Five Disputations of Church Government, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Of the Nature and Ends of Ordination.
Sect: 1. THat we may know how far the Ordination in question is necessary to the Ministry, and whether the want of it prove a Nullity, we must first enquire what goes to the laying of the Foundation of this Relation, and how many things concur in the efficiency, and among the rest, what it is that the Ordainers have to do as their proper part; and what are the reasons of their Power and Work.
Sect. 2. As all that deserve the name of men, are agreed that there is no Power in the world but from God the Absolute Soveraign, and first Cause of Power: so all that deserve the name of Christians are agreed that there is no Church Power but what is from Christ the head and Soveraign King of the Church.
Sect. 3. As the will of God is the Cause of all things; And no thing but the Signification of it is necessary to the conveying of meer Rights: So in the making a man a Minister of the Gopel, there needeth no other principal efficient cause then the Will of Jesus Christ; nor any other Instrumental Efficient, but what is of use to the signifying of his Will: So that it is but in the nature of signs that they are Necessary. No more therefore is of Absolute Necessity, but what is so necessary to signifie his will. If Christs will may be signified without Ordination, a man may be a Minister without it: (Though in other respects he may be culpable in his entrance, by crossing the will of Christ concerning his duty in the manner of his proceedings.)
Sect. 4. There is considerable in the Ministry, 1. Beneficium. 2. Officium. 1. The Gospel, pardon, salvation-Ordinances are those great Benefits to the sons of men, which the Ministery is to be a means of conveying to them: And is it self a Benefit as it is the means of these Benefits. In this respect the Ministry is a Gift of Christ to the Church, and his Donation is the necessary act for their Ministration. But of this gift the Church is the subject. He giveth Pastors to his Church. 2. But in conjunction with the Churches Mercies, the Minister himself also partakes of mercy: It is a double Benefit to him to be both receptive with them of the blessing of the Gospel, and to be instrumentall for them in the conveyance, and to be so much exercised in so sweet and honourable, though flesh-displeasing and endangering work. As in giving Alms, the giver is the double receiver; and in all works for God, the greatest Duties are the greatest Benefits; so is it here. And thus the making of a Minister is a Donation or act of bounty to himself. Christ giveth to us the Office of the Ministry, as he giveth us in that office to the Church. As a Commanders place in an Army is a place of Trust and Honour and Reward, and so the matter of a gift, though the work be to fight and venture life.
Sect. 5. The Duty of the Minister is caused by an Obligation; and that is the part of a Precept of Christ: And thus Christs command to us to do his work doth make Ministers.
Sect. 6. From the work which the Ministers are to perform, and the command of Obedience laid upon the people, ariseth their duty, in submission to him, and Reception of his Ministerial work; And in Relation to them that are to obey him, his office is a superiour Teaching Ruling Power, and so is to be caused by Commission from Christ, as the fountain of Power that is to command both Pastor and People.
Sect. 7. So that the Ministry consisting of Duty, Benefit, and Power, (or Authority,) it is caused by Preceptive Obligation, by Liberal Donation, and by Commission. But the last is but compounded of the two first, or a result from them. The Command of God to Paul, e. g. to Preach and do the other works of the Ministry, doth of it self give him Authority to do them. And Gods command to the People to hear and submit, doth concur to make it a Power as to them. And the Nature and ends of the work commanded are such as prove it a Benefit to the Church; and consequentially to the Minister himself. So that all is comprehended in the very imposition of the Duty: By commanding us to preach the word, we are Autho…ized to do it, and by Doing it we are a Benefit to the Church, by bringing them the Gospel and its Benefits.
Sect. 8. Our Principal work therefore is to find out, on whom Christ imposeth the Duties of Church Ministration: And by what signs of his will, the person himself and the Church may be assured that it is the Will of Christ, that this man shall undertake the doing of these works.
Sect. 9. And therefore let us more distinctly enquire, 1. What is to be signified in order to a Ministers Call; and 2. How Christ doth signifie his will about the several parts; and so we shall see what is left for Ordination to do, when we see what is already done, or undone.
Sect. 10. 1. It must be determined or signified that A Ministry there must be. 2. And what their Work and Power shall be. 3. And what the Peoples Relation and duty toward them shall be. 4. What men shall be Ministers, and how qualified. 5. And how it shall be discerned by themselves and others which are the men that Christ intends.
Sect. 11. Now let us consider 1 What Christ hath done already in Scripture, 2. And what he doth by Providence, towards the determination of these things. And 1. In the Scripture he hath already determined of these things, or signified that it is his Will, 1. That there be a standing Ministry in the Church to the end of the world: 2. That their work shall be to preach the Gospel, Baptize, Congregate Churches, Govern them, ad…inister the Eucharist, &c. as afore-mentioned. 3. He hath left them Rules or Canons for the directing them (in all things of constant universal necessity) in the performance of these works. 4. He hath described the persons whom he will have thus employed, both by the Qualifications necessary to their Being, and to the Well-being of their Ministration. 5. He hath made it the Duty of such qualified persons to desire the work, and to seek it in case of need to the Church. 6. He hath made it the Duty of the people to desire such Pastors, and to seek for such and choose them or consent to the choice. 7. He hath made it the Duty of the present Overseers of the Church to Call such to the work, and Approve them, and Invest them in the office (which three acts … are called Ordination, but specially the last.) 8. He hath made i… the Duty of Magistrates to encourage and protect them, and in some cases to command them to the work, and set them in the office by their Authority. All these particulars are determined of already in the Laws of Christ, and none of them left to the power of men.
Sect. 12. The ordainers therefore have nothing to do to judge 1. Whether the Gospel shall be preached or no, whether Churches shall be Congregate or no, whether they shall be taught or governed or no? and Sacraments administred or no? 2. Nor whether there shall be a Ministry or no Ministry? 3. Nor how far (as to the Matter of their work and power) their office shall extend, and of what Species it shall be? 4. Nor whether the Scripture shall be their constant universal Canon? 5. Nor whether such qualified persons as God hath described, are only to be admitted, or not. 6. Nor whether it shall be the duty of such qualified persons to seek the office? or the Duty of the People to seek and choose such, or of Pastors to ordain such? or of Magistrates to promote such and put them on? None of this is the Ordainers work.
Sect. 13. If therefore any man on what pretence soever, shall either determine that the Gospel shall not be preached, nor the Disciples Baptized, the Baptized Congregated, the Congregations governed, the Sacraments administred, &c. or that there shall be no Ministers to do those works; or if any man Determine that which will infer any of these; or if he pretend to a Power of suspending or excluding them, by his Non-approbation, or not-authorizing them; he is no more to be obeyed and regarded in any of this Usurpation, then I were if I should make a Law, that no King shall reign but by my nomination, approbation or Coronation. And if any man under pretence of Ordaining, do set up a man that wants the Qualifications which Christ hath made necessary to the Being of the Ministry, his Ordination is Null, as being without Power, and against that Will of Christ that only can give Power. And so of the rest of the particulars forementioned: Where the Law hath already determined, they have nothing to do but obey it. And though the miscarriages of a man in his own calling do not alwaies nullifie his acts, yet all that he doth quite out of the line of his Office are Nullities.
Sect. 14. We see then that all that the Law hath left to the Ordainer is but this: In General, to Discern and judge of the person that is Qualified according to the Description of the Law; and particularly to call him out to the work, if he need excitement, and to Try and Approve him, before he be admitted, and to Invest him, or solemnize his admittance, at his entry. So that the sum of all is, but to find out the qualified person, because he is not named by the Law.
Sect. 15. And even in this the Ordainers are not the only Discerners or Judges; but the person himself, the People and the Magistrates, have all the forementioned parts in the work. And God himself goes before them all, and by providence frequently points them out the man whom they are bound to choose, Ordain, accept and submit unto: and that by these particular acts.
Sect. 16. 1. As God doth plainly describe the persons in the word, so he doth Qualifie them accordingly by his Guifts: and that of three sorts: Even, his special Graces (necessary so far as was before mentioned) Ministerial Abilities of Knowledge and utterance, and a desire after the work, for its ends. 2. God useth to qualifie so small a nu…ber thus, compared with his Churches Mecessities, that whether they should be Ministers (in general) or not, is seldom matter of controversie to prudent men, or at least a doubt that's more easie to decide. 3. God useth by Providence to give some one man, by advantage of parts, acquaintance, opportunity, interest, &c. a special fitness for one place and people above other men, and so to facilitate the decision. 4. God useth to stir up the hearts of the Church to choose or consent to the person thus qualified. 5. And he useth to stir up desires or consent in the heart of the person to be the Pastor of that particular flock. 6. And he useth oft times to procure him Liberty, if not some call from the Magistrate. 7. And also to remove impediments in his way. 8. And to assist ordainers in discerning the qualifications of the person, when the work comes to their hands. All this God doth providentially.
Sect. 17. By this much it appeareth, that the Ordainers do not give the power as from themselves to others; nor doth it pass through their hands. They are but the occasions, and the Instruments of Inauguration or solemn possession, when their interposition is due. It is the standing Act of Christ in his Law that giveth the Power immediately, I say immediately, as without any mediate receiving and conveying cause, that is directly efficient of the Power it self, though not so Immediately as to exclude all Preparations, and perfecting Instruments, accidentall causes & other means. As in case of Marriage, it is the womans consent that is of Necessity to the designation of the Person that shall be her husband. But it is not her Consent that properly giveth him the power of an husband over her. For that is done by God himself, in that Law by which he constituteth the husband to be head of the wife, and determineth in specie of his power, which one determination immediately conferreth the power on all individual persons, when once they are chosen and named: so that the Elector of the person doth but prepare and dispose him to receive the power, and not give it. He doth but open the door and let men in to the Ministry, & not give it. Its one thing to bring the person to the Pool that healeth, that he may be the man that first shall enter: and its another thing to heal him: Its one thing to Judge of the person that shall receive the Power immediately from God, and another thing to give it him our selves.
Sect. 18. Its thus in the case of Magistrates Power, in which mens interest hath ever been more discernable to the world and beyond controversie then in the power of Ministers. Though here there be a certain specification that dependeth on the will of man, yet the Power it self is immediately from God, and men do but choose the person that shall receive it, and present him to God, and solemnly inaugurate him. And for my part, I think I shall never consent to any side that will needs give more to men (whether Presbyters, Prelates, or people) in making a Minister, then in making a King. All power is of God; the powers that be are ordained of God.
Sect. 19. If any doubt of this (as I perceive by many writings, they do) I shall, to spare the labour of a Digression, refer them to the copious unanswerable labours of abundance of Protestants that have written in England for the Royal Power: But instead of more, let them but read Spalatensis, and Saravia and Bilson, and rest satisfied, or confute them before they expect any more from me.
Sect. 20. As in the making of Bayliffs for our Corporations, either the people, or the Burgesses, have the power of choosing, and the Steward or Recorder hath the power of swearing him, and performing the Ceremonies: and yet none of these confer the power, but only design the person, who receives the power from the Prince alone, by the Charter of the Cities or Towns, as his Instrument: so is it in the ordaining of Ministers. The People may choose, and the Pastors may invest, but its God only by the Gospel Charter that confers the power from himself.
Sect. 21. Hence it is pla…n that the Argument is vain thats commonly used by the Prelates, from Nemo dat quod non habet. For it falsly supposeth that the Ordainers are the givers of Power (the master-error in their frame.) Christ hath it, and Christ giveth it. Men give it not, though some of them have it: For they have it only to use and not to give. When the People choose a King, they give him not the Power, but God giveth it to the man whom the people choose. When our Corporations choose their Bayliff, the choosers give him not the Power; for they had it not themselves; but they determine of the man that immediately from the Princes Charter shall receive it: Nor doth the Recorder or Steward give it Primarily, but only Instrumentaliter & perfective by a Ceremonial inauguration. So the People give not Pastors the Power: Nor the Ordainers, but only complementally.
Sect. 22. From what is aforesaid also it appeareth, that the work of the Ministry is founded first in the Law of nature it self, which upon supposition of mans misery and his recovery by Christ, and the Promise and means appointed for application, requireth every man that hath Ability and Opportunity, to do his best in the Order appointed him by God, to save mens souls by proclaiming the Gospel, and using Gods appointed means, for the great and blessed Ends that are before us.
Sect. 23. Hence it also appeareth that Gods first command (partly in Nature and partly in the Gospel) is that [The work shall be done, the Gospel shall be preached, Churches gathered and governed, Sacraments administred:] and that the Precept de ordine is but secundary and subservien… to this. And if at any time, alterations should make Ordination impossible, it will not follow that the duty Ordered ceaseth to be duty, or the precept to oblige.
Sect. 24. The Scriptures name not the man that shall be a Pastor, yet when it hath described him it commandeth the Described person duely to seek admittance, and commandeth the People, ordainers and Magistrates to [Choose and Appoint these men to the Ministerial work.] Now these Precepts contain in each of them two distinct determinations of Christ. The first is [that such men be Ministers.] The second is [that they offer themselves to the office, and that they be Accepted and Ordained.] For the first is implyed in the latter. If the Soveraign Power make a Law, that there shall be Physicians licensed by a Colledge of Physitians to Practice in this Common-wealth] and describe the persons that shall be licensed; This plainly first concludeth that such persons shall be Physitians, and but secondarily de ordine that thus they shall be licensed: so that if the Colledge should License a company of utterly insufficient men, and murderers that seek mens death, or should refuse to License the persons qualified according to Law, they may themselves be punished, and the qualified persons may act as Authorized by that Law, which …indeth quoad materiam, and is by the Colledge (and not not by them) frustrate quoad ordi…em. So is it in this case in hand.
Sect. 25. Hence it appeareth that [Ordination is one means conjunct with divers others, for the Designation of right Qualified persons, described in the Law of Christ) for the reception and exercise of the Ministerial office. And that the ends of it are 1. To take care that the office fail not: and therefore to call out fit men to accept it, if modesty or impediments hinder them from offering themselves, or the people from nominating them. 2. To Judge in all ordinary cases of the fitness of persons to the office, and whether they are such as Scripture describeth and calls out. 3. And to solemnize their Admittance, by such an investiture, as when Possession of a House is given by a Ministerial tradition of a Key; or Possession of Land by Ministerial delivery of a twig and a turf, or as a Souldier is listed, a King Crowned, Marriage Solemnized, after consent and Title, in order to a more solemn obligation, and plenary possession; such is our Ordination.
Sect. 26. Hence it appeareth that as the Ordainers are not appointed to Judge whether the Church shall have Ordinances and Ministers, or not (no more then to judge whether we shall have a Christ and heaven, or not:) but who shall be the man; so it is not to the Being of the Ministry simply, and in all Cases that Ordination is necessary, but to the safe being and order of admittance, that the Church be not damnified by intruders.
Sect. 27. Ordination therefore is Gods orderly and ordinary means of a Regular admittance; and to be sought and used where it may be had (as the solemnizing of Marriage.) And it is a sin to neglect it wilfully, and so it is usually necessary necessitate Praecepti, & Necessitate medii ad ordinem & bene esse. But it is not of absolute Necessity Necessitate medii ad esse Ministerii, or to the Validity or Success of our office and Ministrations to the Church; nor in cases of necessity, when it cannot be had, is it necessary necessitate praecepti neither. This is the plain truth.
Sect. 28. There are great and weighty Reasons of Christs committing Ordination to Pastors. 1. Because they are most Able to judge of mens fitness, when the People may be ignorant of it. 2. Because they are men doubly Devoted to the Church and work of God themselves, and … may be supposed (regularly) to have the greatest … and most impartial respect to the Church and cause of God 3. And they must (regularly) be supposed to be men of greatest piety and and holiness (or else they are not well chosen.) 4. And they being fewer, are fitter to keep Unity, when the people are usually divided in their choice. 5. And if every man should enter the Ministry of himself that will judge himself fit, and can but get a people to accept him, most certainly the worst would be oft forwardest to men, (before they are sent,) and for want of humility would think themselves fittest (the common case of the Proud and Ignorant) and the People would be too commonly poisoned by heretical smooth-tongue'd men; or more commonly … please and undoe themselves, by choosing them that have most interest in them, by friends or acquaintance, and them that will most please and humour them, and instead of being their Teachers and Rulers, would be taught and ruled by them, and do as they would have them. Order is of great moment to preserve the very being of the Societies ordered, and to attain their well-being. God is not the God of Confusion but of Order, which in all the Churches must be maintained: No man therefore should neglect Ordination without necessity: And these that so neglect it, should be disowned by the Churches, unless they shew sufficient cause.