The Divine Right of Church Government: Wherein it is proved that the Presbyterian government, by preaching and ruling elders, in sessional, Presbyterial and synodical assemblies, may lay the only lawful claim to a divine right, according to the Holy Scriptures
Religion
The Divine Right of Church Government: Wherein it is proved that the Presbyterian government, by preaching and ruling elders, in sessional, Presbyterial and synodical assemblies, may lay the only lawful claim to a divine right, according to the Holy Scriptures
Presbyterian Church -- Government
_Ans_. 1. This gloss imagineth such a ministry in the apostles' times as
the prelates had erected of late in their days, viz: many dumb dogs that
could not bark nor preach at all, yet could administer the sacraments by
the old service-book. But the apostles, as Cartwright[76] observes,
allowed no such ministers, will have every bishop or preaching elder to
be both "apt to teach, _and_ able to convince," 1 Tim. iii. 2; Tit. i.
9. So that it was far from Paul to countenance a non-preaching or
seldom-preaching ministry, by allowing any honor at all, much less a
double honor, to such. Sure, preaching is one part, yea, a most
principal part or duty of the minister's office, (as hath been evidenced
before, Part 2, Chap. VII.,) and shall he be counted worthy of double
honor that neglects a principal duty of his office? Nay, he deserves not
the very name of such an officer in the church: why should he be called
a pastor that doth not feed? or a teacher, that doth not teach his
flock? &c., saith Chrysost. Hom. xv. in 1 Timothy. 2. Why should Paul's
laboring be restrained here to his preaching only? when Paul speaks of
his own labor elsewhere, he speaks of it in another sense, 2 Cor. xi.
17, "in labor and weariness"--compare it with the context; and in this
place judicious Calvin seems rather to interpret it of other manner of
labor, and Pareus extends it, besides preaching, to divers other labors
which Paul did undergo. 3. What warrant doth this exception hold out for
two sorts of ministers here pretended, some _preaching_, others _only
administering the sacraments_? Thus, _Paul preached much, baptised but
few_: therefore, _there were some that only administered the
sacraments_: well concluded. Yet Paul baptized some, 1 Cor. i. 14, 16,
distributed the Lord's supper to some, Acts xx. 7, 11; so that he both
preached and dispensed the sacraments. Let any show where any person
dispensed the sacraments that was not a preacher. Again, _Paul and
Barnabas equally travelled together, but Paul was chief speaker_: what
then? therefore _some labored in the word, others in the sacraments
only_. This is woful logic. 4. To whomsoever the power of dispensing the
sacraments was given by Christ, to them also the power of preaching was
given; dispensing the word and sacraments are joined in the same
commission, Matt, xxviii. 18-20: what Christ joins together let not man
put asunder. 5. Touching the preaching elder there is mentioned only one
act peculiar to his office, viz. _laboring in the word_, &c.; but,
taking a part for the whole, we may understand his dispensing the
sacraments also, and what else is peculiar to the preaching elder's
office, though for brevity's sake it be not here named.[77]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account