Church, the company of Presbyter.
Tho there be no neceſſity of a Ruling Elder diſtinct from a Miniſter of the Goſpel, to the acts of Church-Diſcipline; yet in point of expedience and prudence, ſuch as are no ſpiritual rulers, or have no power formally ſpiritual, may either by the appointment of the Magiſtrate, or by the conſent of Paſtor and People, be joyned with the Paſtor for counſel and aſſiſtance, and more ſatiſfactory management of Church-affairs, Act. 15. The Church of Antioch ſent ſome from among themſelves with Paul and Barnabas, to be preſent at the deliberation of the Apoſtles and Elders at Jeruſalem; and the ſaid Apoſtles and Elders joyned ſome of the brethren with them to conſider of the matter that was brought before them from the Church of Antioch. And Chriſtian Emperors appointed ſome ſecular perſons as Aſſeſſors with the Biſhops in Councils. But nothing is to be attributed to theſe Lay-perſons ſo adjoined, that belongs to the power of the keys committed by Chriſt to the Paſtors only.
§ 16. Of the Office of a Deacon.
THE Scripture makes mention of two Holy Orders: 1. Preſbyters, who are alſo Biſhops. 2. Deacons, as Phil. 1.1. To the biſhops and deacons; and the third chapter of the firſt Epiſtle to Timothy, having ſet forth the Office of a biſhop, paſſeth immediately to the deacon without taking notice of a presbyter of a middle order between a biſhop and deacon. And the mention of a middle order is no where found in Scripture. Clemens Romanus in his Epiſtle, mentions but two orders, biſhops and deacons. And Dr. Hammond grants, That it cannot be proved that in Scripture-times there were any ſubject-presbyters; and concludes, that the churches were then governed by biſhops aſſiſted with deacons, and without presbyters, vid. his Annot. on Acts 11.30. and his Diſſertation, p 208, &c.
They that are agreed, that there is ſuch an office as a Deacon by divine right, are not agreed what it is; yet all are agreed, that it is an inferior order of miniſtry aſſiſtant to the biſhop or elder in the affairs of the church; but in what kind of aſſiſtance, there is diverſity of opinion.
Some hold that this office is to take care of the poor, in receiving and diſtributing among them the churches Alms. Others hold, that a deacon may preach and baptize, and aſſiſt the biſhop or elder in adminiſtring the Sacrament, tho he may not conſecrate the Sacramental bread and wine, nor lay on hands, or ordain.
In the 6. chap. of the Acts, if the inſtitution of this office be there related, we find no other miniſtry there expreſly mentioned but foreign, v. 2, 3. and in Phil. 1. the name only is mentioned without any ſpecification of the office. In 1 Tim. 3.8, &c. the due qualification of this officer is more ſet forth than the nature and work of the office; yet ſomething thereof may be ſignified v. 13. They that have uſed the office of a deacon well, purchaſe to themſelves a good degree. Let it be conſidered, whether by degree is not meant a degree in the Sacred miniſtry, and a ſtep to a higher order therein. Acts 8.5. we find that Philip, one of the ſeven, preached the Goſpel in Samaria, and his acts there are related, as if he alſo baptized the converts, v. 38. he baptized the Ethiopian Eunuch; and v. 40. he paſſed through, and preached in all the cities, till he came to Ceſarea. Now whether Philip did not theſe things, not meerly by the common duty of a Chriſtian, but by determinate ordination thereunto, it may be conſidered.
Some make two ſorts of Deacons, the deacon of tables, and the deacon of the word. But this diſtinction ſeems not to be allowed by the Church of England, becauſe it appoints to be read at the ordaining of Deacons both that part of Acts 6. that relates the ordaining of the ſeven for miniſtring unto tables, and alſo that part of 1 Tim. 3. that ſpeaks of the office of a Deacon as a degree in the Holy miniſtry immediately after the biſhop.
Concerning this office I aſſent to Grotius, That the deacons did ſerve the Presbyters, as the Levites the Prieſts; but the moſt laborious part of the deacons office is the care of the poor; and as nothing was lawful to the Levites that was not lawful to the Prieſts; ſo nothing is lawful to Deacons that is not lawful to Presbyters in matter of Sacred Adminiſtration. And the Biſhop or Elder had the chief diſpenſation of the Churches money; elſe how could he be enjoined to be given to Hoſpitality?
§ 17. Of a Call to the Miniſtry.
MIniſters are Stewards, Overſeers, Heralds, Ambaſſadors, which are names of ſpecial office: And the holy Scripture declares the perpetuity of this ſacred function, Eph. 4.14. in declaring the end thereof to be the perfecting of the Saints till Chriſts myſtical body be compleat, which is not till the end of all things: And tho ſome offices, as that of the Apoſtles, were for the firſt times only, yet others as Paſtors and Teachers are for all times; and the reaſon of the difference is manifeſt, the work of the one being extraordinary and temporary, and of the other ordinary and perpetual.
And that the work which is done by miniſters be not left in common to all, but appropriated to a ſpecial office, or a ſtate of authority and obligation to do that work, there is a perpetual neceſſity in the Church of God; for it being a work of the greateſt importance in the world, it is neceſſary that there be in ſome a ſtate of ſpecial obligation thereunto, leſt being left as every mans work, in the iſſue it prove to be no mans work.
The miniſtry being not a ſtate common to all, but a ſpecial office, it is uſurpation and intruſion for any one to take it up without a due call thereunto, that is a commiſſion or warrant to inſtate him in it. As none can be a Herald, or Ambaſſador, or Steward by aſſuming any of theſe offices to himſelf, but he muſt have commiſſion or warrant from the Prince or Houſholder; ſo none can be authoritative preachers of Chriſts Goſpel, or ſtewards of his myſteries, without a commiſſion from him.
The Scripture declares, That a miſſion is neceſſary, Rom. 10.15. How ſhall they preach except they be ſent? That is, without miſſion none preach with the authority of one of Chriſts Heralds. Accordingly, a rule is given for calling men to the miniſtry, which rule is to be kept till the appearance of Chriſt, 1 Tim 6.14. compared with chap. 5.17, 21. What manner of preaching the Goſpel is lawful for them that are no miniſters, hath been before ſpoken of.
The eſſence of the call to the miniſtry lies in Chriſts command to any man to do the work of the miniſtry, and in his own conſent accordingly to give up himſelf thereunto. The ſaid command is the efficient cauſe of a mans being a miniſter; and the ſufficient ſignification of that command, and a mans own conſent, is each of them a cauſa ſine qua non, or a neceſſary condition thereof: For it hath been already ſhewed, it is Chriſt only that gives the office and power intrinſick to it, and he doth it by his publick ſtanding act in his law. And in proper ſpeaking, it is no more given by man, than the power of a Mayor is given by the Citizens that elect him, or by the City-Officers that are appointed for his ſolemn inveſtiture.
§ 18. Of the immediate and mediate Call to the Miniſtry.
THE immediate Call to the miniſtry is extraordinary, and it is either that which is altogether without the intervention of man, as the Call of John Baptiſt, of the twelve Apoſtles, and of Paul, Gal. 1.1. or that wherein, though God uſe ſome miniſtry of man, yet he makes an immediate deſignation of the perſon in an extraordinary way, as the calling of Aaron and his ſons to the Prieſthood, and of Matthias to the Apoſtleſhip.
They that receive an immediate call, are able to give proof of it either by the gift of miracles, or ſome other extraordinary teſtimony of God.
The extraordinary and immediate call did belong to the extraordinary offices; but an ordinary and mediate call to the ordinary ſtanding offices.
It is to be noted, that at certain times in an ordinary office ſuch eminent qualifications and ſucceſſes may be given to ſome, as exceed the common meaſure; yet their call is not extraordinary for the kind thereof. Luther in that high and eminent ſervice which was done by him, did not pretend an extraordinary and immediate call. And none of our firſt Reformers renounced that ordinary call which they had under the corrupt ſtate of the church.
The mediate call is by the intervention of man in the ordinary way of election and ordination; which is ſo to be underſtood, that neither the Electors nor Ordainers do properly make a miniſter, nor give the miniſterial authority; nor doth the miniſter act by authority derived from the one or the other, nor in their name, as their officer commiſſioned by them; but by authority derived from Chriſt, and in his name as his officer. It is Chriſt therefore that gives the office by the ſtanding act of his Law immediately, that is, without any mediate efficient cauſe, yet by the mediation of men, as deſigning and inaugurating the perſon that receives it, as the King is the immediate giver of the power of a Mayor, tho the Corporation deſign the perſon that receives it; and God is the immediate giver of the Husbands power, but the application of it to ſuch a perſon is by the womans conſent.
Now in the mediate call, mans part is neceſſary as well as Gods part, and therefore in no wiſe to be neglected. For what is done by man, is neceſſary to give a ſufficient ſignification of the will of Chriſt, to put this or that perſon into the Miniſtry.