The Remains of John Corbet, Section 20 – Section 22
§ 20. Of Ordination, and the moment thereof in the office of the Miniſtry.
ORdination is an outward ſolemn ſetting apart of perſons to the holy miniſtry by prayer and faſting, and the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery.
As touching the importance thereof, ſome ſay that it is the conſtituting or making of a miniſter; others ſay it is the ſolemnizing of his entrance into the office, or his inauguration thereinto, or his inveſtiture therein, and is of the ſame moment to the miniſtry with the ſolemnizing of marriage to the conjugal relation, the delivery of a twig and turf to the poſſeſſion of land Theſe different ways of expreſſion being conſidered, may be found to come to the ſame iſſue; and the latter may ſufficiently ſet forth the making of a miniſter as far as mans act can make him.
The words by which that which we call ordination, is ſet forth in Scripture, are, 1. foreign, Act. 14 24. which doth not neceſſarily evince an ordaining by ſuffrages, but in the New Teſtament it is uſed to ſignifie an ordaining to the office whether by God or man (as hath been before noted): But if the Text were thus to be read, They ordained them Elders by the ſuffrages of the people; yet it is plain, that not the people, but Paul and Barnabas ordained them. 2. foreign Tit. 1.5. Which ſignifies to conſtitute. 3. foreign Act. 13.2. Which ſignifies to ſeparate or ſet apart.
Now the latter way of expreſſing the force of ordination, viz. The ſolemn inauguration or inveſtiture in the office, is a ſeparating of one unto it, or a conſtituting of one in it in that ſence that mans act of ordainining can bear: For it cannot be the act of an efficient cauſe making and giving the office and power thereof: For that (as hath been already ſhewed) is not the act of man, but of Chriſt alone: But it is a neceſſary ordinary antecedent, and that the moſt important, as being the laſt and moſt compleat deſignation made by men of the perſon on whom Chriſt confers the office, and the ſolemn inveſting of him in it.
Hence it follows, that tho ordination be ordinarily neceſſary to the miniſtry, yet it is not of that abſolute neceſſity in all caſes, as that there can be no lawful or valid miniſtry without it; for where it cannot be had, there may be otherwiſe a full ſignification of the will of Chriſt, that ſome perſons ſhould do the work of the miniſtry. Moreover the work of the miniſtry is a neceſſary means of ſaving ſouls, of upholding and perpetuating a Church unto Chriſt upon earth, of maintaining ſoberneſs, righteouſneſs and godlineſs of life among profeſſed Chriſtians; and that ſome take this work upon them, is an obligation of the Law of Nature, and indiſpenſable; But regular ordination is but a point of order, and for the interruption or ceſſation of this latter, the former is not to be broken off or ceaſe: And if there be in any an obligation ſtatedly to do this work, he is in the office of the miniſtry.
If any alledg that Chriſt by his law hath made an uninterrupted regular ordination indiſpenſably neceſſary to the miniſtry, he is bound to prove it. If any pretend an uninterrupted regular ordination of all his predeceſſors, he is bound to make it clear. Chriſt indeed hath inſtituted a miniſtry for the compleating of his church unto the conſummation of all things; he hath alſo promiſed his Apoſtles, and his miniſters ſucceſſively in them, that he will be with them alway to the end of the world: But I find no promiſe of an uninterrupted ſucceſſion of regularly ordained miniſters.
That which is delivered by ordination, is the ſacred miniſterial office at large as reſpecting the univerſal Church, to be exerciſed here or there according to particular calls and opportunities.
§ 21. Of Prayer and Faſting, and Impoſition of Hands in Ordination.
PRAYER is ſuch a duty, as is requiſite to the ſanctifying of all other duties, as the preaching of the Word, adminiſtration of Baptiſm, and the Lords Supper; and therefore is neceſſary to this ſacred action of ordaining miniſters. Faſting is a ſervice expreſſive of ſolemn humiliation, and a neceſſary adjunct of extra ordinary prayer for the obtaining of more ſpecial mercy, and therefore a neceſſary preparative and concomitant in this ſolemnity: And we have Scripture Examples for prayer and faſting in the miſſion of perſons to the work of the miniſtry, Luke 6.12, 13. Act. 13.2. Act. 14 23.
What impoſition of hands imports, and the moment of it, is to be conſidered from the uſe of it both in the Old and New Teſtament. In the Old Teſtament 'twas uſed, 1. In ſolemn benediction, the perſon bleſſing laid his hand on the perſon bleſſed, Gen. 48.14. 2. In offering Sacrifice, as a ſign of devoting it to the Lord by him that offered it, Lev. 1.4. 3. In ordaining to an office as a ſign of ſetting apart therunto, Numb. 27.18, 20. In the New Teſtament it is uſed, 1. in bleſſing, Mark 10.16. 2. In curing bodily diſeaſes, Mark 16.18. Luke 13.13. Acts 19.11. 3. In conveying the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghoſt, Acts 8.17. Acts 19.6. 4. In ordaining miniſters, Acts 6.6. 1 Tim 4.14.
The meaning of impoſition of hands ſpoken of Heb. 6.2. is diverſly taken; ſome take it as uſed for the remitting of ſins (as they alſo do 1 Tim. 5.22.) and ſay that Baptiſm refers to the making of proſelytes, and laying on of hands to the abſolving of penitents. Others take it for confirmation. Others conceive that the whole miniſtry is by a ſynecdoche therein comprehended.
From the various uſes of this Rite, we collect, that it was a ſign of conveying a benefit, or of deſigning to an office, or of devoting one to the Lord; and particularly, of authoritative benediction and deſignation to the office of the miniſtry, and of devoting to the Lord in that kind.
There is no ſufficient reaſon to make it but a temporary Rite, and to limit the uſe of it in ordination only to the times of miraeles; there being no circumſtance in any Text to ſhew that it was done only for the preſent occaſion. And we read not that miraculous gifts were given by impoſition of hands in ordination.
§ 22. The power of Ordaining belongs to the Paſtors of the Church.
SOme give this reaſon why the power of Ordination is not in the people, but in the Paſtors, becauſe the act of ordaining is a poteſtative or authoritative miſſion, which power of miſſion is firſt ſeated in Chriſt, and from him committed to the Apoſtles, and from them to the Biſhops or Elders. But this Reaſon muſt be taken with a grain of ſalt, or in a ſound ſenſe, becauſe Biſhops or Elders have ſpiritual power formalier, but not efficienter; and they do not properly make or give the miniſterial power, but are only inſtruments of deſignation, or application of that power to the perſon to whom Chriſt immediately gives it by the ſtanding-act of his Law.
That the power of ordaining belongs not to the people, but to the Church officers, firſt appears by Scripture-authority, for that in all the New Teſtament there is no example of ordination by any of the Laity, but contrariwiſe it is therein expreſly committed to ſpiritual officers. 2. By Reaſon, for that the Paſtors of the Churches are better qualified for the deſignation of a perſon to the Holy miniſtry, and for performing the action of ſolemn inveſtiture; as alſo, for that ordination includes an authoritative benediction, and that is to come from a Superior, as the Scripture ſaith, The leſs is bleſſed of the greater, and not the greater of the leſs, as it would be if the Paſtor were to be ordained by the people that are governed by him.
Some argue for a popular ordination, becauſe election, which is the greater, belongs to the people. But 1. Election is not greater than Ordination in the miniſterial Call. For in ordination, inveſtiture in the Function it ſelf is given; but in the peoples election, no more is given than the ſtated exerciſe of the miniſtry in that Congregation.
2. In caſe Election were greater than Ordination, yet the conſequence holds not. Several parties may have each their own part divided to them; and he that may do the greater, may not always do the leſſer, unleſs the leſſer be eſſentially included in the greater, which is not in this caſe.
It is likewiſe urged for popular ordination, That in the conſecration of the Levites, the children of Iſrael laid their hands upon them, Numb 8.11. To this it is anſwered, That the Levites were taken by God inſtead of the firſt born of all the children of Iſrael, which the Lord claimed as his own upon the deſtroying of the firſt-born of the Egyptians; and ſo the impoſition of hands by the firſt-born upon the Levites, was not ſtrictly an ordaining of them to their office, but an offering of them as a ſacrifice in their own ſtead to make an atonement for them, as he that brought a ſacrifice, laid his hand on the head of it.
Tho in Timothy's ordination, the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery be mentioned, and where many Presbyters were, they joined in this action; yet I ſee not any thing in Scripture or Reaſon to gainſay the validity of ordination by a ſingle Biſhop or Presbyter. Nevertheleſs, ordination by the impoſition of many hands, is more unqueſtionable, and the uſe thereof moſt laudabl…, and in no caſe to be omitted where it may be had, according to the cuſtom of the Church in all ages.