A Christian Directory, Part 3: Christian EcclesiasticsBaxter, Richard
Religion
A Christian Directory, Part 3: Christian Ecclesiastics
Baxter, Richard
Casuistry; Christian sociology
The people's internal and private duty to their pastors (which I may
treat of without an appearance of encroachment upon the work of the
canons, rubrics, and diocesans) I shall open to you in these
directions following.
_Direct._ I. Understand first the true ground, and nature, and reasons
of the ministerial office, or else you will not understand the
grounds, and nature, and reasons of your duty to them. The nature and
works of the ministerial office I have so plainly opened already that
I shall refer you to it to avoid repetition.[88] Here are two sorts of
reasons to be given you: 1. The reasons of the necessity of the
ministerial work. 2. Why certain persons must be separated to this
work, and it must not be left to all in common.
The necessity of the work itself appeareth in the very nature of it,
and enumeration of the parts of it.[89] Two sorts of ministers Christ
hath made use of for his church: the first sort was for the revelation
of some new law or doctrine, to be the church's rule of faith or life;
and these were to prove their authority and credibility by some divine
attestation, which was especially by miracles; and so Moses revealed
the law to the Jews, and (Christ and) the apostles revealed the
gospel. The second sort of ministers are appointed to guide the church
to salvation by opening and applying the rule thus already sealed and
delivered: and these, as they are to bring no new revelations or
doctrines of faith, or rule of life, so they need not bring any
miracle to prove their call or authority to the church; for they have
no power to deliver any new doctrine or gospel to the church, but only
that which is confirmed by miracles already. And it is impudence to
demand that the same gospel be proved by new miracles by every
minister that shall expound or preach it: that would make miracles to
be no miracles.
[Sidenote: The work of the ministry.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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