The Due Right of Presbyteries, Chapter 10 · Section 1 · Objection 10
Object. 10. A Pastor is not a Pastor, but in relation to his owne Church, or Congregation. Therefore hee cannot doe Pastorall Acts of either Order, or Jurisdiction in a Presbyterie.
Answ. How a Pastor is a Pastor in relation to all the World deserveth discussing.
First, Some have neither power of Order nor Jurisdiction in any place, as private persons.
Secondly, some have both power of Order and Jurisdiction through all the World, as the Apostles who might teach and administrate the Sacraments, and Excommunicate as Apostles, in every Church.
Thirdly, some have power of Order, and Jurisdiction in a certaine determinate place, as Pastors in their owne particular Congregations.
Fourthly, some have power of Order in relation to all the VVorld, as Pastors of a Congregation, who are Pastors validly Preaching and Administrating the Sacraments, but orderly and lawfully Preaching, where they have a calling of those, who can call to the occasionall exercise of their calling hic & nunc. In this meaning a Pastor of one flock is a Pastor, in regard of power of Order to all the World. Because though his pastorall teaching be restrained by the Church in ordinary, onelyonly to this Congregation, yet hath hee a pastorall power to preach to all the World, in in an occasionall way, both by Word and Writ, yet doth not this power being but the halfe of his Ministeriall power, denominate him a Pastor to all the World, as the Apostles were; and the same way hath hee power to administrate the Sacraments, and this way may our Brethren see that power of order to be a Minister or Pastor is given by the Presbytery, so as if the man were deprived clave non errante, hee now hath lost his pastorall relation to both the Catholick Church, and that Congregation, whereof hee is a Pastor. So as hee is now a private man, in relation not onelyonly to that Congregation whereof hee was a Pastor, but also in relation to the whole visible Church; now no particular Congregation hath power to denude him of this relation, that he had to the whole catholick Church. But a Pastor of a flock is a Pastor in respect of power of Jurisdiction, not over all the World, to excommunicate in every Presbytery, with the Presbytery, hee is onelyonly capable by vertue of his power of order, to exercise power of Jurisdiction, where hee shall come, upon suposall of a call, if hee be chosen a Pastor there, or be called to be a Commissioner in the higher, or highest Courts of the Church catholick, but other wayes he hath no power of Jurisdiction, but in that Court whereof he is a member; that is, in the Eldership of a Congregation, and in the Classicall Presbytery: for hee is so a member of a Congregation, as he is also a member of the Classical Presbytery, and therefore though he be not a Pastor one way in this Classicall Court, I meane in respect of power of order, yet is hee a Pastor, …, in watching over that Church, in respect of power of Jurisdiction.
Our Brethrens ground then is weake when they say. A Pastor cannot give the Seales to those of another Congregation, because he hath no Ministeriall power over those of another Congregation; if they meane power of Jurisdiction, it is true, he hath no Jurisdiction over those of another Congregation: but if they meane, hee hath no power of order over them, that is, for what ever be the Churches part in this, it is certaine the Pastor doth administrate the Seales by power of order, and not by power of Iurisdiction, and the Church as the Church hath not any power of order, for shee is not called to any pastorall dignity, though wee should grant that, which yet can never bee proved, that shee is invested with a Ministeriall power.