The Diocesans Trial, Part 2 · Argument 7
The seventh Argument.
Those Ministers who are made by one patent in the same words, have equall authority: but all Ministers of the Word are made by the same patent, in the same words, Receive the holy Ghost, whose sta… ye forgive. &c. Ergo. The proposition is denied: because the sence of the words is to be understood according as the persons give leave to whom they are spoken. These words spoken to Apostles, they gave them larger power then to a Bishop: and so spoken to a Presbyter they give him lesse power then to a Bishop. Answ: If the Scripture had distinguished of Presbyters Pastoral feeding with the Word, and made them divers degrees, as it hath made Apostles and Evangelists, then we would grant the excep…ion: but the Scripture doth not know this division of Pastors and Doctors into chiefe and assistent: but speaketh of them as of Apostles and Evangelists, who were among themselves equall in degree. Wherefore as no Apostle received by these words greater power then another: so no Pastor or Teacher, but must receive the same power, as who are among th…mselves of the same degree. Secondly, were they different degrees, yet it should give the Presbyter for kind, though not of so ample extent as the B…shop ha…h, as it giveth the Bishop the same power for kinde, which the Apostles had, though not so universall, but contracted to particular Churches.
Now to some unto some conclusions or assertions which may le…d light unto the deciding of this question.
Conclus. 1. Let this be the first. No Minister of the Word hath any power but ministeriall in the Church. Power is naturall or morall. Morall is Civill or Ecclesiasticall. Civill is either Lord-like and ruling, or ministeriall and servile. So Ecclesiasticall, taken largely for all power subjectively in, or objectively about the Church, is either Lord-like and Regall, such as is in Christ, or it is ministeriall and servile, such as is in the Church and the principall members of it. The power therefore of the Apostles themselves and Evangelists, is called foreign, Act. 20. 1. Tim. 4. yea such a service, as doth make the ministers having it, so servants, that they are no way Lords. Many ministers, one Lord: we preach Christ, our selves your servants for Iesus sake. S. Paul maketh his power steward-like, not regall. Now as that is regall power which doth any thing from the authority one hath in himselfe, or from ones pleasure: so that is ministeriall power which doth nothing but eying the will and power of him that is pri…cipall: a power which signifieth or executeth this or that ix mer… al…erium obsequi….
Conclus. 2. This ministeriall power is no supernaturall vertue or quality inherent in the soule: but a relative respect founded on this, that I am called by God to this or that actuall administration in his Church. For it is not a power simply, whereby a man is made able to doe some supernatural act, which he could not before in any manner performe: but it is respectively said a power, in as much as it doth inable him to doe those acts in the Church of God lawfully, and ex officio, with which before he might not intermeddle. The power of a Deacon, Pastor, Evangelist, Apostle, belong to one predicament in regard of that which is the genus or common nature of them: the power of the Church cannot be other. Naturall and civill power doth▪ with vertue and efficacy reach those effects and ends to which they are designed: because they are proportioned to them, and exceed not their activity: but Ecclesiasticall power cannot thus concur to the end and effects for which it is ordained: because they are such as the omnipotenty of God onelyonly can produce, asthe converting or creating grace in the heart of a sinner, to which no supernaturall vertue in man can by any reall, though instrumentary efficacy, conduce any thing.
Conclus. 3. God hath not given ministeriall power to any, which himselfe is not personally to discharge, nor in further plenitude then that by himselfe it may be performed. The reason is, because God cannot give one the charge of doing more then a mans proper industry can atchieve, but he must withall put it in a mans power to take others, and to impart with them power of teaching and governing, so farre as may supply that defect which is in his strength to performe it alone. He that will have the end, will have that without which the end cannot be attained. If God would have any one an universall pastor to all the Churches of the world, he must needs allow him power to substitute Pastors here and there, deriving unto them power both to teach and governe, so far as may supply his absence in the Pastorall cure. If I will have one keepe my flockes which goe in twenty sheepe-gates, if I commit them to one, I must needs together give him leave to assume unto himselfe such as may be under shepheards to him. Thus if God give a Bishop the plenitude of Pastorall care and government over all the Parishionall Churches through a Diocesse, he must needs together allow him this power, of being a head of internall influence, even a head virtually communicating with others part of pastorall power, whether teaching or government. Thus should none but Bishop… be ex officio servants in Pastorall cure to God: all others should be immediately and formally servants to the bishop, and doe every thing in the name of the bishop, being immediately onelyonly and in a remote sense the servants of God: as in the former comparison of one servant receiving from his master the care of all the …tockes, he is the masters servant to whom the master committeth the trust, from whom he onelyonly looketh to see it performed: but those whom this shepheard taketh to himselfe for his aid, they come under his dominion, and are servants to him. If it be said, that God doth not thus make the bishop Pastor, but that he wil likewise that there be parish Pastors under him, and helps of government. To this I answer, If God will have them, then either after his owne de…ignement, or else leaving it to the bishops arbitrement: if he leave it to the bishops arbitrement, then the objection before is in force, God will looke for the cure from him onelyonly, he shal take according to his judgment, such as may helpe him. If God will have them after his owne designment, then he giveth the bishop no more Pastorall power then he can discharge himselfe, others having their right in all the bishop cannot execute, as well as the bishop, and as immediatly from Christ. Some write, as if the Apostles had the plenitude of all Pastorall power, that from them it might be derived to the Church, it being seene through nature, that inferiour things receive influence from the superiour. But they misconceive the matter; they had onelyonly a power to serve the Church with the personall service of their Apo…tleship. The Pastorall power of Evangelists, or of ordinary Pa…tours and teachers, they never had. For as Christ gave the one order, so the two other also, for the gathering of the Saints, and exaedifying of the body of Christ: and no person in any ranke had any power to do this or that in the Church further then himselfe might performe in person. The steward in a house hath full power of a steward, but not the power of all other officers, as Clark of the kitchin, B…tler, Chamberlaine, &c. So in these divers orders of servants in Gods house, his Church. If the Apostles had had the fulnesse of Pastorall c…re, they should then have ordained others Evangelists, and Pastors not onelyonly by ministeriall mediation of their persons calling them, but also by mediation of vertue.
Conclus. 4. One ministeriall power may be in degree of dignity above another. For the power of one may be about more noble acts then the power of another, or in the same kinde, the power of one may be more extended, and the power of another more contracted. Thus the Deacons had for the object of their power and care, not so excellent a thing as that of Pastors, Evangelist…, and Apostles. Thus the power of ordinary Pastors was not so univer…all as the Apostles, even as in the orders of servants domesticall, some are implied about lesser, some about greater and more honorable subjects.
Co…cl. 5. No order of Ministers or servants can have majority of …ctive and corrective power over those who are in inferior order o… Ministery and service. The reason is, because this exceedeth the …ounds of ministeriall power, and is a participation of that despoticall power which is appropriate to the master of the family.
Concl. 6. Servants in one degree may have power to signifie their masters direction, and to execute ministerially what their master out of his corrective power inflicteth on their fellow servants in other degrees. Thus Pastors signifie Gods will to governing Presbyters and Deacons, what he would have them to doe in their places. Thus the Apostles might informe all orders under them.
Concl. 7. This power ministeriall tending to execute the pleasure of Christs corrective power, was committed to some in extraordinary degrees, personally and singularly, and might be so in some cases exercised by them. I meane singularity without concurrence of any others. This without doubt was in the Apostles and Evangelists: and it was needfull it should be so: first, because it might be behovefull there to excommunicate whereas yet Churches were not risen to their perfect frame: secondly, because there might be some persons not setled as fixed dwellers in any Church, whom yet to be cast forth was very behovefull. Againe, some Evangelists might incurre censure, as Demas, in such sort as no ordinary Churches power could reach to them.
Concl. 8. That ordinarily this power is not given to any one singularly by himselfe to exercise the same, but with the company of others constituting a representative Church: which is the point next to bee shewed. Yea where Churches were constituted, the Apostles did not offer to exercise their power, without the minsteriall concurrence of the Churches, as in the story of the Corinthians is manifest.